Explore every episode of the podcast Picture Book Summit Podcast

More and more picture books include backmatter these days—including fiction picture books. In today's Roundtable discussion, Julie Hedlund and the team share many different ways to include backmatter with your manuscript, including dos and don'ts of creating additional content.

Books mentioned in this episode:

• The First Notes by Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton, and Chiara Fedele
• Tricky Chopsticks by Sylvia Chen and Fanny Liem
• Reindeer Remainders by Katey Howes and Marie Hermansson
• Over, Bear! Under, Where? by Julie Hedlund and Michael Slack
• Grand Canyon by Jason Chin
• Hurricane by Jason Chin
• If You Come to Earth by Sophie Blackall
• To Boldly Go: How Nichelle Nichols and Star Trek Helped Advance Civil Rights by Angela Dalton and Lauren Semmer
• Wood, Wire, Wings:  Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane by Kirsten W. Larson and  Tracy Subisak
• Shell Song by Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson
• Springtime Storks by Carol Munro and Chelsea O’Byrne
• Unspeakable by Carole Boston Weatherford and Floyd Cooper
• The Bees of Notre Dame by Meghan P. Browne and E. B. Goodale
• Waiting in the Wings by Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton, and EG Keller
• The Very Fairy Princess by  Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton, and Christine Davenier

Webinars on Backmatter:

• Backmatter: Form and Function with M.O. Yuksel
• Backmatter Matters with Heidi E.Y. Stemple

The amazing and talented Caldecott Medal Winner Vashti Harrison is one of our Superstar Speakers for 2025. Vashti won the Caldecott Medal in 2024 for her beautiful picture book BIG. Shortly after that win, the PBSummit Team discussed the brilliance of this book in our Caldecott video series. We bring that discussion to our podcast today to help you get to know Vashti Harrison and her wonderful book.

Be sure to grab your ticket to our online Picture Book Summit 2025 on October 4, 2025, at picturebooksummit.com. Get Early Bird pricing through August 28, 2025. So go get your ticket now.

Enjoy this insightful discussion of BIG, written and illustrated by Vashti Harrison. Emma Walton Hamilton leads our discussion with insight from Julie Hedlund and Katie Davis. 

Grab your ticket to hear Vashti Harrison at Picture Book Summit 2025 today: www.picturebooksummit.com.

Get $100 off with Early Bird pricing available through August 28, 2025.

“Oh my” is right! If you don’t know the difference between homage, parody, and plagiarism, and your story references another work in some way, your book might be dead in the water before it even gets out of your inbox.

In this PBSummit Roundtable, Emma, Julie, Katie, and Kelli define homage, parody, and plagiarism and what you, as a picture book writer, need to know about these important topics, including how we’ve navigated these obstacles in our own work.

Mentioned in this episode:

• The First Notes: The Story of DO, RE, MI by Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton, and Chiara Federle
• This Old Van by Kim Norman and Carolyn Digby Conahan
• Mary Had a Little Glam by Tammi Sauer and Vanessa Brantley-Newton
• Journey Trilogy by Aaron Becker
• Wicked by Gregory Maguire
• 7 Ate 9 by Tara Lazar and Ross MacDonald
• The Creative Act by Rick Rubin

Join the conversation LIVE at Picture Book Summit 2025. Early Bird tickets available through August 28, 2025. Go to www.picturebooksummit.com to get your ticket today!

It's that time of year!

Early Bird tickets for Picture Book Summit 2025 are now available and in this episode, we share all about our 2025 Superstar Speakers! It's quite a lineup for this year's conference: Big, Bold, and Brave: Supercharge Your Picture Books!

This year's online conference takes place on October 4, 2025. Everything happens in our Zoom webinar room, so you can attend from anywhere in the world with a decent Internet connection.

We are thrilled to welcome true picture book superheroes NYT Bestselling author Susan Verde, Caldecott Winner Jason Chin, and Caldecott Winner Vashti Harrison! Listen to the episode to learn more about our speakers and their presentations.

Then go to www.picturebooksummit.com to get your ticket today!

