Since last week’s Mini Summit, we’ve received lots of questions about the Summit + Submissions Ticket for Picture Book Summit 2024 – Perfect 10: Going for Picture Book Gold! So, we’re here today to answer the most frequently asked questions before Early Bird pricing expires this Friday, September 6, 2024.
First, let’s introduce to this year’s Featured Agents and Editors and tell you a little bit about their panels at Picture Book Summit.
AGENT PANEL – Top 10 Questions for Agents
Wow! Ten years of Picture Book Summit. I guess it’s true what they say that time flies when you’re having fun. I hope you’ve been enjoying our team’s top 10 lists this week. If you missed any of them, you can find Emma’s here, Katie’s here, and Julie’s here.
When this journey started, I was a picture book novice to say the least. Katie and Julie asked me to come onboard because I had experience in customer service and online conferences. (Back then we still had to explain what a web room was and how it worked. THAT was my job!) As that background person, my memories skew a little differently from the rest of the team, so if you’re a lover of behind-the-scenes peeks, I think you’ll enjoy my Top 10 List.
1. It worked!
Mac Barnett was our last Superstar Speaker of the day at our very first Summit. Once he logged in and his camera and mic worked. It was a HUGE sigh of relief for me and the rest of the behind-the-scenes team. (Shout out to Aaron and Kristin!) Then there was the surge of adrenaline realizing that WE DID IT! That Summit was immediately followed by online toasts and celebratory beverages! (In fact, all Summits are immediately followed with this kind of celebration!)
2. “Do you want to see my studio?”
Yes, please! When Julie and I did our tech check with the late beloved Tomie DePaolo, he offered to take us on tour of his studio. First off, Tomie was just a big beautiful light in this world. Even through a video screen, his smile lit up the room and his eyes twinkled in that special way of someone who is truly happy to see you. So, he loaded up his laptop and took us round his studio and gave us the grand tour. He laughed and giggled as he showed us around. It was such a special moment and Julie and I could not believe our luck! I still have the email he wrote me after the Summit signed with x’s and o’s. He was a gem of a human being.
Today it’s my turn to share my Top 10 favorite moments from 10 years of Picture Book Summit! Although as Katie said, it’s impossible to choose ONLY 10, so here is a small sampling of some of the magical experiences I’ve enjoyed as one of the founders of this incredible conference.I found myself quite emotional after writing this post. I’m so proud to be part of the Picture Book Summit team, and I can honestly say I’m looking forward to the next 10 years!
1. First Day Jitters
Somehow, I drew the straw of interviewing our first speaker (author/illustrator Peter Brown) of the first Summit. I was SO nervous, and the night before I barely slept because I had stress dreams all night (the usual—showing up late, forgetting to wear clothes, not being able to log in…). But the interview was, of course, amazing! Afterward, I just knew the rest of the day was going to be incredible – that we had really created something special.
2. David Shannon’s Big Oops!
I love myself a great pun. I also love stories where authors and illustrators we love share their goofs and gaffes with us. Like David Shannon telling us how important it is for illustrators to revise for consistency in their illustrations. In the first edition of Duck On a Bike, all of the illustrations featured a bell on the bike except the last one, which was missing the bell. He got called on it by a kid and decided to make bell stickers. From then on, when any kid wrote in to point out the lack of a bell on the last bike, he sent a sticker saying they received the “No-Bell Prize.” Get it? Get it? (laugh emoji)
A few years ago, we had the privilege of hosting former National Ambassador of Young People’s Literature and bestselling author Kate DiCamillo as one of our Superstar Speakers. Her presentation was nothing short of magical. She shares how she went from wanting to write and thinking about writing to actually writing. We hope this snippet of her talk inspires you to get started (or restarted) too.
Savor this episode.
Listen here:
When we first started Picture Book Summit, I had no thought of doing it for a decade. I had no idea how many we would end up helping, both our attendees, as well as the charities we would give a portion of the proceeds. Now, as I look back and think of my top 10 memories of the last 10 years of dozens of brilliant presentations, I’m overwhelmed with options. So I’m lying here. These aren’t my top 10. They are among dozens of stellar memories of Superstar Speakers. But I had to choose 10, so here are the first 10 that popped into mind, in no particular order.
(Did you miss Emma’s Top 10. Catch up here!)
#1 – Paul O. Zelinsky
I remember Paul O. Zelinsky’s poignant reflection of being in his crib at his great-grandmother’s. Over the crib hung a painting she’d made of Hansel and Gretel and he talked about the intense feelings this painting gave him and how you never have such such strong reactions to things again once you’ve grown up.
#2 – Jane Yolen
Jane Yolen’s comment about being called prolific and how she preferred “versatile” because “Prolific always has that whiff of, ‘She does too much, she does too fast, how can it be any good?’ And then there’s the word versatile, which I like better because it means that you can do a variety of things, that you can do them well…”
Picture Book Summit is 10 years old!
So much has happened in the picture book industry in these past ten years… we’ve said goodbye to some treasured industry colleagues and welcomed many new ones. There has been a long overdue push towards greater diversity in characters, stories, and creators, and a surge in picture books that focus on STEM, STEAM, and SEL. Today’s picture books explore all sorts of fresh ideas and approaches—non-linear narratives and unconventional formats. Topics that were once considered too complex for young readers are now addressed regularly in picture books. And the publishing industry not only survived the challenges of pandemic but proved that picture books play a critical role in young people’s lives and are definitely here to stay.
With all this evolution, one thing has remained constant—the quality of learning at Picture Book Summit. We have been fortunate to have some of the industry’s best and brightest writers, illustrators, editors, and agents deliver memorable and inspiring keynotes and workshops over the past ten years.
In keeping with the theme of our 10th anniversary, here are 10 of my most memorable moments from Picture Book Summits past, and what they taught me…
That’s why we’re hosting a FREE online Mini Summit to show YOU ways to turn your ideas upside down and inside out to create stories that will capture an editor’s attention and spark the imaginations of young readers.
Join us August 28th at 8pm ET/5pm PT for this FREE event:
Attending a writing conference can be a transformational experience, filled with opportunities to hone your craft, connect with your peers, and move closer to your publishing dreams. Online writing conferences offer unique opportunities compared to their in-person counterparts.
Emma Walton Hamilton, Julie Hedlund, and Kelli Panique provide nine tips for getting the most out of your next online writing conference.
Click here to download the handout from today’s episode.
Listen here:
Our final picture book giveaway of July starts NOW!
This week, our Book Bundle features picture books created by our very own Picture Book Summit Founders: Emma Walton Hamilton, Julie Hedlund, and Katie Davis!
Read below for a quick preview of each picture book and then enter to win at the bottom of this post.
Enter today!
Who better to help you choose a writing conference that’s right for you than three people who have been putting on writing conferences for a decade?
Emma Walton Hamilton, Julie Hedlund, and Kelli Panique offer you five questions to ask yourself when deciding if an online or in-person writing conference is worth your time and investment.
(Spoiler alert: Many conferences are worth their weight in gold. The key is to find ones that are the best fit for where you are currently in your writing career and your ultimate publishing goals. We’re here to help you do just that!)
Click here to download the handout from today’s episode.
Listen here:
