Finished your manuscript and wondering if it’s time to hire an illustrator? Not so fast.

In this episode of The Journey to Kidlit Podcast, Brooke Van Sickle shares the biggest industry secret that most new writers don’t know—and how jumping into illustrations too soon could actually hurt your chances of getting published.

You’ll learn:

✅ When (and if) you need an illustrator

✅ Why traditional publishers don’t expect finished artwork

✅ How your manuscript alone should carry your story

Plus, Brooke has a free Illustration Guide to walk you through your next steps with confidence. If you're serious about publishing your children's book, this episode is a must-listen.

🎁 Grab the free guide here: https://journeytokidlit.com/free-illustrations-guide

🔁 Share with a fellow writer & don’t forget to subscribe!

Think you need an agent, an MFA, or a publishing background to become a children's book author? Think again.

In this inspiring episode, former teacher Shannon Anderson shares her real-life journey from shelving books at the library as a teen to writing award-winning picture books — all without formal publishing credentials.

You’ll learn how she used fellowships, small writing wins, and the power of persistence to break into the industry. If you’re at the start of your writing journey (or doubting your next steps), this behind-the-scenes look will show you what’s truly possible — and give you practical tips to start moving forward today.

💡 Bonus: Hear Shannon’s advice on building your writing resume from scratch, how to find funding to support your dream, and why believing in yourself is just as important as any writing class.

LINKS FOR TODAY'S EPISODE:

* Free children's book template: https://journeytokidlit.com/get-the-template

* Sign-up to join Kidlit Academy: https://journeytokidlit.com/academy-social-member

You’ve made it to the final day of the Kidlit Story Kickoff — and by the end of today, you’ll have a complete first draft of your children’s book! 🥳

This final session covers:

• How to properly format your manuscript

• When and how to add illustration notes

• Final tips to polish your story for submission or feedback

📘 Want the tools to help you implement what you learned during our challenge? Download the $9 PDF Workbook to here: https://journeytokidlit.com/storykickoff-workbook

🎉 Be sure to subscribe and celebrate this milestone — you’re officially on your way to becoming a children’s book author!

If you missed any of the episodes from our 5-day writing challenge, checkout the playlist "Kidlit Story Kickoff" to catch up on what you might have missed.

📌 Ready to take your writing to the next level? Join me inside Kidlit Academy. Learn more and get signed up here: https://journeytokidlit.com/kidlit-academy

TIMELINE:

0:01 - Welcome to the final day of our Kidlit Story Kickoff

0:20 - What you will learn inside today's episode

1:50 - How to Get Started Setting Up Your Story Manuscript

2:48 - Initial Manuscript Instructions

3:30 - Information to Include at the Top of Your Manuscript

3:50 - Visual Example of What This Looks Like

5:10 - How to Add Illustrations to Your Manuscript

6:10 - Purpose of Illustration Notes

7:00 - The Dos and Don'ts of Illustration Notes

11:45 - Step by Step Example of Manuscript Format

15:19 - What do you do next?

15:35 - Invitation to join me inside Kidlit Academy

LINKS FOR EPISODE:

* Join Kidlit Academy: https://journeytokidlit.com/kidlit-academy

* Get the Workbook: https://journeytokidlit.com/storykickoff-workbook

Today is all about plot and your story’s structure! 📚 In Day 4 of the Kidlit Story Kickoff, we’ll outline your plot from start to finish using proven frameworks that work for all kinds of children’s books.

📌 Inside this lesson:

• How to pick the right plot type (Classic, Midpoint, or List)

• What your main character wants and what’s in their way

• A simple formula to map your story’s beginning, middle, and end

📝 Grab the $9 Companion Workbook and fill in your plot map as you go: https://journeytokidlit.com/storykickoff-workbook

🔔 And make sure you’re subscribed — the next video will help you bring your draft to life!

TIMELINE:

0:01 - Welcome to Day 4 of the Kidlit Story Kickoff

0:14 - What to Expect in Today's Plotting Lesson

1:27 - The Definition of a Plot

2:15 - The #1 Things You Need (Because it's what Drives Your Plot)

2:45 - The 3 Plot Types to Choose From

3:20 - A Breakdown of Each Plot Type

5:54 - The Question Your Plot Must Answer

6:17 - Examples of Plot in Picture Books

12:02 - What to do Next

LINKS FOR EPISODE:

https://journeytokidlit.com/storykickoff-workbook

It’s time to finish gathering your story assets! Welcome to Day 3 of the Kidlit Story Kickoff. So far, you’ve created your character, now it’s time to give them a story to navigate through.

This includes choosing both the setting and the story goal or purpose for the reader to follow along with.

In this lesson, you’ll learn:

* The 2 parts to your setting you need to know

* How to choose a story goal

* The part that you absolutely must have to capture a reader

📝 Grab your workbook and let’s dive in!

Here's the link to get the workbook:

🔔 And make sure you’re subscribed — the next episode will help you bring your draft to life!

TIMELINE:

0:01 - Welcome to Day 3 of the Kidlit Story Kickoff

0:20 - What to Expect in Today's Lesson

1:45 - How to Complete Your Story Assets for Your Book

2:30 - Creating Your Story's Setting

3:20 - The Key Ingredient to Include in Your Setting to make sure to "Ground" the Reader

5:20 - How to Give Your Reader a Reason to Read Your Book

5:35 - The 2 Story Goals to Include in Your Book

5:52 - What is an Internal Story Goal

6:35 - What is an External Story Goal

7:46 - Examples of Story Goals in Successfully Published Children's Books

10:32 - What to do Next

LINK FOR TODAY'S EPISODE:

https://journeytokidlit.com/storykickoff-workbook

Let’s create the star of your story! Today in Day 2 of the Kidlit Story Kickoff, we’re developing our characters into 3-dimensional people who feel real and authentic to the reader.