In this episode, we’re thrilled to bring you an excerpt from Nikki Grimes’ presentation The Music of Language. Nikki’s accolades include the Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award, the ALAN Award for outstanding contributions to young adult literature, the Children’s Literature Legacy Award, the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award, the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children, a Sibert and a Printz Honor as well as the Coretta Scott King Book Award among others.

Nikki is here today to share how lyrical picture books can help children learn to love language and how you can be a part of building that appreciation for reading (and daydreaming). We think Nikki’s poetry will inspire you too!

Check out the next Picture Book Summit at www.picturebooksummit.com!

We are especially excited about today’s episode because we get to bring you a snippet of a past Summit presentation with the one and only Julie Andrews along with her daughter and our friend Emma Walton Hamilton! This duo has written over 30 books for children, including 9 New York Times Bestsellers. 

Their picture books include The Very Fairy Princess, Dumpy the Dump Truck, The First Notes: The Story of Do-Re-Mi, The Enchanted Symphony, and Waiting in the Wings.

So, what started this fruitful partnership? Where do they get their ideas? What strengths do they each bring to their projects? Julie Hedlund is here to ask those questions and more.

Don't miss this delightful look behind-the-scenes with a true creative icon!

You might know about refrains in music, but they're also in picture books! The Picture Book Summit Founders get together to discuss what refrains are, define the different types of refrain, and share how to use them strategically in your own picture book writing! Spoiler alert! There are some excellent mentor texts in this episode.

*Books mentioned in this episode:

• Finding Papa by Angela Pham Krans and Thi Bui
• Hurry, Little Tortoise, Time for School! by Carrie Finison and Erin Kraan
• I Hate to Go to Bed! by Katie Davis
• The Very Fairy Princess by Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton, and Christine Davenier
• The Yellow Handkerchief by Donna Barba Higuera and Cynthia Alonso
• Choosing Brave by Angela Joy and Janelle Washington
• Bug on the Rug by Sophia Gholz and Susan Bartori
• Curve & Flow: The Elegant Vision of L.A. Architect Paul R. Williams by Andrea J. Loney and Keith Mallett
• Song After Song: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews by Julie Hedlund and Ilaria Urbanati.

*Picture Book Summit may receive a small commission at no cost to you when books are purchased through the link above.

In this episode, Julie Hedlund interviews Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple. With over 400 children's books to her name, Jane shares how she chooses the words and what influences her choices. The pair touch on the impact of banned books and how their writing partnership has evolved over the years. So, what's one key to being prolific? Always be learning and growing as a writer. 

Books mentioned in this episode:

• Janie Writes a Play: Jane Yolen's First Great Story written by Heidi E.Y. Stemple and illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight

Check out our previous episode with Jane Yolen here: 008 - Jane Yolen

It's time for How to Analyze a Picture Book - Part 2.

In this episode, we talk about how to analyze a picture book's illustrations and other things to look for when analyzing a mentor text.

First up, illustrations: What's the job of the illustrations? What do they add to the story? How does color make a difference? If you're an author-only creator, how can you leave room for the illustrator and still get your story across? Is it okay to use art notes?

Then we jump into a variety odds and ends to consider and pay attention to as you continue to analyze and study picture books, including "is this book for kids" or "what makes this story uniquely kid-centric"?

Download the How to Analyze a Picture Book Handout HERE and use it with your next haul of library books!

Books mentioned in this episode:

• Me...Jane written and illustrated by Patrick McDonnell
• No More Señora Mimí written by Meg Medina and illustrated by
• Spencer's New Pet written and illustrated by Jessie Sima
• Hot Dog written and illustrated Doug Salati
• Where the Wild Things Are written and illustrated Maurice Sendak
• Song After Song: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews written by Julie Hedlund and illustrated by Ilaria Urbanati
• Waiting in the Wings written by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton and illustrated by EG Keller
• The Enchanted Symphony written by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton and illustrated by Elly McKay
• Press Here written and illustrated by Hervé Tullet
• The Pink Hat written and illustrated by Andrew Joyner
• Dr. Fauci: How a Boy From Brooklyn Became America's Doctor written by Kate Messner and illustrated by Alexandra Bye
• River of Dust written by Jilanne Hoffmann and illustrated by Eugenia Mello

If you didn't catch part 1 of How to Analyze a Picture Book, listen HERE.

