Children's Book?

[George Wilder Jr.]

I have written and published three crime and blood drenched novels. And I'm now working on a non-fiction adult parenting manuscript. Mentioning all that, I have had a passion for wanting to write a children's book. I'm pretty sure that I will write a children's book, on the other hand, I will continue to take down the bad guys, I just think readers should see and read another side of me. I have heard that writing a children's book can be more difficult than any other. Is that true? If so I'm willing to take that risk.

[Hazel Edwards]

I write for children and adults, and writing for kids is harder as they are more honest, give it the 'yawn test' but will become devoted fans of subsequent books, if they like your characters. You also get unique fan mail! Or your character might. I often get 'Dear Hippo, will you come and sit on my roof and be my friend because I haven;t got a friend?' poignant e- fan mail...My website www.hazeledwards.com has a few articles on the background writing of some of my children's titles which include picture books, YA and junior fiction and faction.Children's books have longer lives than adult which are read once, but a generation is six years, and then you have a new group of child readers. Also tend to be translated and adapted more. And then there's the educational market for fact and fiction. But some adults will also ask 'When are you going to write a 'real' (meaning adult )book.? because they make the mistake of assuming that the IQ of the writer is commensurate with the age of the reader. You have to write shorter and simplify, but still have a sub-text , so writing for children is harder, but very satisfying. It's also said that food is the sex of children's books. PS I also co-wrote 'The Business of Writing for Young People' with Goldie Alexander, another Australian crime writer on Crimespace.

[Jeri Westerson]

Hmm. Blood-drenched parenting techniques? :) Naw, just kidding. Seriously, though. Obviously it's an entirely different market, so your previously published books will be of no help to you. May even be a hinderance. I would suggest writing those children's books under another name. Think of each genre as your "brand". The same people expecting a blood drenched experience will be heartily disappointed if they picked up a children's book instead. And do you mean children's or young adult? Perhaps young adult is an easier leap. You've probably already heard this, but the biggest suggestion would be to read other authors in the genre to see how they handle the violence, lanuage, and what not.