Writers On The Move

Indie Authors' Book Contests

A display for my sales table for Secret in the Mist:
an Abi Wunder Mystery, which was finally
sent to the formatting company, 100 Covers,
and will soon be published!

By Linda Wilson @LinWilsonauthor

After several of my children’s books placed in contests, an experienced writer friend told me, “Now you can say you’re a multi-award-winning children’s author.” It’s true. Awards have stacked up for my four picture books and one chapter book. That’s because I applied for them. Happily, certificates and front-cover stickers are a testament that your books stand out.

There are fees, some quite hefty. To me, the cost is worth it. Most of my sales are made at arts and crafts festivals and fairs. Occasionally, I’ll tell customers that the book in their hand has won an award. But mostly, they can see the stickers prominently placed on the book covers, and I don’t have to say a word. Also, I display certificates, ribbons, and other tokens received.

There are many more contests to explore than the list compiled in this article. Simply google “Book contests for children’s authors.” But for starters, these listed organizations offer a great service to children’s authors and for those with little ones in their life.

Organizations that offer many Opportunities

Book Excellence Awards: team@bookexcellenceawardsupport.com

A long list of categories
A Book Excellence Awards certificate
A sticker for the book

Eric Hoffer Book Award for the Small, Academic and Independent Press: https://hofferaward.com

An organization worth studying
The US Review of Books supports this award by publishing the annual results
Reasonably priced
Registration form on website

Kirkus Review for Indie Authors: https://www.kirkusreviews.com

Explore the Kirkus website. It is loaded with Kirkus’ choice of great books to read and information about the organization. Quoted here is part of what Kirkus offers Indie authors: Our indie reviews are written by qualified professionals, such as librarians, nationally published journalists, creative executives and more. While we do not guarantee positive reviews, unfavorable reviews can be taken as valuable feedback for improvements and ultimately do not have to be published on our site. With our most popular review option priced at $450, you can receive an affordable book review that could generously boost your writing career.
Kirkus reviewed my first book, Secret in the Stars: An Abi Wunder Mystery. I learned from the feedback offered, and was gratified that the book received the distinction of being a “Kirkus Recommended Book.” I did not receive a certificate or sticker, so I had a sticker made at https://stickerapp.com, which is placed on the book.

Mom’s Choice Award: https://momschoiceawards.com

Has a global presence in 70 countries
In addition to children’s books, awards baby gates, kids’ meds, playpens, and more
First fee is hefty, discounted for additional award requests
Certificate and stickers are included
Mom Knows Best newsletter
Interview series
And much more

National Federation of Press Women: https://www.nfpw.com

To give you an idea of who NFPW is, here is information from the website: NFPW members are professional women and men pursuing careers across the communications spectrum: Reporters • Editors • Authors • Bloggers • Designers • Artists • Photographers • Publicists • Freelancers • Students • Active professionals • Retired professionals.
Writers work for: print magazines, newspapers and newsletters • Online publications • Government officials • Banks • Public relations agencies • Higher education • School districts • Nonprofit agencies • Ourselves as independent contractors.
2026 Communications contest is now open
Two categories for entrance are the Professional Contest and the High School Contest
Enter the contest in states that have an affiliate. If there is no affiliate, enter at-large.
Work must be published or broadcast from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025
Certificates and stickers
The work of first-place winners in your state automatically are sent to compete nationwide. National first-place winners are honored at the annual conference. A stipend is available for first, first-place national winners.
My picture book A Packrat’s Holiday: Thistletoe’s Gift, illustrated by Nancy Batra, won first prize in the NM Press Women 2022 Communications Contest, and went on to win first prize nationally in Children’s Book: Fiction. My book proudly displays the organization’s Winner’s sticker. Also, to show the book won first prize, I had a blue-ribbon sticker with “1st” made at https://stickerapp.com.

National Indie Excellence Awards, NIEA: https://www.indieexcellence.com

From the website: NIEA is an annual awards program that honors self-published authors and small to mid-sized independent publishers. It aims to promote high-quality books and provide recognition to authors who put significant effort into their work. The awards are open to all English language printed books available for sale, including those from small presses and self-published authors. Study the website for more information.