Today we share how to analyze a picture book.

In many of our discussions and presentations, the Picture Book Summit Team and our guest speakers analyze picture books and use that analysis to illustrate the point we're teaching. When you as a picture book creator learn how to analyze a picture book, you can turn reading picture books into your own writing class.

As you look for and identify the key elements of a picture book we discuss today (and in our next episode!), you'll be able to more easily spot revision opportunities in your own work—getting you that much closer to a publishable picture book.

Books mentioned in this episode:

• The Very Fairy Princess written by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton and illustrated by Christine Davenier
• Over, Bear! Under, Where? written by Julie Hedlund and illustrated by Michael Slack
• Springtime Storks: A Migration Love Story written by Carol Joy Munro and illustration Chelsea O'Byrne
• Party Animals written and illustrated by Katie Davis
• Kitty and Cat Bent Out of Shape written and illustrated by Mirka Hokkanen
• B is for Bananas written by Carrie Tillotson and illustrated by Estrela Lourenço

Look for Part 2 in two weeks!

Today in our Picture Book Summit Roundtable discussion, we tackle the touchy topic of celebrity picture books.

So, what's the truth about celebrity picture books? Do celebrities get to cut the line when it comes to publishing? Are they held to a lower standard than lesser-known writers? Do they help or hurt the industry?

We have the opportunity to hear what it's like to be and/or work with a celebrity author as Emma Walton Hamilton shares her experience of writing with her mother, actress Julie Andrews. You might be surprised what it's like on the flip side of the celebrity book coin.

Then we discuss the frustrations that come when picture book authors see another debut celebrity picture book author.

There's lots to say on both sides of the great celebrity picture book debate. Let's jump right in!

What is the appeal of dark picture books? Do kids want to read (and re-read) books about tougher topics? How do you make these books kid-friendly? 

Julie Hedlund leads our Roundtable discussion about dark picture books, what place they have in children's lives, and why they can be so important. 

Books mentioned in this episode:

• The Rough Patch by Brian Lies
• The Longest Letsgoboy by Derick Wilder and Catia Chien
• Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson and Hudson Talbott
• Kamau & ZuZu Find a Way by Aracelis Girmay and Diana Ejaita
• Finding Papa by Angela Pham Krans and Thi Bui
• Lubna and Pebble by Wendy Meddour and Daniel Egnéus
• The House Before Falling into the Sea by Ann Suk Wan and Hanna Cha
• The Skull by Jon Klassen
• The Cat Man of Aleppo by Karim Shamsi-Basha, Irene Latham, Yuko Shimizu
• The Circus Comes to the Village by Yutaka Kobayashi

Let this episode linger and check out a few of these picks as you discover the world of dark picture books.

Picture book authors are closer in their craft to screenwriters and playwrights than any other kind of author.

Why?

Because picture book writers direct their readers on how to read the book. It's your job as a writer to make your (often adult reader) look like a rockstar. Emma Walton Hamilton shares how to make your manuscript reader-proof.

It seems nothing is more fun to read aloud than lyrical or rhyming picture books. A common misconception is that it's easy to write rhyme: just count the syllables and make the end words sound alike, right?

Wrong. Good thing you came across this episode, where Julie Hedlund—rhymer extraordinaire—gives examples of what good rhyme and lyrical writing actually is, what makes it work, and how to write it yourself. 

Picture books are a truly unique genre of literature. Other books CAN be read aloud, but picture books are ENGINEERED exactly for that precise purpose. 

In this episode, Emma Walton Hamilton defines the importance of "Read-aloud-ability" (HINT: it can sway the submission process), while Katie Davis illustrates one impactful way to factor that secret sauce into your writing. 

Stay tuned! This is the first of a three-part series.

