People will often email me to ask for writing advice and while I try to respond to each person, I thought it would be be better and easier to create a Resources Page for aspiring authors. These are resources I’ve used personally and highly recommend. Above all, if there are authors you love in the genre you are writing in, find and listen to interviews they’ve done to learn how they became successful.

I hope you find these resources helpful! Keep writing!

Children’s Lit

Here are specific resources for writing picture books, chapter books, middle grade, and young adult.

• The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators provides the resources, professional networking, and community-building opportunities that support writers, illustrators, and translators throughout their careers. Check out their annual summer and winter conferences for ways to chat with agents and editors!
• Josh Funk’s Guide to Writing Picture Books. Josh is my twins’ favorite author and he’s put together an amazing list of resources if you’re interested in writing picture books.
• Publishers Weekly. Be sure to check out their children’s section for the latest industry news. I find it helpful to subscribe to the Children’s Bookshelf newsletter, which lists rights reports for current sales.
• Highlights Foundation. Offers children’s book courses, workshops, and writing retreats. I haven’t gone, but other friends loved their experience.

Literary Agents

If you want to be traditionally published, I highly recommend working with a professional literary agent.

• How To Find a Real Literary Agent. This post from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association covers in-depth how to find an agent, why you might need one, and red flags for anyone posing as an agent.
• Manuscript Wish List. This is a great site to research what agents and book editors want in manuscripts. And if you’re researching a specific agents, chances are they’ve interviewed them for their podcast.
• QueryTracker. I used this database to keep track of the literary agents I queried and research their submission guidelines. I found it really useful to see the status of my query letters.
• Query Writing Tips from Eric Smith. Eric is a wonderful agent and author who shares query letters from authors he’s signed (everything from nonfiction to middle grade). Be sure to check out his beginner’s guide too.
• Successful Query Letters. Check out these Writer’s Digest articles with real query letter examples that landed the author an agent.
• Common Query Mistakes. Literary agent Maria Vicente has several wonderful resources about common query mistakes, what do ask an agent during an offer of representation call, how to write a manuscript synopsis, myths about agents, and how to query a graphic novel.

Writing Books & Classes

I love taking writing classes and these are the programs I recommend.

• The Writing Barn. I’ve taken an online chapter book writing class through The Writing Barn and highly recommend it if you’re interested in writing fiction.
• Holly Lisle’s Writing Classes. I took her How to Revise Your Novel class and it forever changed how I revise for the better. I went from taking three years to revise a book to three months so it’s a game changer.
• Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel by Lisa Cron. I highly recommend reading this book to learn the craft of writing a book.
• Before and After the Book Deal by Courtney Maum. I found this book incredibly useful when I was querying agents and through the process of getting a book deal.