Help writing and revising poetry, poetic devotionals, inspirational writings, poems for children and picture books

“I directed my mind to know, investigate, and seek wisdom and explanations,” Ecclesiates 7:25.

These ecumenical resources (listed alphabetically) will help you as poets, children’s writers, and inspirational writers to research, write, edit, and revise poems, children’s picture books, and other inspired manuscripts:
 

Academy of American Poets site has articles, information, and a variety of poems by classical and contemporary poets to study and enjoy. For instance, if you want to find a poet who shares your appreciation of God, life, and nature, read poems by Mary Oliver and Pattiann Rogers. For traditional verse forms, read the works of Richard Wilbur and Fr. Gerard Manley Hopkins. For highly acclaimed African-American poets, study Phillis Wheatley, Langston Hughes, and Rita Dove. For poems expressing struggles with faith, read Charles Wright and Gregory Orr. If you still do not discover poets with whom you identify, start with the A’s, reading each poem that interests you at least three times.

AgentQuery houses a searchable database on the Internet to help you find an agent who’s open to queries and to clients writing in your genre.

American Library Association promotes reading among all age groups, produces publications, and sponsors prestigious awards for writing and artistic excellence.

American Verse Project primarily includes works in the public domain. You can search these either by the name of the poet or by the title of a classical poem.

Annual writing contest sponsored by the Writers-Editors Network (more information below) encourages your well-written entries of fiction, nonfiction, book chapters, poetry, and all genres of manuscripts for children. Each year Mary Sayler judges the last two categories of entries previously unseen by her and postmarked by March 15.

Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR) website posts contact information and a search box for finding literary agents with a history of placing books in your genre.

AV or Authorized Version of the Bible - See KJV (King James Version) below.

Biblios provides an amazing assortment of ecumenical Bible Study Tools to help you read and study the Bible in many languages, including Hebrew, and in many versions, from contemporary translations to the Catholic classic in English, Douay-Rheims. You’ll also find Bible maps, Bible atlas, biblical concordances, Bible commentaries, and more.

Book Publishing Markets on this website include the contact information and current needs for religious publishers (primarily Christian or Jewish) and also traditional book markets for children’s writers, health writers, cookbook writers, and others.

Caldecott Medal presented annually by the American Library Association to award artistic excellent in children’s picture book illustrations.

Catholic Book Publishers Association provides hotlinks for Christian publishing companies who publish fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and inspirational writings for Catholic readers of all ages. You’ll also find contact info, names of editors, and writers guidelines.

Children’s Book Awards site includes major awards in the U. S. and lists recipients.

Children’s Book Council lists members alphabetically by the name of each publishing company with contact information for editors and their current needs. The list also lets you know if they’re open to freelance submissions or if you must have an agent.

Children’s Magazine Guide indexes 60 secular periodicals for children.

Christian Writers Fellowship International offers networking and a bi-monthly newsletter Cross & Quill with writing tips, news, conference updates, editorial requests, and marketing information about all genres of books and periodicals for all age groups.

Christian Writing Markets for your books, poems, and inspirational writings for all age groups are listed on Sally Stuart’s website with additional information about publishing needs and editorial contacts updated annually in her Christian Writers’ Market Guide. For regular updates throughout the year on Christian publishing and marketing trends of special interest to Christian writers and poets, check out Sally’s blog.

Churchmouse Publications, an innovative web-based Christian syndicate debuting on the Internet, offers editors, publishers, and other patrons a wide range of inspirational materials from which to choose, such as the faith-based poems from the “Saints Alive” collection of poetry by Mary Harwell Sayler. [For Mary’s devotionals and children’s story on Churchmouse, type in her last name for your search.]

Colossal Directory of Children’s Publishers posts an alphabetical listing of the names, needs, and contact information for publishers of children’s books.

Congregational Resource Guide lists publishers of books and other resource materials primarily for Christians in Catholic and mainline Protestant denominations.

Copyright information can be found online for those who intend to self-publish.

Critique Service offers a thorough reading of your work with practical ideas, light editing, professional feedback, and an objective evaluation (by mail or email) of your poetry, children’s poems, picture book texts, devotionals, and other inspired writings.

Duotrope’s Digest lists poetry and fiction markets for over 2400 publications.

English Standard Version (ESV) website has the full text for this 2001 translation (like an updated RSV) with information on the new, award-winning ESV Study Bible. Besides the thorough footnotes, this study edition includes a concordance and well-researched articles on the Bible, Judeo-Christian values, world religions, Bible culture, and more from the perspective of Protestants who accept the Bible as the inspired Word of God.

EnglishVerse.com archives the classical works of traditional English poets.

Evangelical Press Association (EPA) website offers networking for writers and editors through articles, job postings, email lists, membership directory, and other resources.

FaithReaders.com-Family Safe Reading! lists thousands of Family Safe articles in categories of special interest to Catholic and catholic Christian parents.

