Books for Young Authors and Illustrators

Do you dream of being an author or illustrator when you grow up?  Do you have something that you want to publish NOW?  Here are some books that might help you on your way.

The Young Writer’s Guide to Getting Published, Writer’s Digest Books.

The Market Guide for Young Writers:  Where and How to Sell What You Write, by Kathy Henderson

Our Stories:  A Fiction Workshop for Young Authors, by Marion Dane Bauer

How a Book is Made, by Aliki

The Young Author’s Do-It-Yourself Book:  How to Write, Illustrate, and Produce Your Own Book, by Donna Guthrie and Nancy Bentley

Poetry from A to Z:  A Guide for Young Writers, by Cathy Bobak

Book-Write:  A Creative Bookmaking Guide for Young Authors, by Michelle O’Brien-Palmer and Shannon Rubin

How to Write, Recite, and Delight in Your Own Poetry, by Joy Hulme and Donna Guthrie

What’s Your Story?:  A Young Person’s Guide to Writing Fiction, by Marion Dane Bauer

Writing Down the Days:  365 Creative Journaling Ideas for Young People, by Lorraine M.

Seeing the Blue Between:  Advice and Inspirations for Young Poets, by Paul  B. Janeczko

Children’s Writers and Illustrators Market, Writer’s Digest.  This book is aimed at adults, but it has a section on publications looking for writing by young authors.  You can find it in the reference section of your library.

To Be a Writer:  A Guide for Young People Who Want to Write and Publish, by Barbara Seuling

The Elements of Style, by Strunk and White.  This book teaches you the most important principles of writing.

Webster’s Rhyming Dictionary and The Penguin Rhyming Dictionary.    I use these books to write verse, when I’m looking for just the right rhyming word.  Sometimes I write my own rhyming words in them.

Click here for a list of books for adults who are trying to get published.