How to write Books for Children - Best Training on the Internet

Do you want to become a children’s book author but do not know where to start? Take a course to assist you with this dream. A course can steer you in the right direction and tools as well as give you more confidence. Writing books for children is fun but a skill that you should learn. There are so many courses to choose from but which ones are the best? I have sourced some of the best online courses currently available.

Disclaimer: This is an information piece. I am not affiliated to any of these courses.

This is one of the most detailed courses for prospective children’s book authors on the Internet with 18 modules. It is expensive but always available via Groupon as a special. You will also receive a certificate of completion.

The registration process is fast

The enrollment process is automated and you have access to the course content forever and can start right away.

User Interface

The user interface is consumer friendly and neatly planned. Students have access to a dashboard consisting of the course modules, course results, incorrect answers, course guide, training library and some more resources amongst others. There are also several add-on courses available.

Details of the course contents

This is a comprehensive course consisting of 18 modules. Students take an online test after each module and should pass before they can continue with the next module. After passing the last module, your completion certificate is available for download. The 18 modules are:

Module 1: Getting started: the three C's (character, contrast and conflict)

Module 2: Age groups & story types

Module 3: Choosing and developing your setting

Module 4: Developing credible characters

Module 5: Writing dialogue

Module 6: Plotting, storyline & theme

Module 7: Writing for the under 7s

Module 8: Writing for 7 to 12-year-olds

Module 9: Writing for teenagers

Module 10: Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction

Module 11: Writing Non-Fiction

Module 12: Writing drama and screenplays

Module 13: Writing secrets of successful authors

Module 14: Insider's guide to getting published

Module 15: Introduction to Self-Publishing

Module 16: Cover Design & Working with Illustrations

Module 17: Digital Printing & E-Book Essentials

Module 18: Effective Self-Marketing

Some of the modules might not deal in enough depth with the specific age group for whom you will be writing, but there will still be elements that you could use. What you will find interesting is how to use the Fog Index to ensure that your writing is simple enough for the particular age group to understand. Developing credible characters and writing appropriate dialogue are also important. The way in which the developers explain all these will make it so much more understandable. There is no pressure to complete the course and you continue at your own pace.

There are many courses that deal with publishing on Kindle. This is one of the better ones and compiled by a successful Kindle author. The 15 video modules available via the writestorybooksforchildren.com website are as follows:

Module 1: Introduction to Publishing to Amazon Kindle

Module 2: Why Now is the Perfect Time to Publish Children’s Books

Module 3: What Makes a Successful Children’s Kindle Book

Module 4: Topic Content & Illustrations: In Detail

Module 5: Text and Illustrations – Your Options

Module 6: Cutting-Edge Content Creation Technique No. 1: Simple Text & Image Story Books

Module 7: Cutting-Edge Content Creation Technique No. 2: Spot the Difference Books

Module 8: Cutting-Edge Content Creation Technique No. 3: What Happens Next Books

Module 9: Cutting-Edge Content Creation Technique No. 4: Where’s Wally? Books

Module 10: Cutting-Edge Content Creation Technique No. 5: Photograph Books

Module 11: Cutting-Edge Content Creation Technique No. 6: Children’s Comic Books

Module 12: How To Format Your Document For The Kindle Platform

Module 13: How To Upload To Kindle and Publish

Module 14: Examining Your Kindle eBook Sales Page + Basic Marketing Tips

Module 15: The KDP Lending Library and the Free Book Promotion

Richard Bullivant also has a similar superb course on the Udemy platform. This course covers various topics in 34 easy to follow lectures on how to self-publish children's books on Kindle.

Steve Alcorn is an American author of many novels and non-fiction books. His course, which includes several extra resources, will provide you with the necessary skills to get you started with your writing. You may ask for a certificate of completion and he will also write a review for your book. The course consists of the following video lectures:

Introduction

Picture Books

Emergent Readers

Picture Books

First Chapter Books

Middle-Grade Readers

Young Adult Nonfiction

Middle-Grade Readers

Young Adult Nonfiction

Plot versus Story

Story Patterns

Dramatic Elements in Children's Literature

Editing

Getting Into Print

Finding a Publisher

Self-Publishing

The Business of Writing

Next Steps

This course is available with a huge discount on Groupon in certain countries.

Sometimes it is not only about writing the book but also how to overcome all the obstacles to market the book (if you are self-publishing). There are various book marketing courses available but Jon Bard’s course takes you through the steps of content marketing in a very easy and understandable manner. Content marketing is a recent marketing paradigm through which marketers promote their content (in your case it will be your books). The modules are the following:

Module 1: Getting your mind around author marketing

Module 2: Every writer needs a tribe

Module 3: Your Blog, Twitter & Facebook: How they Work Together to Support the System

Module 4: Frequently Asked Questions & Easy Author Marketing Checklist

Module 5: Extra bonuses, for example, a complete course: how to build your own Word press site, bonus eBook - in-depth instruction on lead magnets and list building, resource cheat sheet of e-mail providers, squeeze page creators, templates and more.

If you are serious about writing for children, consider joining the Children Book’s Insider Club with access to numerous sources and resources tailor-made to suit your particular needs.

Debbie Drum and Amy Harrop are well known for their information products for children’s book authors. With this course, they go straight to the essential aspects of book marketing of which children’s book authors should be aware. Their course consists of the following parts:

Fundamentals:
Publishing fundamentals

Getting reviews

Email List building

Children’s Book Marketing

Three marketing levels

Essentials:

Video, Pinterest, Centralised Marketing on Amazon

Next steps

Facebook ads and posts, free hangouts, blog outreach and giveaways

Marketing Superstar

Joining organisations, catalogue, local marketing strategies

Bonus

Book promotion sites

Taking a course to become a children's book author can be time-consuming but consider it as an investment in your future. It is not wise to simply start with your story as talent sometimes might not be enough in a very competitive market with specific rules.