Fall 2022 - Advanced Picture Book Writing, with Eve Adler

September 20th, 2022 - February 3rd, 2023

with Brooke McIntyre

Group started

In this workshop, picture book writers will work with literary agent Eve Adler and a curated group of peers to revise and polish a manuscript for submission. At the start of the group, writers will submit three stories to determine which story to focus on for the remainder of the workshop. Writers will do a broad revision of the selected story for their second submission, and will polish their work for their third submission. Writers will peer critique one another's work in addition to receiving feedback from Eve. 

While the workshop allows significant time for revision and critique, the time tends to pass quickly, and participants should be mindful of their schedules when considering this group.

APPLY BY JUNE 12th, 11:59AM Eastern Time. https://inkedvoices.typeform.com/to/FBLHkLUx. If there are more interested than spots available, we will draw names. Note that this is the same application for Sean McCarthy and Eve Adler's groups.

Notes

Who this workshop is for: The workshop is geared towards picture book writers who are farther along in their journey, who are querying, preparing to query, or perhaps have published with smaller publishing houses. The workshop is open to agented writers as well.

Focus: Children's - Picture Books - Fiction - Children's - Picture…

Group size: 5 writers

Submissions: There will be three rounds of submissions. Writers will begin by submitting 3 stories. After the first round, writers will select a single story to work on for the remainder of the workshop.

Fee

Members: $350; Non-members: $395

About Brooke McIntyre

Eve Adler worked as an editor for over 16 years before becoming an agent. She's building her list with authors and illustrators of board books, picture books, early readers, chapter books, and middle grade projects. She’s drawn to stories that make kids feel comforted, loved, and understood; to diverse voices; to ideas that break the mold; to projects that meet kids where they are developmentally; and to books that expand kids’ worlds while helping them understand their own. After years of working in-house, Eve loves how agenting offers the ability to discover talent anywhere, to develop ideas with authors and illustrators, and to find the right home for projects, whether at big or small publishers. She's looking forward to being an advisor and cheerleader for clients throughout their careers, and is eager to find new talent!

When critiquing a manuscript, I'm looking for a strong voice, first and foremost. A strong voice is what draws a reader in, and will keep them wanting to read the book over and over again. Sometimes authors haven't quite found the right voice for a manuscript, and a few probing questions can lead them in the right direction. I also look for character development, which creates an emotional pull; an interesting plot; and a solid structure. I think about the intended audience, and whether or not the story, style, and vocabulary are appropriate for the age group. And I think about the marketplace, how this book will compete with others, and how sellable it will be to editors.

Schedule:

Sept 20th- Round 1 submissions due
Oct 10th - critiques due
Oct 17th, 2:30-4:45pm ET- debrief call #1
Nov 23rd- Round 2 submissions due
Dec 8th- Round 2 critiques due
Dec 15th, 2:30-4:30pm ET - Debrief Call #2
Jan 16th - Round 3 submissions due
Jan 23rd - Round 3 critiques due
Jan 30th, 2:30-4:30pm ET - Debrief Call #3