Linda Ashman
children's book author
The Nuts and Bolts Guide to Writing Picture Books
Hello! I wrote The Nuts & Bolts Guide to Writing Picture Books in 2013, which makes it, well . . . old! (Or "classic" in my husband's words.) While the publishing world has changed a bit since then, the elements of a good picture book remain the same so I'll continue to offer it. If you're ordering the PDF, I'm offering a 25% discount. Use the code PB25 at checkout on Gumroad.
The Nuts and Bolts Guide to Writing Picture Books is designed to work like a 9-week class. Each chapter includes detailed instruction on essential topics like these:
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Building drama in 32 pages
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Finding your voice
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Creating memorable characters
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Writing the rollicking read-aloud
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Musical rhythm and pitch-perfect verse
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Playing with humor
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A Pre-Submission Checklist for your manuscripts
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Interviews with editors and other industry insiders
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Tips, resources, reading lists and writing exercises
Read the Introduction and Table of Contents, check out reviews on Goodreads and Amazon. If you're ready, you can purchase the Guide at left and have it delivered immediately as a PDF (via Gumroad) or through Amazon's Kindle store.
What Should My Manuscript Submission Look Like?
I've been asked this question a lot, especially in regard to illustration notes. Do I have too many? Too few? Is my meaning clear? In general, I advise writers to keep it simple and add notes only when necessary. But when the text is especially spare, as with my 80-word manuscript for RAIN!, you need a bit more. Want to see what that looks like? Download the manuscript below. And check out the others as well. Hope they're helpful! (I'll be adding more over time.)
