By Penny Reeve

I’m a children’s writer. Always have been, always plan to be, because I believe writing for children is some of the most important writing an author can do. BUT… Not all writers’ conferences cater specifically to children’s writers. And if they do, they are often few and far (literally) between.

So, what’s a Christian children’s writer to do if they want to get upskilled and learn about the professional world of book publishing? A general writers’ conference, like Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference, can be a wonderful place to start.

Here are a few tips I’ve learned along my writing journey that may help a children’s writer get the most from a general writers’ conference:

Prioritise any children’s literature specific sessions on the program and find your people!

Many writers’ conferences include limited children’s lit specific sessions in their program. Pay close attention to these. Notice who is teaching, what their background is and what they are covering, then lock these kids-lit sessions into your program and work everything else around them. Why? Because these are the classes where you will find your kids-lit people. These folk will understand what it’s like to tell huge stories in limited words, who understand the significance of 32 pages and who know that marketing takes a whole new spin when you write for kids.
But don’t stop there…

Look for expansive professional development.

‘Expansive professional development’ is when you look beyond the surface of a teaching session to find the transferable skills. For example, if you write middle grade or YA, you’ll need strong fiction and plotting skills. Although many general sessions will be focused on fiction for adults, a good writing teacher will offer strategies and perspectives you’ll be able to transfer to writing for kids. Look for anything on building good story arcs, character development, setting etc. (But remember, you’re going to have to work twice as hard as the writer for grown-ups because you have to say everything fewer words! And that’s part of the joy of writing for kids, isn’t it?) An example is when Steven James came out to Australia last year to speak at a conference I was involved with, his fiction writing session on suspense contained some excellent takeaways for a kids/YA writer and I took copious notes!

Seek strategic, practical advice for publishing.

Much of the publishing, pitching, proposal creating advice you receive at conferences is relevant for any type of writing. This information, even if it’s not children’s literature specific, is so important in helping protect emerging writers from making publishing mistakes. Utilise your conference experience to learn everything you can about the publishing process (whether it’s independent or traditional, ebook or print). But also seek children’s literature specific advice (For example, do you know who is responsible for sourcing illustrations for picture books?) Seek opportunities for critiques, mentoring and conversations with those who have children’s publishing experience. Choose editors who work in kids-lit, critique partners who have published kids books etc. If you are not sure about the relevance of a particular workshop, you can always email the teacher and ask whether they believe their content is relevant for children’s writers and why, or seek the advice of a more experienced kids-lit writer/publisher.

Are you a children’s writer? Are you coming to this year’s conference? Feel free to drop any questions you might have about attending conference below and we’ll do our best to answer them.

Penny Reeve (also writing as Penny Jaye and Ella Shine) is the award winning, Australian author of more than 25 books for children. ​She writes picture books, junior fiction, children’s Bible studies and young adult fiction. She will be teaching a continuing class on writing for children at this year’s Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference. You can learn more about Penny at www.pennyreeve.com and www.pennyjaye.com