Crash Course in Children's Publishing: Everything You Need to Know Online Course Feb-Apr 2021

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: What Comes After: The Editing and Publishing Process
• Session 9: Digging Into Illustration
• Session 10: Where Do We Go From Here?

Scroll down to see a detailed agenda with dates.

Please note:
If you’re unable for any reason to attend any sessions, you’ll have access to the recordings of each through May 7, 2021.

What You’ll Learn & Experience:

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.

Join Us 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
February 3
LIVE Zoom session, 8 pm Eastern
Introductions, overview, goal setting.

February 5
LIVE Zoom Office Hour, 11 am Eastern
Bring your questions for open discussion

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Week 2: Books, Publishers, Markets and More
February 10

Pre-recorded content released

• Types of books 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!

February 12
LIVE Zoom Office Hour, 11 am Eastern

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Week 3: Getting Started with Your Story
February 17

LIVE Zoom session, 8 pm Eastern

Additional 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!

February 19
LIVE Zoom Office Hour, 11 am Eastern

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Week 4: Getting Started as a Professional
February 24

Pre-recorded content released

• Getting started as a writer
• Finding community, caring for yourself as a creative, and dedicating time to your craft with Leah Henderson
• Essential conversations in children’s publishing: responsible representation, anti-racism and anti-bias books
• Additional resources, including “You’re Never Too Old to Write” and more!

February 26
LIVE Zoom Office Hour, 11 am Eastern

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Week 5: Digging Into Character
March 3

LIVE Zoom session, 8 pm Eastern

• Knowing your characters: creative exercises
• Character backstory
• Little known facts
• Character voice
• Character interview
• Place as character

March 5
LIVE Zoom Office Hour, 11 am Eastern

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Week 6: Research, Submission, Query Letters
March 10

LIVE Zoom session, 8 pm Eastern

Additional content released

• Publishers and Editors
• Agents & What They Do
• Submissions
• Additional resources including, “Query Writing is All About the Pitch” and more!

March 12
LIVE Zoom Office Hour, 11 am Eastern

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Week 7: Getting the Deal
March 17

LIVE Zoom session, 8 pm Eastern

Additional content released

• Acquisitions
• The contract
• Understanding terms and royalties
• What to WATCH OUT for
• Additional resources including “Believing After 10 Rejections” and more!

March 19
LIVE Zoom Office Hour, 11 am Eastern

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Week 8: What Comes After: The Editing and Publishing Process
March 24

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!

March 26
LIVE Zoom Office Hour, 11 am Eastern

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Week 9: Digging Into Illustration
March 31

Pre-recorded content released

The illustration process:

• sketches
• approval of sketches
• art samples
• final art
• the book design
• and more with Daria Peoples Riley

No Office Hour this week

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Week 10: Where Do We Go From Here?
April 7

LIVE Zoom final session, 8 pm Eastern

• 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.

For more information about scholarships, click here.

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.”