Guide To Grammar & Writing has clear instructions to help you use grammar, syntax, and punctuation correctly in your poems, devotionals, and other inspired writings.

Hebrew Poetry blog from Baylor University professor James Kennedy provides insight into poetic techniques used in biblical poetry.

Holy See site from the Vatican posts letters and encyclicals from Popes, Early Church Writings, and other ancient and often poetic documents on Christ and Christianity.

Hymn Lyrics can be found in full on many websites, but this one presents the printed version first, allowing you to select audio when you’re ready to hear the tune.

Jewish Virtual Library provides educational resources on Jewish culture, Judeo- Christian history, health, human rights, and ongoing communications with the church.

KJV, the highly poetic King James Version of the Bible, is actually entitled the Authorized Version (AV) and is found in full, including deuterocanonical books (aka apocrypha.)

Library of Congress archives national and historical documents useful for your poetry writing projects and children’s picture books or poems requiring research on the U.S.

LinkedIn is a free Internet service that gives you the opportunity to network with other inspirational writers, children’s writers, Christian poets, and other professionals in the publishing community by joining discussion Groups that share your interests. If you haven’t yet done so, check out Mary’s Profile and invite her to join your network.

National Book Foundation encourages literary excellence and presents prestigious annual awards in many genres.

National Council of Churches, USA consists of a community of Christian communions who accept Jesus Christ as Savior and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to bring unity to the universal church Body of Christ. The group also offers insights into the common bonds of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam by publishing highly ecumenical resources and promoting words of healing among Christians, Jews, and Muslims.

New American Bible can be found in full on the website of the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) who approved its use in the Church Mass.

New Jerusalem Bible gives you a lively alternative translation of the Catholic Bible.

Newbery Medal presented annually for excellence in children’s literature. (See ALA.)

Nobel Prize presented in many categories, including poetry and literature.

Online Resources For Writers links to secular but helpful websites offering instructive information about grammar, punctuation, proofreading, and more.

Online Writing Lab by Purdue covers English grammar and punctuation.

Poetry Tool posted by the Poetry Foundation includes archived articles and all sorts of tools to help you discover poets, poems, and poetry.

Poets & Writers magazine posts editorial calls for poems, essays, and fiction of various lengths to be published in an anthology, book, chapbook, or magazine.

Prayer Space on the Upper Room website of the United Methodist Church leads you through prayer methods that use Holy Scripture (Lectio Divina), icons, or visualization as taught by St. Ignatius. You’ll also find a quick but insightful “Spiritual Types” test that may help you find direction for your poems, devotionals, and other inspired writings.

Publishers Weekly website posts national and international news and reviews on all aspects of book publishing. You can also sign up for weekly newsletters emailed to you in such specialized areas as religious writing and children’s books. If you want your own book reviewed by PW, their submission guidelines lists the specific requirements.

Pulitzer Prize acknowledges outstanding works and literary excellence in all genres.

Revised Standard Version of the complete Bible (including the deuterocanonical aka apocryphal books) lets you search Holy Scriptures by word, phrase, verse, or chapter.

RhymeZone provides a search box for you to find rhymes, similar-sounding words, synonyms, antonyms, and quotations related to your word choice. 

Rhyming word search gives you such online options as end-rhyme, double rhyme, and even rhymes based on the first syllable of a word.

Self-published Poems or Manuscripts especially need professional feedback and editing prior to publication. If the work requires you to rethink, say, the sequence of your nonfiction points and fiction plot or the effectiveness of your poetic techniques, then you may need help in two stages: First, objective comments help you to revise your work and avoid those mistakes in the future. Then editorial feedback will help you to correct flaws and add the final polish to your poems, picture books, manuscripts or book proposal.

Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) provides marketing information and numerous other helps for children’s writers and artists.

Twitter provides social networking on the Internet to put you in touch with professionals in your field. Follow Poetry Of Course on Twitter to get quick thoughts, tips, and insights about writing poetry, writing poetically, and living a more poetic life. For a daily word of encouragement as you write poems or other inspired manuscripts for both Christian and secular readers, follow Catholic Poets & Writers on Twitter.

United States Copyright Office tells how to register and protect your poems, picture book texts, and other writings, which you mainly need to do if you plan to self-publish.

Virtual Medieval Church & Its Writings from the University of St. Thomas has a “you are there” approach to Christianity and the religious works of Catholic and catholic Christian poets, mystics, philosophers, and theologians. Come ready to meet Julian of Norwich, St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Aquinas, and others.

World Council of Churches site promotes unity among Christians from over 100 countries and provides information about churches who worship God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and who accept the Virgin Birth and Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Writers-Editors Network provides writer-members with writing tips and professional resources, such as marketing news, job postings, and editorial updates. The site also posts guidelines for their annual writing contest with an annual deadline of March 15.

Links for poets, children’s writers, and inspirational writers will help you to research your subject and the factual data used in your poems, children’s picture books, and other inspired manuscripts of fiction and nonfiction.