Why Writing Stories For Children is So Much Harder Than Writing Stories For Adults
lithub.com – Thursday May 7, 2026
A few years ago, my longtime children’s book editor rejected my idea for a new middle grade novel. The rejection hit me hard – the story, of the daughter of a celebrity chef who moves to a small town after being adopted by her older brother, was really tugging at my heartstrings. But the editor’s rejection was swift and brutal; there was no version of this manuscript she was going to accept.
Some stories plant deep in your creative brain and come out through songs heard on the radio and random daydreams in the shower. They will not, simply, leave you alone. It occurred to me that the story would actually be much more interesting from the perspectives of the daughter’s brother and one of the elderly women who lived in the town. I wrote the first chapter longhand on a boat and dashed it off to my agent, who confidently told me he could sell it. He did, and so began a brand-new chapter of my career.
Since the publication of that book (The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County), I’ve written another novel for adults (The Supper Club Saints) and a handful of additional middle grade novels. I’ve continued to carve out a career path in both age groups by the skin of my teeth, somehow finding myself writing for two very different audiences.
Why this group of writer friends decided to launch a literary magazine in Toronto
streetsoftoronto.com – Wednesday May 6, 2026
One spring evening last year, Tia Glista hosted a dinner party for a few friends; she has the very good habit of connecting people from disparate parts of her life together. Not long before the dinner party, Glista, Winnie Wang, Adrianna Michell and Emma Cohen had discussed their struggles writing freelance and had tossed around the idea of starting a literary magazine. After dinner, Michell remembers sitting on the floor of Glista’s apartment, looking around the room at her friends, and pointing out their complementary strengths could make such a concept truly possible.
Toronto Review, the aptly named literary magazine borne out of that fateful dinner party, officially launched on April 27, featuring works from Haley Mlotek, Zak Jones, Furquan Mohamed and Claire Foster, among others.
“An exciting idea that everyone had been ruminating on began to feel possible when we noticed that we were a resourced group of people in terms of the gifts that we could offer one another and the complementarity of those strengths, but also literally our resources beyond the initial group,” says Abby Lacelle, who rounds out the editorial team alongside Glista, Wang, Cohen and Michell, with Sonja Katanic helming the visual design. With one new piece online every week, Toronto Review operates without a paywall to ensure the accessibility of their work.
Martin Literary Management Changes Hands
publishersweekly.com – Wednesday May 6, 2026
Sharlene Martin, president and longtime owner of Martin Literary Management, has announced the sale of the agency to Jennifer Newens. It will be rebranded as Martin-Newens Literary Management.
Newens has served as VP of MLM since 2023. As a part of the change in ownership, Newens will relocate the agency from Seattle, Wash. to Oakland, Calif., overseeing day-to-day operations of the business and focusing adult nonfiction.
New Literary Agent Listing: Eryn Kalavsky
firstwriter.com – Wednesday May 6, 2026
Handles nonfiction with a focus on deeply explored subjects that illuminate broader cultural or personal truths. Seeks narrative nonfiction, cooking, lifestyle, psychology, sports, nature, spirituality, wellness, humor and pop culture, with interest in projects that inspire more fulfilling living, strengthen relationships, build community, or spark curiosity about taste, style, adventure and wonder. Particularly receptive to work with a southern sensibility or west coast tone.
Some students believe they can be writers without reading. This raises many questions
irishtimes.com – Monday May 4, 2026
Wanting to write without wanting to read is, at best, trying to skip the first stage of an artistic apprenticeship
I read recently, in the context of an essay on expertise in making sushi, about the three stages of Japanese craftsmanship: learning to follow the rules; understanding when and how to break the rules; commanding expertise that rises above the rules.
I’m always suspicious of European summaries of Japanese thinking. A great deal is lost in translation, and the cultural contexts are so different that even an accurate translation might be hard to recognise. Even so, the idea of these stages felt recognisable to me.
I’ve been writing fiction and teaching creative writing for many years. Sometimes I encounter students who believe they can be writers without reading, or without being serious or enthusiastic readers. This raises many questions for me: why would you want to write if you don’t love to read? How do you imagine you will learn to write better if not by reading other writers’ better writing? Where, exactly, do you think writing comes from?
Some people want to “be writers” without wanting to work on writing. The writers they want to be seem to achieve fame and fortune – neither likely outcomes of a life devoted to literature – fuelled by “inspiration” that descends from the heavens with no effort required. They sometimes claim that reading would pollute this inspiration, exerting unwelcome influence on their pure voices.
