So you’ve written your picture book. Now what?

• Give your picture book the best chance for success.
• Tighten your prose and make your story more compelling.
• Master line editing, patterning and rhythm.
• Learn skills you can apply to any picture book.

Congratulations! You have followed the rules, techniques and guidelines to creating your own picture book manuscript. So, it just needs pictures and you’re done, right?

Not so fast.

The picture book publishing process is a long one, so it makes sense to ensure yours is the best it can be, before you introduce your story to the world. Is your manuscript ready to submit to publishers? This masterclass will help you decide – for your current story and any you write in the future.

Open only to graduates of the Australian Writers’ Centre course in Writing Picture Books, this masterclass will help remove the fog of this tricky transition from writing to selling your book. After all, you only have one shot at this, so it makes sense to get it right.

Maybe you’ve been so inspired that you’ve written several picture books. How do you determine which one is the best? Alternatively, you may be looking for that final spark of guidance to iron out your story.

And then there’s the question of getting an editor’s attention.
The good news is that all of this is covered.

The course is designed to give you the tools to ensure your picture book is appealing to publishers. By the end of the course, you’ll know how to prepare your picture book manuscript for pitching and publication. You’ll receive personalised feedback from acclaimed picture book editor Cathie Tasker on your pitch.

Cathie will review your specific pitch and help you polish it so that it meets industry expectations in order to give your picture book the best chance of success. Remember, a publisher won’t even look at your manuscript if they aren’t hooked in by your pitch. So, this feedback is invaluable.

Cathie has worked for children’s publishers such as HarperCollins Publishers, Scholastic Australia and Koala Books. She has edited books by Mem Fox, Jackie French, Bruce Whatley, Judith Rossell, Sue Whiting, Pamela Freeman, Coral Vass, Craig Smith, Dee Huxley, Hazel Edwards, Ann James, Matt Cosgrove, Meredith Costain, Rod Clement, Sally Odgers, Patricia Mullins, Rodney McRae, Pamela Lofts, Junko Morimoto and more. Many of her students end up with publishing deals.