How to Make a Living Writing Children's Books

Read what is being published now. Books that were published in the 1980s would not be published today, said Andrea Brown, agent with Random House Children's Books. Children are more savvy and sophisticated, and current books being published reflect that. Familiarize yourself with the newest publications. Identify the publishers of books that are similar to your writing style.
Consider smaller markets. Many aspiring authors earn credentials and publishing credits by targeting children magazines. Having publishing credits to list in your query letter may get the attention of a book editor.
Write from the heart, and often. Brown notes that successful children's book publishers do not have children in the house. They write from the child within. When you have written the book, go back and revise until the story sparkles.
Join a critique group. Having feedback on the manuscript you think is perfect is vital for discovering handicaps you may be overlooking or gaining other tips on improving your writing. Critique groups can form networks and allies in your quest to be a children's book author. Find a critique group through newspaper listings, online meetup websites or by joining a professional organization, such as the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
Format your manuscript for submission. Visit the target publisher's website for details on the preferred format. Most picture book publishers will want the entire manuscript, typed double-spaced with one-inch margins. Include your last name, the title and page number in the top righthand corner of each page.
Include a query or cover letter if specified by the publisher. This can be three paragraphs: one to give the reader a hook, another to summarize your manuscript and a third to introduce yourself and your qualifications as a writer. This is where publishing credits from magazines and other small markets work in your favor.
Submit your manuscript. Note if the target publisher accepts multiple submissions. If this is not specified, you can only submit to this publisher and must wait until you hear from this publisher. Also note if a self-addressed stamped envelope needs to be included. Publishers use that to send back your manuscript if it is not needed, but recent trends stray from the SASE, with the publisher recycling your manuscript if it is not published. Publishers who do not accept a SASE will likely post a time period for contacting you on their website, usually three to six months.
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How to Become a Sought

Determine what you want to review. Decide if you want to review a wide range of items that meet a specific niche, theme or target audience or if you want to stick to reviewing specific items. Knowing what you want to review will help when it comes time to design a web presence.
Decide on a target audience. Whether your goal is to obtain a column with an online publication or develop a website (or blog) of your own, you need to know who your target audience is. A target audience is a group of individuals with something in common, like moms, gamers, technology geeks, home business owners, people who meet certain income guidelines or people within a specific age group. Knowing your target audience is key to finding and obtaining contracts with companies willing to give you something free in exchange for a little coverage.
Develop a schedule. Most reviews must be written and online within a specified time frame—usually two weeks. Knowing what your schedule is can help you determine how many products you can review, write up and post online in a given week.
Find a voice. Every reviewer has his own style and that should shine through with each review. Your voice is your personality in text. If you’re more interested in knowing the flaws, you may want to spotlight the negatives in your review. If, however, you feel there’s enough negativity in the world, you may want to concentrate on positive reviews.
Design a web presence. In today’s marketplace, blogs are hot. Choosing a blog as your platform is a great way to build a name for yourself as a reviewer. The key, however, is to host your blog off a network, using your own domain name.
Write a few reviews. To show good faith and to show potential companies and public relations departments that you mean business, you must have something to show them. Start by reviewing products you already own, then purchase a couple of recently released products you’ve wanted or needed and blog about them.
Write a “get reviewed” page. This is where you tell people what you want to review, who your target audience is, how many viewers you have, how you market your blog and when you’ll have your reviews online. It’s also the place you remind potential reviewees that providing a product for review doesn’t guarantee a good review and that all products become your property.
Join affiliate programs (see Resources below). Some companies, such as Warner Brothers Online, require their reviewers to include links to purchase points. Joining an affiliate program is a great way to promote the product you’ve just reviewed and earn a little money in the process.
Market your blog. Once you have between 10 and 20 reviews on your blog, visit other blogs and leave comments. Visit forums related to your blog’s topic of choice and share your knowledge. Write up a few reviews that you choose not to showcase on your blog and distribute them to free content groups. When you have 30 to 50 reviews on your blog, begin marketing it to the public via paid advertisements and press releases.
Join a few public relations programs (see Resources below). These are companies that work with a team of bloggers to promote products. When you’re approved into their programs, they’ll email you announcements showcasing specific products. You can then choose which products you want to review. Some companies put you on automatic shipment of specific products based upon the profile you fill out.
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How to Earn Residual Income as a WAHM (8 Steps)

Make a list of your fields of experience and expertise. Think about what you know and enjoy. Consider your every day activities, your hobbies, and your education.
Sign up for freelance online writing opportunities, like here at eHow. There are others as well. Unlike other work at home options, freelance writing can earn a residual income, money earned long after your work is written. Other work from home jobs may not earn residual income.
Start writing and practice writing clearly and concisely about what you know. Get feedback from the groups in which you belong.
Do some research in keyword choices and SEO marketing. This will improve the exposure to your articles.
As traffic and income from your your original freelance writing opportunity begins to trickle in, join others to increase traffic and build a network.
Research Affiliate Programs and how to appropriately incorporate them into your writing. Keep your integrity and stand behind everything you market.
When you get the hang of this, add a niche website. This is the only step that will cost you money. If you are skeptical, tell yourself set aside a percentage of your earnings and set up the website when your writings have earned enough to purchase a domain name and site hosting.
If you enjoy writing and can commit to it every week, start a blog. This can be done for free or you can spend some money to be able to customize features the way you want. Depending on your resources and willingness to experiment, you get to choose.
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