Specialists in writing for children
and teens since 1969

The Institute was founded in 1969 to establish the finest course of instruction in how to write and how to market fiction and nonfiction for children and teenagers.

Now, after more than 40 years of devotion to the children’s market, the Institute has become the leading teacher and the primary source of new children’s writers in North America. We publish annual market directories and a monthly newsletter, as well as course materials and textbooks—all related exclusively to writing for children and teenagers.

As you read through this website, you’ll meet our instructors. In total, our faculty has worked for more than 1,000 publishers and won more than 200 medals, prizes, and awards including the highest honors in children’s literature.

While our faculty has published more than 26,000 books, stories, and articles, our students and alumni have been well-published, too. We have received reports of more than 11,000 sales, and the rate of publication notices is now running at a rate of 1,000 per year.

The Institute of Children’s Literature, nestled deep in the woods of western Connecticut, was founded in 1969.

Learn at your own pace
Writing for Children and Teenagers was structured with maximum flexibility: Students learn at their own pace within their own schedules, and they work in the privacy of their own homes.

The cornerstone of this unique course, which has evolved through a series of refinements and enhancements since 1969, is its one-on-one method of teaching: Each student is assigned his or her own instructor—a published writer or experienced editor—and they work together to achieve the student's goals.

You are a class of one
Compare our “class of one” method of teaching with the traditional college or university classroom with one instructor for 20, 30, or even 50 students. Our pairing of a beginner with an accomplished instructor—the classic master-apprentice relationship—gives aspiring authors the finest, most personal training available anywhere.

Exclusive publishing data
One key to our students’ extraordinary record of success is the Institute’s research facility, which continuously monitors the editorial requirements of every publisher and every publication related to children’s literature. This data, published annually in the form of market directories, is available exclusively from the Institute.

The measures of success
For many students, publication is the yardstick of success. For others, it is the exhilaration they feel in being able to communicate in writing more effectively in their business or professional life.

Whatever your writing objective may be, if you pass our Aptitude Test for Children’s Writing and enroll in Writing for Children and Teenagers, we will give you our promise: You will complete at least one manuscript suitable to submit to an editor by the time you finish the course.

Finally, we are dedicated to your satisfaction.

SATISFACTION GUARANTEE

If you are not satisfied that you’ve become a better writer and learned how to market your writing to publishers by the time you’ve completed our program, you can obtain a full refund.

Writing for Children and Teenagers course, offered by the Institute of Children's Literature, is recommended for college credits by the Connecticut Board for State Academic Awards and approved by the Connecticut Commissioner of Higher Education.