Nonfiction picture books are one of the fastest-growing segments of the market today, but how do you make them accessible and fun, even for the youngest of audiences. In this episode, award-winning author Ruth Spiro explains how to introduce complex scientific topics in a way that makes them understandable and engaging for younger readers, and even babies. Listen in to sharpen your skills related to STEM-based writing for children. 

In this episode, Picture Book Summit co-founder Emma Walton Hamilton provides some helpful insight on determining whether a manuscript is truly ready for submission. Listen in to avoid some common mistakes that could cause your hard work to be rejected by a publisher.

In this episode, Picture Book Co-Founder Laura Backes gives us insight into creating memorable picture book characters by discussing the cognitive development of kids in the picture book audience. You’ll look at your main characters and how you develop them in a whole new way after this mind-opening episode.

In today’s episode, Katie Davis shares how digging into research makes your writing sparkle — whether your book is nonfiction or fiction. Using picture books Renato and the Lion by Barbara DiLorenzo and Shark Nate-O by Becky Cattie and Tara Luebbe, Katie reveals how research brought surprises to each of these stories.

Caldecott Medalist Matthew Cordell helps us find the magic of picture books as he explores the bridge between text and image by breaking down successful books. Matthew even shares his struggle with finding the bridge in his early work. Join us for this magical ride.

In this episode, Laura Backes and Emma Walton Hamilton team up to give you tips on approaching the first big revision of your first draft. Listen as they dig deep into revision first steps by taking you on a tour of the first act of a fiction picture book and a nonfiction picture book to show what your manuscript needs at the beginning of the story to get started on a firm foundation.

Today’s episode includes snippets from literary agent Brenda Bowen’s appearance at Picture Book Summit. Brenda represents national and international bestselling authors and illustrators including Newbery and Caldecott award winners. She is also a children’s author herself with over 40 books under her belt under the name Margaret MacNamara. In Brenda’s presentation, she spoke with her author hat on about how she finds and develops ideas and how sometimes, necessity can be the mother of invention. She also touches on the key components to a query letter. Don’t miss getting the inside scoop from this agent.

In today’s episode, we’ll hear from Kate McMullan, bestselling author of over 100 books for kids, including the I STINK series. In her presentation, Kate talks about inspiration, where you can find it and how to capture it when it strikes.

Through humor and storytelling, veteran nonfiction author Stephen Swinburne takes us into the heart of narrative nonfiction storytelling with solid tips and tricks for writing STEM and STEAM manuscripts, including what editors are looking for in today’s market.

How can you actually connect with your readers? Get your books into the hands of more kids? It’s a challenge, especially when it seems like thousands of new books are published every day. In this episode, Katie Davis shares how she's used her platform and marketing strategies to sell almost one million copies of her traditionally published books and launch two books at #1 on Amazon. She’ll reveal how you can follow the same steps and get your books into the hands of more readers!