🎯 You’ll discover:

• What every strong character needs (besides a name!)

• How to choose the right point of view

• What to do if you don’t have a character

📘 Don’t forget your Workbook to complete your character card after the episode. Get the workbook Here: https://journeytokidlit.com/storykickoff-workbook

✨ Hit subscribe to keep going with this 5-day challenge and make real progress on your children’s book!

TIMELINE:

0:01 - Welcome to Day 2 of Kidlit Story Kickoff

0:17 - What to Expect in Today's Lesson

1:20 - How to "Gather" the Story Assets all Books Must Include

2:05 - Choosing Who will be the Star of Your Story

2:35 - A Breakdown of Point of View (POV) that you can choose from

3:35 - A Trick to Help You Stay in Your Character's POV

4:22 - The Items you need to make Your Character feel 3-Dimensional

5:10 - What to do if You Don't Have a Traditional Character

6:19 - The Next Steps to Take Today

LINKS FOR EPISODE:

* Get the workbook Here: https://journeytokidlit.com/storykickoff-workbook

Welcome to Day 1 of the Kidlit Story Kickoff! 🎉This is a 5-part writing challenge to teach you how to start successfully writing a children’s book.

My goal of this challenge is to have you end with a finished draft of your story idea.

Today we're diving into one of the most important parts of writing a children's book—choosing the right story idea. You'll learn how to find an idea that inspires YOU and connects with young readers (and the market too). 💡

👉 By the end of this video, you’ll know:

• What makes a strong, marketable story idea

• How to match your passion to your reader

• Where to look when you feel stuck or uninspired

📘 Grab the $9 Companion Workbook to follow along and take real action each day: https://journeytokidlit.com/storykickoff-workbook

✅ And don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the rest of this 5-day writing challenge!

TIMELINE:

0:01 - Welcome to the Kidlit Story Kickoff

0:40 - What to expect inside this special challenge

1:30 - The POLISH method we'll use inside this challenge

2:50 - How to Choose Your Story Idea

4:10 - 3 Ways to Begin Finding "Good" Story Ideas

5:30 - The Children's Book Categories to Choose from based on Your Target Reader

7:50 - How to "Vet" Your Story Idea and know it's marketable

8:40 - 2 Signs you need to Choose a New Story Idea

10:20 - Examples of Comp Books for a Story Idea

12:30 - Next steps to take

Let me ask you — have you ever wondered how long your picture book should really be? Or if writing in rhyme is a good idea? Or maybe you’re stuck figuring out what to put in the back matter or how to even write a query letter that gets noticed?

If you’ve had any of these questions as an aspiring picture book author, you’re in for a treat because today, we're sharing a live Q&A session from inside Kidlit Academy where we cover all of this and more. Listen now!

QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THE EPISODE:

* How much back matter you actually need in a picture book

* Ideal word counts and the right age range to target

* Whether or not you should write your book in rhyme (and how to know if it’s working)

* How to write a winning query letter

* What comp books are and why publishers care about them

* And of course — tips for editing your manuscript so it’s truly ready to submit.

LINKS FOR EPISODE:

Join Kidlit Academy: https://journeytokidlit.com/kidlit-academy

Get the FREE template: https://journeytokidlit.com/get-the-template

Ever get stuck picking comp titles for your query letter? You're not alone! 😩

In this episode of the Journey to Kidlit podcast, Brooke Van Sickle breaks down:

* What makes a great comp book (and what doesn't)

* Why your comps need to be recent—and how to find them

* How to describe your book’s unique hook so it sells to agents

* Insider tips for writing a more marketable query

Plus, we talk about rhyming books, SEL trends, and the biggest mistakes writers make when trying to “force” comps like Dr. Seuss or Harry Potter.

🎧 Listen now and get the clarity you need to confidently pitch your book to publishers.

#childrensbookauthor #kidlitpitch #kidlitquery #comptitles #kidlitmarketing #kidlitpodcast #writetip

EPISODE LINKS:

* Join Kidlit Academy: https://journeytokidlit.com/kidlit-academy

* Get the FREE template: https://journeytokidlit.com/get-the-template

Does your picture book manuscript feel too long? 📝 Or maybe you're wondering if it's actually an early reader, chapter book, or something in between?

In this episode of the Journey to Kidlit podcast, Brooke Van Sickle tackles:

* How long is too long for a picture book

* What counts as a complete story with proper pacing

* Why pagination matters more than word count

* What to do when your book doesn’t have a clear problem or conflict

* And how to rework your idea so it’s more marketable (and fun!)

Perfect for writers unsure about age ranges, genres, or how to tighten their manuscript. You’ll also hear tips for writing from the right point of view and when to ditch your main character in favor of the reader! 😉

Tune in now and download your FREE Children’s Book Template to get started 👉 https://journeytokidlit.com/get-the-template

#kidlit #picturebooktips #writingforkids #childrensbookwriting #kidlitpodcast #writingadvice #kidlitcommunity

LINKS FOR EPISODE:

* Join Kidlit Academy: https://journeytokidlit.com/kidlit-academy

* Get the FREE template: https://journeytokidlit.com/get-the-template