Society of Children’s Book Authors and Illustrators, SCBWI, offers many award and grant opportunities, simply found on Google: https://www.scbwi.org. Also, check your state for organizations that offer contests.

Story Monsters: https://storymonsters.com

Story Monsters Ink magazine
Book publishing and marketing departments
Free consultations
Story Monsters does not impose a limit on year of publication
Certificates, stickers, and other tokens are available
Three SM contests:

Purple Dragonfly Book Award: Enter your book by the earlybird deadline: March 1, 2026; final deadline May 2, 2026

Royal Dragonfly Book Award: Earlybird deadline August 1, 2026; final deadline October 3, 2026

Story Monsters Approved Contest: Final deadline February 1. 2026

The Book Fest: https://www.thebookfest.com

The Book Fest Book Awards for Spring 2026 will open this winter
Awards are offered for legacy books

Winning awards can do more for you than displaying certificates and stickers. You can see how your books stack up to other children’s authors’ books. A win offers you a personal reward for the effort you’ve made in creating your books. A win is an accomplishment above and beyond the writing of your books. Knowledgeable judges have seen something in your books that has merited an award. Winning book awards is something to be proud of.

My latest book, Cuna en la Naturaleza, the
Spanish version of Cradle in the Wild,
illustrated by 1000 Storybooks and
translated by Adriana Botero placed
as a Finalist in the NM Writers organization.
This is the display I made for my sales table.

Linda's two new releases are Botas Altas, the Spanish version of Tall Boots, translated by Graciela Moreno and Adriana Botero, and Cuna en la Naturaleza, the Spanish version of Cradle in the Wild, translated by Adriana Botero. Visit Linda at https://bit.ly/3AOM98L.

Embracing Change as Creative Fuel

by Suzanne Lieurance

Writers love comfort. We crave routines, favorite pens, familiar desks, predictable mornings. But life doesn’t always cooperate. Change barges in—uninvited and often unwelcome. Suddenly, the ground shifts. The routines that once worked no longer fit.

The instinct is to resist. We tighten up. We cling to what used to be. But resistance doesn’t stop change; it only stops us from moving with it.

What if, instead, you saw change not as an enemy but as fuel?

Resistance Drains Energy

Think about the last time you resisted change. Maybe a project deadline shifted, or a family routine disrupted your writing hours. How much energy did you spend fighting against it? Probably more than it would have taken to adapt.

Resistance drains us because it tries to hold back the tide. Flow happens when we step into the current and let it carry us forward.

Change Brings New Raw Material

Every disruption carries new story seeds. A move to a new town brings details of place you’d never have noticed otherwise. A job change brings new characters into your life. Even the loss of something familiar sharpens your perspective.

Writers who embrace change don’t run out of material—they multiply it.

Flow Lives in Flexibility

Flow isn’t rigid. It’s not about controlling the environment so you can write in one perfect way. It’s about showing up with openness, trusting that words will come even if the scene looks different today than it did yesterday.

You don’t need the same ritual every day to write well. You need the ability to bend without breaking.

Turning Change into Power

Here are a few ways to transform resistance into flow:

Shift the Frame: Instead of saying, “I can’t write because everything is different,” say, “Because everything is different, I have new ways to write.”

Shrink the Task: If change steals your time, don’t give up—write one paragraph. Write one sentence. Momentum grows from the smallest spark.

Ask, “What is this teaching me?” Every disruption carries a lesson. Look for it, and your writing will deepen.

A Short Practice

The next time you feel resistance rising, pause. Write a single page beginning with the words: “Change is giving me…”

Let the words flow without editing. You may be surprised by what new energy shows up.

A Writer’s Manifesto

You are not powerless in the face of change. You are a writer. You know how to turn chaos into story, how to transform uncertainty into meaning.

Change is not here to stop you. It’s here to sharpen you. To challenge you. To remind you that creativity is not fragile—it’s resilient.

Every time you resist, you lose momentum. Every time you embrace, you step deeper into your own power.

Closing Affirmation

Repeat this to yourself when life feels unsettled:

I welcome change. I turn resistance into flow. Every shift fuels my creativity. Nothing can silence my words when I choose to move with life, not against it.

