Journey to KidLit - How to Write & Publish Books for Kids

Kitty O'Meara never thought a simple Facebook post meant to encourage some friends during quarantine would take on a life of its own. But when Deepak Chopra shares your post, you know you have something special on your hands. AND THE PEOPLE STAYED HOME is the new children's book that came from this inspiring story. Kitty O'Meara explains how this journey unfolded, plus helpful tips for any other aspiring children's book author. Listen to the episode to learn more. Follow me on social: Twitter/Instagram @AuthorBrookeVS Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest @JourneytoKidLit Get Started Writing Your Own Children's Book! Learn how at journeytokidlit.com/kidlit-writers-starter-kit. Music from filmmusic.io "Happy Alley" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) License: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Are you hoping to one day illustrate a children's book? Or wondering what it takes to create illustrations in books? My guest today will be sure to answer your questions. Holly Hatam has been illustrating for kids since 2013 and is the NY Times best-selling illustrator of books like Dear Girl. It was so great to chat about her process and tips on illustrating for kids. Listen to the full episode here. Follow me on social: Twitter/Instagram @AuthorBrookeVS Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest @JourneytoKidLit Get Started Writing Your Own Children's Book! Learn how at journeytokidlit.com/kidlit-writers-starter-kit. Music from filmmusic.io "Happy Alley" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) License: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Do you find it's a struggle to market your children's book? You're not alone! A lot of authors struggle with this, which is why my guest today has decided to help. Lara is the founder of StoryAntics. A new website that helps indie authors share their books with more potential readers. Listen for more on how it works on today's episode of the Journey to Kidlit Podcast. Follow me on social: Twitter/Instagram @AuthorBrookeVS Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest @JourneytoKidLit Get Started Writing Your Own Children's Book! Learn how at journeytokidlit.com/kidlit-writers-starter-kit. Music from filmmusic.io "Happy Alley" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) License: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

What happens when someone makes a Fairy-Tailed wish on the eve of their birthday? This is a family tradition that's been happening for a long time in the Pighetti house that Megan wanted to share with other children. Learn more about her story and how she was able to publish her first picture book in today's interview! (A great inspiration for anyone hoping write a book together as a family!) And to learn more about Megan and her book, Fairy Tailed Wish, visit: journeytokidlit.com/episode-20-picture-book-megan-pighetti

Lindsay Barry sat down to talk about her upcoming books, Journey to Constellation Station and The Backpack (Both published by the Santa Fe Writers Project). She may be a two-time debut author now, but it didn't start out that way. Listen to today's episode about how Lindsay made time to write as a busy mom of two. Hopefully her publishing journey will inspire your own! And to learn more about Lindsay, her books, or writing books of your own, visit Journeytokidlit.com for more information! Follow me on social: New Instagram @JourneytoKidlit Twitter/Instagram @AuthorBrookeVS Facebook/Pinterest @JourneytoKidLit Get Your Own Ultimate Writing Binder! Learn more at journeytokidlit.com/ultimate-writing-binder. Music from filmmusic.io "Happy Alley" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) License: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

I have a very special guest on the podcast today! Laura Segal Stegman is sharing her publishing journey on what it took to publish her debut middle grade novel, Summer of LUCK. Listen to the full interview here. If you'd like to learn more about Laura and her book, visit her website at LauraStegman.com. For more writing and publishing tips, visit journeytokidlit.com! Follow me on social: Twitter/Instagram @AuthorBrookeVS Facebook/Pinterest/Instagram @JourneytoKidLit Get Your Own Ultimate Writing Binder! Learn more at journeytokidlit.com/ultimate-writing-binder. Music from filmmusic.io "Happy Alley" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) License: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

