Episodes
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Agents and publishers are always saying they're looking for stories that are "fresh and unique", but what does that mean? In this episode, the PBSummit Roundtable takes a look at some stories which perfectly exemplify what fresh takes on classic picture book topics can look like, and the common thread between them.
Books talked about in today's episode:
How This Book Got Read written by Margaret Chiu Greanias and illustrated by Melissa Iwai The World's Best Class Plant written by Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick and illustrated by Lynnor Bontigao Time is a Flower written and illustrated by Julie MorstadHaving a fresh take is a great way to get the attention of an agent or editor! How else can you avoid being rejected? Grab our free download with questions to ask yourself to avoid the 3 Biggest Reasons Manuscripts Get Rejected. Click here.
*Picture Book Summit may receive a small commission at no cost to you when books are purchased through the link above.
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You've written and refined your manuscript, you've sent the query to your agent or to a publisher....and now to wait for months and months. During the pandemic, everything slowed to a halt. But now that it's over and the picture book industry is back up and running, what's the hold up?
The answers are in this episode, and it's actually good news!
One way to avoid getting rejections (or no responses at all) is to ensure your manuscript and query letter are 100% submission-ready. Grab our free download with the 3 Biggest Reasons Your Manuscripts today! Click here.
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Episodes manquant?
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It's our final dive (for now!) into Picture Books with Great Voice! If you're just joining us, be sure to catch up with this series at the links below:
Episode 56 - Julie Hedlund defined the types of voice found in picture books and Katie Davis introduced books with humorous voice. Episode 57 - Founder Emeritus Laura Backes shared book examples of using a lyrical voice Episode 58 - Emma Walton Hamilton dug into character voice.Today in part 4, Julie gets chatty while talking about conversational voice in picture books.
Let’s get to it.
Books mentioned in this episode:
THE IMPORTANT THING ABOUT MARGARET WISE BROWN written by Mac Barnett and illustrated Sarah Jacoby
A POEM FOR PETER written by Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrated Steve Johnson
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Let's continue to dig into voice in picture books! We started this series in episode 56, where Julie Hedlund defined the types of voice found in picture books and Katie Davis gave us hilarious examples of the funny style of voice. In episode 57, Founder Emeritus Laura Backes shared examples of using a lyrical voice in picture books to reinforce certain types of stories.
In part 3 of our series, author and Picture Book Summit Founder Emma Walton Hamilton discusses character voice: how to recognize it, distinguish it from other types of writing voice, and how to utilize it in your own work!
Let’s get to it.
Books mentioned in this episode:
THE PANDA PROBLEM written by Deborah Underwood and illustrated Hannah Marks
CROWN: AN ODE TO THE FRESH CUT written by Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Gordon C. James
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In this episode, we continue to discuss voice in picture books. We started this series in the last episode, where Julie Hedlund defined the types of voice found in picture books and Katie Davis gave us hilarious examples of the funny style of voice. If you haven’t already, be sure to go back and listen to episode 56 for help pinning down the elusive meaning of “voice.”
Today, we bring you Founder Emeritus Laura Backes and examples of using a lyrical voice in picture books to reinforce certain types of stories.
Let’s jump in.
Books mentioned in this episode:
GIANT SQUID written by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Eric Rohman WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE written by Pat Zeitlow Miller and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler -
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?
Voice is tough to define and even tougher to capture, so we’re bringing you excerpts from a Mini Summit we gave on 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.
This is a fun one!
Books mentioned in this episode:
THIS BOOK IS GRAY by Lindsay Ward
SNAPPSY THE ALLIGATOR AND HIS BEST FRIEND FOREVER PROBABLY written by Julie Falatko and illustrated by Tim J. Miller
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Grab a big piece of paper and some brightly colored markers because today we are mind-mapping our way to great picture book ideas!
Listen to excerpts from our Picture Book Summit workshop with author and educator Rob Sanders. Rob is known for his funny and fierce fiction and nonfiction picture books and is recognized as one of the pioneers in the arena of LGBTQ+ literary nonfiction picture books. Rob’s books include Two Grooms on A Cake: The Story of America’s First Gay Wedding (Little Bee Books) and Mayor Pete: The Story of Pete Buttigieg (Henry Holt & Co).
Rob shows how mapping your experiences and personal favorites can bring you one step closer to creating stories that uniquely you.
Get ready for the ideas to flow!
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In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by picture book author and illustrator Yuyi Morales. Yuyi has created many books for children, including the New York Times bestseller Dreamers. She is also a six-time winner of the Pura Belpre Medal for an outstanding work of literature for children that best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience. In 2015, she received the Caldecott Honor for her book Viva Frida.
In her Picture Book Summit keynote, Yuyi discussed the idea bank inside all of us and how we can use it to tell the stories that are unique to each of us and our experiences.
Get ready to be inspired!
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In this episode, children's authors Emma Walton Hamilton and Julie Hedlund give an overview of the four essential components of a query (introduction, pitch, bio and market info, and conclusion) and then dig deep into crafting a pitch that captures the story and spirit of your book and piques an agent or editor’s interest. If you’re in the querying trenches, this one’s for you!
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It’s our last episode for this initial round of the Picture Book Summit Roundtable series. We plan to bring you more episodes on topics that affect picture book creators in the future. Thank you for your feedback and we hope we get you thinking!
