Children’s book writers rock. Truly. Nowhere in the literary establishment can you find a more supportive, nurturing, doggone helpful group of people. When one of us succeeds, it buoys everyone’s spirits. When one of is struggling, we toss out the life lines (and chocolate — lots and lots of chocolate).

It’s a remarkable, motley crew of creative, inspiring, unbelievably talented people who are also first and foremost human. Nowhere is that more evident than when it’s submission/query or book launch time. Writers can feel as vulnerable as one of the characters in their books, but without the luxury of writing their anxieties away.

That’s where we come in: The Fellowship of Children’s Writers. (Yes, I just made that up. Go with me here.) While we can’t guarantee the query will get picked up or the book will make the best-seller lists, we can walk side by side with our writer friends and help support them in big and small ways. Here are a few ideas:

1. Show Up: Send a thinking-of-you note to a friend who’s sending out queries or waiting to hear about his/her submission. Attend your friend’s book launch party and ask what you can do to help that night and going forward (e.g., taking bookmarks or book swag to your child’s school or your local library, posting about the launch party on your blog, Twitter or Facebook, etc.).
2. Write a Review: If your friend’s book is on the market, write a review of it on GoodReads, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or (even better) Amazon. Doing so not only helps amplify the book, it also makes sites like Amazon more likely to surface it.
3. Extend an Invitation: Invite a new writer to join your critique group. Suggest your friend’s book as the next pick for your book club, and invite your friend to come talk about it. If you see a writer standing by him/herself at a conference, invite him/her to eat lunch at your table or to join you for coffee. Ask about his/her project. Listen. Pay it forward.
4. Buy the Book: This one’s obvious, of course. But even if you have enough copies — or you can’t afford to buy any — you can still help support your friend’s book. Ask your local library to order it, see if your favorite book store will stock a few, or donate one of your copies to a school or public library.

© 2018 Rachel Martin. All Rights Reserved.