There aren’t many children’s magazines that offer a hefty paycheck for writing an article or story. Unless you write frequently for the biggest children’s magazines, if you want to earn a decent income in this industry, it’s best to target book publishers.

Even beginning writers can land a contract to write a children’s book. Breaking into the children’s book industry is similar in many aspects as breaking into a new magazine. Look for the “fillers” in the industry and the editors who work with first-time authors. Again, these breakthrough markets are often parallel to the magazine market. Work-for-hire puzzle books, craft books, and Sunday school curriculum books—these types of markets are more similar to “fillers” in the magazine market and are more open to beginning writers. Also target publishers who are listed in the Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market as working with a substantial number of first time authors.

Learn how to find a hole in a series. In my book, Yes! You Can Learn How to Write Children’s Books, Get Them Published, and Build a Successful Writing Career, I call this being a Piggyback Writer. Learn how to piggyback on the success of an existing series in today’s market so that its success becomes your success.

Look for a series or group of books that are similar yet written by various authors. Study a publisher’s website and look for groups of books on a similar topic that you feel qualified to write for. Brainstorm ideas for potential titles for the next books in that series. Then contact the publisher with a query and pitch 3-5 ideas for landing the next book contract in that series. If the publisher offers you a contract to write a book, your book will piggyback on that series and your income and sales will reflect its success.

Career writers can get in a rut that seriously affects their income. Children’s writers who land multiple book contracts on a steady basis in the work-for-hire market can feel like a mouse running endlessly on a tread wheel. Every six weeks or so they have to pump out a new book to keep earning the same income as before. Or, children’s writers who only sign royalty-based contracts with five or six-figure advances may find themselves spending more and more time in between book contracts in today’s strapped economy where drastic changes occur daily in the industry.