Editor and agent assistants: the rarely-talked-about demi gods of the publishing industry. 

They are the gatekeepers, and if they don't think your manuscript is up to snuff, it won't be leaving the slush pile. So what can you do about that?

In this episode, Emma Walton Hamilton asks editor and agent assistants AZ Hackett, Claire Tattersfield, and Gaby Caballero all the burning questions. 

Author/Illustrator and Agent Shadra Strickland reveals how to get at the heart of your story by sharing ideas and exercises to get your creativity flowing—in your brain and on the page.
This is a fun one. Happy listening!

In this episode, Eric and Terry Fan, also known as writing-illustrating duo The Fan Brothers, are taking us to new worlds in To Imagination and Beyond.

They reveal their unique path into picture books after originally pursuing other careers and talk about some of the unconventional sources for their story ideas. They are proof that stories can hop from one place to another: from a t-shirt design that eventually became The Night Gardener, or a careless doodle from thirty years ago that grew into Lizzy and the Cloud. Eric and Terry reveal how your next story may be waiting in the most unlikely place.

We adore The Fan Brothers and after this episode we think you will too!

Today’s episode features a practically perfect pair of presenters.

You’ve seen presentations about great picture book beginnings. You’ve seen them about effective endings. But a truly great picture book relies on the connection between the two. Today, Emma Walton Hamilton & Julie Hedlund are here to show how to launch topflight stories and navigate them to stellar endings.

One of the best ways to navigate your course as a writer is through critiques.  In this episode of the podcast, we share a snippet of Founder Katie Davis’ presentation Houston, Your Manuscript Has a Problem. Katie discusses why critiques are important and things to consider as you seek feedback from critique groups and freelance editors.

Get ready to take your work to a whole new stratosphere!

A few years ago, we had the privilege of hosting former National Ambassador of Young People's Literature and bestselling author Kate DiCamillo as one of our Superstar Speakers. Her presentation was nothing short of magical. She shares how she went from wanting to write and thinking about writing to actually writing. We hope this snippet of her talk inspires you to get started (or restarted) too. 

Savor this episode.

Be part of the magic of Picture Book Summit LIVE! join us at this year's online event on October 5th - Perfect 10: Going for Picture Book Gold. 

Join us for Perfect 10: Going for Picture Book Gold! Superstar Speakers include: 

• Newbery, Geisel, and Caldecott Honoree Grace Lin
• National Ambassador of Young People's Literature Meg Medina
• New York Times bestselling duo Jon Klassen and Mac Barnett

Early Bird pricing ends this week! Get $100 off when you get your ticket by August 31, 2024. Register here!

Attending a writing conference can be a transformational experience, filled with opportunities to hone your craft, connect with your peers, and move closer to your publishing dreams.

Online writing conferences offer unique opportunities compared to their in-person counterparts. In addition to saving money on travel and accommodations, you can maximize your learning by engaging from the safety, comfort, and familiarity of home. Whether you're attending your first conference or your fiftieth, here are nine tailored tips on how to get the most out of an online writing conference.

We invite YOU to celebrating our 10th year of Picture Book Summit this year on October 5th! Go to picturebooksummit.com/maximize for our free download and learn more about this year’s one-of-a-kind conference for picture book creators.

Join us for Perfect 10: Going for Picture Book Gold! Superstar Speakers include: 

• Newbery, Geisel, and Caldecott Honoree Grace Lin
• National Ambassador of Young People's Literature Meg Medina
• New York Times bestselling duo Jon Klassen and Mac Barnett

Get $100 off with an Early Bird ticket through August 31, 2024. Register here!

You’ve just received another email for an online writers' conference. How do you know if it’s right for you? Will it really advance your writing career? Is there such a thing as a free conference? 

We’re celebrating 10 years of hosting the Picture Book Summit online writing conference. So much has grown and changed in the online conference space in that time. So, today, we pull the curtain back and give you some insight into what goes into putting on a conference so you can pick the best online writing conferences for you and your writing goals.

Listen up! We have 5 questions to ask yourself before choosing your next online writing conference. (Don’t worry! Some of these will apply to in-person conferences too.) 

