There’s something special about children’s books. Across its three categories—young adult, middle grade, and picture books—the children’s book market is vast and home to many of the greatest storytellers of our time. So how do you make your project stand out when there’s so much competition? Children’s books are celebrated for their enchanting prose, relatable characters, beautiful illustrations, and fantastic stories that transcend age categories and genres—and this Writer’s Digest Boot Camp will teach you everything you need to know about being a children’s book author.
Starting November 5, literary agents Maria Vicente and Eric Smith from P.S. Literary Agency will guide you through writing and pitching young adult, middle grade, and picture book projects. How do you come up with a book idea that has commercial appeal? What category and genre does your book belong in? Where can you find agents and publishers to submit your manuscript to? How do you attract both child readers and adult buyers? The agent instructors will answer all your publishing questions and critique your work, providing you with personal feedback to help you take the next step on your publishing journey.
Registration gives you access to four recorded presentations (Publishing Picture Books, Publishing Middle Grade, Publishing Young Adult, and Writing Query Letters), an exclusive Q&A with literary agents Maria Vicente and Eric Smith, and the opportunity to submit your query letter + one of the following for critique: your picture book manuscript, a sample from your middle grade manuscript’s first chapter, or a sample from your young adult manuscript’s first chapter. All critique submissions will receive personalized feedback from Maria Vicente or Eric Smith.
TUESDAY
NOVEMBER 5, 2024
View Recorded Online Presentations
On November 5, you will gain access to four special 30-minute online recorded tutorials presented by literary agents from the P.S. Literary Agency: Publishing Picture Books; Publishing Middle Grade; Publishing Young Adult; and Writing Query Letters.
WEDNESDAY
NOVEMBER 6, 2024
Agent Q&A, 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM (ET)
After listening to your choice of presentations, attendees will spend the next three days revising materials as necessary. Also following the tutorial, writers will have a day in which to log onto the course website and ask the agents questions related to the presentations or revising your materials. The agents will be available on the course website from 1-3 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday, November 6 for a question and answer time.
FRIDAY
NOVEMBER 8, 2024
Writers Submit Critique Materials by 11:59 P.M. ET
No later than Friday, November 8, attendees will submit a query letter plus their completed picture book text or a sample from the first chapter of their middle-grade or young-adult manuscript. Manuscript submissions may not exceed 1000 words. Only one submission per attendee is permitted. The submissions will receive feedback directly from one of the P.S. Literary Agency agents.
MONDAY
DECEMBER 9, 2024
Agent Critiques Due Back by 11:59 P.M. ET
Maria Vicente and Eric Smith will spend up to four weeks reviewing the critique materials and providing feedback to attendees. (The agents reserve the right to request more materials if they feel a strong connection to the work and want to read more; note that multiple agents have signed writers before from WD boot camps.) No later than Monday, December 9 agents will send their feedback to writer attendees.
Please note that any one of the agents may ask for additional pages if the initial submission shows serious promise.
Meet the agents
Eric Smith
P.S. Literary Agency
Eric Smith is a literary agent and an award-winning Young Adult author from Elizabeth, New Jersey. As an agent with P.S. Literary, he’s worked on New York Times bestselling and award-winning books. His recent novels include the YALSA Best Books for Young Readers selection Don’t Read the Comments (Inkyard Press, 2020), You Can Go Your Own Way (Inkyard Press, 2021), and the anthologies Battle of the Bands (Candlewick, 2021) and First-Year Orientation (Candlewick, 2023), both co-edited with award-winning author Lauren Gibaldi. In 2022 Abrams published Jagged Little Pill: The Novel, which was written in collaboration with Alanis Morissette, Academy award-winner Diablo Cody, and Glen Ballard, and is an adaptation of the Grammy and Tony award winning musical. His latest novel, With or Without You (Inkyard Pess, 2023) was a Junior Library Guild selection. A lifelong lover of writing and books, he holds a Bachelor of Arts from Kean University in English, and a Master’s in English from Arcadia University, where he currently mentors MFA students. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and son, and enjoys video games, pop punk, and crying over every movie. Learn more at www.ericsmithrocks.com.
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Maria Vicente
P.S. Literary Agency
Maria Vicente is a Senior Literary Agent and Advisor at P.S. Literary Agency representing creators of innovative and beautiful books for readers of all ages. With over a decade of experience in the publishing industry, Maria has helped launch the careers of many bestselling, award-winning, and critically acclaimed authors and illustrators. Whether it’s collaborating on manuscript drafts and proposals, negotiating book deals and contracts, or exploring adaptation opportunities, she advocates for her clients every step of the way. Maria is a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Literary Agents (PACLA) and the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA). She lives in New Brunswick, Canada, reading and selling books from the Atlantic Ocean shore. Learn more at www.mariavicente.com.
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