With 25 years of experience in the publishing industry as an editor, agent, and teacher Laura Backes covers the first big reason why manuscripts get rejected, and what you can do to avoid it! Find out how you can avoid getting editor feedback t
A good writer tells a story, a great writer brings the reader into the story. One of the best ways to render that sense of immersion is capturing the authentic voice of your characters—especially when writing picture book biographies. Award-win
Ah, the age old question: How do you write a compelling picture book? It may be simpler than you think! Peter H. Reynolds shares how to harness the answers to these following questions for great story-writing: 1. Where have you been? 2. Where
Do you have fears that intimidate your writing or illustration? Jon Klassen shares how his fears (and desire to have a job!) inform his creative process and shares how to use your fears to your advantage when developing your own stories. You ma
Wouldn't it be grand if there was a fool-proof formula for creating good picture books? That's exactly what Julie Hedlund has spent years researching and studying, and she's come up with 10 essential ingredients or "layers" for picture books th
In Part 3 of How to Get Out of the Slush Pile, Emma Walton Hamilton reveals about actionable ways to polish your manuscript's hook to get agents and editors excited about reading your story!
It's time for the second episode in our three-part series: How to Get Out of the Slush Pile! Author and rhymer extraordinaire Julie Hedlund discusses one of the best ways to signal to industry professionals that you're not ready to be published
It's the first of our three-part series: How to Get Out of the Slush Pile! Nothing turns an agent or editor more than a poorly written main characters. It's a common mistake for new authors and one big reason a manuscript never makes it out of
"Don't be too preachy in your writing!" You may have heard it many times before, but how? Try leveling up with sophistication. Julie Hedlund discusses the sparkle of sophisticated humor in picture books, where to find great examples of it, and
Author Katie Davis spells out why pacing is important for good picture book manuscripts in today's market, analyzes examples of pacing in some of her favorite picture books, and reveals various methods for achieving excellent pacing in shorter
They say that if you want to get published, don't write rhyming picture book manuscripts! But is that really a rule to live by? Spoiler: Of course not! Julie Hedlund, author of three rhyming picture books and Co-Founder of the Picture Book Summ
Emma Walton Hamilton unearths a brief history of picture books including how Randolph Caldecott started the genre by creating illustrations that helped to tell the story instead of the pictures simply reflecting what's in the text. Emma shares
What makes a great read-aloud? Join author and librarian Betsy Bird for an entertaining look examination of what separates the good picture book read-alouds from the great picture book read-alouds. Librarians have always known that picture book
Listen in as Emma Walton Hamilton and Julie Hedlund share their submission expertise and give you the key components of a killer query letter and plus top tips for improving your own query letter. You’ll leave this episode with actionable items
In Part 3 of Where the Ideas Are, let's talk about how to develop your picture book ideas into a strong manuscripts. At the core of every good picture book is a central dramatic question. What is that, anyway? Picture Book Summit co-founder Emm
In Part 2 of Where the Ideas Are, PBSummit co-founder Laura Backes shares how to assess if your idea is one worth pursuing including... Finding out if there's room in the market for your idea Deciding if your has kid-appeal Determining if your
Welcome to our three-part series Where the Ideas Are! We'll finding, assessing, and developing ideas for marketable picture books stories. While we can’t tell you exactly where to get your next great idea, Katie Davis can give you tips for harv
In today’s episode, we’ll hear from Samantha Berger, a twice Emmy-nominated writer and award-winning author of over 80 books for young readers, including Crankenstein, Monster’s New Undies, Snail Mail, and Rock What You Got! Samantha wrote for
In this episode, Emma Walton Hamilton talks about the three things you should do before you start submitting, the key components of your query letter, including how to craft your hook and what to include in your bio, query etiquette, and submis
Today’s episode showcases literary agent Jennie Dunham, founder of Dunham Literary Inc. Her clients have appeared on the NYT Bestseller list and have won numerous awards including the Schneider Family Award, the Boston Globe Horn Book Honor, an
You vow again and again, “Today I will work on my book!” But something just keeps getting in the way. In this episode, Katie Davis shares insights and tips for avoiding procrastination and getting your "BIC" or Butt In Chair. Listen in for a fe
Nonfiction picture books are one of the fastest-growing segments of the market today, but how do you make them accessible and fun, even for the youngest of audiences. In this episode, award-winning author Ruth Spiro explains how to introduce co
In this episode, Picture Book Summit co-founder Emma Walton Hamilton provides some helpful insight on determining whether a manuscript is truly ready for submission. Listen in to avoid some common mistakes that could cause your hard work to be
In this episode, Picture Book Co-Founder Laura Backes gives us insight into creating memorable picture book characters by discussing the cognitive development of kids in the picture book audience. You’ll look at your main characters and how you
In today’s episode, Katie Davis shares how digging into research makes your writing sparkle — whether your book is nonfiction or fiction. Using picture books Renato and the Lion by Barbara DiLorenzo and Shark Nate-O by Becky Cattie and Tara Lue
