The middle-grade landscape (roughly for ages 8–12) is in a tough spot. Kids have an almost endless buffet of digital entertainment, everything from video games to binge-worthy streaming shows—vying for their attention. It’s books versus tech and it’s a tough competition.
How can we, as authors, keep middle grade reads captivating? Let’s take a look at these small tips to consider when writing or publishing a book for modern readers.
Hook, Line, & Reader
A key ingredient for success is an opening that grabs readers right away. Kids decide quickly whether a book is worth their time, so it’s important to start strong. Remember that kids scroll through TikTok (or not…), Instagram, and Youtube these days. Between shorts and reels, the truth is revealed: you only have about, well, less than a minute to capture their attention. Let’s make our introductions, prologues, and first lines irresistible.
Plunge the main character into an exciting, humorous, or mysterious situation from page one. First impressions should spark children’s curiosity, making them more likely to keep reading instead of switching to something else.
Making it Visual
Have a killer cover. If you’re a self-publisher, you’re certainly in the Excel sheets right now evaluating where to put the bulk of your investment. We recommend carefully browsing middle-grade bestsellers. Go to Publishers Weekly and see what’s hot right now; look at the covers and see what “middle-grade” art looks like. It has a totally different feel from picture books and YA.
Equip yourself with that knowledge, then find an illustrator who is experienced in middle-grade literature. We recommend using reputable websites that connect illustrators and artists with business partners, such as Behance rather than platforms like Facebook. It’s tempting to make a decision based on who offers the lowest prices, but resist, resist, resist! Remember the phrase, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”? In publishing and book purchasing, we love to judge a book by its cover. Need we say more? Invest in a cover with quality illustrations, because if a cover isn’t aesthetically pleasing, kids won’t want it. When in doubt, remember that most kids prefer what’s pretty over what’s good for them (cupcake over broccoli, am I right?).
(Bonus Tip for Interiors) We always recommend being considerate for kids who learn “differently” because we are both neurodiverse and we learn differently. Beyond the cover, there’s more to consider. Our quick tip for self-publishers is: to cater to readers who might have processing disorders or are neurodivergent learners, consider simplifying book content. For example, readers who might feel overwhelmed by large blocks of text might prefer black-and-white sketches sprinkled throughout a chapter can help break up the page with helpful fonts like Dyslexie.
Partnering with Educators and Librarians
Have an educator, like a teacher or a librarian, partner with you to write an educator’s guide or lesson plan to accompany your book.
That’s it. That’s the advice. Don’t be deceived by how plain it seems. It’s a golden tip, we promise. If you don’t believe us, go look at the free guides that come with traditional publishing purchases or are offered on websites as marketing magnets (yeah, we’re looking at you, Scholastic…).
It might not sound like something that will “captivate” children because let’s be honest. Ew, homework. But we need something that keeps the child engaged past reading a chapter or the entire book. It might take convincing, but a lesson after a book, even if it is in the form of a discussion, can help kids immerse themselves in the book’s universe. Once they get their brain exercising, they are invested, imaginative, and they hardly notice that they are learning critical thinking skills. Sneaky education: that’s our tip.
Leaning into Digital Media
Embrace the competition…literally. Hug it and instead of seeing it as an enemy, make it a parner. The digital world often competes with books, but it can also enhance them. Interactive eBooks can include bonus features like quizzes, puzzles, or hidden illustrations that keep kids clicking for more. See the above tip. Imagine a QR to a coloring page, an animated video, or even a joke. This is a quirky route, but if you take it, you’ll see the feedback. Kids love “breaking” from reading, especially if it isn’t their best subject. Last tip, we talked about brain training. This tip, we’re talking about brain breaks. Build them in and you’ll have a reader for life.
Podcast: Sound familiar? Not sure why. It’s not like you’re on a podcast’s website —oh wait. 🙂 Authors should consider creating short podcasts or video content to showcase behind-the-scenes details of their books or offer some fun thought experiments/activities that a kid can do after reading their book. Think of this as supplemental, kid- or parent-focused content. However, we understand that not everyone has the time for that. If you can’t DIY something like this, consider appearing on a podcast that reaches your target audience to promote your book.
Traditionally published authors: speak with your publishers, publicists, and agents. Self-published authors? Go for it. And should you reach out to us, we’ll have you know that we are very friendly.
Did we lose you or did you make it to the end of our list? If you made it here, thanks for reading. We wish you the best of luck in your middle-grade adventure. Don’t be a stranger! We want to hear all about it. Reach out to us on social media to let us know how you keep your MG reads alive in a time when books versus Oculus.
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