Since our posting days for the Valentiny Contest this year are February 13th and 14th, and February 13th falls on a Friday. . .
The Contest: Since writing for children is all about “big emotion for little people” (I forget who said that, but someone did so I put it in quotes!) and Valentine’s Day is all about emotion, write a Valentine story appropriate for children (children here defined as ages 12 and under) maximum 214 words in which someone feelsSUPERSTITIOUS! Think of all the things kids are superstitious about – Friday the 13th, sidewalk cracks, black cats, broken mirrors, ladders, four-leaf clovers, lucky pennies, lucky charms, a rabbit’s foot, ladybugs, the number 7, crossing your fingers, knocking on wood etc., or even something that your individual, original character is superstitious about for their own reasons (as long as you let us know what and why), and choose one (or more!) that could affect your character – negatively or positively! – as they navigate their Valentine’s Day experience . . . anything you like! Sky’s the limit! Just make sure it is clearly Valentine-centered and that superstition is central to your story! Think beyond the obvious! Your story can be poetry or prose, sweet, funny, surprising or anything in between, but it will only count for the contest if it includes someone who is superstitious (can be the main character but doesn’t have to be) and is 214 words (get it? 2/14 for Valentine’s Day 😊 ) You can go under the word count but not over! (Title is not included in the word count.) If you are so inclined, you are welcome to enter more than one entry – just remember you’ll be competing against yourself 😊 No illustration notes please!
Post your story in the comment section below between right now this very second and Saturday February 14th by 11:59 PM Eastern. There will be no regularly scheduled posts for the duration of the contest (Tuesday Debut or PPBF), so this post and all of your entries will stay up for everyone to enjoy.
The Judging: over the following days, my lovely assistants and I will narrow down the entrants to around 12-14 top choices, depending on number and quality of entries, which will be posted here and voted on for a winner as soon as we can get them up. The winners and Honorable Mentions will be announced a few days after the vote. (I’m not even going to try to hazard a guess on exact dates!)
Judging criteria will include:
Kid-appeal/Kid-friendliness – remember, this is a story for kids!
Creativity in using superstition, and success in making us feel the superstition! Superstition must be central to the story line, not just mentioned briefly in passing in a story about something else entirely.
Valentine’s Day appropriateness – this is a VALENTINE story and Valentine’s Day must be central to it!
Quality of story – we will look for basic story elements and a true story arc
Quality of writing – use and flow of language, correctness of mechanics, excellence of rhyme and meter if you use it, PROOFREADING!
Originality – surprise us with something new and different! 😊
How well you followed the Submission Guidelines – agents and editors expect professionalism. This is a chance to practice making sure you read and follow specified guidelines.
The Prizes: So many amazing prizes from such generous kidlit folks!
Get Your Manuscript on the Editor’s Desk!
⭐️ A Picture Book Manuscript Read and Critique from Michele McAvoy, Founder/Publisher, author and all-around #kidlit champion at The Little Press!
Michele McAvoy is a multi-award-winning children’s book author, publisher, attorney, and educator from New Jersey. While Michele wears many hats, they all point towards a single goal, bring entertaining and meaningful stories to kids. Michele’s published titles include Willa the Werewolf (The Little Press, Sept. 15, 2023), Buckingham Gets A New Shell (The Little Press, June 9, 2026), Cookie & Milk (Cardinal Rule Press, October 1, 2019), and Toby Undone.
Kathy Halsey, children’s author, is a former English teacher and K-12 school librarian with an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Supervision who coordinated 15 successful school visits. She is the founder of Ask Infowoman: A Library Consult, a service for children’s authors and illustrators designed to make school visits more fun, instructive, and engaging. She is the author of Be A Rainbow (KiwiCo Press, 2023)
⭐️ AFree Admission Ticket to Rosie Pova’sMarch or April Workshop + A Breakthrough Consultation With Rosie for unagented and unpublished PB writers! The Breakthrough Consultation with Rosie is a one-on-one session with her, designed to help the writer identify and overcome any challenges they’re facing—whether it’s related to story craft, manuscript submissions, finding an agent, building an authentic author brand, or strengthening their online presence. During your session, Rosie will help them pinpoint what’s holding them back and create an actionable plan to help them move forward!
Rosie J. Pova is an award-winning, multi-published children’s author, poet, and writing coach. Her books include Sunday Rain, featured in The New York Times, The School of Failure, a Readers’ Favorite silver medalist, and her latest title, Sally’s Musical Tale. She is also the founder of Picture Book Author Academy, where she mentors aspiring authors toward publishing success. In addition, Rosie hosts monthly workshops with agents and editors, offering exclusive learning and submission opportunities for the kidlit community.
Rosie J. Pova
Zoom AMAs + !
⭐️ A 30-min Zoom AMA PLUS A Signed Copy of The Littlest Solstice Tree from talented author Lisa Varchol Perron! Do you have questions? Chat with Lisa!
Lisa Varchol Perron is a children’s author and poet based near Boston, Massachusetts. She especially enjoys writing about our natural world, including in her most recent picture books, The Littlest Solstice Tree(which began as a Holiday Contest Entry! 😊) (Beaming Books, Sept, 23, 2025), Wonder Why (HarperCollins, April 15, 2025), and All the Rocks We Love(Rise x Penguin Workshop, July 16, 2024), and Kite Day (forthcoming from Penguin Random House, April 21, 2026)!
⭐️ A 30-minute AMA Zoom chat with accomplished author Jolene Gutiérrez! Do you have questions? Chat with Jolene!
⭐️ Winner’s Choice of a signed Picture Book w/ Swag, Query Letter Critique, OR 3 Pitch Critique from gifted author Jilanne Hoffman!
Jilanne Hoffmann is the author of the award-winning picture book A River of Dust: The Life-Giving Link Between North Africa and the Amazon,illustrated by Eugenia Mello (Chronicle Books, July 25, 2023); two board books The Honey Bear Hive and Happy Camper (Amazon Editor’s Choice); and the nonfiction picture book The Ocean’s Heart, illustrated by Khoa Le, forthcoming from Millbrook Press (March, 2026). HeartLand, her historical middle grade novel in prose/verse, is forthcoming from Little Brown (July, 2026).
