Right for Children? The Business of Writing Picture and Board Books
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm - Writing for Children WordShop
Have you ever wondered if you were right for writing books for children?
Children’s author Johnette Downing says, “The key is to write with the wonder and curiosity of a child.”
In this workshop for budding children’s authors, participants will learn the necessary steps for taking their brainstorm to a book; for building relationships with illustrators, editors, art directors, publishers, and book vendors; and for creating an authentic, meaningful, and long-lasting career as an author for little ones.
Downing says, “If you keep the child at the heart of everything you do, then your book will ring true to children and will have validity in the marketplace. Energy flows where attention goes; it begins and ends with the child.”
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Johnette Downing, the recipient of the 2017 Louisiana Writer Award, is the author of thirty books and twelve recordings for children. A musician, author, illustrator, and poet who has performed on five continents for nearly four decades, Johnette specializes in “singable” picture and board books, trickster tales, pourquoi stories, haiku poetry, and Louisiana roots music. She has received dozens of awards for her music, books, and poetry such as a National Parenting Publications Honors Award for her picture book Today is Monday in Louisiana, nine Parents Choice Awards, a 59th Grammy Participation Certificate for songwriting, the Robert Spiess 2024 Memorial Haiku Award, and the Haiku Society of America’s 2024 Merit Book Award for Best Haiku Anthology, among others. She has taught early childhood music in public and private schools, has given keynotes and educator workshops on how to use music in the language classroom, and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. |