Hi everyone! I’ve been getting a lot of questions regarding writing children’s books lately so I thought I’d put up this previous post. It’s a question I got from a reader and the answer I sent her, with some resources. Enjoy!

Richele asked:

Genny,

I saw that you are a writer. I have a children’s book I am working on. Can I ask you about how you get an illustrator? Do you find one or does the publisher handle that aspect? Also, do I need a literary agent to get a book published?

I am trying to make my way in the writing world!

Thanks!

Richele
My answer:

Hi Richele,

Good for you for pursuing writing for children! I’d recommend going to www.scbwi.org then clicking on the lower right corner where it says “Just Getting Started.” SCBWI stands for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the organization is a great resource. There are a lot of documents on the website that can help you, such as the Top Ten FAQ in Children’s Publishing.

And a quick answer to your questions: the editor at the publishing house is the one who finds the illustrator for your work, and, no you don’t need an agent to get published, though many publishing houses only accept submissions through agents.

Thanks for letting me share your question, Richele!

If anyone else is interested in learning more about writing for children, I have a bunch of writing resources listed here at my site under the Tips/Resources tab. Just click on Writing Resources. I also recommend clicking over to the site I refer to above, https://www.scbwi.org/. You’ll find a lot more detail about things like the submission process, whether or not to get an agent, and how to format your manuscripts.

I’ve been involved with SCBWI for years and was an Assistant Regional Advisor up until this past year. Not only is it a wonderful group of people (at our last conference in Rocklin, CA someone commented that children’s writers are the nicest demographic in the world!), but by getting involved, you’ll learn more about the industry and the publishing process, and you’ll be able to network with other writers / illustrators. It’s an international organization, with chapters all over the world.

I hope this helps! If you have any additional questions, feel free to email me. I just may post your email and my answer here!

Related post:

So you want to be a writer?