Writing and Pitching a Children’s Book
About the course
Course Fee
125
Course Length
One Day
Weekly Study
120 minutes
Testimonial
“Litro Masterclasses pushed me to see my strengths and weaknesses clearly, with honest feedback and detailed critique. The experience helped me develop work I could take beyond my local scene and into international opportunities.”
Course summary
Live on Zoom: Saturday 10 October 2026, 4:00-6:00 pm UK / 11:00 am-1:00 pm ET | 2 hours | Seats capped at 15
Writing and Pitching a Children’s Book: From Idea to Submission is a live Litro masterclass for writers with a children’s book idea, draft or manuscript who want to understand how to shape their work, prepare for submission, and navigate the publishing process.
Led by award-winning children’s author A. M. Dassu, this practical 2-hour session looks at what writers need to know at the beginning of the publishing journey: age ranges, audience, genre, word counts, formatting, structure, editing, agents, and submission packages.
The class also looks beyond submission: what happens when you get a book deal, how the editing process works, what to understand about agents and publishers, and what it takes to build a sustainable life as a children’s author, including events and school visits.
You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of the children’s publishing process, what your next steps should be, and how to approach your idea or manuscript from a more informed, practical and confident position.
How you will learn
This is a live, practical 2-hour masterclass with teaching, publishing guidance, examples, and a dedicated 30-minute Q&A. The focus is clear and writer-facing: how to shape a children’s book idea, understand the publishing process, and prepare your work for submission.
- Audience and age range: understand how children’s publishing thinks about readers, age categories, genres, word counts, and positioning.
- Submission preparation: learn how to move from concept or draft towards a stronger submission package.
- Agent and publisher insight: understand what to look for in an agent, how publishing deals work, and the difference between smaller publishers and the Big Five.
- After the deal: learn what happens after a book is acquired, including editing, events, school visits, and the work involved in staying published.
- Live Q&A: bring questions about your idea, draft, submission route, agents, publishers, or next steps.
The Tutor
A. M. Dassu
A. M. DASSU is a former World Book Day author and internationally acclaimed author of 16 children’s books, including Boy, Everywhere and Fight Back and Kicked Out, which have collectively been listed for over 55 awards, including the Carnegie Medal, Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and Week Junior Book Award.
She is a director at Inclusive Minds, a patron of The Other Side of Hope, an international literary magazine edited by immigrants and refugees, and one of The National Literacy Trust’s Connecting Stories campaign authors, aiming to help inspire a love of reading and writing in children and young people.
