Category: Event Coverage

Industry Insights: Lessons from my Writer’s Digest Conference Picture Book Presentation

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This past weekend, I presented at the 2025 Writer’s Digest Conference in Baltimore, and wow—the energy was electric. Thanks to Amy, Moriah, Taylor, Robert, and all the great folks at Writer’s Digest for putting this together!

This year’s event was packed with writers hungry to level up their craft. One of my sessions focused on a topic I’m deeply passionate about:

“Unlocking the WOW Factor: Elevating Nonfiction Picture Books for Today’s Market.”

I wasn’t there to talk about writing “pretty good” books. I challenged attendees to aim higher—to create exceptional nonfiction picture books that stand out in a crowded market, grab editors by the collar, and genuinely move young readers. Yeah, I was asking for a lot.

So we dug into structure, format, voice, market positioning, and how to balance truth with emotion. I also shared tools and strategies I use with coaching clients to uncover the deeper purpose behind a manuscript—and how to get that purpose on the page without preaching or being pushy (wow that’s a lot of Ps in one breath there–good thing I didn’t try to slip in “keeping things palatable”!).

Since I purposefully didn’t schedule an interview for this week’s post,  I’m sharing a few great questions I got after the session—and how I answered them.

Post-​Talk Q&A: Nonfiction Picture Book Edition

Q: How can I make a STEM topic feel fresh if it’s already well-​covered?
The freshness isn’t in the topic—it’s in the angle. What emotional truth, surprising fact, or kid-​accessible entry point are you bringing that others haven’t?

Example: Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis mellifera by Candace Fleming (illustrated by Eric Rohmann) doesn’t teach bee science in general. Instead, it tells the story of one specific bee’s life, from birth to death, and that intimacy is what makes it unforgettable. (Its great art helps, too!)

Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera

Warning: A lot of STEM drafts fail because they explain instead of engage. If your manuscript could be rephrased as a Wikipedia page, you’ve missed the “wow.” Facts are the floor of a nonfiction picture book–not the ceiling. Go further.

Q: My manuscript has a lot of information—how do I know what to keep?
To overcome this challenge, I ask my clients one question: What’s the “so what”? If a fact doesn’t serve the emotional or conceptual spine of the story, it probably belongs in the back matter—or the recycling bin. Less is almost always more.

Example: In The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver by Gene Barretta (illustrated by Frank Morrison), the text doesn’t try to summarize his whole life. It focuses on one powerful thread—how his love of nature, nurtured in childhood, shaped everything that came later.

Common trap: Trying to cram in every achievement. You’re writing a story, not a résumé. Focus beats breadth. Read Gene’s book and you’ll witness that in action.

Q: I love my subject. Is it okay if my book is more about sharing that passion than teaching a lesson?
Yes! But the key is making your passion contagious. Passion alone doesn’t sell a manuscript—clarity does. Readers need to know what they’re walking away with. Editors do too.

Example: Just Like Beverly by Vicki Conrad (illustrated by David Hohn) is filled with admiration, but it’s also anchored in story. It shows how Cleary’s struggles as a reader led to her voice as a writer, and it makes that emotional throughline clear for kids.

Myth to bust: Passion ≠ purpose. A glowing tone won’t save a muddy manuscript. Shape your admiration into narrative.

Q: Do editors really care about structure that much?
Absolutely. A well-​structured manuscript shows you understand the picture book form. That doesn’t mean your book has to follow a traditional arc, but it does need a logic, rhythm, and design that supports the story. Strong structure signals strong craft.

Example: The Great Stink by Colleen Paeff (illustrated by Nancy Carpenter) uses the buildup of pollution and pressure in Victorian London as a ticking clock. The structure mirrors the stakes, which makes the whole book more effective (and more fun to read).

Pitfall: Relying on chronology alone. A straight timeline is the easiest structure—and usually the least compelling. Ask what shape your story really wants to be.

I’ll be unpacking more of these ideas and creative challenges in future blog posts, conference workshops, and coaching sessions. If you’re ready to level up your nonfiction picture book game—or finally crack the code on a manuscript that just won’t sell—reach out. This is some the work I love most. Or join me for one of our ACQUIRED! workshops, where we help writers build up a marketable idea from scratch and get them on the path to success with a traditional publisher.

The weekend was packed, the conversations were rich, and the setting? Let’s just say the Maritime Conference Center was a refreshing change of pace—quirky, bright, and oddly perfect for a gathering of creatives. Scroll down for a few snapshots from the event and the vibes that made this conference one to remember.

