What if kids wrote and published

Who says that you have be a grown-up to write good? At the age of 11, The Guptara twins Jyoti and Suresh finished their first draft of their epic fantasy novel Conspiracy of Calaspia , the first in their Insanity series. Set on the planet of Calaspia, Bryn Bellyset must assemble a ragged bunch of misfits to fight a mysterious and powerful enemy. Conspiracy of Calaspia became the number two best-seller in India!

Alex decided to write the book after he noticed the older boys in school having a great deal of trouble trying to woo the girls. The novel follows the story of a year-old vampire named Risika, both before and after becoming a creature of the night.

Before you write a single word of your children's book, you also need to determine your target audience.

Children's lit ranges from baby board books alllll the way up to young adult novels, so your target age range may be anywhere from 0 to It's important to know what your target audience's age range is so that you can speak directly to them. However, age isn't the only factor here! You also need to think about what your readers will expect in terms of topic, lengthy, style, and complexity.

Understanding these things enables you to "write to market," so your book will actually sell. Let's take a quick look at the main types of children's books and their target age groups. We'll also provide some well-known examples, in case you're not quite sure what these books should look like. Most children and adults enjoy picture books beyond the age of 6, and many precocious children love YA novels. This is just to give you an idea of your primary demographic.

In industry terms, a picture book is a book that relies on both illustrations and words to tell the story. Since picture books are meant for very early reading experiences, the word count is going to be quite low words or fewer ; board books for babies and toddlers are even shorter.

But all picture books still need to have a strong story, so don't make the mistake of thinking they're easy to write. You can learn more in our guide to writing a picture book. After picture books comes early reader fiction: books for children who have graduated to more-words-than-pictures, but aren't yet ready to tackle long blocks of text. These early readers also usually come in series, so kids can devour one after another to build their reading skills.

From early readers, children progress to chapter books, which we all probably remember from our earliest book reports! Chapters books are also pretty quick reads that tend to come in series, but their word count is slightly higher, around 5, to 10, words per book. You'll still see pictures in chapter books, but you'll notice they're less common and often appear as sketches rather than full color illustrations. Middle grade books are for kids who want something a little more advanced in terms of both prose and story.

These fully independent middle-grade readers tackle books from 30, to 50, words, with even fewer illustrations than their predecessors — though there may still be some pictures, especially to accompany chapter headings.

The typical word count in YA falls between 50, to , words — in other words, the same length as any other novel. However, the subject matter will be distinctly adolescent: often to do with navigating life-changing issues and discovering one's true self. Learn how to write a commercially viable Young Adult novel with this free day course.

Get started now. A distinctive voice will set you apart from other children's books from the onset. Your authorial voice is what is going to speak to children and we also mean that in the literal sense, as children's books are often read out loud. You might be afraid that you won't be able to find your voice instantly, but don't worry!

The good news is that, just as nobody has a voice like Dr. Seuss' or Roald Dahl's, nobody has your voice. And, like all other writing endeavors, it's a matter of practice and patient dedication. To discover it, dig deep to figure out what makes your words special — and where your strengths on the page lie.

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you hone it. Find out which literary luminary is your stylistic soulmate. Takes 30 seconds! Children won't be impressed by four-syllable words — they'll only be confused by them.

It's necessary to remember that your target audience's vocabulary is different from yours, even if you're writing middle-grade fiction or YA. That said, you should never talk down to children. The best way to navigate this delicate balance is to read other books for kids in your age group. This is by far the best way to get a sense of what language is suitable for them,. Picture books and early readers depend on the repetition of words and phrases, so children can follow them easily.

Think about books like Chicka Chicka Boom Boom: it's so popular because they repeat an interesting phrase over and over. Repeating situations also tend to be very effective, even if they're only used as a plot device. The setting is different in each book, but every first chapter gives kids a sense of familiar anticipation. And if you need any more examples, just think about Dr.

Seuss and the overwhelming success that he found with repetition in his prose! Speaking of Dr. Seuss, reconsider rhyming in your children's book unless you're him. It's extremely hard to rhyme well — moreover, children's editors and children's book agents will be able to spot a bad or derivative rhyme from a mile away. That said, there are exceptions! Children's book editor Judith Paskin describes one such instance when she couldn't write if it wasn't in rhyme:. But that mole did not want to talk unless he could do it in rhyme.

I love seeing all these wonderful books that young people have made. I'm writing a book called the packs unite. I'm so glad that there are so many books by kids out there! If you have ideas, tell me! I can't wait until it's done. I'm so happy that other's like to write as much as I do! I'm 10, and writing a fictional book series about a young mouse who lives in this forest during a huge war between the mice and squirrels, and the reptiles.

It's called Cheddarlia Swiss and the mice of Oaklia. The Outsiders. The Diary of a Young Girl. All three books, classics in their genres, were written by teenagers. We at Why Not Books are particularly proud of our prodigy.

