Book excerpt: Designed to take you from the moment you first put pen to paper to the point at which you are ready to start contacting publishers (or uploading an ebook file), this is the most important book on writing children's books you'll ever read. It introduces you to the craft of writing for children, the art of words - and pictures - and the way in which to use them. It gives you inspiration, ideas and practical advice. It gives you the background to each different area of children's writing, and the skills you'll need to succeed. Unlike any other book on the market, however, it also helps you begin to critique your own work, meaning that at every step of the writing process you'll be producing the best art you can. There are plenty of other essential writing tools in this book, as well, including techniques for overcoming writer's block; with nearly a quarter of the book focussing on how to get published, how to publish yourself, which courses you do - and don't - need, the nuts and bolts of competitions and festivals and the importance of social media, this really is the most comprehensive companion to the subject available.