Crash Course in Children's Publishing: Everything You Need to Know - Online Course 2020
With Harold Underdown and Leah Henderson
October 7 - December 9, 2020
Online Course Info:
This is a ten-week online course featuring live sessions with faculty, pre-recorded lectures, writing exercises, community interaction, goal-setting and a 1:1 consultation with faculty.
You can watch some previews of the course here:
Ta-DAA! Acquisition!
Design & Illustration
More Kinds of Picture Books
Join Us Online To:
Understand how the children’s book publishing industry works, including writing, revising, submitting, publishing, and marketing a book for children, teens, or young adults. Learn details about the editorial development process, including what to do once you have a finished book. All of this will be covered in this ten-week online course, plus you’ll have a 1:1 consultation with faculty after the course to discuss your specific work and goals.
The course is divided into 10 sessions:
- Session 1: Introduction to the Crash Course
- Session 2: Books, Publishers, Markets and More
- Session 3: Getting Started with Your Story
- Session 4: Getting Started as a Professional
- Session 5: Digging into Character
- Session 6: Research, Submission, Query Letters
- Session 7: Getting the Deal
- Session 8: Digging Into Illustration
- Session 9: What Comes After: The Editing and Publishing Process
- Session 10: Where Do We Go From Here?
What You’ll Learn:
This is a workshop for serious beginners: learn all you need to know about the business of publishing children’s books! You will:
- Explore genres of books, types of publishers, types of markets; fiction vs. nonfiction, flat fee vs. royalties, school & libraries.
- Find out how to get help before you submit: books, conferences, critique groups, beta readers, children.
- Use writing exercises to get to know your characters and develop your stories.
- Understand submissions rules and practices: which mistakes to avoid.
- Find out how to get started as a professional and find your community.
- Learn about how publishers sign up manuscripts and how to make sense of contracts.
- Discover the publishing process: developmental editing, line-editing, copyediting and proofreading, design & illustration, production, marketing & distribution.
Attend If:
- You are a serious beginner. Are you tired of exhaustive online searches, hard-to-sift-through information, or lack of practical advice? This course is a great way to get a jump start on your goals.
- You want to write for children but don’t know how to get started. Our goal is to demystify children’s publishing and answer ALL of your questions about the process.
- You’ve written a story for children but have no idea about how to submit it to publishers. This course will give you best practices for revising and submitting your work.
- You have sold some stories to children’s magazines and would now like to learn more about the book publishing process. Perfect! We’ll give you a behind-the-scenes look at all that goes on, from submission to publication.
- You’re ready to devote some time to learn and practice. This course offers long-term support over 9 weeks and allows you to learn at your own pace.
Preliminary Agenda
The course is divided up into 10 sessions, each with a different topic. Here are the session topics and dates (all times are Eastern):
Week 1: Introduction to the Crash Course
October 7
LIVE Zoom session, 8 pm
Introductions, overview, goal setting.
October 8
LIVE Zoom Office Hour, 11 am
Week 2: Books, Publishers, Markets and More
October 14
Pre-recorded content released
- Types and genres in the children’s book industry
- Types of publishers, and who’s who
- Today’s children’s book market
- Additional resources, including Matthew Winner’s “Writers Are Readers” and more!
October 15
LIVE Zoom Office Hour, 11 am
Week 3: Getting Started with Your Story
October 21
LIVE Zoom session, 8 pm
Pre-recorded content released
- Reading current books, and how to do it
- Building your industry knowledge
- Getting feedback and revising
- Additional resources, including review sources, how-to books, and more!
October 22
LIVE Zoom Office Hour, 11 am
Week 4: Getting Started as a Professional
October 28
Pre-recorded content released
- Getting started as a writer
- Finding community, caring for yourself as a creative, and dedicating time to your craft
- Additional resources, including “You’re Never Too Old to Write” and more!
October 29
LIVE Zoom Office Hour, 11 am
Week 5: Digging Into Character
November 4
LIVE Zoom session, 8 pm
- Knowing your characters: creative exercises
- Character backstory
- Little known facts
- Character voice
- Character interview
- Place as character
November 5
LIVE Zoom Office Hour, 11 am
Week 6: Research, Submission, Query Letters
November 11
LIVE Zoom session, 8 pm
Pre-recorded content released
- Publishers and Editors
- Agents & What They Do
- Submissions
- Additional resources including, “Query Writing is All About the Pitch” and more!
November 12
LIVE Zoom Office Hour, 11 am
Week 7: Getting the Deal
November 18
LIVE Zoom session, 8 pm
Pre-recorded content released
- Acquisitions
- The contract
- Understanding terms and royalties
- What to WATCH OUT for
- Additional resources including “Believing After 10 Rejections” and more!
November 19
LIVE Zoom Office Hour, 11 am
Week 8: Digging Into Illustration
November 25
Pre-recorded content released
Week 9: What Comes After: The Editing and Publishing Process
December 2
Pre-recorded content released
- Developmental editing, line-editing, copyediting and proofreading.
- Design and illustration
- Production
- Marketing
- Distribution
- The “End”
- Additional resources including a video highlighting self-publishing in today’s market, and more!
December 3
LIVE Zoom Office Hour, 11 am
Week 10: Where Do We Go From Here?
December 9
LIVE Zoom final session, 8 pm
- Questions you still have
- Evaluating your goals and next steps of action
- Preparing for individual consultations
After the online sessions: book your 1:1 consultation with faculty.
Resources:
Who should attend? Watch the video.
Into the Woods podcast talks with Harold Underdown about the online Crash Course
7 Quick Tips for Beginning Writers
How to Start Revising That First Draft
Getting Out of the Slush Pile
Questions to ask BEFORE you submit your story or art
Testimonials:
“I was able to confidently complete my draft and query letter. It was the highlight (no pun intended) of my year! Thank you. I am looking forward to working with my mentor, as well.”
“I loved getting deep insight into the children’s book world today, and also a better understanding of the business of the publishing world and how to navigate it. It was a comprehensive overview – and the instructors were positive and supportive.”
“I can’t say enough about the instructors. The knowledge they shared was incredible and in a very non-threatening manner to one who is just trying to get started. I found encouragement in the midst of the reality of the hard work and time requirements.”
“I am thrilled with this experience. So many of my questions have been answered and I learned a great deal. Harold is wonderful and I enjoyed listening to him. Allison did a great job, too, especially about query letters.”
About the Leader
Categories : Career Building Blocks, Just Getting Started, Online, Pre-Published Author or Illustrator, Specialty or Other, The Business of Publishing, Working on a draft