Very few authors manage to cross the gap between writing for children and writing for adults. However, prolific Australian author Catherine Jinks has done just that. Catherine successfully manages to write both children’s and adult books. Her eighth adult novel The Secret Familiar – Confessions of an Inquisitor’s Spy will be released in November 2006 by Allen & Unwin. It’s a medieval murder mystery.I spoke to Catherine about her creative writing process.

Valerie Khoo: You manage to successfully write for both adults and children. Do you find that you have to put on a different ‘hat’ or go into a different ‘space’ and switch between the two when you write?

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Even though publishing the old way is hard, you can self publish your way to success. The big mistake people make is thinking that there is an easy way to make a book successful, but the facts are that writing and promoting any book, including one for kids is a very difficult task.

Before automatically assuming that writing a children’s book is the way to go, it is important to examine the current market. There are an unlimited number of kid’s books to choose from. Unlike traditional books for adults, you will see a large selection of children books in dollar stores and discount stores. As much as parents want their child to be educated, many choose to spend a limited amount of money on books.

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