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With the affordability of print-on-demand (POD) publishing, there is something you can do to encourage creativity and communication with your child, while teaching your child about the publishing process and giving their self-esteem a boast as well!

As a parent, we are always thrilled when our children take an active interest in their own education. Heck, we are even thrilled when they play with something “educational” (while we call it a “toy”). After all, playing does teach children, and sometimes “play” involves coloring and writing.

Two of our children, Frank (age 11) and Ali (age 13), are currently co-authoring a book. I won’t tell you the title because it’s “top secret.” What I can tell you is that this book idea and the subsequent burst of creativity it has created has generated a great deal of excitement for not only Ali and Frank, but for the rest of the family as well.

Since Ali and Frank are homeschooled, we have added the book to their curriculum. It has replaced their daily journal entries for the time being. They have assigned “entries” to themselves and know they must write one entry per day, Monday through Friday. And as they write each day, they see their manuscript growing…quite quickly in fact!

In about two months, their book will be complete. And, while this may be just a proud Mommy talking, I must say that their work so far is excellent! Children seem to have an easier time expressing feelings and situations that most adults just can’t seem to put into words. Once the manuscript is finished, they will edit it together. They are also going to design the cover themselves. When it’s all completed, we will publish it as a glossy paperback via POD and will, of course, send copies to the grandparents. Since the book does have a consumer slant, we will also put it up for sale online (via Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com, etc.) and will, of course, sell it through Booklocker.com. As an author, I know the rush of pride and accomplishment you feel when you hold your final book in your hands for the first time. I can’t wait to see Ali and Frank’s faces when their first print copy arrives in the mail!
Encouraging a child to finish a book manuscript will not only contribute to their creativity and language skills, but will also boost their self-esteem and teach them the joy of planning and completing long-term projects.

Angela Hoy is the publisher of Booklocker.com, Inc., an author-friendly POD publisher that takes no rights, pays high royalties on a monthly basis, and treats authors like people, not numbers. Booklocker.com is happy to work with the parents of child authors! She also publishes WritersWeekly.com, the free marketing emag for writers, offering paying markets and freelance jobs every Wednesday at no charge.