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!
Our 10th Anniversary Picture Book Summit theme is: Perfect 10: Going for Picture Book Gold!
Online Conference Date: October 5, 2024
Workshop #1: Winning with Wordplay with Julie Hedlund
Drum roll for Workshop #2 please! We are thrilled to present you with…
Over her career, Co-Founder Katie Davis has sold over 1 million picture books. The key to picture books that keep selling long after their launch date? A really good ending—one that not only wraps everything up, but one that makes the young reader want to read it again and again.
Get ready to stick the landing of your picture book with Katie’s help!
It’s all leading up to this. Just like a gymnast on the last apparatus of the meet, your picture book must stick its landing to have a shot at making it to the medals stand. Bestselling author-illustrator Katie Davis will coach us on how to take the twists and turns of our fiction and nonfiction stories to create an ending that will have kids clamoring for your book over and over again.
Sharpen your pencils now and prepare to take notes on this one.
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In working with authors, one thing comes up again and again is how to develop “voice.” How do you find your characters’ voice? Is your story’s voice the same as the character voice? And, how do you find your own voice as an author?
As you can see, voice is tough to define and even tougher to capture, so we’re bringing you excerpts from a Mini Summit we gave about books with great voice. This is part 1 of a four-part series. We start with Co-Founder Julie Hedlund defining the types of voices found in picture books and jump to funny girl and Co-Founder Katie Davis for thoughts and examples on using a funny voice.
Enjoy!
Books mentioned in this episode:
Listen here:
September is big month here at Picture Book Summit. We have three new picture books* making their way into the world from four of our speakers this year! To celebrate, we’re giving away books from all of our 2023 presenters in our Book Launch Giveaway! Enter to win the six picture books below!
Picture Book Summit Book Launch Giveaway 2023!
Debuting TODAY, September 5th, is this lovely gem. Long before she starred in movies like The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, and The Princess Diaries, Julie Andrews was a little girl struggling with her parents’ divorce and the ravages of World War II. To comfort her and fill her time during the London Blitz, her stepfather taught her to sing, and Julie found her voice—one of the most extraordinary singing voices of all time.
Lyrically told by Julie Hedlund and lushly illustrated by Ilaria Urbinati, this is the story of how Julie Andrews became one of the world’s most beloved performers.
Order a signed copy from Julie’s local independent bookstore, Second Star to the Right here.
THE ENCHANTED SYMPHONY written by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton & illustrated by Elly MacKay
Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton’s latest collaboration hits bookshelves on September 12th! When a lively village is beset by a mysterious fog, the town turns dull and silent; melancholy neighbors stop visiting each other and even going outside. Until one day, when a boy’s simple melody strikes a chord, reminding everyone of what matters most–even in the darkest of times.
Beautifully and colorfully illustrated by Elly MacKay, The Enchanted Symphony is a powerful, hopeful fairy tale celebrating life’s simple pleasures that bring us together.
Order your signed copy of this book (and many of their other books!) at Julie and Emma’s local independent bookstore Sag Harbor Books here.
Preorder The Enchanted Symphony from the retailer of your choice by 9/11/23 and submit your receipt to get a signed art print and wildflower seed plantable book (while supplies last) from Abrams here.
Welcome back Katie Davis to the PBSummit stage!
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It’s time for the third biggest reason manuscripts get declined by agents and editors and this is a BIG one. Manuscripts are turned down every day for the simple reason that they are just not ready. So, how do you know when your manuscript is ready for publication, therefore ready for an agent’s or editor’s eyes?
Listen now as Katie Davis gives a brief breakdown of all the things to look for in your manuscript to be sure it’s actually ready to be sent out into the world of publishing.
Have you listened to the first two episodes of 4 Biggest Reasons Manuscripts Get Rejected?
Catch up here:
046 – 4 Biggest Reasons Manuscript Get Rejected Part 1 – Unoriginal Ideas
047 – 4 Biggest Reasons Manuscript Get Rejected Part 2 – Lack of Emotional Resonance
Stay tuned! We wrap up this series with Part 4 in two weeks!
Listen here:
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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 of her favorite picture books and reveals various methods for achieving excellent pacing in shorter texts.
Listen here:
We’ve been there, too. That’s why PBSummit Co-Founder Katie Davis developed this year’s workshop: Houston, Your Manuscript Has a Problem.
Generating ideas for lots of picture books is one key to success! That’s why we did a whole Mini Summit on Where the Ideas Are. In this three-part series, we’ll share ways to generate ideas, assess ideas, and develop ideas. While we can’t tell you exactly where to get your next great idea, Katie Davis can give you tips for harvesting the ideas that are cropping up all around you.
Today’s episode was originally part of our free yearly Mini Summit! Be sure to add yourself to our notification list to hear all about our upcoming events. Plus, you’ll receive our favorite revision strategies just for signing up. Click here.
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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 few tricks that will give you the motivation needed to complete your next draft or revision.
Katie Davis is the author/illustrator of over a dozen traditionally published books for children (picture books, middle grade, and young adult novels). She edited and self-published How to Write a Children’s Book and How to Promote Your Children’s Book, both debuting at #1 on Amazon.
Katie is a co-founder of Picture Book Summit and is the former director of the Institute of Children’s Literature and its sister school, the Institute for Writers, where, as of this writing, over 470,027 people have taken college-level writing courses and learned to write for both children and adults.
If you’re ready to stop procrastinating and start writing, check out today’s podcast episode!
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