And now, before you go, don't forget to get your free subscription to The Morning Nudge for more writing tips and resources delivered to your e-mailbox every weekday morning.

Suzanne Lieurance is the author of over 40 published books and a Law of Attraction coach for writers. Learn more about her coaching services at writebythesea.com.

Opportunity Is Everywhere

By Terry Whalin (@terrywhalin)

David Smith loved language and ignited an excitement in his English teaching at Peru High School in Peru, Indiana during the late 1960s. Of modest height with receding sandy hair and a bug-eyed appearance, Mr. Smith loved his students and reached out to challenge them. As the faculty supervisor for the school newspaper, Mr. Smith was always on the lookout for new talent to add to the staff. Thus, he was excited when a gangly sophomore who had recently transferred from Towson, Maryland, caught Mr. Smith’s attention with one of his written assignments.

One day after class, Mr. Smith pulled that teenager aside and said, “Terry, I think you would make a great addition to our newspaper writing staff. I’d like to invite you to our next staff meeting on Wednesday after school. Can you come?” At that point in the school year, I had made few friends, so I was flattered with his invitation. Another classmate, Jeff Reece, and I became the two sportswriters on the staff. Throughout the school year, I attended various sports events, collected sports data, and started interviewing people. Those first days on the staff newspaper introduced me to the writing world and the thrill of writing something for other people to read in print. Mr. Smith’s simple invitation sent my life on a different career path and awakened my dreams of publishing. My writing became more than a dream; now it was rooted in practical experience and repeated opportunities to practice my craft.

The events in your experience will be distinct from mine yet are equally important. There are vast opportunities in the publishing world for anyone willing to follow the steps to speed up their success. Like the image with this article, there are many diferent doors and you have to select one, then another. Welcome to an imperfect process. I’m excited about how the events will come together for your journey

On the surface, the path to publishing might not show you the diversity and range of possibilities for your writing. From speaking to hundreds of writers, I find many of them are focused on a particular area of writing such as writing a novel or a children’s book. They haven’t understood the value of learning good storytelling and communication skills that are relevant and useful for many different areas of writing.

Because these writers are focused on a small niche area of publishing, it’s almost like they are wearing blinders and can’t see any other possibilities. In this section, I want to challenge you to remove your blinders and see the wealth of possible application for your writing within the publishing community. While each area of publishing has its own specific requirements, good writing and storytelling skills can be used in multiple areas to strengthen your overall career.

For example, you may want to write a book and have done a little exploration but the only companies who have responded to your questions are the publishers who want you to pay them to get your book into print. These companies are called self-publishers. Instead, you are looking for a traditional publisher who will pay you an advance, then print and distribute your book. Yet because you have no background in book publishing, you don’t understand that 90 percent of nonfiction books are contracted from a book proposal and a few sample chapters, rather than a complete book manuscript. Without this critical detail, you have focused on writing a full-length book manuscript. Then you discover it may take you 12 months to find a literary agent who has to locate the right publisher. Then you learn it will take a longer-than-expected span of time for this publisher to release your book—normally 12 to 24 months after you turn in your manuscript. To a beginner, this realistic and practical publishing timeframe isn’t evident on the surface.

Also, writers don’t understand they can gain valuable training, experience, and exposure through writing magazine articles. From idea to assignment to publication with a printed magazine can be a much shorter timeframe for four to six months than books. Every editor is actively looking for writers who can communicate—whether they are a newsletter editor, an online editor, a magazine editor, a book editor or anyone else who has the title “editor.” As a young magazine editor, I quickly learned I had to do less editorial work and could have greater confidence in assigning an article to a published author than an unpublished author. I read the ideas and considered giving the assignment to the unpublished author but their chances dramatically improved with any type of publishing experience.

Magazine and newspaper writers learn valuable skills that help their success with a longer project such as a book. These writers learn to write for a specific audience or publication and to write within a specific word length. Also through the writing process, they learn the value of a focused headline or title and relevant subheads scattered throughout the article, as well as hooking the reader with a tightly written opening. Then they continue to feed information to the reader as they structure their writing, and conclude the article with a focused point called a “takeaway.” These writers also learn the importance of meeting a specific deadline (or a better way to stand out with the editor is to complete their assignment before the deadline).

