Writing children’s books requires authors to understand children. If the story grabs the attention of the children it is written for, it will also grab the attention of the publisher. Publishers know what will interest children—they have a lot of experience with this.

You need to write for the correct audience and keep this audience in mind at all times. With that said, there are many pitfalls experienced by children’s book authors. The following is a list of five common mistakes:

1. Children understand. Underestimating children’s ability to understand difficult topics– Children have very active imaginations. To them, the more twists and turns a story takes, the better. Topics such as abandonment, death, fear of the unknown, sacrifice and love are examples of subjects that will get readers’ attention.

Some examples of books that cover these topics are: Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. All of these books are very well known and they effect readers in a personal and emotional way.

2. Weak characters — Children like strong characters. Characters they can relate to and empathize with are the most popular. The central characters should be children—and, even better, children that save the day. One book that exemplifies this is, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. The three children in this book are regular kids who find it within themselves to overcome many obstacles.

3. Not enough description – Children must be able to visualize the characters, setting and plot in a book. The written word must be able to stand alone without the aid of illustrations. While some things need to be left to the imagination, an artfully written description can only enhance the interest in a book.

4. The inability to look at the story through a child’s eyes — Whether the book is written from a child’s point-of-view or through the voice of an omniscient narrator, it must be understood by its audience. What child wants to read a story through the eyes of an adult?

5. Failure to transmit a magical quality in the writing — Children want to be surprised, mystified and challenged by a story. A perfect example of such a book is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling. Magic is the main focus of this book. Children like a book that asks them to take an active part in its telling—to figure out how and why certain events occur. To be able to become the main character and experience the magic first-hand makes a book come alive for the reader.

While it may seem easy to write a children’s book, this task can actually prove to be quite a challenge. The author needs to be able to relate to children and write from their perspective. The most important aspects of writing childrens books are keeping the audience in mind and keeping them interested throughout.

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Jen received her master's degree in Literacy Education in 2003 and since then has worked on helping to grow awareness about children's literacy and writing. Jen has 16 post(s) at Free Writing Center