12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast

We begin our Black History Month celebration with 12 x 12 member and author Valerie Bolling, who talks about reinventing her writing as a means to expand on her love of writing picture books and reach more young readers. In this interview, we get to dive into all the ways Valerie keeps growing and challenging herself to write different types of stories—and we hope she challenges you along the way.
You'll discover:
Why she writes in different picture genres and styles
How important it is for kids to see themselves in our stories
Why branding yourself isn't always necessary
Why Valerie writes some stories in prose and some in rhyme
The benefits of being a 12 x 12 member
The importance of reading picture books—and not just to your kids
Why she recommends joining 12 x 12
What prompts Valeire to give back to the picture book writing community
The one negative about 12 x 12
The book she wishes she wrote
Books mentioned in this episode: 
Let's Dance by Valerie Bolling and Maine Diaz
Bing Bop Bam, Time to Jam! by Valerie Bolling and Sabrena Khadija
Together We Swim by Valerie Bolling and Kaylani Juanita
Together We Ride by Valerie Bolling and Kaylani Juanita
I See Color: An Affirmation of our Diverse
A Flea for Justice: Marian Wright Edelman Stands Up for Change by Valerie Bolling and TeMika Grooms
The March for Hope by Valerie Bolling and Monica Mikai 
A Season for Fishin' by Pamela Courtney and Toni D. Chambers 
My Heart Speaks Kriolu by Stefanie Foster Brown and Keisha Morris
Daddy Daughter Dance by Malcolm Newsome and Jenin Mohammed 
The Six Triple Eight: A True Story of the Black Woman Battalion of World War II by Tonya Abari and Lance Evans
Prayer Is by Tameka Fryer Brown and Alleanna Harris 
Riding Magic by Kelly Starling Lyons and E.B. Lewis
That Flag by Tameka Fryer Brown and Nikkolas Smith
 
Get a 25% discount on Valerie's webinar: How to Use Tension to Create Captivating Picture Books. Click here!
Get 25% off Tameka Fryer Brown's webinar Picture Book Range: Writing Across Styles and Topics
 
Sign up for the 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge by February 15th! Click here!

Are you in the submission trenches?
Co-Founders of The Complete Picture Book Submissions System Emma Walton Hamilton and Julie Hedlund share their submission expertise to help you write better query letters!
What you'll discover:
Tips for submitting your manuscript to agents or editors
A template for writing your pitch
The person who reads your query first (It may not be who you think it is...)
The difference between a pitch and a synopsis
Who should be the focus of your pitch
The job of the pitch
Why the voice of your pitch is so important
 
Get Emma and Julie's free submissions training here: picturebooksubmissions.com/free-training
 
Come be part of the community! Join the 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge in 2026. Register by February 15, 2026 here: 12x12challenge.com/membership/
Subscribe, like, and share the podcast with your fellow kidlit writers!

Join the fun as Julie Hedlund interviews our first-ever podcast guest: agent Adria Goetz of KT Literary! 
What you'll discover:
How Adria became an agent
What editors are looking for (and NOT looking for) in today's market
The importance of market entry points and hooks
The top 3 booksellers in the United States
How to make your work stand out in a tough market
Why Adria keeps coming back to 12 x 12 as a Featured Agent
What it's like getting submissions in your inbox
How agents view submissions with AI components
Picture books Adria loves right now
 
Books mentioned in this episode: 
The Princess and the Grain of Rice by Tina Cho and Honee Jang
Millie Fleur's Poison Garden by Christy Mandin
In the Groves by Andrea Cruz Floren 
 
Come be part of the community! Join the 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge in 2026. Click here to register by February 15, 2026.
Get 25% off off Adria's 12 x 12 webinar here: https://12x12challenge.com/adria
Adria's website: https://adriagoetz.wpcomstaging.com/

Houston, we have a co-host!
Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon. Laurel and Hardy. Thelma and Louise. Life is more fun with a partner—and work is certainly easier with someone who has your back. And no one has Julie's back like her co-host Kelli Panique. 
What you'll discover in this episode:
How Julie and Kelli started working together
What they each bring to the partnership
Why community is so important to them
Kelli's favorite and least favorite things about working in 12 x 12
Little-known facts about Kelli
 
Join the 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge in 2026. Click here to register by February 15, 2026.
Subscribe and review if you like the podcast! Future episodes will include author and illustrator interviews, conversations with agents and editors, and discussions on the craft of writing picture books and getting published.
Thanks for listening!

Welcome to the 12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast! 
Host Julie Hedlund, Founder of the 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge, introduces us to this new podcast for picture book writers and/or illustrators. 
What you'll discover in this episode: 
The history of the 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge
When to register for the 2026 challenge
12 things Julie wished she knew when she started writing picture books
 
Join the 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge in 2026. Click here to register by February 15, 2026.
Subscribe and join us for the new endeavor! Future episodes will include author and illustrator interviews, conversations with agents and editors, and discussions on the craft of writing picture books and getting published.
Find out more at www.12x12challenge.com.
We'll see you there!