Picture Book Manuscript Critiques!
⭐️ A Picture Book Manuscript Critique (Historical NF) from author Sharon Wilson! (apologies – no images available or provided!)
Sharon teaches picture book and basic novel writing at her local tech schools and colleges as well as at local libraries. She has an adult historical novel and juvenile historical novel on submission. She won first prize in the Oklahoma Federation of writers annual contest for both middle grade historical novel and adult historical novel and has won either second or first prize every year for each picture book that I have entered since 2014. She takes great care with her in-depth critiques.
⭐️ A Picture Book Manuscript Critique from author Gabi Snyder!
Gabi Snyder is a fan of the unexpected and the celebrated author of several picture books including Two Dogs On A Trike (Harry N. Abrams, May 19, 2020), Listen (S&S/Paula Wiseman Books, July 13, 2021), Count On Us: Climate Activists From One To A Billion (Barefoot Books, Sept. 20, 2022), Today (S&S/Paula Wiseman Books, Jan. 30, 2024), and Look (S&S/Paula Wiseman Books, April 16, 2024). Gabi studied psychology at the University of Washington and creative writing at The University of Texas. When she’s not writing, she loves taking nature walks, visiting Little Free Libraries, and baking sweet treats. She lives in Oregon with her family.
⭐️ A Picture Book Manuscript Critique (fiction, no rhyme) PLUS A Copy of Each of her Picture Books from authorKris Tarantino!
Kris Tarantino is a children’s book author whose writing is filled with humor and heart. BedSlime Blues is her second book (WaterBrook/PRH, 2/3/2026). Her debut picture book, Be My ValenSlime (WaterBrook/PRH 2023), illustrated by New York Times bestselling illustrator Cori Doerrfeld, received a Starred Review from School Library Journal. A third book in the Slime series is planned for 2026. Kris is a member of SCBWI, and speaks frequently at conferences and schools. Most recently, she was selected to participate in the 2025 Storyfest literacy day in San Antonio, Texas. And in 2024, she was picked as a faculty presenter for the All Texas Y’all SCBWI Conference. Kris holds a B.A. in Business, Marketing, and Art. Prior to writing children’s books, she worked in marketing, licensing popular entertainment characters for companies that make fun products like toys, books, and balloons. You can find her online at https://kristarantino.com, as well as Twitter/X, FacebookLinkedIn
⭐️ Winner’s Choice of a Picture Book Manuscript Critique (rhyme or prose) OR A Query Letter Critique from author Kelly Conroy!
⭐️ A Picture Book Manuscript Critique from author Stacy Jensen!
Stacy S. Jensen is a children’s book author with a passion for history, research, and exploring new topics like she did as a newspaper journalist. Her debut book BEFORE I LIVED HERE, illustrated by Victo Ngai (Neal Porter Books, Aug. 26, 2025), was written while she lived in Colorado—inspired by her neighborhood.
⭐️ A Picture Book Manuscript Critique (Rhyming, 300 words or less) from author founder of Rhyme Revolution, Angie Karcher!
⭐️ A Picture Book Manuscript Critique (fiction) AND a signed copy of IF A BUMBLEBEE LANDS ON YOUR TOE from author Cynthia Mackey!
Cynthia Mackey is a children’s author and poet living in Victoria, British Columbia. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s Zumba dancing to latin rhythms, chasing after butterflies to get photos, or listening for bird songs on her morning walks. Her books include IF A BUMBLEBEE LANDS ON YOUR TOE, illustrated by Vikki Zhang (Yeehoo Press, May 2025), and the forthcoming BUTTERFLY SEA, illustrated by Marie-Laure Couët (pub date: Tielmour Press, Jan 30, 2026)
⭐️ A Bundle of Two Books by talented authors Pamela Courtney and Ann Magee!
1. From Pamela Courtney, a signed copy of A SEASON FOR FISHIN’: A Fish Fry Tradition
Pam’s Louisiana upbringing inspired her 2025 debut A Season for Fishin’, A Fish Fry Tradition and nurtured her life’s passion for writing, teaching, music. Combining these loves, Pam brings the eyes of a classroom teacher to each narrative she crafts and created MyLMNOP, a literacy and music program for early learners “My duty is great,” says Pam. “I am a writer who teaches. I am a teacher who writes.”
Ann Magee is an elementary school educator, children’s writer, and lifelong learner. She lives in NJ and is an active member of SCBWI. Stories that especially interest her are ones of unknown, yet significant people and historical events. She also is drawn to stories that reveal the positive ways people (and children) impact the environment.
Please join me in thanking these very generous authors and other writing professionals for contributing their books and writing expertise as prizes by visiting their websites and blogs, considering their books and services for birthday, holiday or other gift purchases, rating and/or reviewing their books on GoodReads, Amazon, B&N, or anywhere else if you like them, recommending them for school and library visits, recommending their books for school and library purchases, and supporting them in any other way you can dream up! 😊
Now! Cross you heart (and maybe your fingers, toes, etc!) and post your entries!
With so many great prizes up for grabs I hope there will be a lot of entries – the more the merrier! And you’ve still got a couple days to write, so you can squeeze in under the wire if you haven’t written yet. Feel free to spread the word to your writing friends as well. And your reading friends – parents, teachers, etc. The more people who read and enjoy your stories, the better!!!
Contest Entrants, remember you MUST post your entry in the comment section below and include title, byline, and word count.
Eager Readers – just go along the list of links below, click on them (they’ll take you directly to whichever story you click on), and enjoy the stories!
So let the Valentiny Contest begin!
Happy Writing and Happy Valentines Day! 🩷💕🩷💕🩷
I can’t wait to read your entries!!!
THE 186 ENTRIES! (Anyone who feels nice can start at the bottom of the list so that the later entries get read too! 😊)
⭐️Deck the Halls! ⭐️ Light the menorah! ⭐️ Fill the Kikombe cha Umoja! ⭐️
It’s time for . . .
The11th Annual Holiday Writing Contest
~ for children’s writers ~
The Contest: Write a children’s holiday story (children here defined as age 12 and under) about a Holiday Contest!