In addition, writers can learn the skill of rewriting and following an editor’s direction. Sometimes your article will be “almost there” but not quite. Can you follow the editor’s directions and complete the assignment to their satisfaction? It’s much easier to learn about this process on a 1200-word magazine article than a 50,000-word book project.

Finally, these writers built trusted relationships with their editors—newspaper and magazine. Many of the editors I’ve worked with have moved up to higher paying publications or have become book editors or editorial directors. The seeds of my relationship with them were planted through my magazine writing. As a new writer you need to understand the necessity of building these lasting relationships.

Your journey to publication will be completely different from my experience. It will at times startle and surprise you. The writing business is a strange mixture of creative combined with practical “how-to” skills. These pages are signposts, and every step may not be critical for you. For example, you may not care about writing children’s books or short stories, yet I would encourage you to read and explore this type of writing. If you try it and it fits your writing style, it may be the key to expanding your writing world and I’d hate you to miss it.

Tweetable:

As writers, our opportunities are everywhere. In this article, this prolific author and editor details some of the skills you need to seize these opportunities for your writing life. (ClickToTweet)

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in California. Get Terry’s newsletter and a 87-page FREE ebook packed with writing insights. Just follow this link to subscribe. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. Get Terry’s recent book, 10 Publishing Myths for only $10, free shipping and bonuses worth over $200. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Writing: Setting the Mood

Contributed by Margot Conor

Crafting Emotion and Atmosphere in Writing.

Why Mood Matters

Every story carries a current beneath its plot, a subtle emotional tone that guides how the reader experiences events. This is mood: the atmosphere that lingers around a scene, created not by what happens, but by how it is told. A love story may take place in a garden, but whether that garden feels tranquil, eerie, or oppressive depends entirely on mood.

Writers who understand mood can shift a reader’s emotions without ever naming them directly. They conjure sorrow without saying “sad,” and build dread without mentioning fear. Mood is the difference between description that merely informs and description that transports.

The Building Blocks of Mood

1. Descriptive Language and Word Choice
Every word carries emotional weight. Consider the difference between describing a room as dim versus shadow-choked. Both mean there is little light, but the second leans toward menace. Similarly, a breeze suggests gentleness, while a gust can feel intrusive or restless. Precision in word choice is one of the most powerful tools for setting mood.

2. Imagery and Sensory Detail
Mood flourishes when writing appeals to the senses. Sight may be the most obvious, but sounds, textures, and even smells can deepen atmosphere. A creaking floorboard, the sticky grip of humid air, the metallic tang of blood in the mouth… these details can evoke an entire emotional world.

3. Rhythm and Sentence Structure
The cadence of prose influences how readers feel. Long, flowing sentences can lull or soothe, while short, clipped phrases quicken the pace and heighten tension. Consider how a passage in Virginia Woolf can feel meditative, while Hemingway’s terse sentences convey urgency. Rhythm is the invisible pulse of mood.

Techniques for Enhancing Atmosphere

1. Show Through the Environment
Setting often reflects or amplifies the emotional tone. Gothic writers knew this well: crumbling castles, storm clouds, and hollow winds echo inner turmoil. But even in modern realism, surroundings shape mood. Like a sunlit café warms a scene of reunion, while a sterile hospital corridor chills it.

2. Weather as Emotional Mirror
Though sometimes cliché, weather can be used with subtlety to underline atmosphere. A sudden downpour can feel cleansing or ominous, depending on context. Fog blurs not only the landscape but also certainty, mystery, or fear.

3. Symbolism and Motif
Recurring images create consistency of mood. Repetition of water imagery might bring calm or unease depending on how it is framed. Colors are another powerful tool, red can suggest passion or danger, blue serenity or sorrow. Symbolic language layers meaning onto mood.

4. Contrast and Juxtaposition
Mood sharpens when placed against its opposite. A joyous wedding scene may feel even brighter when set after a moment of grief. Laughter can echo uncomfortably in a tense setting, turning joy into something uncanny.

