Children’s Book Writing and Publishing

Is there a children’s book inside of you just waiting to get out?

Are you curious about how to get started on writing a book for a young audience? Want to hear some personal experiences from both traditionally and independently published children’s book authors? And what about getting your book illustrated?

At our May 14 meeting, we’ll have a panel consisting of a children’s book illustrator and two children’s book authors - one who went the traditional publishing route and one who self-published a series of books for kids.

The panel members will answer your questions and share their experiences on a variety of topics, including:

• How to determine the age range of your readers and why that matters
• What you need to know before you start writing and designing art for your book
• How to find and work with an illustrator
• The unique marketing challenges and opportunities for children’s book authors

If you’re in the process of writing a children’s book or have been thinking about it, this is a meeting you won’t want to miss.

And if you have no interest in publishing books for kids, you are still bound to learn a few important lessons you can apply to your own book, no matter what the genre.

Our speakers:

Amy Sklansky is a dynamic, successful children’s book author whose career began as an editor at HarperCollins Children's Books in New York and Studio Goodwin Sturges in Boston. Among her books are From the Doghouse: Poems to Chew On and Skeleton Bones and Goblin Groans: Poems for Halloween. Her first original board book, You Are My Little Cupcake, was #1 on the St. Louis Independent Bookstores Bestseller List and featured in Scholastic's Parent & Child Magazine. Publishers Weeklycalled Amy's latest book, Out of This World: Poems and Facts about Space, "an evocative mix of the whimsical and the scientific." You can find more about Amy at her website at www.amysklansky.com.

Tim Hill is the author of the Joe the Crab series of children’s books. Based on bedtime stories he told his own kids, these delightfully written and illustrated books describe the challenges young children face in schools and at home. Tim frequently speaks before school groups and appears at charity events. He hopes the characters in his books don't just entertain but also teach children important life lessons as they mature. www.joethecrab.com.

Jennifer Stolzer is a freelance illustrator and author based in St. Louis. She specializes in local, independent children's books, book and audiobook cover designs, logos, promotional art, comics, commissions, and more. See her online portfolio at www.jenniferstolzer.com, or find her on Facebook. Jennifer also produces dog- and cat-themed merchandise at www.jensdogsCUSTOM.com.