My second conference with amazing SCBWI BI… Started with some wise words from Natascha Biebow about evoking empathy not sympathy in our writing, and the importance of being in touch with our inner child. (The amount of piratey costumes at the launch party suggests the inner child part isn’t a problem for most SCBWIs.) And continued amusingly,… Read More Ahoy! SCBWI conference low-down
Originally posted on Laurie J. Edwards ~ Author, Artist, Dreamer…:
Today I have the great pleasure of hosting my friend Rebecca Colby, an awesome picture book writer, whose book, It’s Raining Bats & Frogs, released this month. She’s agreed to give share some secrets for writing funny picture books. And as a special bonus, if you…
Troyes and Avignon – a story maker’s delight In another life, had I been brave and worldly enough in my twenties and a lot freer than I am now, I would have been a travel journalist and photographer. I love exploring extraordinary places steeped in culture and history, the colours, the smells, the faces and… Read More Discovering inspirational story locations
So much has gone on this week there’s a danger it won’t fit on the page. It all started last Tuesday and ended on Sunday with a lovely surprise. TUESDAY: The SCBWI Industry Insiders: Picture Books & Early Readers talk in London. On the panel were Sara Grant from Book Bound, Emma Layfield from publisher… Read More Critiques, Contacts and Competitions – What a week!
Big picture book publishing houses don’t accept unsolicited submissions but many of the smaller independent ones do. If you want to publish without getting an agent, see the list below. Note – all these publishers have websites and it is a very good idea to look closely at their catalogue and read their books, as… Read More Children’s picture book publishers accepting unsolicited manuscripts
My morning at Olympia started at 9:45 at Authors HQ, listening to Rebecca Swift from the Literary Consultancy, chairing a discussion with agents, Juliet Mushens, The Agency Group, and Iain Millar, co-found of Canelo Digital Publishing, on how they find new talent. Some of their advice I have heard before but it’s never a bad… Read More Is the London Book Fair a worthwhile visit for budding authors?
I first heard Eric Huang speak at the SCBWI Winchester conference last October. I was inspired by the creativity of the apps, characters and stories Made in Me were developing for Me Books – but what particularly struck a chord, was Eric’s suggestion that authors and illustrators should start thinking about themselves as creators. In… Read More Notes from a SCBWI Masterclass with Eric Huang – Picture books for the digital age
A picture book writer’s tool kit is awesome, it’s why I write picture books. Playing with these techniques is great fun. Remember, picture books are meant to be read out loud. So go to town – bold and wacky is good. But remember the audience. Keep the concept and structure simple. And short! Rhyme There is… Read More Being creative with words. The picture book writers tool kit.
Part 1 – Structure and Layout Before we get creative let’s talk about structure and layout. Picture books are fairly formulaic. Most picture books have 32 pages of which around 24 pages make up the story. In theory up to 30 of the pages could be used for the story. There are also 24 page… Read More How to develop a picture book idea – structure and layout
As you can see from previous posts I have been stalking picture book authors and publishers trying to find out how to break into this tricky market. The most important thing I have learned is: the idea is king. So what makes a good idea? Hmm. There is no simple answer to this. A combination… Read More How to evaluate a picture book idea.