We invite YOU to celebrating our 10th year of Picture Book Summit this year on October 5th! Go to picturebooksummit.com/conference for our free download and learn more about this year’s one-of-a-kind conference for picture book creators.

Join us for Perfect 10: Going for Picture Book Gold! Superstar Speakers include: 

• Newbery, Geisel, and Caldecott Honoree Grace Lin
• National Ambassador of Young People's Literature Meg Medina
• New York Times bestselling duo Jon Klassen and Mac Barnett

Get $100 off with an Early Bird ticket through August 31, 2024. Register here!

Publishers and agents alike say they want humorous, quirky, or funny books, but it seems more and more difficult to get a response on those humorous, quirky, or funny submissions. We're here to dig into it in today's episode of PBSummit Roundtable.

Julie Hedlund shares her personal experience and overall observations about what is going on in the industry with silly stories and how YOU can break through!

Books talked about in today's episode:

• I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
• Butt or Face by Kari Lavelle
• Simon and the Better Bone by Corey R. Tabor
• Mel Fell by Corey R. Tabor
• How This Book Get Red by Margaret Chiu Greanias and Melissa Iwai
• Poodunit! A Forest Floor Mystery by Katelyn Aronson and Steph Laberis
• Wombats are Pretty Weird by Abi Cushman
• Too Many Pigs and One Big Bad Wolf by Davide Cali and Marianna Balducci

If you enjoy the Picture Book Summit Podcast, you'll LOVE our next live online Picture Book Summit writing conference! Join us October 5, 2024, for Perfect 10: Going for Picture Book Gold! Superstar Speakers include: 

• Newbery, Geisel, and Caldecott Honoree Grace Lin
• National Ambassador of Young People's Literature Meg Medina
• New York Times bestselling duo Jon Klassen and Mac Barnett

Get $100 off with an Early Bird ticket through August 31, 2024. Register here!

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 Morstad

Having 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.

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.

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
  

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
  

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

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!

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!

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!

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 Days

Today, 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!

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 Bans

This 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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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! 

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. 

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?

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.

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. 

In Part 3 of How to Get Out of the Slush Pile, Emma Walton Hamilton reveals about actionable ways to polish your manuscript's hook to get agents and editors excited about reading your story!

It's time for the second episode in our three-part series: How to Get Out of the Slush Pile!

Author and rhymer extraordinaire Julie Hedlund discusses one of the best ways to signal to industry professionals that you're not ready to be published: writing bad rhyme. 

Writing poetry is one thing, but writing a rhyming picture book is a whole other kind of animal and if you're not doing it right, you'll never get out of the slush pile. Julie spells out best practices for writing good rhyme for picture books. Hint: you're probably doing it backwards!

Tune in to the next episode for the final installment of How to Get Out of the Slush Pile!

It's the first of our three-part series: How to Get Out of the Slush Pile!

Nothing turns an agent or editor more than a poorly written main characters. It's a common mistake for new authors and one big reason a manuscript never makes it out of the slush pile.

To help you avoid this mistake, Picture Book Summit Co-Founder Laura Backes shares important questions to ask when evaluating your work-in-progress before hitting send on your next submission. Listen in for actionable solutions in creating stories that kids (and industry professionals) will want to read over and over. 

Let's get out of the slush pile!

"Don't be too preachy in your writing!" You may have heard it many times before, but how? Try leveling up with sophistication. 

Julie Hedlund discusses the sparkle of sophisticated humor in picture books, where to find great examples of it, and how to incorporate it in your own writing. 

Author Katie Davis spells out why pacing is important for good picture book manuscripts in today's market, analyzes examples of pacing in some of her favorite picture books, and reveals various methods for achieving excellent pacing in shorter texts. 

They say that if you want to get published, don't write rhyming picture book manuscripts! But is that really a rule to live by?

Spoiler: Of course not! Julie Hedlund, author of three rhyming picture books and Co-Founder of the Picture Book Summit, shares how to write rhyming manuscripts that will actually sell.