A Fun, Live, Interactive Three-Hour Workshop to Write a New Picture Book, or Revitalize a Story You Already Have!
Sat. Sept. 5th, 2026 3:00–6:00 PM PDT
Live Online (and Recorded with Indefinite Access), work with Dr. Mira Reisberg, Founder of the Children's Book Academy; Jen Newens, President of Martin-Newens Literary Management; and a professional editor.
What If This Was the Day Your Picture Book Career Really Began?
Hello, dear creative friend! Dr. Mira Reisberg here. After nearly 40 years in children's publishing (yes, really, almost FORTY, how did that happen?!), I've learned one thing for certain: the hardest part of writing a picture book isn't the writing. It's the waiting. Waiting for the right time, the right idea, the right confidence, and the right agent or editor to say YES!
Well, the waiting stops here. We've built a day where the writing begins with expert guidance, warm encouragement, lots of fun and ends later with exclusive submissions to an awesome agent and a brilliant editor!
Imagine spending one inspiring afternoon...
* Creating a brand-new picture book (or brilliantly revising an existing story).
* Learning exactly what editors and agents look for. * Learning about the two arcs (which may be your missing link)
* Receiving guidance while you write instead of struggling alone for months or years.
* Discovering the story that only you can tell using critical components that make it a winner.
* Leaving with greater confidence, stronger skills, and a clear pathway toward revision and submission that you can use over and over again.
ALL YOURS FOR ONLY $77!
This isn't just a writing workshop. It's a creative breakthrough experience.
If you've been waiting for the “right time” to finally focus on your picture book, this is your opportunity!
Your Picture Book Is Waiting For You
Maybe you've had a picture book idea tucked away for years.
Maybe you've started stories but haven't finished them.
Maybe you're adventurous and one of our exciting new prompts is screaming, “Write Me! Write Me!”
Maybe you have a family story that's really needed for today's young people.
Maybe you have a manuscript that feels close, but something isn't quite working.
Or, maybe you've dreamed of being a children's book author but don't know how to turn your ideas into real, publishable stories.
This program was created to help you finally move forward. (Check out some of the awards our students have won!)
I cannot tell you how happy it makes me seeing talented hard-working students, who I’ve come to love, publish wonderful books (OVER 2,200 published books so far that I know of) and win major awards (Caldecott, Newbery, Coretta Scott King, Pura Belpré, Stonewall, Schneider, Sibert, Jane Addams, Guggenheim, Golden Kite, Crystal Kite and more).
In this immersive experience, you'll be guided through all the elements of creating a compelling picture book whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, sad, quirky, witty, weird, scary, or hilarious. At the same time, you’ll be receiving expert instruction, writing prompts and worksheets, insightful feedback, and warm encouragement.
✬ You won't be figuring it out alone.
✺ You'll have structure.
★ You'll have support.
☞ You'll have experts guiding you.
✽ & you'll be writing beside a beautiful community of fellow creators.
Who This Workshop Is For
One of my favorite things about this workshop is the people who show up. We attract an amazing mix of awesome students including:
Beginning writers who have an idea but don't know where to start.
Developing writers who have drafts but want to understand how to make them stronger.
Experienced and published authors looking for fresh inspiration, professional insight, and creative momentum.
Illustrators who might want to double their chances of publication, or who want to better understand story structure and what makes picture books succeed.
Nonfiction creators who want to learn how to create engaging, compelling nonfiction picture books.
Whether you're opening a blank document for the first time or polishing your tenth manuscript, you'll discover new tools and insights to help your work shine.
Most Workshops Teach You. This One Helps You Create.
During our three hours together, you won't simply sit back, watch presentations, gain new insights, and take notes...
• You'll write.
• You'll brainstorm.
• You'll explore possibilities.
• You'll talk with others.
• You'll solve story problems.
• You'll revise.
• You'll receive feedback.
• You'll write a pitch and receive feedback.
• You'll move closer to creating the picture book you've always dreamed of writing.
• You won't leave with pages of notes and no idea what to do next.
• You'll leave with a story, a submission pitch, and a plan including optimized opportunities to submit to our co-teachers!
Your Picture Book in a Day Experience Includes:
A Live 3-Hour Interactive Workshop
A guided creative experience where you'll learn, write, revise, and receive feedback in real time.
Three Expert Presentations with Submission Opportunities
You'll learn from:
Dr. Mira Reisberg: The Fundamentals (and So Much More) of Writing Brilliant Picture Books
Professional Editor: The Two Essential Arcs Every Picture Book Needs: What they are and how they work.
Jen Newens, President of Martin-Newens Literary Management: Submission Success: What Editors and Agents Want to See: including manuscript qualities and personality traits.
Guided Writing Sessions
Pre-Workshop Creative Preparation
You'll also receiveover 9 FABULOUS WRITING RESOURCES including prompts and worksheets so you can arrive ready to roar.
PLUS THE BOOKENDS: 2 FREE BONUS COURSES
Your Total Value
When you register, you're receiving:
Live interactive writing workshop
Value: $197
Expert instruction from a leading children's literature educator
Value: $200
Literary agent and editor insights
Value: $300
Pre-workshop creative prompts and worksheets
Value: $150
THE BOOKENDS: 2 FREE COURSES Before & After: Writing Stories That Only You Can Tell & a Picture Book Revision & Refinement Course
Value: $198
Professional guidance toward a stronger manuscript
Priceless
That's over $1045 worth of instruction, insight, and support. But because I want this within reach for every aspiring creator, not just a lucky few, your investment is just:
$77
(Yes, really!)