Your contest can be anything you want! Baking, wrapping, decorating (tree or home), raising money or collecting gifts for those in need, ice skating, sledding, caroling, fancy dress, snowman or fort building. . . sky’s the limit! But it must be about a holiday contest!
Your story may be poetry or prose, silly or serious or sweet, religious or not, based on Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, New Year’s or whatever you celebrate during the Holiday Season, but is not to exceed 250 words (I know! So much freedom after the Halloweensie Contest 😊 ) (It can be as short as you like (the judges will be grateful 😊 , you are welcome and encouraged to write shorter, but no more than 250! Title not included in word count.) The field is wide open! Have fun! The more creative the better! No illustration notes please. (And yes, if you feel compelled to submit more than one entry you may, just remember you’re competing against yourself!)
Post: Your entry should be posted between right now this very second and Thursday December 9th at 11:59 PM EST, and must be posted below in the comment section of this post. All entries should include a title, byline (people always ask what this is – it means who the entry was written by, so, by Suzy Q. Writer or whoever 😊) and word count. You are welcome to also post your entries on your own blogs and include your blog address with your entry here if you’d like to encourage people to come visit your blog, but your entry must be posted in the comment section of this post or it will not be counted because we won’t see it. This post will remain up for your reading pleasure until I post the finalists. There will be no regular posts (Tuesday Debut, Would You Read It, or Perfect Picture Book) for the duration of the contest so everyone will have plenty of time to visit and enjoy. If you have trouble commenting, you can email your entry to me and I will post it for you. Please copy and paste your entry with word count and byline into the body of the email – NO ATTACHMENTS please.
The Judging: My lovely assistants and I will narrow down the entrants to approximately 12 finalists. In the interest of finishing up the contest in a timely fashion so everyone can go about their holidays, we will do our best to post the finalists here by Tuesday December 14th for you to vote on for a winner. (But it almost always seems to end up taking us longer. . . so it might be a day or two later.) The vote will be closed on Thursday December 16th at 5 PM EST. Whoever gets the most votes will be first and so on down to twelfth place (or wherever we place to), and the winners will be announced on Friday December 17th. (These dates are subject to adjustment if it takes the judges longer than we anticipate to get the judging completed.)
Judging criteria will be as follows:
1. Kid-appeal! – These stories are intended for a young audience (ages 12 and under), so we’re looking for stories that children will enjoy and relate to.
2. Holiday Contest! – the rules state a Holiday Contest story, so it must be crystal clear that the story is about a contest that in some way relates to Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, New Year’s, or whatever seasonal winter holiday you choose. The story must center on the contest – the contest must not be just an offhand mention/reference in a story about something else.
3. Quality of story – entries must tell a story, including a main character of some kind and a true story arc even if it’s tiny 😊 Entries must not be merely descriptions or mood pieces.
4. Quality of Writing: check your spelling, grammar, punctuation etc. If you’re going to rhyme, give us your best 😊 Overall writing quality and use of language are also important. Please proofread!
5. Originality and creativity – because that is often what sets one story above another.
6. PLEASE FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS! Large numbers of entries make it easy to cut entries that haven’t been entered as we asked.
The Prizes!: Oh! Such wonderful prizes! All I can say is, how lucky are we to be part of such a talented and generous community that offers such amazing prizes!
Please join me in thanking these very generous authors and other writing professionals for contributing their books and writing expertise as prizes by visiting their websites and blogs, considering their books and services for birthday, holiday or other gift purchases, rating and/or reviewing their books on GoodReads, Amazon, B&N, or anywhere else if you like them, recommending them for school and library visits, and supporting them in any other way you can dream up! 😊
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (Rhyming or Non-rhyming, Fiction or Nonfiction) with a recording of first read-through by children’s author and poet Sarah Meade, contributor to HOP TO IT: POEMS TO GET YOU MOVING (Pomelo Books, 2020!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (Rhyming) PLUS Zoom Chat from developmental editor Lou Piccolo! Lou studied English Literature, creative writing and teaching at university in South Africa. After working as an EFL teacher in France for twenty years, she studied proofreading and editing before becoming a developmental editor of children’s and young adult’s literature for independent authors. She is a graduate of Renee LaTulippe’s Lyrical Language Lab – Punching Up Prose With Poetry course and Making Picture Book Magic, the in-house writer for Editions Entrefilet’s language-learning magazine ‘Go English Kids’ for children of 8-12 in France, and a traditionally published author of MG and YA fiction with Burlington Books.
Developmental Editor, Lou Piccolo
⭐️ Connecting With School Librarians!Fabulous Opportunity for published or soon to be published authors! Winner’s Choice of either a Zoom or phone chat about how to connect with school librarians and get their ear or an Ask Me Anything Zoom or phone chat about K-8th grade author visits from a librarian’s POV from Kathy Halsey. Kathy Halsey is Storyteller Academy’s Community Manager and Ambassador. She enjoys writing picture books, humor, and nonfiction. Kathy’s active in SCBWI and blogs with other kid lit writers on the GROG. She serves on the Choose to Read Ohio Advisory Council and speaks at educational and literary conferences. Kathy’s a former K-12 school librarian and children’s bookseller. She writes monthly author studies for the Reading for Research Month along with Keila Dawson.
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique(written) PLUS 15 minute Zoom Chat (no nonfiction) from Cindy Williams Schrauben author of THIS COULD BE YOU (Cardinal Rule Press, April 1, 2022)!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Heather Gale, author of HO’ONANI: HULA WARRIOR (Tundra Books, 2019) which was one of the New York Public Library’s Best Books for Kids 2019, one of the Ontario Library Association’s 2019 Top Ten Titles, Featured on the 2020 Rainbow Book List, Featured on the 2020 Rise: A Feminist Book Project List, and received a Booklist Starred Review!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Maria Marshall! Maria is a children’s author, blogger, and poet passionate about making nature fun for children. She’s a judge for the Cybils Awards and the #50PreciousWords competition. Four of her poems are published in The Best Of Today’s Little Ditty anthologies. When not writing, critiquing, or reading, she bird watches, travels the world, bakes, and hikes. The Picture Book BuzzWebsiteFacebookTwitterInstagram
Maria Marshall
⭐️ A Reversible Handmade Christmas Stocking or Other Winter or Holiday-Themed Gift Bag from Karen Gebbia PLUS a Personalized Signed Copy of CURIOSITY’S DISCOVERY by Nancy Derey Rileyto fill it!
a Personalized Signed Copy of eitherLISTEN (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books 2021) orTWO DOGS ON A TRIKE (Harry N. Abrams 2020) (Winner’s Choice!) by Gabi Snyder
With so many great prizes up for grabs I hope there will be a lot of entries – the more the merrier! And you’ve still got a couple days to write, so you can squeeze in under the wire if you haven’t written yet. Feel free to spread the word to your writing friends as well. And your reading friends – parents, teachers, etc. The more people who read and enjoy your stories, the better!!!
