Breaking into Children's Publishing

Children’s publishing isn’t always a straight path. It twists, it turns, and there are often gatekeepers guarding the next step. This class offers a practical guide to finding your way—covering how to craft a pitch, query agents, and work with editors and art directors. We'll also weigh the pros and cons of traditional versus self-publishing, and explore what happens after a book deal to carry your story through to the final page. Along the way, we’ll dive into craft—discovering your story’s theme, shaping the plot, and building characters who bring your book to life. You'll leave with a clearer understanding of the publishing world—and the tools to face the dragons along the way.

Your instructors: Joy + Noelle

Annie-nominated JOY + NOELLE are illustrators, animators, and, as it happens, twins. They are driven to tell stories through illustration, animated short films, and children's books. Joy and Noelle both studied Media Arts at Pratt Institute; their thesis film was their first collaboration and they haven’t looked back. Based in NY, Joy is in the city and Noelle is in the mountains. Living apart yet working together, they keep rooms in each other’s house and nooks in each other’s heart. They also keep an exquisite collection of charming objects and charming pets, from which they draw inspiration. Clients include Anthropologie, NBC Universal, Hornet Inc, Transistor Studios, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Amazon Studios and Sesame Studios, among others. Ever the visual storytellers, Joy and Noelle are currently creating a middle grade graphic novel with Mighty Oak about twin witches (not at all autobiographical).