 

2024 ALA (San Diego) Conference Report

On By Only Picture BooksIn Event Coverage6 Comments

It’s been some time since I’ve been to an ALA conference (Orlando, I think and maybe Chicago before that). But in my new role as Editorial Director of Bushel & Peck Books, I was happy to cross the entire country and spend a week in San Diego. Here’s some of what I saw and did. Enjoy!

**This is not a chronological accounting but rather organized by how/​when I found the photos I wanted to share.**

 

Wizards of the Coast had some GREAT swag. I even scored a physical copy of Monster Manual on the final day!

 

Here’s the Bushel & Peck Books booth, with the bus that drew crowds nonstop. Yes, we bought a bus from the city of Fresno and remade it into a bookmobile. We had a constant flow of people popping in to see what it looked like inside.

 

Rebecca Walker was signing Time for Us, a picture book about children’s caregivers.

 

Of course, Dan Santat was there doing a ton of signings. We chatted a bit about him doing an OPB interview at some point. Fingers crossed that his schedule permits that! (Sidekicks is a fun, fun book.)

 

Yep, there were robot things buzzing around.

 

Here’s Vicki Johnson, the author of Molly’s Tuxedo.

 

Here’s author/​illustrator Steve Breen signing copies of Sky & Ty.

 

Kate Messner signed copies of The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class: Emma McKenna, Full Out.

 

Sophie Blackall signed copies of her picture book Farmhouse.

 

Blink-​182 was playing a show one of the conference nights, and Petco Park was right by my hotel, so I sat outside and heard a couple of songs while watching the evening go by.

 

Bushel & Peck had a Pop Top Stage event with a lot of their authors. This is David & Stephanie Miles–the owners–introducing the event.

 

The author of the Stormbringer series (G.R. Boden) did a signing.

 

UNLV professor and literary rock star Jarret Keene signed copies of Decide & Survive: The Attack on Pearl Harbor and Heroes of World War II: 25 True Stories of Unsung Heroes Who Fought for Freedom while charming the crowd.

 

Carole Boston Weatherford was there, too, signing Bros and other books.

 

It was hard to miss the promo for Sherri’s cool-​looking new picture book.

 

I got to see parts of some of the Chapter One Stage events as I hustled from meeting to meeting. Wish I could’ve stayed longer at this one!

 

Have you read The Maid and the Crocodile? Jordan Ifueko was signing copies at ALA.

 

Ngozi Ukazu was signing as well. Barda is terrific!

 

Lee Wind was signing copies of The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie: Infinite Identities around the World.

 

Kwame Alexander stopped by the Bushel & Peck Books booth and chatted for a while. He’s a hoot!

 

Lesa Cline-​Ransome mugs for the camera with a fan whose copy of One Big Open Sky just got signed.

 

This was one of the coolest booths going–Fred Koehler’s Ready Chapter One is worth checking out if you don’t already know about it.

 

Here’s Joyce Uglow (in the dino mask/​hat), a new Bushel & Peck Books author doing a signing with the ARCs of the picture book STUCK!, which is about the La Brea Tar Pits. I was working on the final edits for this right up until I got on the plane to head to CA.

 

Kemper Donovan signed copies of Loose Lips.

 

Kate DePalma signed copies of Let’s Celebrate! Special Days Around the World. Like a pro, she blew the ink dry before handing over a signed book to a fan.

 

Jenni L. Wash was signing copies of Ace, Marvel, Spy: A Novel of Alice Marble.

 

Ellen had another good book to launch. Her fans were everywhere!

 

Yep, San Diego is a sports city. Confirmed!

 

And I thought gas was expensive in Florida.…

 

I made it fairly far from the conference center in my quest to find great local food. There were tons of fantastic options here.

 

I made it to Balboa Park and visited a lot of the museums (after the conference). Here’s the Old Globe Theater, which wasn’t running anything the week I was there. 🙁

 

The Gaslamp District was right next to the conference center, so I visited this area many, many times for food, meetings, and just ambiance.

 

Here’s a cool LEGO sculpture at one of the Balboa park museums. I think this was at the Fleet Science Center.

 

Loved seeing this promo for Loren Long’s The Yellow Bus. (OPB created some activities to pair with it–check those out right here.)

 

And here’s the Bushel & Peck Books bookmobile, driving away from the convention center and heading back home to Fresno.