Some examples from literature you might have read:

Edgar Allan Poe mastered gothic atmosphere, weaving dread into every creaking door and flickering shadow. His word choices drip with menace, leaving no doubt of the intended mood.

Toni Morrison layered lyrical, sensory-rich language to create moods of both beauty and brutality, allowing readers to inhabit the emotional truths of her characters.

Kazuo Ishiguro sustains quiet melancholy in novels like “The Remains of the Day,” where understatement and restraint foster a mood of longing and regret.

Ray Bradbury in “Something Wicked This Way Comes” builds mood with sensory lushness. The smell of autumn leaves, the distant calliope… where nostalgia and dread intermingle.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Margot Conor has been writing for as long as she can remember, but it wasn't until the COVID lock-down that she had enough time to dedicate to the craft and bring something to completion. Having finished her first novel, she went through the grueling two-year process of editing. Now she has jumped into the author's world with both feet. Margot's debut multiverse adventure novel, Inverse, is available on Amazon.

She's spent the last year attending many writing retreats, seminars, and writers' events. She also listened to presentations specifically on the topic of publishing and book marketing. She will be sharing what she learns with the reader. Learn more about Margot at https://margotconor.com/

A WRITER’S LIFE HAS SEASONS, TOO

Contributed by Gail L. Fontana

I have been writing for most of my life but didn’t get serious until my own “personal 9/11” at the end of 2019, when my older sister passed away.

Tough as that was, it jolted me to action. I heard the clock ticking, loud and clear, and said, “If not now, when?”

Since then, I’ve “finished” three middle-grade novel manuscripts (more on the air quotes in a moment), three chapter-book manuscripts, a half a dozen or more picture books, and many short stories. I say “finished” because are we ever? There’s always something that could stand a little more elbow grease, right? I have, however, queried most of these projects and heard only crickets. I’ve also had many of them developmentally edited by professional editors who gave me glowing reviews. Whom do I believe? I guess I should believe the agents because they’re the ones who aren’t responding with cartwheels and contracts.

Anyway, that’s a subject for another day—or for a therapist.

I divulge these secrets because I want you to know I didn’t just fall off the proverbial turnip truck.
I write. A lot. I finish projects. I keep going.

Sometimes…I’m tired.

Which brings me to the idea of seasons.

Just like there are four seasons in a year, there are seasons in a writer’s year. Maybe four, maybe more, maybe less.

For me, one of those seasons is represented by hurried activity. A get-it-done mentality. Don’t mess around on social media. Write, write, write. No distractions. Take no prisoners.

Another season is spent editing, tweaking, touching up existing manuscripts. This is a slower process—for me.

Another season is spent planning my non-writing life. Trips, visits to and from family, hosting neighbors, always at the grocery store, always in the kitchen. It seems to last forever but is often a short season that returns every few months.

Sometimes, I just want to sit and watch Gilmore Girls reruns.

Take a look at your life. Are there times when you’re not writing and feeling guilty about it? Give yourself permission to relax and enjoy that time. We can’t be our best at anything if we don’t take a break. Not a good parent, not a good partner, student, employee or writer.

You don’t need to force these breaks upon yourself. You’ll feel one coming on. Lean into it. For a week or two.

This is not a get-out-of-jail-free card, though. Make a promise to yourself not to let this season become all-consuming. And we have to keep our promises to ourselves, right? Otherwise, we let the Dark in, and it’s just not pretty.

We have to let our fields lay fallow. But we don’t neglect them forever after.

When you feel refreshed, it’s time to get off the couch and lean into another season, a more productive one.

As English street artist and activist Banksy said, “If you get tired, learn to rest, not quit.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gail L. Fontana is a children’s writer, living in Rio del Mar, California. She blogs at www.gaillfontana.com

Carolyn Howard-Johnson Shares Newest Book with #NorthStreetBookPrize Entries for 2025

How To “Borrow” a Mantra

Badge Courtesy W. Terry Whalin, Fellow #WritersontheMove Columnist

The More Writers Know

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Writers Advocate, Educator, Writer of Fiction and Poetry and
Author of Modern History Press’s HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers

“The more you know…the better advocate you make for your book, no matter how it’s published:

You’re a partner for your publisher and its supporting staff if you’re a self-publisher

you’re the 100% decider from do-it-yourself moments to knowing when it’s better to hire a worker bee.”