I'm so excited for my guest today because she's the children's book illustrator for my newest picture book, Humans In-Training! Elizabeth Savanella sat down to talk illustrating books for kids and what it's like to be a book creator. Listen to the interview here. Humans In-Training comes out on August 25th! You can order your own copy through the publisher's site here: http://bibliokidpublishing.com/product/humans-in-training/ And to learn more about Elizabeth Savanella and her art visit esprints.com. Follow me on social: Twitter/Instagram @AuthorBrookeVS Facebook/Pinterest @JourneytoKidLit Get Your Own Ultimate Writing Binder! Learn more at journeytokidlit.com/ultimate-writing-binder. Music from filmmusic.io "Happy Alley" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) License: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Today I'm hoping to inspire you to get started writing that book you keep thinking about! In this episode, I'm sharing a clip of an interview I did with author, Delanda Coleman. She shares why she decided to write her book, More Than a Princess, and it's a really good reason! Hopefully, it gets you excited to start writing, too! And to hear the full interview I did with Delanda, sign up for the KidLit Indie Publishing Summit! Visit: kidlitindiepubsummit.com to register for free. Follow me on social: Twitter/Instagram @AuthorBrookeVS Facebook/Pinterest @JourneytoKidLit Get Your Own Ultimate Writing Binder! Learn more at journeytokidlit.com/ultimate-writing-binder. Music from filmmusic.io "Happy Alley" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) License: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Think you can get away without using an editor? My guest explains why that kind of thinking might not be right. Listen to this week's edition of the Journey to KidLit podcast for the reason you need to work with an editor on your children's book. Plus, catch the full interview on editing tips in the upcoming KidLit Summit! To sign up for the KidLit Indie Publishing Summit we talked about in today's episode visit: kidlitindiepubsummit.com Follow me on social: Twitter/Instagram @AuthorBrookeVS Facebook/Pinterest @JourneytoKidLit Get Your Own Ultimate Writing Binder! Learn more at journeytokidlit.com/ultimate-writing-binder. Music from filmmusic.io "Happy Alley" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) License: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Need a new children's book idea to write about? I'm talking with award-winning author, Maya Sara Karthik, about her tips on how to find one. Listen to this week's edition of the Journey to KidLit podcast for 3 ways you can find new children's book ideas. Plus, listen to the complete 7-step writing process in the upcoming KidLit Summit! To sign up for the KidLit Indie Publishing Summit we talked about in today's episode visit: http://kidlitindiepubsummit.com Follow me on social: Twitter/Instagram @AuthorBrookeVS Facebook/Pinterest @JourneytoKidLit Get Your Own Ultimate Writing Binder! Learn more at journeytokidlit.com/ultimate-writing-binder. Music from filmmusic.io "Happy Alley" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) License: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Are you thinking about self-publishing your children's book? If you're not up for these three things, self-publishing might not be for you. Listen to this week's edition of the Journey to KidLit podcast about what to expect when you publish your own children's book. Plus, catch a special surprise at the end just for you! To get the links we talked about in today's episode visit: journeytokidlit.com/podcast Follow me on social: Twitter/Instagram @AuthorBrookeVS Facebook/Pinterest @JourneytoKidLit Get Your Own Ultimate Writing Binder! Learn more at journeytokidlit.com/ultimate-writing-binder. Music from filmmusic.io "Happy Alley" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) License: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Feel like you don't have any time in your week to write your book? You might be surprised how much time you have! Listen to this week's edition of the Journey to KidLit podcast for 4 ways to find more time to write with a busy schedule. And to learn more visit: journeytokidlit.com/podcast Follow me on social: Twitter/Instagram @AuthorBrookeVS Facebook/Pinterest @JourneytoKidLit Get Your Own Ultimate Writing Binder! Learn more at journeytokidlit.com/ultimate-writing-binder. Music from filmmusic.io "Happy Alley" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) License: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

It's really tempting to want to use a children's book to convey a message or teach a lesson. (I know I wanted to!) But that's not really how to tell a good children's book. Listen to this week's edition of the Journey to KidLit podcast about how you SHOULD write a children's book and how you can still convey a message. And to learn more visit: journeytokidlit.com/podcast Follow me on social: Twitter/Instagram @AuthorBrookeVS Facebook/Pinterest @JourneytoKidLit Get Your Own Ultimate Writing Binder! Learn more at journeytokidlit.com/ultimate-writing-binder. Music from filmmusic.io "Happy Alley" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) License: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

My guest on the show has recently written and published her third children's book with Amazon's KDP. Author Brigitte Brulz shares what it takes to self-publish a children's book, as well as, tips on how to market it. Listen to this week's edition of the Journey to KidLit podcast as I interview Brigitte, as she shares her insights on writing a series, self-publishing a children's book, and marketing as much as possible for free. Get the links to learn more about Brigitte Brulz & everything she talked about today: journeytokidlit.com/episode-10-publish-childrens-book-kdp-brigitte-brulz Follow me on social: Twitter/Instagram @AuthorBrookeVS Facebook/Pinterest @JourneytoKidLit Get Your Own Ultimate Writing Binder! Learn more at journeytokidlit.com/ultimate-writing-binder. Music from filmmusic.io "Happy Alley" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) License: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

My guest on the show has recently written and published her very own children's book series. Author Katie Pye's the Fairytale Fraud series, offers a twist on the common fairytales we know to help parents teach their kids about listen. Listen to this week's edition of the Journey to KidLit podcast as I interview Katie, as she shares her insights on writing a series, self-publishing a children's book, and marketing during a pandemic. Get the links to learn more about Katie Pye & her books at: https://journeytokidlit.com/episode-9-childrens-book-series-katie-pye/ Follow me on social: Twitter/Instagram @AuthorBrookeVS Facebook/Pinterest @JourneytoKidLit Get Your Own Ultimate Writing Binder! Learn more at journeytokidlit.com/ultimate-writing-binder. Music from https://filmmusic.io "Happy Alley" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

I've been writing and sending query letters for years now. Some of them that were pretty fantastic and others that were not so great. But how do you know what makes a good query letter and what doesn't? In this week's episode, I talk about the basics of writing query letters and how to best pitch an agent your story. Plus, I also asked literary agent, Adria Goetz with Martin Literary her top tips for querying agents. If you're ready to publish your children's book, listen to today's episode! Plus, to get the links to all the sources we talked about today and where to learn more about Adria, download the show notes here: https://journeytokidlit.com/episode-8-write-a-good-query-letter/ Follow me on social: Twitter/Instagram @AuthorBrookeVS Facebook/Pinterest @JourneytoKidLit For BiblioKid Publishing's Books Visit their website at bibliokidpublishing.com. Music from https://filmmusic.io "Happy Alley" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