 

And that’s pretty much it, folks. Maybe next time I’ll get away from my press’ booth a bit more to get a wider range of photos. We’ll see!

Conference Roundup: 2023 FL SCBWI Florida Conference Report

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I gave a recap of the 2022 FL SCBWI conference last year and people liked it so much that I figured I’d try it again this time around. I’ll include a few snapshots, too, of this year’s event which happened earlier this month at the Embassy Suites in Ft. Lauderdale.

But make no mistake–reading about a conference is never the same as being there. If you like what you’re seeing below, plan to attend an event live when you can!

**Everything listed here came directly from my scribbled notes. Any mistakes or misunderstandings are likely mine. If you’re one of the folks I quoted below and you’d like me to amend my quote, please just let me know!**

Karen Grencik, Literary Agent and Co-​founder of Red Fox Literary

“Be the kind of person others want to work with. Those are the people that really do find success.”

Carter Hasegawa, Editor at Candlewick Press

“Mine your personal history. Fight for originality. Disrupt expectations.”

Winsome Bingham, Acquisitions Editor at Reycraft and Author of Soul Food Sunday

“When we think about pacing, it’s the movement of the story, and the speed at which your story moves on the page. I always tell people that, for me, as a math person, pacing is mathematical as well as musical. Because when you’re thinking about pacing, you’re doing a lot of counting, you’re counting spreads, you’re counting beats.”

“There’s a reason why dream is a noun and a verb. It is because you can do it. And you can also think about it as a tangible object of goals, something to get to. But it doesn’t really happen when you’re asleep. You can MAKE it happen.”

Leah Henderson, Author of The Magic in Changing Your Stars

“I had to take a step back. And I had to say, first and foremost, we need to protect ourselves. We need to make sure that we are okay so that we can tell the stories that we really want to tell. So, for about a year and a half, I walked away from writing. And it was this thing where I was like, the thing that I love isn’t loving me back right now. So, I need to go find other ways to fill my well. At the beginning, it was not easy. I felt very guilty. And I did try to keep writing, but it just was not working. So, I said just take the time away. That’s what I did.”

“Just lean into who you are, as a person. There is something about each and every one of us–there are probably more than one somethings about each and every one of us–that is, at the core, something a kid needs to hear, or needs to see, or needs to understand about someone else on this planet.”

Marcie Colleen, Author of Penguinaut!

“I often say that kidlit is the one place I have found where a stranger really is a friend you haven’t met yet.”

“It’s all about forward motion. When faced with the challenge of running 26.2 miles, the thing you absolutely don’t want to do is stand still or turn around and run in the wrong direction. Even if you must walk, even if you must skip or dance or limp, it’s all about forward motion. I think it’s the same in writing and illustrating. We set our sights on a goal such as completing a book or a portfolio, or getting to a certain milestone in our career. Progress is progress no matter how slow.”

“Run the first third with your head–that’s your craft. Run the second third with your legs–that’s everything you’re capable of doing that you’re putting into action. Run the final third with your heart.”

Debbie Ridpath Ohi, Author and Illustrator of Where Are My Books?

“Your mental health needs to come first. Remember that even if you feel like nothing is happening in your career, no matter what you try, do not lose hope. Be kind to yourself. And that’s so, so important because I think we were all really tough on ourselves. And we all push ourselves so much, which is good sometimes. But try not to compare your own path to that of other people who may not being going through the stresses and challenges you face. I cannot emphasize that enough. Be kind to yourself.”

Liz Garton Scanlon, Author of All the World

“What is important to know is that metaphors go way beyond that kind of decoration, or window dressing. They step us outside of the daily flow of prose that we use regularly and slow us down and emphasize that which they’re describing, worth pointing out. So they’re decoration, but they’re also emphasis.”

“That’s the biggest and most important takeaway when we’re talking about metaphor–trying not to find the tools that match exactly. Our job is just to focus on that intersection…so, if we’re going to compare, for example, anger to coffee, they can be really dissimilar in almost every way. One exists in your chest or head, the other comes in a cup. One might be the result of the national news or a fight with your spouse, the other comes from roasted grounds. One results in traffic tickets or jail time, the other tastes good and can help your performance on tests. But both are hot and prone to boiling over. Both can burn. And that one intersection is all you need.”

