Get to know some children. If you are a teacher, you will know lots. If you are a mum who has brought up a family, you will know even more than a teacher, as you will know them in their more intimate moments. If you are both a mum and a teacher, perfect! If you are neither, think of your own childhood, think of your neighbours' children. These are your readers. I expect you will have a story in mind, ready to be made into book that one of those readers can open, read and enjoy. Putting the two together is the author's skill. Here I cannot help you. Every author must find their own right way of doing it. Some authors build up the story a chapter at a time, some like to have the whole of it in detail in their mind, before they write anything. One author works at the keyboard, another with pen and ink; but whichever way you work, this stage must continue until you are as sure as you can be that the story is ready.

Start with the idea that you will be writing for pleasure, not for either fame or profit, then you will not be disappointed. Just occasionally, a piece of work, whether it's a pop tune, a book, (as Harry Potter), a TV children's programme, (as Peppa Pig) takes off worldwide for no apparent reason, but this is a rare occurrence.

Take pleasure in news that your work gives happiness, whether it is to children or adults. One of my short stories, called "Pie and the Witch" is about a primary school class. A lady who read it said that it was her favourite story because they were real children. On another occasion I was reading from my first "Snake Ring" book to a Year 6 class on a cold wet Friday afternoon. I had just reached the place where the hero, Thomas, has to decide whether to take the short but dangerous path through the forest or to climb the mountain and take two days longer to reach home. Just at that moment the bell rang for the end of school. Cries of "Don't stop! We don't mind staying," from the children. I was tempted but thought about the parents waiting outside the gate! About the same book Charlotte aged 8 wrote to say that it was not just the magic ring that she liked, but everything about it, and she would give it 100 out of 100. .

Let us agree that the whole age range for children's books is 4 to 13. We usually split this into three: 4 to 6, 5 to 8, 9 to 13.There is no reason why you should not write books in more than one category, but writers usually find that they are happier writing in one. Now is the time to choose. Make a visit to your local library. In many libraries the children's bookshelves are labelled with the age categories. Otherwise the librarian will help you to decide. Think about your story, and compare with existing books. Take as long as necessary to be quite sure. It is important that you get this right. One factor to consider is the matter of illustrations: books for children under 9 need pictures. If you can successfully be your own illustrator, that is the best solution. If you, or your publisher employ an artist, it raises questions regarding the cost of production. The comparison of the different types of book can also be carried out on line; there are several book stores which will show you various grades of books - sometimes allowing you to read a few pages.

Now is the time to seek a publisher - but be sure your story is ready. Its style, set-out and vocabulary need to be suitable for your target age group. You will have avoided the most obvious pitfalls, such as setting the story in a place or at a period you know nothing about. Watch out for anachronisms. In my story which took place "long ago in Germany" I nearly made someone ask how many miles it was to a certain place, but I spotted it in time. Make sure that each part of the story is consistent with every other part. Are your chapters the right length, and are they suitably titled. Writers are sometimes told, "Show, don't tell" but when writing for children the story is most important and the flow of it should never be held up too long for description or comment. Thomas Hardy described one of his books as " a plain tale, plainly told," which is a good quotation to keep in mind for children's fiction.

Finding a publisher is difficult, sometimes impossible. Buy a copy of "The Writers' and Artists' Year Book" (Children's Version) As well as being useful in many other ways, it lists details of all publishers of children's fiction. Some do not accept unsolicited material. Some only work through an agent. Those who would consider your work usually require it in electronic form, i.e. email attachment or a disc. Don't be afraid to consider self-publication. At one time this was called 'Vanity Publication' and was carried out by firms who would publish anything, no matter how dreadful. Bookshops refused to handle their material. The "Year Book" will also tell you how different things are today - how today's firms have high standards and will not publish anything that does not meet them. The book trade treats these books in the same way as those from commercial publishers.