How to Write Children's Nonfiction

In many ways, writing children’s nonfiction is harder to write than adult nonfiction. Much has to do with a child's attention span and the rest has to do with subject matter. The keys to a great children's nonfiction book are short chapters and a fascinating topic.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Think about what age group you would like to write for. This can determine not only the type of non-fiction you will need to write, but also what interests that age group has.

2. Talk to your local librarian about which of their non-fiction books are the most popular. Read through some of these to get an idea of how each particular book handles the subject matter.

3. Visit a local school that children in your targeted age group attend. Talk with the principal and see if you can visit in the appropriate classrooms for a day. If you can get approval, talk to the kids about what type of book they would like to read.

4. Decide on a topic for your non-fiction book and begin the research. This may have to be done at the library or might be done on the Internet. In some cases you may have to visit the area that is relevant to your topic.

5. Gather all of your notes and research and write your book.

6. Keep in mind the voice and age group of your audience. Avoid lofty writing that is unentertaining.

Tips & Warnings

• Look in a current edition Writer’s Market (available at most libraries) for publishers accepting children’s non-fiction. Cater your query or book proposal to each individual publishers guidelines.
• By knowing what kids are reading and what they want to read, getting the approval to submit to various publishers can be a bit easier than submitting blindly.