Contest Entrants, remember you MUST post your entry in the comment section below and include title, byline, and word count.
Eager Readers – just go along the list of links below, click on them (they’ll take you directly to whichever story you click on), and enjoy the stories!
I know we’ve seen each other on and off over the summer for Tuesday Debuts, but it’s great to be back to the regular routine. I hope everyone had a wonderful summer and is filled with enthusiasm for the coming school year and inspiration for lots of new stories!
I’m starting off the school year with a book I think everyone – kids, teachers, and parents – will find helpful and enjoyable as they’re settling into their new routines.
Title: Listen
Written By: Gabi Snyder
Illustrated By: Stephanie Graegin
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, July 13, 2021
Suitable For Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: listening, attention, empathy
Opening: “When you step out into the big, wild world, sometimes all you hear is. . . NOISE!”
text copyright Gabi Snyder 2021, illustration copyright Stephanie Graegin 2021, Paula Wiseman Books
Brief Synopsis: The world is a noisy place, but what happens if you just stop, close your eyes, and listen?
Links To Resources: the book has a nice section of back matter that tells about the sense of hearing, and different kinds of listening; stop what you’re doing, close you eyes, and listen – what do you hear?; go for a walk and pay attention to the sounds around you – what do you hear?; talk about sounds you like and sounds you don’t like, times when you like noise and times when you like quiet.
text copyright Gabi Snyder 2021, illustration copyright Stephanie Graegin 2021, Paula Wiseman Books
Why I Like This Book: This lovely quiet book encourages children to pause, take a breath, stop the constant busy-ness of the world around them, and listen. Filter out the noise – literal and figurative – and focus on what matters. It helps them understand the importance of mindfulness and attention in the context of daily life. In the course of the story, the child goes from hearing the cacophony of noises in a busy street, to separating them out, to hearing “words of joy” and “words that sting” when a classmates feelings are hurt, to hearing the voice inside her, and the “hush and whispers” of nighttime. The art is perfect for the story, soft and appealing with lots of lovely details. A book every child will enjoy!
text copyright Gabi Snyder 2021, illustration copyright Stephanie Graegin 2021, Paula Wiseman Books
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific blog links (and any other info you feel like filling out 😊) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week! And if you posted books over the summer, please feel free to add them here as well!And my apologies – I did something wrong and the links aren’t showing up, so I copied and pasted them below and will try to fix the problem for next week!
The Contest: write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (children here defined as 12 and under) (title not included in the 100 words), using the words skeleton, creep, and mask. Your story can be scary, funny, sweet, or anything in between, poetry or prose, but it will only count for the contest if it includes those 3 words and is 100 words (you can go under, but not over!) Get it? Halloweensie – because it’s not very long and it’s for little people 🙂 (And yes, I know 100 words is short, but that’s part of the fun and the challenge! We got over 325 fantastic entries last year, so I know you can do it!) Also, you may use the words in any form – e.g. skeletons, creepy/crept, masked/unmasked, whathaveyou 🙂 NO ILLUSTRATION NOTES PLEASE! (And yes, you may submit more than one entry if you’re so inclined 🙂 )
Post: your story on your blog between right now this very second and Saturday October 31st by 11:59 PM Eastern Time and add your post-specific link to the list below. There will be no Tuesday Debut, Perfect Picture Book or Would You Read It posts for the duration of the contest so the links will stay up for everyone to visit and enjoy. If you don’t have a blog and would like to enter, you can simply copy and paste your entry in the comments section below (please include your byline if your posting handle is something like MamaWritesByNightlight so I can identify you.) If you have difficulty posting in the comments, which unfortunately sometimes happens, you may email your entry to me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com and I’ll post it for you. Please place your entry in the body of the emailincluding your title and byline at the top – NO ATTACHMENTS! And please do not submit entries in more than one place because it becomes confusing.
The Judging: in a grueling marathon over the following days, my devoted assistants and I will narrow down the entrants to 369 12? top choices (give or take… you know how hard it is to choose!) which will be posted here and voted on for a winner on Wednesday November 4th or Thursday November 5th (if the judging takes longer than we expect if could be later…but we will do our best!) The winner will be announced on Monday November 9th (good lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise 😊 )
Judging criteria will be as follows:
1. Kid-appeal! – These stories are intended for a young audience (ages 12 and under), so we’re looking for stories that children will enjoy and relate to.
2. Halloweeniness – the rules state a Halloween story, so it must be crystal clear that the story is about Halloween, not just some random spooky night.
3. Quality of story – entries must tell a story, including a main character of some kind and a true story arc even if it’s tiny 🙂 Entries must not be merely descriptions or mood pieces.
4. Quality of Writing: check your spelling, grammar, punctuation etc. If you’re going to rhyme, give us your best 😊 Overall writing quality and use of language are also important.
5. Originality and creativity – because that is often what sets one story above another.
6. PLEASE FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS! Large numbers of entries make it easy to cut entries that haven’t been entered as we asked.
The Prizes: SO AMAZING! What a generous community we have to donate so much awesomeness!!! 😊
1 – Get Your MS in Tip Top Shape With Vivian Kirkfield!
Vivian is offering a PB MS Critique (fiction or nonfiction/rhyming or prose), along with a 30 minute Skype or FB video chat to discuss, along with a read-through of the revision. And top it all off she will also help you with a query/cover letter edit to go with your polished up ms! WOW!
