Tips for Writers
Do you enjoy writing? Do you hope to have a children’s book published someday?
Aspiring writers often come to me for advice, so I’ve pulled this list together and hope you find it helpful.
READ—If you want to be a good writer you have to be a good reader. Read books in the genre you are interested in. Read the classics and the bestsellers. Study them and learn from them.
LEARN ABOUT THE CRAFT OF WRITING—Read books on writing. Read books on how to write for publication and how to prepare queries and proposals.
BUY A BOOK ON GRAMMAR—As you write, you will have many questions regarding rules of grammar and punctuation. Keep a grammar book by your side so that you can reference it quickly. You can also google your grammar questions to get the answers you need.
JOIN CRITIQUE GROUPS—Share your work with other writers and learn from their feedback. Be open to suggestions and don’t take criticism personally. If you cannot handle constructive criticism, you may not want to be a writer.
ATTEND WRITERS’ CONFERENCES—This is a MUST! You will learn tons of good stuff, plus you will be able to meet with editors and agents. This is a way to get your work into the hands of a publisher. Yes, they are expensive but well worth the investment!
JOIN SCBWI—If you want to write for children, The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators is an organization you can join. SCBWI is a national organization with local chapters. To find out more, visit www.scbwi.org.
HAVE YOUR WORK EDITED—Before submitting a manuscript for publication, have it edited and critiqued by a professional editor. If you have written a children’s story in rhyme or prose, a Bible storybook, or a book of devotions for children, you can contact me through this site. I am also a professional editor with Reedsy—an international online service for writers. You can view my profile at Crystal B. • Reedsy. Many of the manuscripts I have edited have been published by major publishing houses, and some have become bestsellers.
HAVE AN ONLINE PRESENCE—Publishers want writers to be active with social media since it is a great marketing tool. You must have a website and a sizable social media following. Writing blogs is another way to create a social media presence.
BOTTOM LINE—In order to be a professional writer, you have to be educated just like you would for any other career. Education is not cheap and it requires hard work and perseverance. If writing and publishing were easy, everyone would do it!