“The more you know…” has become a favorite motto of mine. I’m positive it’s been said before because I was once on a cruise with lots of sea days that allowed plenty of time for binge-watching TV which I had neglected for many decades before that including the news and the only ads this cruise ship aired were the ones that promoted their activities and their ports. Their chosen syndicated broadcasts filled ad time promoting their own efforts. That’s when I became a regular MSNBC watcher. “The more you know…” tended to lead to lots of new programming, new ideas, new anchors, and it was repeated so frequently eventually I realized it had been by own mantra for years without my realizing it.

It also lead to the realization that it is an essential mantra one for writers, even if they are just aware of it subliminally. Everything we write we’ve learned from something we’ve experienced and none of that has never been experienced before. In other words, nothing is new. So no matter the kind of writing we do, we are always borrowers.

So, I borrowed “The more you know…” for the introductory lectures for the new classes I was teaching at UCLA, to included on the promotional material I was writing for the books I intended to use as my texts, for my clients…and for my kids. Both of my kids were diagnosed dyslexia before most of the medical community and given it a name; one turned out to be a tax attorney and the other a Ph.D. with a love of spreading my mantra to her own students.

As for my clients, I want them to know enough to avoid the pitfalls I fell into when I first started writing with the hope of publishing. Somehow I managed to make some major boo-boos because I assumed I had already done pretty well as a journalist, a marketer (yes, writers better learn a lot about that even if they hate the idea of pairing the art of writing and the lowly business of selling!) and teaching which gave me speaking skills I would need to promote my own books and to help my children through the tangle of educational opportunities.

“The more you know…” give writers to take advantage of myriad of opportunities available when we choose that joyful path as an occupation.

“The more you know…” gives writers the confidence to work with their agent as an equal and to be partners with their publishers even with things we are told we should avoid interfering with like editing and book covers. And the assurance to know when to rely more fully on them for their help.

“The more you know…” means they’ll know how to go about ascertaining that partner-publishing and/or honest-to-goodness self-publishing is right for their personality and their title.

“The more you know…” lets you apply what you’ve learned in the past to what you want to take on in the future, get the help you need, and get it from the best places to accommodate your goals, with assurance.

The best, most frugal way to use a mantra is to be open to new things and read a lot. As your budget allows, choose the the best possible mentors and hang out with associates in as many aspects of the writing world as you can. When we’re new writers we can learn a lot from other newbies, but that should be carefully balanced with reliable, trusted, and vetted resources. Think accredited universities for both classes and activities like writers’ conferences. Think experience. Think, “The more they know… .”

“The more you know… the better equipped you’ll
be to realize your biggest dreams, and the happier, too!”

“The more you know…” the easier it will be to know when to “borrow,” when to give credit where credit is due and when to move on to something else you
know…”

More About Today’s #WritersontheMove Columnist

Full disclosure here: This article may appear in the my new book to be introduced as one of the personal “Extras” I like to include in my nonfiction books. Winning Writers will give the book as a gift to all those who enter their work in their highly acclaimed #NorthStreetBookPrize for 2025 before it is released to the general public by Modern History Press in early 2026. The title is as yet undecided. I am considering, “ A Writer’s Vocabulary: Inspiring Better Writing and Empowering Writing Careers.” Let me know if you have a better idea by leaving a comment. And credit anyone who comes up with a title my publisher, Modern History Press, likes better. Frankly, I think that might be easy to do! (-: Learn more about this contest with many value-added benefits at SharingwithWriters.blogspot.com and more about her series for writers at https:///www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T.

Thinking of Writing an Early Reader?

Contributed by Karen Cioffi, Children's Writer

Early readers are short books designed for children just beginning to read independently.

These books should have 32 pages and usually 300-500 words. They can go up to 1200 words and 48 pages, depending on the child’s reading level. And as they build a bridge between picture books and chapter books, early readers should be divided into chapters. The book size should also be more in line with chapter books, usually 6X9.