2 – Penny’s Two Cents – an incredible opportunity for any picture book writer!
Sometimes it’s helpful to chat with a published author about your writing journey. Penny Parker Klostermann is offering her two cents. The prize includes General/Big-Picture Feedback on one picture book manuscript + One 30-Minute Chat (Rhyming or prose-750 words or under) Penny doesn’t claim to have it all figured out, (by any means) but she’s happy to share her two cents based on what she’s learned and continues to learn on her journey as an author.
Please join me in thanking these very generous authors and other writing professionals for contributing their books and writing expertise as prizes by visiting their websites and blogs, considering their books and services for holiday or other gift purchases, rating and/or reviewing their books on GoodReads, Amazon, B&N or anywhere else if you like them, recommending them for school visits, or supporting them in any other way you can dream up 😊
Now then, my pretties! It’s past the witching hour in the dead of night – very appropriate for a Halloween story, don’t you think? – and the time has come for me to embarrass myself my sample entry which should fill you with confidence in your own MUCH MUCH better efforts!!!
Halloween A pumpkin moon A ghostly ship A still lagoon Tattered sails Like swirling mist Ancient rigging Creaks and twists Skull and crossbones Striking fear Warning sailors Far and near Captain Jack Comes thump-a-peg Limping on His broomstick leg “Steady now,” breathes Captain Jack, “Mustn’t blow our sneak attack!” Silently The ghost ship glides Closer . . . Closer . . . On the tides Guided through The murky blue By the ghastly Skeleton crew Stealthily it comes abreast creeping uninvited guest nearing windows warm with light no idea of their plight Captain Jack Deceit complete Unmasks and shouts out, “Trick-or-treat!”
It’s truly spooky how willing I am to embarrass myself for you! 😊😊😊
I can’t wait to read all of your entries! I’m so looking forward to them! I hope there will be a lot – the more the merrier! And there are still nearly 3 days to write, so you have time if you haven’t written yet. Feel free to spread the word to your writing friends as well. And your reading friends – parents, teachers, etc. The more people who read and enjoy your stories, the better!!!
Contest Entrants, remember to add your post-specific link to the google form below so we can all come read your awesome stories! (Post-specific means not your main blog url, but the actual url of the post that has your story in it – otherwise if you post again before the contest ends, your link will take readers… and judges!… to the wrong place!)
Eager Readers – just go along the list of links, click on them, and enjoy the stories!
Happy Writing and Happy Halloween!!! 😊 🎃
And don’t miss the 169!!! fabulous entries that are posted in the comments
below! (Hopefully each one is a link, but thanks to the new wordpress, I’ve redone the list twice with uncertain success!)
We all have our favorite books from childhood, and one of mine happens to be GO, DOG. GO! by P.D. Eastman. If you’re as ancient as I am you may be familiar with it 😊 Anyway, although it is new and different, there is something about today’s debut picture book which hearkens back to that a bit, so I instantly loved the look of this brand new title!
Today’s Debut-ess is the lovely and talented Gabi Snyder, here to share with us her journey to the publication of TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE!
Two Dogs on a Trike Written by Gabi Snyder
Illustrated by Robin Rosenthal
Abrams Appleseed, May 19, 2020 Fiction; baby to 5 years
Count up to 10 and back down again in this picture book starring 10 traveling dogs and one very tenacious cat!
SUSANNA:Welcome, Gabi! Congratulations on the publication of your delightful book, and thank you so much for joining us today to share your experience! Where did the idea for this book come from?
GABI: The dog versus cat dynamic that plays out in TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE was inspired, in part, by my childhood pets. I grew up with a cat we called Kinko (named for his kinked tail) and an assortment of dogs. Kinko was the undisputed boss. Now my family includes one dog and one cat. (They take turns keeping each other in line.)
And, as a kid, one of my favorite picture books was GO, DOG. GO! by P.D. Eastman. I must’ve read that book hundreds of times. The silly dogs and sense of movement and fun in TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE are, in part, an homage to the P.D. Eastman classic. (But as one of my critique partners pointed out, “without the weird hat stuff.”)
Gabi’s work space and writing buddies 😊
SUSANNA:How long did it take you to write this book?
GABI: Unlike most of my stories, drafting TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE was fairly quick and painless. It came out mostly whole. Of course, my brilliant critique partners still had suggestions for taking it to the next level.
SUSANNA:Did you go through many revisions?
GABI: With this book, revisions were fairly minimal. But, in general with a picture book, I think it’s helpful to get a complete first draft down in one sitting. And then I like to let the draft sit and marinate for bit – at least a week. If, after marinating, it still shines, still feels like a promising idea, I revise again. Sometimes I revise several more times before the manuscript feels ready for my critique partners.
SUSANNA:When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
GABI: I didn’t! It’s lucky I shared TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE with my critique partners because I might not have thought to submit the story to agents and editors if my CP Mary Worley hadn’t encouraged me to send it out.
SUSANNA:When and how did you submit?
GABI: I submitted TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE, and many other picture book manuscripts, to agents as well as editors at small presses before signing with my agent, the fabulous Natalie Lakosil at Bradford Literary, in July 2018.
SUSANNA:When did you get “the call”? (Best moment ever! 😊)
GABI: We received an offer from Meredith Mundy at Abrams Appleseed in late August 2018. It all happened very quickly – but it followed a long wait! I’d been submitting picture book manuscripts to agents and editors since 2014.
SUSANNA:How did you celebrate signing your contract?
GABI: Honestly, it took awhile for the good news to fully sink in. I didn’t quite believe it and mostly went on in a business as usual manner for a few days. But my awesome critique partners encouraged me to take a moment to pause and celebrate. So I took my family out for a special dinner.
SUSANNA:Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?
GABI: The contract was in line with my expectations. I was happy to have my agent negotiate the contract for me and know what improvements we could ask for. For a first book, I think the advance was reasonable and the royalty percentages line up with industry standards. I’m delighted that 20 author copies will be coming my way!
And, for picture book publishing, the timeline was actually pretty fast—from offer to published book in under two years!
SUSANNA:Can you tell us a little about what the editorial process was like?
