Exploring Careers After Graduation: Writing for the Kid’s Lit Market

The Academic Life

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In this episode you’ll hear about: the steps to creating a writing career after college; the children’s book market; the difference between a pitch, a hook, a logline, and a synopsis; the importance of building a support network; and a discussion of the book Premeditated Myrtle.

Our guest is: Elizabeth C. Bunce, the author of the Myrtle Hardcastle mystery book series. Elizabeth’s books are inspired by real places and cultures of the past, often with otherworldly or magical elements. She has been writing for as long as she can remember, and has always been interested in literature, folklore, history, and culture. She studied English and anthropology in college. When she’s not writing, she’s usually making something—cosplay, needlework, historical costuming, quilting—but not cooking.

Your host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, a historian of women, gender, and sexuality. She specializes in decoding diaries written by rural women in 19th century America. She belongs to a critique group for children’s book writers, and has been an active member of SCBWI for over a decade. When she’s not reading, writing, podcasting, or teaching, she can be spotted taking walks along the shore and working on her nature photography. She seldom cooks.

Listeners to this episode might be interested in:

• Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth Bunce
• Wired for Story by Lisa Cron
• The Magic Words: Writing Great Books for Children and Young Adults by Cheryl Klein
• Book in a Month by Victoria Lynn Schmidt
• Stealing Hollywood: Screenwriting Tricks for Authors by Andrea Sokoloff
• The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
• The Highlights Foundation
• The Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults

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