BRINGING YOU TIME-TESTED CHILDREN'S WRITING ADVICE
Ready to jump-start your children's writing career?
This online video tutorial is an introduction to the children’s literature field. It will give you confidence to pursue your children's writing dreams, improve your writing technique, and maximise your chances of successful publication. Learn about the genres of children’s literature, the current marketplace, and how to submit a manuscript to publishers. You will walk away from the course with a complete roadmap for developing your children's book from idea to publication.
NEW ADDITION: THIS COURSE NOW INCLUDES
PRE-TAPED VIDEO CHECK-INS WITH SUMMER!
Course Modules and Content
What is Children's Literature?
A brief overview of the historical development of children's literature, from the Middle Ages to our present time
- 6 mins 3 secs
- Timeline, Graph, Audio
Formats and Genres
An overview of the different children's book layouts and styles of writing for children
- 22 mins 12 secs
- Images, Audio, Glossary
Finding Children's Book Ideas
Brainstorming and prewriting techniques to get your creative juices flowing
- 4 mins 15 secs
- Idea Web, Audio
Tips for Writing Children's Books
Character, conflict, story arc, pacing, point of view and more, as well as strategies for writing children's nonfiction
- 16 mins 18 secs
- Idea Webs, Audio
How to Write for Young Readers
An essential rundown of the DOs and DON'Ts
- 10 mins 27 secs
- Text, Bullet Lists, Audio
Getting a Publishing Contract
An introduction to manuscript formatting, query letters, literary agents, and networking
- 11 mins 52 secs
-
Images, Links, Templates, Audio
The Editing Process
How to revise and edit your children's book manuscript
- 6 mins 14 secs
-
Text, Bullet List, Process Chart, Audio
Course Review
A review of the complete Children's Writer's Roadmap
- 1 min 13 secs
- Text, Bullet Lists, Audio
ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR
 | Summer Edward is a Ginkgo Prize longlisted author who writes for all ages. Her first two children's books, The Wonder of the World Leaf and Renaissance Man: Geoffrey Holder's Life in the Arts, were published by HarperCollins UK and Heinemann respectively. Since then, she has written six more children's books, all published by Heinemann. She has also worked with Candlewick Press, Peepal Tree Press, University of Illinois Press, and the University Press of Mississippi. Currently an adjunct professor of children's literature at the Community College of Vermont, she studied fiction at the Kelly Writers House and received writing residencies from the Highlights Foundation and the Cropper Foundation. She co-wrote the curriculum for "Writing for Young Readers: Opening the Treasure Chest," a massive open online course spearheaded by the Commonwealth Education Trust, and created Anansesem, an online magazine covering Caribbean literature for young readers, which was published for a decade. She previously worked as an associate editor at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, as a readers' advisory specialist at EBSCOHost Novelist, and has reviewed children's and young adult books for The Horn Book Magazine, School Library Journal, and Kirkus Reviews. She is a lifelong Roothbert Fellow, and has served on the juries of the Golden Baobab Prizes for African children's literature, OpenIDEO's Early Childhood Book Challenge, and the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. |
What Clients and Students Are Saying
I really enjoyed your Writing and Publishing for Children course! Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I particularly liked the animated slideshow format—nicely designed and simple. It was a welcome break from live Zoom sessions because I much prefer digesting info in print and graphic form. I liked it so much more than traditional video! I'm over-saturated on Zoom these days. 
Anna Lucie-Smith Programme Coordinator,
|
Thank you for this learning journey. Cutting was perhaps the hardest. Without your patient insistence, I wouldn't have believed that the story could shrink so much. I have a much better sense of what it all takes now, and I share your hope that the tools will help me in future. Your critiques have also helped with other writing. I'm better able to spot excess words and more inclined to cut, which results in much trimmer pieces. 
Sarah Venable Award-winning Writer |
Summer helped me with editing and proofreading a children's book manuscript as well as a recipe book and a few songs. Summer is very professional and detailed. I can tell she loves what she does and was very involved with the project—her heart was in it! 
Dr. Ghislaine Isidore Children's Writer and Anesthesiologist |
LET'S GET YOU ON THE ROAD TO
PUBLISHING YOUR BEST WORK.
Date: Instructor:
Ongoing Enrollment Summer Edward, M.S.Ed.
Course Duration: Email:
1 hour, 25 mins 
Cost: Website:
$150 (USD) tinyurl.com/summeredwardonlinecourse
Event Categories: Assessment:
Self-Paced Online Course, Does not include homework or assignments
Virtual Event
No cancellations or refunds.