My guest on the show is a huge advocate for Indie Authors and Indie Publishing. So much so, she has created a whole podcast dedicated to helping indie authors share their books and reach more readers. Listen to this week's edition of the Journey to KidLit podcast as I interview the host of the Storyland Podcast, Jessica Snider, as she shares her insights on all about working with podcasters as an author. and to download the show notes with all the links we talked about today, visit: https://journeytokidlit.com/interview-storyland-podcast-jessica-snider Follow me on social: Twitter/Instagram @AuthorBrookeVS Facebook/Pinterest @JourneytoKidLit For BiblioKid Publishing's Books Visit their website at bibliokidpublishing.com. Music from https://filmmusic.io "Happy Alley" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Have you transitioned into a work-from-home environment? Don't keep that from your dreams of writing books. Use these works from home tips to help improve your productivity! Listen to today's episode of the Journey to KidLit podcast for more about how to be a Productive Writer working from home. And to download the show notes with all the links we talked about today, visit: https://journeytokidlit.com/episode-6-work-from-home-habits-more-productive-writer/ Follow me on social: Twitter/Instagram @AuthorBrookeVS Facebook/Pinterest @JourneytoKidLit For BiblioKid Publishing's Books Visit their website at bibliokidpublishing.com. Music from https://filmmusic.io "Happy Alley" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Debut children's book illustrator, Gabriela Dieppa, stopped by the podcast today to discuss her upcoming picture book, Pirates Stuck at "C", and what it took to make it as an illustrator. It's a really inspiring story about taking risks and chasing your dreams! Listen to today's episode of the Journey to KidLit podcast for more about how a girl living in Argentina met a girl living in Iowa to make their dreams of creating a kid's book come true. And to download the show notes with all the links we talked about today, visit: http://journeytokidlit.com/childrens-book-illustrator-gabriela-dieppa/ Follow me on social: Twitter/Instagram @AuthorBrookeVS Facebook/Pinterest @JourneytoKidLit For BiblioKid Publishing's Books Visit their website at bibliokidpublishing.com. Music from https://filmmusic.io "Happy Alley" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Self-publishing books is very popular now because of easy it is to do! With traditional publishing taking forever, and feeling like outdated gatekeepers, it can be very tempting to jump into the world of self-publishing. But not everyone should self-publish their book. Listen to today's episode of the Journey to KidLit podcast to know the 4 kinds of people who should self-publish a book. And to download the show notes with all the links we talked about today, visit: http://journeytokidlit.com/episode-4-should-self-publish-a-book/ Follow me on social: Twitter/Instagram @AuthorBrookeVS Facebook/Pinterest @JourneytoKidLit For BiblioKid Publishing's Books Visit their website at bibliokidpublishing.com. Music from https://filmmusic.io "Happy Alley" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Do you have a finished story that's ready to be published? Make sure you've done these 3 steps before you submit your story to agents and editors. (It could mean the difference between a yes to publish your book and a rejection letter!) You don't want to submit your story before it's ready! Listen to the full episode for more details on how to know if your story's ready for publishing. For the show notes and links to the episode, visit the link here to download them for free: http://journeytokidlit.com/episode-3-know-your-story-ready-to-publish/ Follow me on social: Twitter/Instagram @AuthorBrookeVS Facebook/Pinterest @JourneytoKidLit For BiblioKid Publishing's Books Visit their website at bibliokidpublishing.com. Music from https://filmmusic.io "Happy Alley" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Are you interested in writing books for kids? Children's book author, Brooke Van Sickle, breaks down the six different categories of kids' books for you in this second episode of the Journey to KidLit podcast. There are more than picture books that are classified as books for kids. Listen to the full episode for more details! For the show notes and links to the episode, visit the link here to download them for free: http://journeytokidlit.com/episode-2-6-categories-childrens-books/ Follow me on social: Twitter/Instagram @AuthorBrookeVS Facebook/Pinterest @JourneytoKidLit For BiblioKid Publishing's Books Visit their website at bibliokidpublishing.com. Music from https://filmmusic.io "Happy Alley" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Are you interested in writing books for kids? New picture book author, Brooke Van Sickle, explains how she become a published children's book author in the first episode of the Journey to KidLit podcast. There are 3 steps a new children's book writer must take in order to begin writing for kids. Listen to the full episode for more details! For the show notes and links to the episode, visit the link here to download them for free: http://journeytokidlit.com/episode-1-childrens-book-author-brooke-van-sickle/ Follow me on social: Twitter/Instagram @AuthorBrookeVS Facebook/Pinterest @JourneytoKidLit For a look at BiblioKid Publishing's Books Visit their website at bibliokidpublishing.com Music from https://filmmusic.io "Happy Alley" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)