Picture Books, with agent Emily Keyes, Winter 2026

January 7th, 2026 - February 6th, 2026

with Kim Pfennigwerth

Group started

You'll submit your pages at the group start, then spend the next weeks critiquing peer stories. The agent 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 agent to dig into feedback, brainstorm next steps, and discuss any writing questions. In addition, the agent will lead a group discussion in the group workspace.


You may sign up for 1 PB workshop per season. 30 days ahead, you may sign up for a second group provided you are able to give thorough peer critiques in each group.

Notes

Who this workshop is for: <p><span>Writers are expected to be at an intermediate level of picture book writing craft or above. Writers may have achieved&nbsp;this through self-study of books and exercises, or organized instruction such as classes, workshops, or webinars. Writers should be familiar with elements of craft such as characterization, plot, internal arc, and pacing, in order to offer craft-rooted feedback to their peers.</span></p>

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

Group size: 8 writers

Submissions: <p>Fiction submissions should be under 900 words; nonfiction should be under 1550 words including backmatter. If your backmatter runs longer, please submit the headers for sections that are not included and omit your bibliography.&nbsp;<br></p><p></p>

Fee

Members: $140; Non-members: $165

About Kim Pfennigwerth

Emily S. Keyes is the owner and founder of Keyes Agency, LLC and formerly was an agent at Fuse Literary and L. Perkins Agency.

Previously
she worked at Fuse Literary as an agent, and at the L. Perkins Agency
as a contracts manager and associate agent. Before that, she was a
Contracts Administrator at Simon & Schuster for five years.  In
2008, she graduated from New York University’s Center for Publishing.
Emily lives in Brooklyn but she can usually be found spending too much
time on the internet.

Schedule:

  • Wed, Jan 7 - Submissions due
  • Wed, Feb 3, - Critiques due
  • Tues, Feb 3, 4-6:15pm ET - Debrief call
  • Fri, Feb 6 - Group closes