Years ago, when I wrote for adults, I wrote mostly non-fiction. But, since I’ve been writing for children for the past 12 years, I’ve been doing only fiction. Go figure! So, I don’t have any experience or tips to share about writing non-fiction for kids. However, during my “adult years,” I did design and produce a number of items for crafts magazines, and even wrote an article about it for The Writer magazine (for which I received excellent feedback from the then-editor.) I believe the same basic guidelines would apply to crafts for kids, too.
They are:
#1. Be original.
#2. Study each magazine in detail.
#3. Think seasonal.
#4. Understand the craft technique and know how to write
instructions.
#5. Be familiar with the unique submission process for crafts.
I’ll cover each of these items more fully in my next blog post.
In all, I had 10 craft designs published, mostly involving some kind of needlework. Since I don’t have a background in art or design, these were, for the most part, simple, easy-to-do projects.
I didn’t make a whole lot of money selling craft designs, considering these magazines’ low pay, the cost of the materials and the amount of time invested in each project. But, I had great fun doing each one and enjoyed sharing my love of needlework and skills with others. And, it was truly exciting to see my work in living color on glossy pages!
Contributed by Marjorie Flathers
