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: writing bad rhyme. Writing poetry is one thing,
Ready to get out of the slush pile? Join us for the first of our three-part series: How to Get Out of the Slush Pile! Author and Picture Book Summit Co-Founder Laura Backes is first up and speaks on one of the biggest mistakes new authors make: writing poor main
Are your picture books using sophisticated storytelling that trusts your kid reader and allows them to rise to the occasion? “Don’t be too preachy in your writing!” You may have heard it many times before, but how? Try leveling up with sophisticated storytelling that uses humor. Julie Hedlund discusses the
How is pacing in picture books different today from the books you read growing up? Author Katie Davis spells out why pacing is important in picture book manuscripts and why it’s different in today’s market from some of your childhood favorites. In this episode, Katie analyzes pacing examples in some
Today it’s time for part three of Where the Idea Are series: Developing Ideas. Listen to the first two parts of the series below: Part 1 – Generating Ideas with Katie Davis here Part 2 – Assessing Ideas with Laura Backes here Once you’ve generated the ideas and assessed them
In this episode, Picture Book Summit Co-Founder Laura Backes gives us insight into creating memorable characters for picture books by discussing the cognitive development of kids in the picture book audience. You’ll look at your main characters and how you develop them in a whole new way after this mind-opening
In Revision First Steps, Laura Backes and Emma Walton Hamilton team up to give you tips on approaching the first big revision of your first draft. Emma Walton Hamilton is a best-selling children’s book author, editor and writing coach. With her mother, actress/author Julie Andrews, Emma has co-authored over thirty children’s
So, how do you impart a meaningful takeaway for your young picture book reader without it feeling like a lesson? In Purpose Without Preaching, Laura Backes illustrates how to write picture books with purpose that don’t preach at kids but trusts them to find the kernels of truth hidden within
In today’s episode, we’ll hear from Carole Boston Weatherford. Carole has won numerous awards for her picture books including the NAACP Image Award, Coretta Scott King Award, Sibert Honor, John Steptoe New Talent award, and SCBWI Golden Kite award. A New York Times best-selling author, Carole is one of the
In this episode, we feature children’s author, poet, and founder of the Lyrical Language Lab, Renée LaTulippe. In this segment of Renée’s Picture Book Summit presentation From Drab to Fab: Ridding Your Writing of Ho-Hummery, she demonstrates the critical role word choice, or diction, plays in crafting outstanding picture books.
Picture book texts are getting shorter. In fact, many agents and editors have put a 500-word limit on new picture book manuscripts. But how do you write a story—complete with fully-developed characters, a plot with a beginning, middle and end, and page-turning action— in 500 words? In this episode, Picture