GABI: I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with editor Meredith Mundy and the team at Abrams. The suggested text changes were pretty minor, but definitely strengthened the story. Additionally, we made some punctuation edits—changing the periods in the counting down section of the story to exclamation points to heighten the urgency of the chase!
SUSANNA:What can you tell us about your experience of the illustration process?
GABI: As a newbie, I didn’t know what to expect, but was happily surprised that Meredith kept me apprised of each new development with the art. Once we had a finished book, Meredith asked me whether the illustrations matched what I envisioned when I submitted the text. In truth, the book’s illustrations are even more adorable and humorous than I’d imagined. The 80s retro vibe/wardrobing of Robin Rosenthal’s characters is very much in line with my aesthetic. It may sound clichéd, but there’s something magical about the picture book collaboration between an author and an illustrator. The whole is so much more than the two parts!
Art notes played a huge role in my manuscript! For example, at the start of my manuscript, I included this overarching note:
{Art: A cat watches as her dog escapes their yard through an unlatched gate. The reader sees the cat follow, but she is unseen by the dogs. With each new mode of transportation, another dog joins the adventure.}
Here’s one of the finished spreads, showing the cat in hot pursuit!
And here’s another one just for fun 😊
SUSANNA:Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc? What was that like?
GABI: So I’d heard several writers and illustrators advise new authors (and really all authors) NOT to read reviews. They can sometimes be disheartening; not everyone will love everything you write. And I was all set to follow that advice! But then in late February my editor emailed me with the news that TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE had received a Kirkus starred review! Reading the review still gives me a thrill. You can read it here: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/gabi-snyder/two-dogs-on-a-trike/
Though not as glowing as the Kirkus review, SLJ also gave the book a positive review, calling it, “A recommended purchase.”
The downside of that fur-raising first review from Kirkus is that since then I’ve been waiting and watching for more reviews! I’m embarrassed to say I’ve been Googling my book. Not recommended!
SUSANNA:How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?
GABI: I received my advance copy in December 2019, so from offer to first copy was only about 16 months – super fast! The announced first print run was 15,000. Fingers crossed all those copies sell!
SUSANNA:What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?
GABI: I think the bulk of the pre-publication promotion has focused on advance mailing to trade reviewers, educators, and librarians. I believe Abrams intends to promote more at publication with targeted outreach to parenting websites and blogs as well as social media campaigns.
SUSANNA:Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
GABI: I joined a debut group, the 2020 Debut Crew, to help with marketing and promotion. We share marketing strategies and help spread the word about each other’s debut picture books.
And Robin Rosenthal has created a whole bunch of amazing graphics, including this one, to promote the book.
SUSANNA:That is beautiful! 😊 How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
GABI: It depends on your definition of “writing seriously” – LOL! I studied creative writing in the early aughts but then mostly set my own writing aside for several years.
Fast forward to 2013: when my kids were little (3 and 5), we moved from Austin to Corvallis, Oregon. With a break from work following the move, I found time to get back to my own writing. Only by then, reading daily with my two littles, I’d become immersed in the world of picture books and fallen in love with this form of storytelling. In 2014, I wrote my first picture book and soon after started submitting to agents and editors. So you could say I’d been writing seriously for children for four years before I sold my first picture book, but I’d been a writer much longer.
SUSANNA:What is the most important/helpful thing you learned on your way to publication? (Or what is your most helpful piece of advice for up and coming writers?)
GABI: Be gentle with yourself; in other words, don’t expect instant brilliance, instant success. And be especially easy on yourself right now when your attention is likely pulled in so many directions. In times of stress, it can be easy to fall back on bad old habits, like berating yourself for not getting enough writing done or mindlessly scrolling through social media when you mean to be writing. That’s when it’s especially important to lean heavily on your good habits. If taking walks helps clear your head and let you focus, then (assuming you can safely walk right now) keep taking walks!
(Also, keep writing new stories not just revising the old!)
SUSANNA:Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?
GABI: You never know what’s might inspire a story; keep an open mind and jot down every idea!
SUSANNA:Great advice! Thank you so much, Gabi, for taking the time to participate in this series and pay it forward to other writers! I know I speak for all of us when I say congratulations on your starred debut and all the best of luck with this and future publications!!!
GABI: I hope my answers are helpful. Thanks, Susanna, for all you do for the kidlit community. Your blog and website are such amazing resources!
So lovely of you to drop by to visit on a Thursday when I don’t usually post!
Latte?
You must have heard about my irresistible new offering and stampeded over to avail yourself of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Yes! The hype is all true!
Today, you can broaden your horizons with
for the low, low price of $0!!!
Learn how to:
start ten tasks at once. . . without the burden of actually finishing any of them!
work for 10 minutes and get distracted with online holiday shopping!
realize you’ve been online shopping for one hour and 73 minutes and remind yourself sternly that you’re supposed to be working!
check all your social media accounts, work for 10 minutes, then sharpen your mental skills with a rigorous round of Sporcle! (Can you name the 10 US State Capitals you can’t fly to?)
travel to another continent in the middle of hosting a writing contest!
fall asleep on your computer and get keyboard checkers on your cheek!
work for 10 minutes and decide to make tiramisu!
. . . and so much more!
What is that?
You DIDN’T come to absorb my freely-given wisdom on productivity when I have clearly taken it to new heights? (I did say it was unprecedented. . . 😊)
Fine.
I will do my best not to take it personally that you doubt my fitness as a model of organization, efficiency, and productivity just because the Halloweensie Winners haven’t been posted yet, and we’ll move on to how I can help you with choosing the right burlap sack for any social occasion which must be why you’re here if you don’t want to improve your productivity.
Wait, what?
You’re here because you want to know who won Halloweensie?
Well why didn’t you just say so?!
Because it just so happens that I know! 😊
As you are all aware by now, we had an amazing turnout for Halloweensie 2019 – 324!!! entries! Golly gee willikers!!!
I was thrilled beyond measure to see so many wonderful stories and meet so many new writers! And I don’t know about you guys, but for me Halloween wouldn’t be Halloween without Halloweensie! What’s better than a candy-filled dark and spooky night? A candy-filled dark and spooky night with 324 fabulous stories to read! 😊
With large entry numbers come hard choices, though. My assistant judges and I worked hard to winnow the total down to a manageable number of finalists that we felt were truly all-around deserving of that distinction, and those were the ones we presented to you for your vote.