Far too old. Starting with the most recent book but eventually traveling all the way back to the mid th century, here are 30 books from 30 prodigies:. Griffin Blade is a master thief, apparently orphaned years earlier, who steals a valuable gem on behalf of a shady character only to have it stolen from him by a man with only one defining characteristic—a finger made of bronze.

He and his eventual traveling band of misfit companions—a dwarf, a dark elf, a minotaur, a djinn—become the central focus of a battle for power in Alastian. Along the way, Griffin Blade discovers the hero within and the truth about his own past. Just Jake by Jake Marcionette, The first book in the series, about a sixth grader trying to establish his social life at a new school, is set for February … Marcionette, who began the books when he was 12, writes about a boy named Jake Ali Mathews whose life is upended after his family moves from Florida to Maryland.

In his new school, Jake struggles to start fresh, while also avoiding the local bully… PYRG plans to publish the second book in the series in February , and has an option on the planned third title. Total Teen Adventure by Tony Budolovic, Tony Budolovic was born in He hates bugs, loves the Harry Potter series, sings pretty well—and writes books.

He actually wrote his first, The Way to the Future , a book about dragons, ghosts, and potion shops, at age 6. At age 10, he published Total Teen Adventure , which was about character older than he—teenagers.

In the page novel, a group of teens find themselves taken from summer vacations and tricked into being part of a competition in which everything is secretly recorded on camera. Ten-year-old Jacob Shaw weaved the tale of William, the orphaned son of mixed parentage—in the sense that his father was a wise welder, but his mother descended from villainous lineage.

He wields a heap of magic and a deep conscience, as he attempts to save Pastaland from the evil Salastro. Take a couple of dyslexic identical twins, give them matching writing skills and creativity, then be doubly impressed. Before they even finished high school, they completed four novels including the next two books in the Strand series , a guide to writing, a screenplay, and a comic book—and they started a nonprofit called Motivate 2 Learn, its aim being to inspired young readers and writers to overcome any obstacles in their way.

How to Talk to Girls by Alec Greven, He became a New York Times bestselling self-help author—at the age of nine. Ditch your sweatpants. Comb your hair. Swordbird Nancy Yi Fan, As a sixth-grader, when she began to learn more about the September 11 th terrorist attacks, she awoke from a vivid dream about birds and decided to sit down at her computer and write a manuscript that might somehow convey a message of peace.

The result: Swordbird— about the bluejays and cardinals in Stone-Run Forest. It was eventually published by HarperCollins in First printing: 50, books. She followed that with a prequel, Sword Quest , and a third book, Sword Mountain. Currently, she attends Harvard University. She also has three pet birds. Maradonia and the Seven Bridges Gloria Tesch, This young San Diegan started writing her first book when she was She celebrated her 13 th birthday with the publication of Maradonia and the Seven Bridges and Maradonia and the Escape from the Underworld.

Conspiracy of Calaspia by Suresh and Jvoti Guptara, When they were 11, they wrote the first draft of Conspiracy of Calaspia , a fantasy novel about Bryn Bellyset year-old heir to a drink empire who races to save Calaspia from an evil force thought to be extinct. By the time the twins were 17, it was a published bestseller. More than 70, copies are in print, and the book was the first in a trilogy known as the Insanity Saga.

The twins are said to be now working on a second series. When Libby Rees, a little British girl, was six years old, her parents split up.

Aultbea signed her for two more books a good portion of the money earned going, per her wishes, to Save The Children. Heartsongs by Mattie Stepanek, Jimmy Carter gave his eulogy. Oprah Winfrey called him one of her most memorable guests. He lobbied for peace and people with disabilities on Capitol Hill.

He has had foundations, scholarships, public parks, and special days named in his honor. His words have been put to music in Carnegie Hall. And he published five books of poetry—starting with Heartsongs when he was still a pre-teen. And all of this before he passed away just before his 14 th birthday in Stepanek finally succumbed to a rare form of muscular dystrophy, the same disease that took his sister and two brothers in early childhood, but his message endures.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini, Paolini graduated from home-schooled high school at age 15 and started writing a book called Eragon , set in the mythical land of Alagaesia. Knopf, published a second edition. It became a New York Times bestseller and led to three more books in the Inheritance Cycle — Eldest, Brisingr , and Inheritance —which have sold in excess of 33 million copies.

The Guinness Book of World Records recognizes Paolini as the youngest author of a bestselling series. She wrote two more books in the vampire series over the next two years, then completed a critically acclaimed five-book series about shapeshifters, She returned to the original series, writing five more novels, and is now at work on a separate trilogy. Prolific prodigy. This outrageously witty book features memorable tips for being a pest in the car, at the dinner table, and when shopping for sneakers.

Toole wrote The Neon Bible at the age of 16 in It is the tale of a boy named David who grows up in rural Mississippi in the mid th -century and discovers—through one strong memory per chapter—about racial, religious, social, and sexual bigotry.

Then he wrote A Confederacy of Dunces , which again found difficulty navigating the publishing gauntlet. Toole committed suicide in