“Crowds will one day swarm to your ideas and they will look to you for guidance, eager to follow, and they will follow. You are more than a single note played again and again. You are a symphony. You are sounds plucked from all the places you’ve been and all the people you’ve met and all the feelings you felt. You are blues and pinks and loneliness and laughter, mismatched scraps accumulated over time and stitched together into a kind of patchwork. And even when your pattern loses its design, when it grows lopsided, or tangled, or is hard to follow, it will be beautiful. We, writers, are beautiful.”

 

Conference Roundup: SCBWI Florida 2022 Conference Report

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Normally, the third Monday of the month means an Industry Insider Interview, which is me doing a deep dive into the career of a single editor, agent, or other picture book industry person. But since I just got back from the rousing success that was the May 2022 SCBWI Florida conference in Orlando, I’m instead creating a new OPB feature–a Conference Roundup–since I want to share some of the best nuggets of industry wisdom that I jotted down during my three days there. Some comes from agents, some comes from editors, some comes from authors, and some comes from illustrators–but it’s ALL good.

To help give you a sense of what it was like to be there, I’ll include a few photos, as appropriate.

**Everything listed below came directly from my scribbled notes. Any mistakes or misunderstandings are likely mine. If you’re one of the folks I quoted below and you’d like me to amend my quote, please just let me know!**

Bruce Coville, author of My Teacher Is an Alien

“In the words of Winston Churchill to the people of England during WWII, never give up, never give up, never, never, never give up.”

“One of the most pernicious ideas that spreads in American culture is the meme of the starving artist. You can only do good work when you have to type in the cold with little fingerless gloves–there’s a reason for this idea. It’s culturally useful. Artists who are doing their job right are dangerous. And the whole point of the meme of the starving artist is to keep us unequal, less able to do our important, life-​changing work. Whether it’s good or bad, it’s supposed to  make you think. There’s nothing the dominant culture wants less than people who think, because you can’t think without knowing if you need to change. Teachers have this horrible dual obligation. They’re supposed to maintain the status quo AND teach kids. You can’t do both. They are mutually exclusive. If these people learn to think, they’re going to think about all the stuff that’s going on that’s wrong. But our job as artists is to lead kids to think by the stories we give.”

Brett Duquette, Executive Editor of Little Bee Books

“Revising can be hard. One idea is to take it like a cake in layers. Don’t try and do everything at the same time. Because if you’re like me, all you’ll do is just work on making verbs and nouns prettier. Have a language layer or a plot layer or a character layer. It might help to think about it like you’re painting.”

“When I was younger, my brother gave me a photo of myself as a baby and said, Would you be mean to that person? So, if you’re hard on yourself, look at a photo of yourself as a child, and remember that you deserve love. Be gentle to yourself.”

Sophia Gholz, author of Bug on a Rug

“I love to cross promote between a school and a bookstore…I’ll call up a store in a nearby city. I’m Sophia Gholz. I’m a children’s book author. I’m going to possibly do some local school events. I would love to do a book signing, or just stop by and say hello and maybe sign some stock. If they say yes, follow up with an email that says, ‘Do you guys have any local schools that in particular you’ve worked with, or that you recommend I reach out to?’ Sometimes they’ll put you in contact with the school, but sometimes I’ll find a local school nearby myself. Hey, I’m Sophia Gholz. I’ve already spoken to this local bookstore, I would love to come in while I’m in town, and do a school visit or two. I’d love to present to your kids. And while I’m there, you know that I’ve already spoken to so-​and-​so bookstore and they’re happy to support and supply books for the school visit. The school is going to love this, and the bookstore is going to love you coming in, too.”

“Myth number five is that authors must be present on social media. Authors do NOT have to be present on social media. In fact, I know some authors who have walked away because it was toxic–Twitter, specifically, but sometimes all social media. Yet their publisher said, We would like you to be back on at least Twitter and Instagram. So, I’d say Twitter and Instagram are pretty important. Personally, I think social media is a big deal. Do you HAVE to be on it? No, but you can have a presence on all the platforms and not be active. Still, I think having a presence is vital because that’s the first way people are going to look you up these days. So, even if you just have a page with a link to your website, I think it’s important to at least have a presence. That being said, I think it’s important to engage.”

Aneeka Kalia, Associate Editor @ Viking Children’s Books

“Be patient, be persistent, and be kind to yourself.”

Rajani LaRocca, author of Red, White, and Whole

“Be open to new ideas but also to input.”

“Joy McCullough was my mentor, and she gave me an amazing edit letter [on Midsummer’s Mayhem]. She loved my book, but her big suggestion was to get rid of a main character…I was so terrified. But I started two revisions, one with him, one without him. Three chapters in, I was like, He’s got to go. And once more, I rewrote the book that took me three years to write…in the end, I had four agent offers, and I chose Brent Taylor.”

