Picture Book Summit Podcast

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 this snippet from a past Picture Book Summit workshop, Julie and Angela reveal a couple of mistakes they made so you don't have to.

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. They have collaborated on many books together, including Bear Has a Story to Tell, Lenny & Lucy, Music for Mister Moon, and The Sun Is Late and So Is the Farmer. Philip and Erin create their books in the hayloft of an old barn at the edge of the world. Time is running out! Get your ticket to Saturday's online Picture Book Summit today!  www.picturebooksummit.com

What in the world is going on in picture book publishing? Is it slow for everyone or is it just you? 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 for picture book creators, what we hope it looks like in the future, and what we can do about it right now. With the current state of picture book publishing, every submission opportunity counts. Lucky for you, there's still time to get a Summit + Submissions Ticket to Picture Book Summit 2025 and take advantage of our SEVEN manuscript submission opportunities. Go to www.picturebooksummit.com.

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 to agents and editors that you are committed to refining your craft.  This episode also includes:  Tips for making a good first impression. What to include in your query letters. How to research agents and editors to target your submissions. Why you should have 3-4 polished manuscripts ready to go. What to put in your bio paragraph if you don't have any published work. Why you need comp titles and how to choose them. Bonus: A Fun Writing Exercise! There's still time to get a Summit + Submissions Ticket to Picture Book Summit 2025 and take advantage of our SEVEN manuscript submission opportunities. Go to www.picturebooksummit.com.

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 imagination and creativity by showing just a few ways other picture book creators have turned ideas on their heads. Get ready to be inspired by the Picture Book Summit Founders and be sure to find out about our latest event by going to picturebooksummit.com.  Books mentioned in this episode: Follow That Frog by Philip Stead and Matthew Cordell There Are No Ants in This Book by Rosemary Mosco and Anna Pirolli  Who Hops? by Katie Davis One Fox: A Counting Book Thriller by Kate Read  Waiting in the Wings by Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton, and E.G. Keller Tumblebaby by Adam Rex The Story of the Saxophone by Lesa Cline Ransome and James E. Ransome School's First Day of School by Adam Rex XO, Exoplanet by Deborah Underwood and Jorge Lacera A River of Dust by Jilane Hoffman and Eugenia Mello Vlad the Fabulous Vampire by Flavia Z. Drago The Bees of Notre Dame by Meghan P. Browne and E.B. Goodale Mole is Not Alone by Maya Tatsukawa Snail in Space by Rachel Bright and Nadia Shireen There was a Party for Langston by Jason Reynolds and the Pumphrey Brothers Mel Fell by Corey Tabor Ursula Upside Down by Corey R. Tabor Big by Vashti Harrison Days Like This by Oriane Smith and Alice Gravier Mr. S by Monica Arnaldo Spencer's New Pet by Jessie Sima