From Pitchy to Perfection: Editors Panel

From Pitchy to Perfection: Editors Panel

Is your pitch hitting the right notes? Join editors from Karen Boss of Charlesbridge, Nikki Garcia of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, and Talia Benamy of Philomel for a one-hour, pre-recorded panel as they critique pitches from Picture Book Summit attendees and reveal what editors are really looking for in picture book hooks and what you can do to make yours stand out.

Let’s get to know this year’s editors:

Get to know Karen Boss:

Karen Boss is a senior editor at Charlesbridge where she works on fiction and nonfiction books from board to YA. She holds an MA in Children’s Literature from Simmons College and was a mentor for their Writing for Children MFA program for many years. Karen also has an MA in higher education administration and worked at colleges and in the nonprofit sector for 15 years. In her free time, Karen often plans “Auntie Karen adventures” for her four nieces.

Get to know Nikki Garcia:
Nikki Garcia is an associate editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers where she works on books for all ages. During her time at LBYR, she has had the honor of working with talented creators such as Sophie Blackall, Jennifer Torres, Monica Brown, Laini Taylor, and more. Born and raised in New York City, Nikki graduated from St. John’s University and Harvard University, and thankfully didn’t have to travel very far to make her dreams come true.

Get to know Talia Benamy:

Talia Benamy, editor at Philomel Books, joined Penguin Random House as an editorial assistant in 2013. She graduated with a BA in English from Cornell University. Talia is the editor of Cramm This Book: So You Know WTF Is Going On in the World Today by Olivia Seltzer, My Love for You Is Always by Gillian Sze and Michelle Lee, and You Can Be ABCs by Robert Samuel White II, Robert Samuel White III, and Robert Paul Jr. She co-edits the She Persisted chapter book series with Jill Santopolo. She is constantly on the lookout for books that will help readers understand the world around them and their ability to impact it, as well as books that embrace feminism, celebrate wordplay, and focus on Judaism, politics, or space. When she’s not editing books, Talia can be found engaging in political activism, winning bar trivia nights, eating all the pizza, and planning her next trip. Follow her on Twitter @taliabenamy.

Plus, each of these Featured Editors are part of this year’s pitch submission opportunities with the Summit + Submissions ticket!

Attendees who purchase the Summit + Submissions ticket will have the opportunity to pitch a manuscript to each Featured Agent and Featured Editor. They will each have their own submission form. That means you will be able to tailor your pitch to each individual agent or editor according to what they are seeking in submissions.

For example, you could submit the same pitch to every agent and editor, a different pitch for a different manuscript to each agent and editor, or anything in between. No matter what, you’ll have six opportunities to pitch YOUR project(s) to these industry professionals.

At this time, only one of these publishers is accepting unsolicited submissions from unagented writers, so this is an excellent opportunity to get your pitch in front of these three powerhouse editors!

Mark your calendar and make plans to join us for:

Picture Book Summit 2023:

Picture Books That Sing!

October 7, 2023

Early Bird Registration opens tomorrow 5/19/23!