There were, however, many other entries that were outstanding in certain areas even though they might not have qualified all-around for one reason or another (one reason being that, at a certain point, we just had to stop adding finalists to the list! :))
So my assistant judges and I would like to award recognition and a small prize to the following authors for the following merits:
1. For Honorable Mention In The Competition As A Whole: (all-around well-written stories we loved that just missed the finals for one small reason or another!)
Lindsay Leslie for The Scurry Treat (well written, great use of language, great ending!)
Cassy Ciarq for Trick Or Treat (well written, great job evoking the delicious fear and excitement of a child trick-or-treating in the dark!)
Marta Magellan for Scary Things (well written, great job showing the spookiness of Halloween and the back-to-normal morning after – good kid appeal)
Linda Hofke for What Witch Whips Up (so cleverly written with the body parts subtly woven in to lead up to the ending of “body lotion”!)
David McMullin for Billy And Buddy’s Epic Halloween (fun and kid-friendly, very believably “kid” and sibling!)
Tracy Curran for My Mummy’s A Witch (fun and kid-friendly with a great twist ending!)
Mary Vander Plas for Some Arachnid (well written fun story – great twist on Charlotte’s Web!)
Chelsea Tornetto for Booty And A Beat (clever, fun to read aloud, irresistible rhythm)
Roo Parkin for The Road To Grimly Gore (well written, great use of language, fun ending!)
Pat Finnegan forSave-This-Night (a kid-friendly witchy change-of-attitude story)
2. For Best Endings: (not already in the finals)
Stephanie Williams for The Contest
Lauri Meyers for Haunted Halloween Hop
Lauren Neil for Witch 101
Shelley Kinder for Fishy Witchy
Sue Lancaster for The Halloween Hop
3. For Great Use of Language: (not already in the finals)
Sue Heavenrich for Spider Parade
Jenna Waldman for All Hallows Poetry Reading
Sarah Meade for The Goblin And The Girl
Deborah Boerema for Monster-Matopoeia
4. For Spookiest/Creepy Entry: (not already in the finals)
Christina Dendy for The Bone House
Unidentified author for Matilda’s Treat
Paul Kurtz for Cobwebs
Mary C. Thorpe for What Had They Found?
Vashti Verbowski for Cecil The Beetle (And The Web Of Wishes)
5. For Funniest Entry: (not already in the finals)
Kael Tudor for Hubble, Bubble, Toil And . . . Muddle?
Greg Bray for The Ultimate Spider-Man Costume
Susan Summers for The Witch’s Dilemma
6. For Sweetest Entry: (not already in the finals)
Melissa Miles for Just One Child
Lisa Zaccaria for Halloween Surprise
7. For Unique Character: (not already in the finals)
Cathy Murphy for A Cure For Cobweb (Spider turns into a Unitoad – like a unicorn but a toad!)
Lori Himmel for The Very Haunted House (MC is the house)
8. For Great Read For Younger Readers: (not already in the finals)
Brenda Whitehead for Halloween Countdown
Avana Lily for The Little Witch Helps Out
JoAnn DiVerdi for Boo-Boo! A Little Ghost Story
9. For Creative Format:
Jenna Waldman for Ghost Store (written like a commercial)
Michelle Henrie for Halloween Treat (written as a crossword puzzle)
10. For Good Kid Voice:
Lindsey Hobson for Little Brother
11. For Good Depiction of Siblings: (not already in the finals)
Tara Cerven for A Silken Surprise
12: For Cleverness: (not already in the finals)
Mary Rudzinski for Halloween Forever
Erin Kerger Duffett for Three Cauldrons Full
13. For Contestants Who Entered Multiple Strong Entries:
Sarah Meade
Paul Kurtz
Donna Kurtz
Michelle Kennedy
14. Last But Not Least A Very Special Mention:
Joyce Schriebman for The Good Witch – a tribute to our sweet friend, Robyn Campbell, who always went out of her way to help others and whom we miss dearly.
Congratulations to all of you for fantastic elements of your stories! You may all email me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com subject line Prize Winner to collect your prize, which is a $5 Amazon Email Gift Certificate (which you may spend on one of the many Kindle choices listed in previous contests here, or add to your Amazon bucks for a gift for yourself or someone else, or whatever else you might choose to do!) as well as a beautiful certificate of achievement that you may display on your blog or print out and frame or turn into a flag to carry with you everywhere and wave out the window of your car 😊
A word about the prizes before I announce the winners.
We have 12 fabulous prizes, generously donated by authors and various professionals in the writing field. My policy is to let the first place winner have first pick of all the prizes, the second place winner have second choice, etc. That way hopefully nobody gets something they already have, and hopefully everyone gets something that’s valuable to them. All prizes are listed at the bottom of this post for your convenience in perusing the goodies 🙂
Now.
Finally!
Onto the moment you’ve all been waiting for. . .
. . . the reason you got out of bed this morning. . .
. . . in spite of shadows under your bleary eyes. . .
. . . and the candy corn that is stuck in your hair!!!
. . . THE WINNERS OF THE 2019 HALLOWEENSIE CONTEST as chosen by you, our esteemed voters!!!!!
In First Place, winner of the whole entire contest and top of the heap who gets first choice of all the prizes…
Jocelyn Watkinson
for
Vampire Stains
Congratulations, Jocelyn, on a fabulously written, entertaining entry that was all around well done and clearly very popular with judges and voters alike!!!
In Second Place,
Keatley Eastman
for
Sneaky Sister
Congratulations, Keatley, on a cute, well written, kid friendly entry with a great ending! (and for coming in 2nd two years in a row!) You get first choice of the prizes that are left after Jocelyn chooses!
In Third Place,
Paul Kurtz for A Halloween Visit
Congratulations, Paul, on a well written, clever entry that masterfully combined elements of Halloween and Christmas into Spider Claws! You get first choice of the prizes that are left after Jocelyn and Keatley choose!
