Blog Pitching Guidelines
Thank you for your interest in contributing to KidLit Craft. Below you’ll find some general guidelines for the blog and for specific posts.
Mission: The KidLit Craft blog exists to serve children’s writers by providing articles that focus on craft and are clearly tied to mentor texts, as well as posts on special topics, such as author interviews, reviews of craft books, and lists for recommended reading.
Process
Pitch: email a pitch for your post to pitches@kidlitcraft.com and with a proposed deadline.
Approval and scheduling: Anne-Marie will approve, suggest changes, and schedule (usually within a week).
Submit draft: share a Google Doc of your post with us at pitches@kidlitcraft.com. If it’s your first post, please include (or email) a bio and photo.
Editing: An editor will edit your post and return for your approval (usually within a week). Our goal is to provide proofreading and a light copyedit. We are able to provide more substantial editing as needed, especially on a first contribution. (If the article does not meet our editorial standards after revision, we may at this time pull the article. But we will make every effort to work with authors to successfully bring articles to posting.)
Posting: We will post on your scheduled Thursday (or other scheduled day). Please share your post on social media!
NOTE: We’re also happy to look at very rough drafts to make suggestions about the direction of the post. If you’re stuck, send us an email!
Middle Grade/YA and Picture Book Content
Craft Reviews:
750-1500 words--our rule of thumb: if it’s easy to read, it doesn’t matter how long it is. If it’s hard to read, it likely needs to be shorter.
Send craft pitches with mentor text, craft focus, and proposed deadline.
We’re usually scheduling 2-3 months ahead.
Craft reviews should highlight elements of the book that can help writers up their game.
The best guide to what we’re looking for are existing posts.
Suggested structure 1:
Intro--hook the reader, briefly summarize the book, finish with a THESIS statement that explains the focus and what the reader will take away from his/her reading. (what is the EFFECT of using this technique?)
Body--2-4 titled sections.
Each section should focus on one element of your overall focus and use specific examples from the book.
Conclusion--a brief paragraph that suggests ways paying attention to the focus/using the action items will benefit the reader’s own writing. (We often title this section “Now it’s YOUR turn!”)
examples:
Retro Post #7: Making Readers Feel: REPETITION IN ORBITING JUPITER BY GARY D. SCHMIDT | Blog
All the Impossible Things: Seeding Tension Maximizes the Reading Experience | Blog
Finding Meaning in Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
Suggested structure 2:
Intro--hook the reader, briefly summarize the book, and finish with a THESIS statement that explains the focus and what the reader will take away from his/her reading (what is the EFFECT of using this technique?).
Body--2-4 titled sections.
Each section should focus on why the craft technique works, using examples from your main text.
Extra body--1 section
Give examples of 2-3 other books that use the same technique and briefly explain how.
Conclusion--”Now it’s YOUR turn”
Give readers a way to take what you’ve shown them into their own writing. Make suggestions, pose questions writers can ask themselves, etc.
examples:
The Magic of a Secret Space: Beetle Boy and Beyond | Blog
Special Posts:
500-900 words; some longer
Send special post pitches with proposed focus, books referenced (if applicable), and proposed deadline.
We usually schedule 2-3 months in advance.
Suggestions for special posts:
If you have a connection to a published author, propose a two-post series: a craft review of one of their books and an interview post (focused on craft). (We may be able to include the author in our monthly newsletter as a Featured Author.)
A review of a craft book and how it has influenced your writing. The post should summarize the craft book, give specific tidbits you found helpful, and focus on personal stories that indicate how the book has changed your writing/writing process.
Genre-specific lists. For example, “10 top MG adventure books every MG author should read.”
A special topic that uses more than one book to illustrate its point. For example, “Beautiful sentences” using The Thing About Jellyfish, The Night Gardener, and Circus Mirandus. Or, “The Power of Circular Chapters,” using examples from 3 or 4 books of chapters that end with a sentence or two that hark back to the opening of the chapter.
A craft review of a book from a different category that influenced your writing (e.g., How the picture book “I Want My Hat Back” helped me with YA short story pacing).
These are just a few ideas of types of posts. Let your imagination run wild! If your idea has to do with children’s books and craft, there’s a good chance it will work!
examples:
Re-reading Harriet the Spy | Blog
Inspirational Books on Writing and Craft | Blog
Want to Keep Your Craft Skills Fresh? Teach | Blog
Letter to Myself After Going Down the Twitter Hole Tonight | Blog