Imagine getting paid to write and illustrate your own beautiful picture book … Getting to share your passions with generations of children … Walking into a bookshop and seeing your book on display … Visiting the library and hearing kids exclaim over a book that you created!
Creative people like you are full of imagination, stories and magic. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a writer (yet), we bet that you constantly make up stories and tales. Now let art agent Lilla – who knows how to get artists to write – show you how you can take that dreamy imagination and create your very own unique picture book.
Lilla’s four-week picture book writing course, My Kid Book Pitch, starts in less than a month, on Monday, October 24th! You’ll use her fabulous Magic Cards to come up with your own one-of-a-kind story idea (or work on an idea you already have), create a winning character, work on a cracking opening line, and spend two weeks writing and polishing your manuscript.
Some of Lilla’s picture book collection. In weekly live Zoom classes, she’ll share her favorites, explaining what makes them so great, and help you craft your own unique, winning story.
By the end of this incredible four week course, you could have your own children’s book pitch ready to send (along with suggestions on who to send it to), including:
- your own very special story idea
- a fantastic, original and engaging character that editors will love
- a show-stopping opening line that will catch a reader’s attention and set the tone and mood for the whole book (this is what editors are looking for)
- a fun and authentic storyline with a narrative arc
- a title
- a story-boarded dummy
You’ll get a comprehensive 123-page downloadable workbook that’s crammed with content, including worksheets, examples, guidance and advice, and the top mistakes that Lilla sees most often.
What does a story board look like? Today we’re sharing a story board created by one of the artists Lilla represents, Make Art That Sells student Paloma O’Toole. Paloma created this story board for the brilliant How to Hide a Lion a Lion by Helen Stephens as an exercise during Lilla’s yearly artists’ residency.
(Fun fact: Zoë Tucker, who contributes to My Kid Book Pitch, was the art editor for How to Hide a Lion a Lion!)
A great way to analyze a picture book is to make a story board dummy like this one by Make Art That Sells student Paloma O’Toole, who is now represented by Lilla Rogers.
Lilla told student Paloma O’Toole, “This is outstanding! Your clarity really showcases what I’m trying to teach: a simple bullet point for each page. I’m sure this exercise helped you and you’ll enjoy greater clarity in your own story.”
Want to play? Simply grab your favorite picture book or three, and make a note of how the story unfolds, one step at a time.
In My Kid Book Pitch, you’ll get loads more guidance from Lilla on how to do this, as well as a worksheet, which is just one of dozens of handouts that come together to make a 100+ page downloadable workbook packed full of information, advice, and what-not-to-dos that you’ll work through week by week with Lilla in the class Zooms.
Lilla’s custom Magic Cards (all new for 2022!) will help fire your imagination and create your own unique story idea.
Be sure to share what you do on social media and tag @makeartthatsells so we can see!
Ready to write your very own picture book? Sign up now.
Lots of love
The Make Art That Sells team xxx
P.S. Starting next week, we’ll be sharing a fantastic three part #MATSprep warm up exercise from art agent Lilla that will really help you hone your writing skills – don’t miss it!