In Fourth Place,
Leslie Goodman
for The Nickname Cure
Congratulations, Leslie, on a fun story with funny twist of an ending! You get to pick a prize after Jocelyn, Keatley, and Paul!
In Fifth Place,
Katrina Swenson for Itchy Witchy Underwear
Congratulations, Katrina, on your delightfully well written entry that made us laugh out loud! You get to pick your prize after Jocelyn, Keatley, Paul, and Leslie!
In Sixth Place,
Maryna Doughty
for
Ghost’s Pest Problem
Congratulations, Maryna, on your clever, fun and creative entry! You get to pick your prize after Jocelyn, Keatley, Paul, Leslie, and Katrina!
In Seventh Place,
Mary Ann Cortez
for Let’s Go Scarecrow
Congratulations, Mary Ann, on your fun, Going On A Bear Hunt-esque twist on Halloween! You get to pick your prize after Maryna!
In Eighth Place,
Colleen Murphy for Broom Or Bust
Congratulations, Colleen, for a beautifully written, fun, entertaining kid-friendly entry! You get to pick your prize after Mary Ann!
In Ninth Place,
Jill Lambert
for Tacky Trick
Congratulations, Jill! What is a spider to do if his silk has no stick’em?! 😊 You get to pick a prize after Colleen…!
In Tenth Place
Debbie Day
for Gloona The Grinchy Witch
Congratulations, Debbie, on making us laugh at your Grinchy Witch! You get to prize pick after Jill.
In Eleventh Place
Sandy Perlic
for
Boo Quiet To Spook?
Congratulations, Sandy, we loved your timid little witch who was given a little boost by her giant sneeze 😊 You get to pick a prize after Debbie.
In Twelfth Place
Ingrid Boydston
for
Tricky Witch Test
Congratulations, Ingrid, on a fun story! Nothing like turning into a pumpkin! 😊 You get to pick your prize after Sandy!
And, I don’t think I need to remind anyone that in addition to all these fabulous prizes, everyone mentioned on this page has bragging rights as having won or placed in the Pretty Much World Famous Halloweensie Contest! Not just anyone can say that 🙂
All the winners should email me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com with the subject heading Prize Winner so we can work out details for you to receive your prizes! If you choose a prize that requires snail mailing, PLEASE include your snail mail address so we don’t have to email back and forth too many times 🙂 If you would like a beautiful certificate to celebrate your accomplishment, you are most welcome to one!
Congratulations again to all our winners – it was a stiff competition!! – and congratulations to EVERYONE who wrote and entered a story in the contest. You all deserve a huge round of applause, a confetti parade, and a truckloads of leftover fun-sized chocolate. . . if there is any 😊
Thank you to everyone who helped make this contest SO MUCH FUN, whether by writing an entry, reading people’s stories, leaving comments for the authors, and/or voting in the finals, or by donating a prize! It’s because of all of you that this contest was such a success, so many, many thanks from the bottom of my heart!
And before we go, I will give you all advance warning so you can start planning a little time into your December schedule…
Assuming you guys are up for it – and you’d better let me know in the comments!!! – the 9th Annual Holiday Writing Contest will be coming up sometime in the neighborhood of December 7 so we can all fully enjoy it and still have time for last minute holiday things. I will do my best to post the rules well in advance (maybe the Saturday after Thanksgiving, good lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise! 🙂 ) so you all have time to work on your stories! But please let me know if you feel like it’s too much and you’d rather not do it!
Have a terrific Thursday everyone, and thanks again for making the Halloweensie Contest such a wonderful time for all! 🙂
The Prizes: SO AMAZING! What a generous community we have to donate so much awesomeness!!! 🙂
Go Directly To Go! Skip The Slushpile at Blue Whale Press and Get Your PB Manuscript Directly On The Editor’s Desk!!!
Submit your picture book manuscript directly to editor Alayne Christian for her consideration and critique. Helpful feedback is a certainty, publication could be a possibility!
Blue Whale Press is an SCBWI PAL publisher of children’s books that focuses on stories involving themes of friendship and/or personal challenge. Most often, stories are selected for publishing due to their inherent educational or moral value. But as a general rule, a good dose of humor or a tug at the heart doesn’t hurt their chances of being published either. While a few chapter books and a middle grade are on their list, their focus is picture books. As a boutique publisher who doesn’t mind taking risks, Blue Whale Press considers itself to be a launch pad for authors and illustrators hoping to establish themselves.
Hone Your Skills with the Lyrical Language Lab Rhyme & Meter Self Study Crash Course (11 Lessons) from accomplished writer and poet Renee LaTulippe
INTENSIVE RHYME AND METER CRASH COURSE
This option contains all the same lessons as Module 1 of Renee’s fully guided course, including all supplemental materials, downloads, and audio/video components. This is the option to choose if you need to build a strong foundation in the mechanics of rhyming picture books and poetry. The major focus is on the four main types of meter and how to use mixed and varied meter. Other topics include rhythm, cadence, breath, scansion, rhyme, sound devices, figurative language, imagery, and diction.
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You also have the opportunity to submit two of your assignments to Renee for feedback, and have email access to ask questions about the lessons as you complete them. Although lessons will arrive every other day, you are free to complete them at your own pace.
See the course description above for more information.
Rhyming Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Carrie Finison, author of DOZENS OF DOUGHNUTS and DON’T HUG DOUG, forthcoming from Putnam in August 2020 and Spring 2021.
Fiction OR Nonfiction Picture Book Manuscript Critique (non-rhyming please) from Darshana Khiani, author of HOW TO WEAR A SARI forthcoming from HMH/Versify, Spring 2021
Picture Book Manuscript Critique (non-rhyming please) from Gabi Snyder, author of TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE, forthcoming from Abrams Appleseed, May 2020 and LISTEN, forthcoming from S&S/Wiseman, Spring 2021
Please join me in thanking these very generous authors and other writing professionals for contributing their books and writing expertise as prizes by visiting their websites and blogs, considering their books and services for holiday or other gift purchases, rating and/or reviewing their books on GoodReads, Amazon, B&N or anywhere else if you like them, recommending them for school visits, or supporting them in any other way you can dream up 🙂
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Susanna Leonard Hill 
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