https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/children-s-books/en-USTelligent Community 10https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/children-s-books/w/age-groups/7803/middle-grade-novels-secrets-of-writing-for-the-7-to-12-year-old-audienceThu, 29 May 2025 19:59:00 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:c03cc879-10dc-4bca-876b-fcaf8f159f12Derek Taylor KentFrom titles such as Harry Potter to Captain Underpants , Percy Jackson to Diary of a Wimpy Kid , Junie B. Jones to Harriet the Spy , middle-grade novels are one of the most popular and best-selling categories, yet very few authors ever try to write them! In fact, there are fewer middle-grade writers than any other genre, which gives you the advantage when pursuing a book deal. Do you think you have what it takes? Watch this webinar and learn all the trade secrets you'll need to know before taking the leap. Webinar speaker Derek Taylor Kent received a three-book deal from HarperCollins for his middle-grade series Scary School and followed it up with the best-selling title Principal Mikey released through his publishing company, Whimsical World, as well as his newest middle-grade novel, My Homework Ate My Dog! Here is the handout referenced in the session: www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../Middle_2D00_Grade-Novels_5F00_ALC-Handout-2025.pdf www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../MiddleGradeNovelsSecretsofWritingforthe7to12yearoldAudience25.mp4 About the Presenter: Derek Taylor Kent is the author of 19 books encompassing a wide variety of audiences and genres. He has also produced 15 audiobooks to date and has written 6 screenplays. Along with being an instructor for the ALC, he teaches at the Writing Pad in Los Angeles and is a freelance story editor. Derek received a 3-book deal from HarperCollins for his middle-grade book series "Scary School", and his Mystery/Thriller book "Kubrick’s Game" was #1 on Amazon three times and was optioned by Bobby Cohen Films. His middle-grade novel "My Homework Ate My Dog!" was awarded Best Middle-Grade Fiction Book of 2020 by Kops-Featherling Book Awards, and there was a bidding war for his picture book "El Perro con Sombrero", which was published by Holt/Macmillan. In addition, Derek Founded Whimsical World children’s publishing brand with wife, children’s author and ALC speaker Sheri Fink, with a mission to inspire, delight, and educate children of all ages while planting seeds of self-esteem and high achievement. Discover more at www.DerekTaylorKent.com and www.WhimsicalWorldBooks.com .fictionNonfictionSubscriberRecorded Webinarhttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/children-s-books/w/writing-for-kids/8429/becoming-a-children-s-author-bringing-your-book-to-life-building-an-audienceWed, 26 Mar 2025 11:58:00 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:7017288d-5872-40d6-9148-af36499563c5Sheri FinkDiscover the ten steps of making your dream to become a successful children's author come true. Learn practical strategies from #1 best-selling, award-winning children's author Sheri Fink as she shares how to bring your book to life, how to determine the right age range for your young readers, how to choose and work with an illustrator, and how to build an audience for maximum success and fulfillment. Here is the handout referenced in the session: www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../ALC-Handout_5F00_Childrens_5F00_Author_5F00_Fink_5F00_25.pdf www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../BecomingaChildrensAuthorBringingYourBooktoLifeBuildinganAudience.mp4 About the Author: Sheri is an inspirational speaker, #1 best-selling author, and president of Whimsical World, an empowering brand created by Sheri and Derek Taylor Kent with a mission is to inspire, delight, and educate children of all ages while planting seeds of self-esteem and high achievement. She loves to write – seventeen books so far spanning 3 genres, including her beloved “The Little Series” children's books and “InstaGrateful: Finding Your Bliss in a Social Media World”. Sheri's newest book, “Magenta”, is an enchanting children's picture book about a magical kitten who discovers what matters most and finds where she truly belongs. Sheri has traveled the world inspiring audiences of all ages to believe in themselves, dream bigger dreams, and take action to live their best lives. CBS Los Angeles selected her as one of the top 3 authors in her local area, a distinction she shares with Dean Koontz, and her books have been honored with over 35 awards, including 3 gold medals in the Readers Favorite International Book Awards. Sheri is also a recipient of the prestigious Gold Mom’s Choice Award, honoring the best in family-friendly entertainment.Children’s BooksfictionComics & Graphic NovelsNonfictionTeen and Young AdultSubscriberRecorded Webinarhttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/children-s-books/w/age-groups/8378/writing-ya-fiction-vs-adult-fictionMon, 10 Jun 2024 14:01:00 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:be021cb5-5cf4-402c-aec9-3a99711c6441Emiko JeanBestselling author Emiko Jean discusses the difference between writing young adult fiction and adult fiction. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the young adult novels Tokyo Dreaming and Tokyo Ever After , a Reese Witherspoon/Hello Sunshine pick, as well as the novel Mika in Real Life , which was a Good Morning America Book Club pick. For more on this author visit https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Emiko-Jean/200456062 . www.youtube.com/watchfictionTeens & Young Adultsvideohttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/children-s-books/w/illustrations/7698/how-to-write-and-illustrate-a-children-s-book?CommentId=9561abdb-bfa9-43fc-b39b-2ef5c0b10620Sat, 04 May 2024 11:49:00 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:9561abdb-bfa9-43fc-b39b-2ef5c0b10620Keith OgorekGlad you found this helpful. Sheri is a wealth of information.https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/children-s-books/w/illustrations/7698/how-to-write-and-illustrate-a-children-s-book?CommentId=52e45491-19c4-45be-bc02-359ffe2ccec7Fri, 03 May 2024 08:14:00 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:52e45491-19c4-45be-bc02-359ffe2ccec7Mr. William MelichA very helpful presentation that gave me a lot of insight into the entire process. I was, however, hoping to learn how to format to digital conversion, but I'll just find an illustrator who knows how to do that. I took a lot of notes, so I'm all set. Thank you so much.https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/children-s-books/w/illustrations/7698/how-to-write-and-illustrate-a-children-s-bookWed, 10 Apr 2024 20:52:00 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:0cf2ebfd-9d84-442d-8347-f3468a121048Sheri FinkIn this webinar session, #1 best-selling children’s author Sheri Fink discusses how you can go from simply having an idea, to believing in that idea and taking the next step of starting your children’s book. She offers tips on how to focus your narrative and how to stay motivated and encouraged throughout the writing process. Sheri also covers all aspects of the illustration process including how to find, vet, and hire an illustrator, along with the author-illustrator relationship and how to pull all of the different elements together to get ready for publishing. Here is the handout referenced in the session: www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../ALC-Handout_5F00_Childrens-Books-2024_5F00_Fink.pdf www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../HowtoWriteandIllustrateaChildrensBook24.mp4 About the Presenter: Sheri is an inspirational speaker, #1 best-selling author, and president of Whimsical World, an empowering brand created by Sheri and Derek Taylor Kent with a mission is to inspire, delight, and educate children of all ages while planting seeds of self-esteem and high achievement. She loves to write – sixteen books so far spanning 3 genres, including her beloved “The Little Series” books and “InstaGrateful: Finding Your Bliss in a Social Media World”. Sheri's newest book, “The Little Monster's BIG Birthday”, is a glow-in-the-dark board book about a Little Monster who's discovering all the fun of celebrating his birthday. Sheri has traveled the world inspiring audiences of all ages to believe in themselves, dream bigger dreams, and take action to live their best lives. CBS Los Angeles selected her as one of the top 3 authors in her local area, a distinction she shares with Dean Koontz, and her books have been honored with multiple awards, including 3 gold medals in the Readers Favorite International Book Awards. Sheri is also a recipient of the prestigious Gold Mom’s Choice Award, honoring the best in family-friendly entertainment.Children’s BooksfictionNonfictionSubscriberRecorded Webinarhttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/children-s-books/w/illustrations/7698/how-to-write-and-illustrate-a-children-s-book?CommentId=00f77008-801b-4f22-8860-07e821cf61a6Wed, 03 Jan 2024 13:13:00 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:00f77008-801b-4f22-8860-07e821cf61a6Author Learning CenterHello, if you are looking for helpful editing resources, you can check here: https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/editinghttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/children-s-books/w/writing-for-kids/3130/never-give-up-publishing-perseverance---podcast?CommentId=914de134-8637-45ba-8766-2d2cf14a0817Wed, 03 Jan 2024 13:12:00 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:914de134-8637-45ba-8766-2d2cf14a0817Author Learning CenterHello, you can find loads of resources on agents here: https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/publishing/traditional-publishing/w/agents You can also find agent directories/listings in our Publishing Resources: https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/alcmembers/b/resources/posts/publishing-distribution-resources Best wishes!https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/children-s-books/w/illustrations/7698/how-to-write-and-illustrate-a-children-s-book?CommentId=5196a99a-caf8-4484-88be-201d122d53edTue, 02 Jan 2024 21:20:00 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:5196a99a-caf8-4484-88be-201d122d53edTerrie Fahningeditinghttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/children-s-books/w/writing-for-kids/3130/never-give-up-publishing-perseverance---podcast?CommentId=b26ad818-c062-4744-9ec3-9902cb09827fFri, 29 Dec 2023 20:18:00 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:b26ad818-c062-4744-9ec3-9902cb09827famy gatesI would love to find a wonderful agent. Good for you Mr. Angleberger!https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/children-s-books/w/age-groups/8294/using-humor-and-heart-in-a-graphic-novel-to-appeal-to-middle-grade-readersFri, 29 Sep 2023 19:37:00 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:dd5e2676-6db1-4f06-b951-97c1548fc928Rob HarrellCartoonist, author, and illustrator Rob Harrell is known not only for his popular comic strip Big Top , but also for his critically acclaimed graphic novels and novels for children. His work includes Monster on the Hill , Life of Zarf , Batpig , and Wink . Humor has always been a big part of his stories and while it's not a necessary element when writing for children, it can definitely help connect readers to your content. Harrell writes for the middle-grade audience with his books, which targets ages 8 to 12. He's found that if you hook readers in this age group with humor, you can then more easily sneak in life lessons and messages from the heart. He's also found that honesty is important when writing for this age group. This means being truthful and real about life and relationships without being too preachy. www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../UsingHumorandHeartinaGraphicNoveltoAppealtoMiddleGradeReaders.mp4Children’s BooksfictionComics & Graphic Novelsvideohttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/children-s-books/w/age-groups/8295/turning-an-adult-experience-into-a-story-that-appeals-to-middle-grade-readersFri, 29 Sep 2023 19:35:00 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:484fc42d-0d68-46a3-af69-896c1e7cfc03Rob HarrellSixteen years ago, cartoonist, author, and illustrator Rob Harrell was diagnosed with a rare form of eye cancer. It was a very scary and trying experience for him, and throughout his treatment he kept thinking there was a story he wanted to tell around the experience. He first thought about writing a memoir or graphic novel on the topic, or even using his Big Top comic strip characters to tell the story. Years later, a family friend's child was diagnosed with cancer and Harrell learned about her difficult experiences at school including losing friends, bullying, and a lack of empathy from classmates. He realized there was an opportunity to blend his experiences with hers and write a fiction story targeting middle-grade readers. What resulted is his critically acclaimed novel, Wink , which is an Amazon "Teacher's Pick". One of the biggest challenges Harrell encountered when writing the story was finding the right tone. He is known for his humor in his comic strips and graphic novels, but he didn't want readers to think he was being flippant. Harrell credits his agent and editor with helping him find the right balance. The guiding light was the humor that was coming from the main character, Ross, who is diagnosed with a rare eye cancer. www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../TurninganAdultExperienceIntoaStoryThatAppealstoMiddleGradeReaders.mp4Children’s BooksfictionComics & Graphic Novelsvideohttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/children-s-books/w/illustrations/8297/cartoonist-and-illustrator-rob-harrell-on-doing-freelance-workFri, 29 Sep 2023 19:29:00 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:63e4f93b-3552-476b-b49d-febca5389643Rob HarrellCartoonist, author, and illustrator Rob Harrell has done a lot of different types of creative work in his career including comic strips, graphic novels, middle-grade novels, and commissioned figurative artwork. He's illustrated all of his own work including the Big Top comic strip, and the Monster on the Hill, Life of Zarf, and Batpig graphic novels. While Harrell hasn't done much freelance illustration work in recent years due to his own busy project schedule, he is certainly open to it if time allows. Authors can hire freelance illustrators to do the artwork for their books if they aren't illustrators themselves. Harrell is even open to hiring other illustrators for one of his projects just to give a new look and feel to his work. As a full-time creator and writer, Harrell keeps very busy but is thankful for the work he wakes up to each day. www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../CartoonistandIllustratorRobHarrellonDoingFreelanceWork.mp4Children’s BooksfictionComics & Graphic NovelsSubscribervideohttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/children-s-books/w/writing-for-kids/8292/rob-harrell-on-how-creating-his-comic-strips-evolved-into-writing-graphic-novelsFri, 29 Sep 2023 16:14:00 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:3537772f-cd03-4c79-b854-f7a9d517bc0bRob HarrellCartoonist and children's author Rob Harrell has always been obsessed with comic strips, even as a child. As he grew up and continued to hone his own writing and illustration skills, he kept trying to come up with new comic strip