Sowing Seeds: Writing for the Christian Children’s Market

“Sowing Seeds: Writing for the Christian Children’s Market”

By Kathleen M. Muldoon

 I’ll tell you one thing — this wonderful author put a lot of work into this book.  I’ve never seen so much content in one writing book before.  Just look at these chapter headings:

             Chapter 1: Know Thy Audience

            Chapter 2: Know Thy Markets

            Chapter 3: In the Beginning

            Chapter 4: Christian Children’s Magazines — A Treasury of Opportunity

            Chapter 5: The Joy of Short Fiction

            Chapter 6: The Challenge — and Blessings — of Nonfiction

            Chapter 7: Christian Children’s Books — Storehouses of Faith Seeds

            Chapter 8: Sowing Truth Seeds through Fiction Books

            Chapter 9: Christian Children’s Nonfiction Books — Fertile Ground

            Chapter 10: Sealed With a Prayer — Sending Off Your Manuscripts

            Chapter 11: Blessed Are They Who Wait on the Lord — and on Publishers

            Chapter 12: Giving Back

 There are also three Appendixes: Reference Resources for Christian Children’s Writers and Professional and Educational Resources for Christian Writers of Children’s Literature and Recommended Reading by Age Group.

Since I’m interested in writing for Young Adults, I was afraid there wouldn’t be much information pertaining to them.  I was pleasantly surprised to find there was plenty of content regarding this special market.  In fact, there was a lot of information for all age groups:

• Preschool (approximately 2 – 5 years)
• Primary Grade/Beginner Readers (approximately 6 – 9 years)
• Middle Graders/Intermediate Readers/Tweens (approximately 9 – 13 years)
• Teens/Young Adult Readers (13 – 18 years)

 I still don’t feel I have said enough about this amazing book.  It was very easy to read and interesting.  I was never left wondering what the author meant.  She was clear and concise.  She was also extremely thorough, answering every question the reader could possibly come up with.  I also enjoyed the writing exercises at the end of each chapter.    Knowledge without action is useless.  The reader is challenged to put the information into practice immediately.

 I think I’ve made it clear I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to write for Christian children (and teens!).  It is well worth your time.

BookCrash provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.