Julie Hedlund and Angela Dalton are both authors of picture book biographies about well-known celebrities. Julie wrote SONG AFTER SONG: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews and Angela authored TO BOLDY GO: How Nichelle Nichols and Star Trek Helped Advance Civil Rights. Before their books were acquired, they did everything wrong. In
What makes a great picture book? Artistic duo The Steads share their approach to picture books and how something seemingly so simple actually takes a lot of work, nuance, and collaboration. Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead are the author and illustrator of the Caldecott Medal Book A Sick Day for Amos McGee.
What is going on in picture book publishing these days? Is it slow for everyone or is it just you? How are global events affecting the industry? Surely, COVID-19 isn’t still impacting our market? In this episode, Emma, Julie, and Kelli explore what publishing looks like currently, what it may
One of the big advantages of attending a conference—online or in-person—is the opportunity to submit to Featured Agents and Editors. Many agents and editors are open to submissions from conference attendees, even when they aren’t open to general submissions. Simply by making the effort to attend a conference, you demonstrate
Every year, we host what we like to call a “mini” Summit. It’s a short webinar to give writers a taste of what we offer at our full-day event. In this episode, we share a past Mini Summit all about creating Game Changing ideas. Our goal is to spark your
More and more picture books include backmatter these days—including fiction picture books. In today’s Roundtable discussion, Julie Hedlund and the team share different ways to include backmatter with your manuscript, including dos and don’ts of creating additional content. Books mentioned in this episode: The First Notes by Julie Andrews, Emma
“Oh my” is right! If you don’t know the difference between homage, parody, and plagiarism, and your story references another work in some way, your book might be dead in the water before it even gets out of your inbox. In this PBSummit Roundtable, Emma, Julie, Katie, and Kelli define
Humor has a magical way of making an old idea feel fresh. Whether it’s through witty dialogue, funny scenarios, or quirky characters, adding humor can completely transform your story. Think about unexpected moments where you can bring in some lightness or absurdity to surprise your readers. Humor has this incredible
You know that moment when you think you know exactly where a picture book is going—then WHAM! It zigs instead of zags? We LOVE that. In fact, flipping a familiar trope is one of the smartest—and funniest—ways to craft a story that feels fresh and unforgettable. Take a tired theme
When you’re writing a picture book, one of the most important questions to ask yourself is: Who’s telling the story? Sometimes, a simple shift in point of view can turn an idea upside down, transforming a well-worn theme into something fresh and unexpected. Point of view isn’t just about the
One of the best pieces of advice we can give to aspiring picture book writers is this: use your own life. Your personal experience is an absolute goldmine of originality, and the more you tap into that experience, the more authentic and fresh your stories will feel. We all have
Layers are good in cakes and excellent in picture books! 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 that