You can catch the first two Roundtable episodes here:
PBSummit Roundtable – Book Bans PBSummit Roundtable – Anything Goes in Picture Books These DaysToday, it feels like we’ve entered a time portal as we discuss the future of Artificial Intelligence, more commonly referred to as AI, and what it means for creatives like picture books writers and illustrators. It has huge implications for all picture book creators and this is the first of what is sure to be a series of discussions we have on the subject as it grows and develops in the coming months and years.
Thanks for joining us for this fun series! We look forward to creating more episodes in the future. If you have a topic you’d like us to cover, leave your suggestions in the comments!
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Today, we bring you the next episode of our Picture Book Summit Roundtable series. We'll record and share PBSummit Roundtable at various times throughout the year, so we can continue to share current events that affect publishing and you.
You can catch our first Roundtable episode here:
PBSummit Roundtable – Book BansThis week's discussion centers around how Anything Goes in Picture Books these days!
From books about untold history to books that break all the rules, Julie Hedlund leads us on new adventures in picture books. We also talk about when you can break the rules and how to know if your story is fit to be a rule-breaker.
Download the book list from this episode and other resources we mentioned here.
Check back in two weeks as we discuss artificial intelligence and what it means for the future of creative careers.
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This week, we are thrilled to bring new feature to the podcast: The Picture Book Summit Roundtable!
In our weekly Summit planning meetings, we often discuss current events in publishing, how they affect picture books, and how they affected picture book creators like you. We decided to record our conversation and invite you to listen in!
Our Picture Book Summit Roundtable includes Julie Hedlund, Katie Davis, Kelli Panique, and Emma Walton Hamilton.
And because we like to start everything we do with a bang, we’re jumping right into the national conversation on book bans. Emma Walton Hamilton leads our discussion with the background and history of book bans as well as how today’s book bans compare to book bans of the past. We'll discuss the history, myths, and current news about book bans in schools. Find out how book bans specifically affect picture books and their creators. (Spoiler alert: having your book banned does NOT mean it becomes a bestseller.)
Emma shares facts about book bans from PEN America. You can download that PDF here.
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It's our final installment of the 4 Big Reasons Your Manuscripts Get Rejected.
Following agent submission guidelines is a rather obvious part of the querying process....right?
"Query-whisperer" Emma Walton Hamilton gives us an inside look as to why following submission guidelines are crucial—and how over half of all new authors get it wrong.
Have you listened to the other parts 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
048 - 4 Biggest Reasons Manuscripts Get Rejected Part 3 - Not Submission Ready
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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 to for publication, therefore ready for an agent's or editor's eyes?
Katie Davis outlines the why and how of familiarizing yourself with the workings of the picture book industry, professional mistakes to avoid, and what to do with your manuscript before sending it to an agent.
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!
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It's time for the second biggest reason manuscripts get tossed out by agents and editors. Have you ever heard: "Your story didn't resonate with me"? Julie Hedlund shares how this type of response maybe indicate a lack of emotional resonance in your story. Listen in as Julie defines emotional resonance and how to ensure your picture book has it.
Get one more step closer to picture book success with these tips.
Dash’s Picture Books Picks for Emotional Resonance
The Stuff of Stars by Marion Dane Bauer & Ekua Holmes
Bikes for Sale by Carter Higgins & Zachariah Ohora
Nine Months: Before a Baby is Born by Miranda Paul & Jason Chin
Before She Was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome & James E. Ransome
When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree by Jamie L.B. Deenihan & Lorraine Rocha
Ogilvy by Deborah Underwood & T.L. McBeth
Did you catch Part 1 of the 4 Biggest Reasons Manuscripts Get Rejected? Listen here.
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With 25 years of experience in the publishing industry as an editor, agent, and teacher Laura Backes covers the first big reason why manuscripts get rejected, and what you can do to avoid it! Find out how you can avoid getting editor feedback that says “This story feels familiar” or “It’s too similar to what’s been done already.” You’ll be one step closer to getting a “yes” after listening to today’s advice.
Tune in for our next episode for the second biggest reasons manuscripts get rejected!
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A good writer tells a story, a great writer brings the reader into the story.
One of the best ways to render that sense of immersion is capturing the authentic voice of your characters—especially when writing picture book biographies. Award-winning author Lesa Cline-Ransome, author of Before She was Harriet and many other iconic titles, shares exactly how to do that with her own method of asking questions of yourself and your characters.
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Ah, the age old question: How do you write a compelling picture book?
It may be simpler than you think!
Peter H. Reynolds shares how to harness the answers to these following questions for great story-writing:
1. Where have you been?
2. Where are you now?
3. Where are you going?
4. Where would you like to be going?
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Do you have fears that intimidate your writing or illustration? Jon Klassen shares how his fears (and desire to have a job!) inform his creative process and shares how to use your fears to your advantage when developing your own stories. You may just find that those fears are the exact things that make you (and your work) uniquely you.
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Wouldn't it be grand if there was a fool-proof formula for creating good picture books? That's exactly what Julie Hedlund has spent years researching and studying, and she's come up with 10 essential ingredients or "layers" for picture books that you can follow like a checklist.
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