Marketing is the part of being an author that most people dread. But did you know that many of the same skills you use to WRITE a great children’s book can also help you market it?
Author: Alumni & Guests
Posts by guests, alumni, & infrequent bloggers
The Thing To Remember About Stargazing: A Lesson in Learning to Rewrite/Revise/Recycle
Guest Post by Matt Forrest Esenwine This is a story about four books and a poem, and how interconnected the publishing life can be. Folks
TOP 5 STEPS FOR EVALUATING ONLINE WRITING CONFERENCES
You’ve just received another email for an online writers’ conference. How do you know if it’s right for you? Will it really advance your writing career? Is there such a thing as a free conference? I’m the host of Picture Book Summit, and I’ve worked in the online conference space since 2011.
A Perfect Pair: Science and Poetry in Picture Books
Poetry and science often go hand in hand in children’s literature. Candace Fleming’s Honeybee, winner of the 2021 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal, is a perfect example of how lyrical language can bring science to life in a fresh and compelling way. But why do science and poetry pair so well?
HOW I WROTE WHAT I DIDN’T KNOW
About four years ago, I went after my curiosity and explored the possibility of writing something I didn’t know. Specifically, this happened with my upcoming picture book, GIRLS ON WHEELS, which is inspired by the skateboarding movement in India.
SAY AHHH! FINDING THE PERFECT PICTURE BOOK ENDING
Guest Post by Lori Mortensen I love writing picture books. I especially love writing picture book endings. They’re the icing on the cake. The cherry
GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT WRITING A PICTURE BOOK SERIES OR SEQUEL
It had been about a year since my debut picture book, Counting to Bananas (Flamingo Books, April 2022, illustrated by Estrela Lourenço) had been acquired. My editor, Cheryl Eissing, emailed to say her team was exploring the idea of Banana possibly carrying a picture book series. Was I interested? I had never thought about writing a sequel and, as a debut author, never imagined I would be asked to. But was I interested? Seriously? Of course I was bananas about it!
A Conversation with Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Author of TORCH: a YA Novel about Czechoslovakia, Resistance, and Hope
Lyn Miller-Lachmann’s YA novel Torch brings 1969 Czechoslovakia to life, a time when the country is living under Soviet tyranny. The novel has won major book awards, most recently, Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature.
Following the Tracks of a Story Idea
Finding a tale or a topic that intrigues me is only the first step. Sometimes it takes years from my original inspiration to the final product.
HOW AUTHORS AND ILLUSTRATORS INSPIRE EACH OTHER WITHOUT EVER TALKING!
Guest Post by Rebecca Gardyn Levington When I first started writing picture books, I was FLABBERGASTED to learn that authors don’t choose the illustrators of
It Only Took a Mere Two Decades to Become an Overnight Success
Here we are on the Eve of Christmas Eve and the 6th night of Hanukkah. Our menorah candles are burning bright. The Christmas lights twinkle. Cookies are cooling. And latkes sizzle in the pan. I love it when both holidays overlap as they do in my book, Latkes for Santa Claus.
Keeping a Series Fresh with Kid-Friendly Conflicts and Changing Genres
Josh Funk shares tips and anecdotes about keeping the Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series fresh with relatable conflicts and swapping genres in each subsequent release.
Self-Publishing a Picture Book: A Primer From the Author of THE DAY MY BEST FRIEND AND A MIGRAINE SLEPT OVER
THE DAY MY BEST FRIEND AND A MIGRAINE SLEPT OVER published on October 11, and I’m back to share some practical details about the self-publishing process. Hope they’re helpful!
SELF-PUBLISHING: A CHANGING LANDSCAPE
Guest Post by Audrey Beth Stein There’s been an explosion of self-published books in recent years. Including self-published picture books. Technology has evolved to make
WRITERS' RUMPUS 