Laurent Linn, Author and Art Director at Simon & Schuster

“Be true to your purpose. Because your purpose is one of the few things in life that you control.”

“Be honest with your readers or readers who aren’t reading yet…no matter what their age or stage of development.”

Jacqui Lipton, owner of Raven Quill Literary Agency

“Be professional. It’s so easy to get angry with agents and editors in the industry, and then go out on Twitter and do crazy things. Do that in the privacy of your own thoughts.”

If you like what Jacqui has to say, you’re in luck–she’s the subject of the June 2022 Insider Interview!

Pat Zietlow Miller, author of Be Strong

“Read books by people with different life experiences than yours.”

“Support other authors no matter where they are in their journey.”

“Finding time [to write] was actually the hardest one for me. When I started, I had a full-​time corporate job, I had two kids at home, and I wanted to see them before school, after school, and on weekends. So, the time that was left was after they were in bed, because I wasn’t going to not see my kids. Something else had to go. For me, no television, less exercising, less socializing, less sleeping…I’ve heard Kate DiCamillo talk, and before she became KATE DICAMILLO, she got up at an extremely early hour and wrote before she went to her day job. That would never work for me. I’m not a morning person–can’t do it. But I could do late at night. I know authors who write entire novels in little bits and pieces of time. While they’re in the carpool line waiting to pick up the kids or while they’re freezing in the bleachers while watching their kids practice hockey.”

If you want to hear more from Pat, you’re in luck. Pat will be the subject of our June 2022 Author Interview. Watch for it in a few weeks!

Dan Santat, author/​illustrator of The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend

“Cultivate a sense of taste. Look into all things–movies, music, books. Find out why something is good, why something is bad. If something isn’t to your taste or your liking, find out why other people like it. Because when you’re editing your own work, and you’re asking yourself Is this good? you can base that off of the knowledge gained from other things. The other one is always continue to grow. You can never settle. I’ve been in this business for 18 years. And over time, if you do the same things over and over again, the process gets stale. So, always evolve. Don’t be afraid to change.”

“When I first wrote my first book, I had a perception in my mind of what being a child was like, but it didn’t match what children actually were thinking. What happens is that when you get older, you have this really polished, idealized view of what your childhood was like. And then when you actually see kids, it’s messy, it’s chaotic. But that’s the true way kids are–you have to really get yourself into that mindset.”

“I don’t create a character and then write a story. I create a concept, and then I find a character that creates the biggest conflict to that concept. So, create a character that best reflects the idea you want to express. Let’s say you have a story about needing to be quicker, or that things must be done quickly. A turtle would be the greatest adversary to something like that. Being messy, or a story about neatness? A garbage truck would be a great character that has to deal with that issue. Falling? Humpty Dumpty. It’s sad, but if I just say Humpty Dumpty, the first thing you think of is the fall, right?”

Taryn Souders, author of Dead Possums Are Fair Game

“[At school visits], it’s really cute because you are their favorite author that day. And they will say You’ve been my favorite author my whole life! and I’ve even gone to them and asked, Really? Which one of my books is your favorite? And they’ll say, I haven’t read any of them yet. So, you’re going to be their favorite whether they’ve heard of you or not. And it’s great. You’ll never leave a school visit feeling deflated.”

“You definitely want to make sure that you are practicing in a mirror. It’s so cliché, I know it. But you’re going to think you’re making a really friendly expression and you’re actually terrifying or something. So you want to look in a mirror. Make sure that whatever expression you’re making throughout your presentation, it’s engaging and portrays, Hey, I’m fun, I’m safe!”

Jennifer Swanson, author of Footprints Across the Planet

“Find a critique group and get them to tell you stuff. But listen–your job is to tell the story correctly. If they don’t get it, you didn’t do your job right.”

“For those of you that don’t know, educational publishing, is typically work for hire, which means they give you a flat fee, you get no royalties, and they come up with ideas. They tell you what to write. Trade publishing, of course, is royalties with an advance, and you come up with an idea. So, there’s a difference between the two. But if you want to get into nonfiction, a really great place to start is educational publishing.”

Joyce Sweeney, literary agent at The Seymour Agency

“Go ahead and feel the sorrow when something bad happens in your career, then get back up and say, Okay, well, what can I do now? What’s the next thing?”