Early readers play a vital role in bridging the gap between picture books and chapter books, typically catering to readers aged 4–8.

While creating early readers can be rewarding, it presents unique challenges for authors. This article delves into the pros and cons of writing early readers, highlighting examples to illustrate their impact on young audiences.

BENEFITS OF WRITING EARLY READERS

-Fostering a Love for Reading
Early readers are an important tool in fostering a love for reading in young children. By crafting engaging, age-appropriate stories with simple vocabulary and repetitive sentence structures, authors provide children with a sense of accomplishment. Completing a book builds confidence and encourages an exploration of literature.

Example: Dr. Seuss’s "Green Eggs and Ham" is a mere 50 words yet captivates readers with its rhythmic text and humorous plot. Its simplicity makes it approachable for beginners, while its whimsy ensures lasting appeal.

-Contributing to Literacy Development
Early readers help children develop fundamental literacy skills, including decoding, fluency, and comprehension. By balancing familiar words with new vocabulary, authors can gently challenge young readers without overwhelming them.

Example: The Elephant and Piggie series by Mo Willems features short sentences and relatable scenarios, making it an excellent tool for practicing expressive reading and understanding story structure.

-Lifelong Learning
Books for early readers often introduce themes of problem-solving, friendship, and resilience, laying a foundation for character development. Authors have the opportunity to influence young minds.

Example: In Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad series, the protagonists navigate everyday challenges, teaching lessons about patience, kindness, and teamwork.

-Creative Challenges for Writers Lead to Creativity
The constraints of early reader writing—limited vocabulary, short sentence structures, and concise storytelling—force authors to think creatively. These restrictions often result in clever, tightly woven stories that are fun to read and write.

Example: Laura Numeroff’s "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" uses a cause-and-effect structure to create an engaging and memorable story, demonstrating the power of simplicity.

DISADVANTAGES OF WRITING EARLY READERS

-Strict Structural Constraints
The rigid rules of early readers can be daunting for authors. Limited word counts, simplified language, monosyllable words, short sentences (averaging 5-10 words), use of sight-words, and an emphasis on phonics and repetition leave little room for elaborate storytelling or linguistic flair.

For instance, an author who thrives on complex narratives or poetic prose might struggle to adapt their style to the requirements of this format. Striking a balance between simplicity and storytelling depth can be a significant challenge.

For a list of Dolch sight-words, visit: https://dolchword.net/by-grade-alphabetical/

You might also get a copy of "The Children’s Writer’s Word Book" by Alijandra Mogilner. It gives the grade level for a large number of words. I use this book often.

-Limited Target Audience
Early readers have a short shelf life for individual readers, as children quickly outgrow them. This makes it harder for authors to build lasting relationship compared to writing for broader age groups.

Example: While books like Mo Willems’ Elephant and Piggie are beloved by young readers, their audience typically moves on to chapter books within a year or two.

-Risk of Oversimplification
In striving for simplicity, authors may inadvertently create books that feel monotonous or uninspiring. Stories that are too repetitive or lack emotional depth may fail to engage readers fully, undermining their potential impact.

For example, while phonics-driven books can improve decoding skills, some titles sacrifice storytelling in favor of adhering to word patterns, leading to less engaging stories.

-Market Saturation and Competition
The market for early readers is highly competitive, with many established authors and publishers vying for attention. Breaking into this space can be challenging for new writers, particularly when competing against known brands and franchises.

Example: Renowned series like The Berenstain Bears and Clifford the Big Red Dog dominate bookshelves, making it difficult for new titles to stand out.

-Illustration Dependency
Early readers rely heavily on illustrations to support the text and provide visual context. While this enhances the reading experience, it also means authors must collaborate with illustrators or publishers to effectively convey their message.

-Striking a Balance
Despite the challenges, writing early readers is a fulfilling endeavor for authors committed to nurturing young readers. By focusing on storytelling elements that resonate universally—humor, relatable characters, and engaging plots—authors can create memorable books that meet the developmental needs of their audience.

CONCLUSION

Writing early readers shapes the foundational experiences of young readers, influencing their relationship with literature and learning.

While there are challenges writing in this genre, the benefits far outweigh them.