Advanced Picture Books, with Taylor Norman

October 6th, 2023 - November 6th, 2023

with Taylor Norman

Group started

You'll submit your pages at the group start, then spend the next weeks critiquing peer stories. The editor will submit their notes near the critique deadline. After critiques are complete, we host a live group debrief over Zoom, in which each writer gets individual time with the editor to dig into feedback, brainstorm next steps, and discuss any writing questions. 

Our goal with these events is to help writers strengthen the project submitted and to push their storytelling craft.

<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e7540f32-7fff-aad2-bbae-d7ce5b5cb9c0"><span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">You may participate in up to one picture book workshop per season (fall includes late Aug-Dec start dates).</span></span><br></p>

Notes

Who this workshop is for: This workshop is an advanced group. You must be an Inked Voices member, and you must meet one of the following for this advanced group: 1) picture book traditionally published or under contract; 2) agented (or previously agented in the past 3 years); or 3) querying and getting requests for additional PB manuscripts.&nbsp;

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

Group size: 9 writers

Submissions: <p>Submit one fiction picture book under 900 words or one nonfiction picture book under 1500 words (including backmatter).</p><p><span style="font-family: &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 700;">Changes and Withdrawals Policy:&nbsp;</span></p><ul><li>2 months or more&nbsp;ahead of a workshop start: you will be credited the full amount of the workshop, less a $15 change fee.</li><li>Under 2 months to 15 days ahead of a workshop start: you will be credited for the full workshop cost less a $15 charge if we are able to replace you. If we can't replace you, you will receive a credit for 50% of the workshop cost.</li><li>Withdrawals within 2 weeks&nbsp;of a workshop start will not be credited even if you are able to be replaced. Your payment will go towards our scholarship program.&nbsp;</li></ul>

Fee

Members: $118; Non-members: $140

About Taylor Norman

Taylor devoted the first eleven years of her career to authors, illustrators, kids, and books at Chronicle Books, and has spent the past five years working with 3rd-5th graders as a writing tutor at 826 Tenderloin. Now, she is the executive editor at Neal Porter Books, an imprint of Holiday House. She is based in Oakland, California. 
Taylor tries her best to make books that are highly attentive and without condescension to the kid reader. She devotes her energy to helping her creators make each book the best possible version of itself. And she cares very deeply about publishing books that are welcoming and friendly to as many types of kids as possible, in hopes of making it easy for any child to consider herself a reader—no matter how often, when, or why she chooses to pick up a book.  Books she is especially proud to have published include The Snail by Emily Hughes; Have You Ever Seen a Flower? by Shawn Harris (Caldecott Honor), The Other Half of Happy by Rebecca Balcárcel (Pura Belpré Honor); Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers, illustrated by Shawn Harris (Orbis Pictus Honor); Mr. Watson’s Chickens, by Jarrett Dapier and illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi; and the Pura Belpré–winning Lowriders series of graphic novels, by Cathy Camper and illustrated by Raúl the Third.

Schedule:

  • Fri, Oct 6th - Submissions due
  • Fri, Oct 27th - Critiques due
  • Fri, Nov 3rd, 4-6:15pm ET - Debrief call
  • Mon, Nov 6th - Group closes