ideas. After working as an illustrator for a few years, he landed on an idea that got a lot of attention — Big Top , which is about a motley combo of circus characters. It was syndicated worldwide for five years before Harrell decided to discontinue it in 2007. During that time, he also took over a second comic strip called, Adam at Home , which he still creates today. After years of writing and illustrating comic strips, Harrell was ready to stretch his creativity beyond the four panels he was used to working with. He was ready to further develop characters and worlds, and started exploring graphic novels. This led to his popular, Monster on the Hill , which was adapted to an animated movie in 2021. Harrell has also written and illustrated two graphic novel series - Life of Zarf and Batpig . Harrell saw the success that other author-illustrators were having with middle-grade novels for readers 8 to 12 years old, and decided to pursue that genre as well. This resulted in his critically acclaimed novel, Wink, which is an Amazon "Teacher's Pick". Harrel has found this storytelling evolution to be challenging at times since the formats are all so different, but has enjoyed the freedom that has come with writing longer pieces. www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../RobHarrellonHowCreatingHisComicStripsEvolvedIntoWritingGraphicNovels.mp4Children’s BooksfictionComics & Graphic Novelsvideohttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/children-s-books/w/writing-for-kids/8232/comparing-the-publishing-journey-between-children-s-books-and-young-adult-novelsFri, 16 Jun 2023 15:33:00 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:94704286-532b-40b9-9ee7-608808b20591Annie SullivanAuthor Annie Sullivan has found success with traditional publishing for her young adult novels, but the road to getting a children's picture book picked up by a traditional publisher has been a little more challenging. She's pitched a few children's books over the years, but has discovered that literary agents and traditional publishers look very closely at what types of children's books are selling in the market. They tend to shy away from manuscripts that aren't marketable at the moment. Sullivan did ultimately land a publishing deal for her book Ghouldilocks and The Three Ghosts , and while the query and pitch process were similar to her previous books, the writing and editing process were quite different. Every word counts, she says when going from writing 80K - 90K words down to just a few hundred. An additional challenge she encountered was making sure the text complements the illustrations, which don't exist yet! Traditional publishers will assign an illustrator once they've decided to pick up a book. The types of children's books that she sees doing well in the marketplace include topics and themes around animals, relationships, and positivity. If you aspire to write a children's picture book, Sullivan recommends you start by writing what is real to you, and then determine how you can different your book from what's out there. www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../ComparingthePublishingJourneyBetweenChildrensBooksandYoungAdultNovels.mp4Children’s BooksfictionTeen and Young Adultvideohttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/children-s-books/w/illustrations/6313/example-process-for-creating-book-illustrations---podcast?CommentId=f242df51-3f3e-4a76-8c9b-9990c3141156Thu, 09 Feb 2023 21:02:00 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:f242df51-3f3e-4a76-8c9b-9990c3141156Jean-Louis TassartIt is interesting but does not really give much information how the illustrator creates the images to accompany the writer's storyhttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/children-s-books/w/illustrations/6313/example-process-for-creating-book-illustrations---podcast?CommentId=7accd5be-1f49-40dd-87e6-549d3af96c9cThu, 09 Feb 2023 16:35:00 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:7accd5be-1f49-40dd-87e6-549d3af96c9cJanet FlaugherGood general information. Would benefit by the addition of nuts and bolts and a QA session.https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/children-s-books/w/age-groups/6212/understanding-children-s-book-classifications---article?CommentId=f8d28335-75e1-44a4-89de-2412265899fcFri, 03 Feb 2023 22:21:00 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:f8d28335-75e1-44a4-89de-2412265899fcNyadenya InyagwaI like relationships as a topic in picture bookshttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/children-s-books/w/writing-for-kids/3130/never-give-up-publishing-perseverance---podcast?CommentId=9cf79138-404b-49aa-a922-f685eda7fa17Fri, 03 Feb 2023 19:15:00 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:9cf79138-404b-49aa-a922-f685eda7fa17Nyadenya InyagwaThank you Mr. Anglebergerhttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/children-s-books/w/age-groups/7803/middle-grade-novels-secrets-of-writing-for-the-7-to-12-year-old-audience?CommentId=8ae30573-7181-461c-9d47-55d970a37ffeMon, 12 Sep 2022 00:43:00 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:8ae30573-7181-461c-9d47-55d970a37ffeKeith OgorekSo glad you found it helpful