Rocket Books Ltd. announced as a new independent UK publishing house specialising in video game-related publications
gamespress.com – Thursday April 30, 2026
The company’s first release is “One More Win”, a Ridge Racer Type 4 fanzine by veteran video game writer Andy Kelly.
Bromstairs, UK (May 1st, 2026) – Rocket Books Ltd. was unveiled today as a new independent UK publishing house, specialising in video game-related publications.
The company has been established by Andy Roberts, a veteran game developer and journalist with over 35 years’ industry experience. Cutting his teeth on the legendary Commodore 64 magazine Zzap!64 in the late ‘80s, Roberts went on to write for dozens of UK magazines including Commodore Format, TOTAL!, Future Gamer, PC Format, Planet PC, Planet Game Boy, PlayStation Max, Xnet, Freeloader, and Internet Magazine, as well as the renowned Visual Compendium series of books.
The company has ambitious plans and aims to bring together new and established writers alike with one core tenet: to celebrate video games as an art form. “Rocket Books will focus on unique and captivating perspectives from writers with an intense passion for the medium,” stated CEO Andy Roberts. “We’ve set our sights on fusing passionate and exuberant writing with exceptional design sensibilities, to create products as beautiful as they are compelling.”
Call for Submissions: Literary magazine, The Offing, Is Open and Free to Submit
brittlepaper.com – Thursday April 30, 2026
The Offing, the online literary magazine publishing work at the edges of genre and form, is currently open for submissions. There are no submission fees for 2026, and contributors whose work is accepted are paid between $25 and $100 depending on the department and length of the piece.
The categories currently open are Essay, Insight, Back of the Envelope, and Translation (Poetry). The Essay department welcomes personal essays of any length. Insight seeks creative nonfiction that fuses personal experience with cultural criticism; essays that weave together two unlikely topics to explore what interacting with art, literature, or ideology changed in the writer; the word limit is 5,000. Back of the Envelope is for writing that draws on science and the natural world, in any genre and any length, and is open to writers from both inside and outside the scientific community. The Translation (Poetry) category accepts translated poetry, up to six poems per submission.
New UK Literary Agency Selby Howard Sets Out Its Editorial Mission
firstwriter.com – Thursday April 30, 2026
The launch of the Selby Howard Literary Agency marks the arrival of a new, deliberately boutique presence in the publishing landscape – one built on editorial depth, long‑term author development, and a clear commitment to championing distinctive voices across fiction and nonfiction.
A new agency with an old‑school ethos
Selby Howard enters the industry at a moment when writers are seeking more attentive, strategically minded representation. Rather than chasing scale, the agency positions itself around a traditional, hands‑on model: careful list curation, close editorial collaboration, and a belief that a strong author–agent partnership is the foundation of a sustainable writing career.
Its launch statement emphasises a focus on craft, clarity of vision, and the kind of tailored advocacy that can be difficult to find in larger, high‑volume agencies. The agency aims to work with writers at all stages – debut authors looking for guidance, mid‑career writers seeking renewed direction, and established names wanting a more personal approach.
New Literary Agent Listing: Helena Maybery
firstwriter.com – Thursday April 30, 2026
Handles crime and thriller fiction with a focus on domestic suspense, complex characters, vivid storytelling, and high‑stakes narratives. Seeks upmarket and female‑focused book club fiction featuring distinctive voices and emotionally engaging journeys across relationships, power dynamics, and contemporary life. Interested in commercial love stories from sweeping weepies to witty rom‑coms. Reads genre‑blending work that combines elements of crime, satire, or literary fiction to create something unexpected. In nonfiction, reads memoirs illuminating historical moments as well as writing on food and culinary culture.
50 Word Fiction competition: write a story featuring a computer
scottishbooktrust.com – Wednesday April 29, 2026
Each month, we'll provide a prompt to get you started, but where the story goes from there is entirely up to you.
The 50 Word Fiction competition includes four categories: adult writers, all-age Gaelic writers, young writers aged 5–11 and young writers aged 12–18. The entries will be judged by a panel and the four winning stories will be published on our website roughly two weeks after the closing date.
A prize will be awarded to a writer in each category, should they be located in the UK, and we're very happy to offer a certificate (printed or digital, depending on your preference) as well as the below:
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