We encourage you to register now because this is a highly interactive experience with live writing time and feedback plus submission opportunities, enrollment may be limited to preserve the quality of the experience.
Write Your Draft. Strengthen Your Craft. Conquer the Market.
By the end of our three hours together, you'll have a picture book that's innovative and dramatically stronger than when you started, and, for many participants, it may even be ready to submit.
But here's something every successful author knows:
The very best picture books aren't written in a day. They're refined with care.
That's why every participant will receive a brand-new, FREE Picture Book Revision & Refinement Course after the workshop.
We can't promise your manuscript will be perfect by the end of our time together, no honest teacher could.
What we can promise is that you'll leave with a wonderful story, a deep understanding of what makes picture books work, and a clear path for transforming your draft into the strongest manuscript it can possibly become along with a reproducible system for all your future picture book manuscripts.
Think of Picture Book in a Day as a delightful gift combining a creative shortcut from nearly four decades of learning what works, all compressed into one joyful afternoon.
Instead of spending months wondering what comes next, you'll build a solid, marketable foundation starting the moment you register, then use our revision course to polish, deepen, and strengthen every page long after our afternoon together ends.
Beautiful, meaningful, or hilarious picture books rarely happen by accident.
They emerge through creativity, thoughtful revision, and a willingness to keep making something good even better.
The thing is no one else can write the stories you were born to tell. And that's exactly what we want to help you unearth!
Two Rare Submission Opportunities
Following the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to privately pitch their picture book concepts to Jen Newens and our professional editor.
Jen will be looking for exciting new voices and promising projects.
She will also recommend outstanding creators to her talented team of agents at Martin-Newens Literary Management.
While this workshop cannot guarantee representation, it offers something rare:
A wonderful opportunity to share your work, receive thoughtful feedback through guided critique experiences, and gain valuable insights into the children's publishing industry from highly experienced professionals.
What You'll Leave With
By the end of this experience, you'll have:
~ A stronger picture book concept or manuscript.
~ A deeper systematic understanding of picture book storytelling.
~ Practical tools you can use again and again including reusable worksheets.
~ Professional insights into what editors and agents are seeking.
~ Creative feedback and fresh ideas.
~ A submission pitch with two great submission opportunities.
~ A free revision course to continue strengthening your manuscript.
~ Greater confidence in your writing.
~ A supportive creative community.
~ Fresh momentum toward your publishing goals.
Why Picture Book in a Day Is Different
Lots of workshops teach. This one creates.
Instead of waiting until after the event to someday write your story, you'll be actively creating while you're with us in the comfort of wherever you are.
You'll learn.
You'll write.
You'll revise.
You'll receive feedback.
You'll write some more.
You'll network.
You'll receive submission opportunities and a bonus course.
You'll discover possibilities you might never have imagined.
You may publish with someone wonderful.
By the end of the three hours, you'll have accomplished more than many writers do in months or years of trying to figure it out alone or taking multiple courses with others.
Meet Your Co-Teachers
Dr. Mira Reisberg, Founder of Children's Book Academy Dr. Mira Reisberg has a PhD in Education and Cultural Studies with a focus on children’s literature. Over nearly 40 years, she’s worked as an award-winning children’s literature and art education professor, a kidlit agent, editor, and art director, and is the founder and Director of the Children's Book Academy. Her students have published OVER 2,200 books and won just about every major North American award. Mira’s own 8 published children’s books have also won awards and sold over 600,000 copies. Mira lives in a 100 year-old house in Portland, Oregon with her husband and two cats.
Jen Newens, President Martin-Newens Literary Management At different phases of her publishing career, Jen has been an author, editor, and publisher, giving her experience in all sides of the business. She is the former publishing director at West Margin Press, an Ingram Content Group company publishing wonderful children’s books among others. Jen is always looking for fresh, original voices, and exciting new talent. She currently represents select children’s literature forms (picture books, middle grade, YA, and graphic novels) and is only taking on clients in special circumstances such as this.
Our Awesome Mystery Editor Over the years we’ve worked with some extraordinary acquiring editors, one of whom will be joining us. Pretty much all of our editors have published CBA students and tend to be biased in our favor. We just haven’t crossed all the t’s and dotted all the i’s yet. Please stay tuned for the announcement. We promise they’ll be awesome.
No. You can arrive with an idea, a partial or full manuscript, or a completely blank page. We'll provide prompts and guidance to help you create both before the event and during.
Not at all. Beginners are welcome, but experienced and published authors often find this kind of focused creative experience incredibly valuable. We've had editors, agents and publishers take our programs and love them.
Some participants may have manuscripts ready for submission. Others will need additional refinement, which is exactly why everyone receives the free Picture Book Revision & Refinement Course.
Wonderful. The workshop includes guidance for nonfiction picture book creators as well as fiction writers.
This workshop will help you understand the storytelling foundations behind successful picture books and how text and illustration work together. It may also double your chances of publication if you both write and illustrate.
Absolutely. If for any reason you can't make it live, you'll be able to follow along afterwards.
We're sorry, because we send you materials upon registration, and admin costs are too spendy, there are no refunds.
Why now?
Maybe you've been saying: “Someday I'll write that book.”
Someday is a lovely idea. But books get written when we create the time, support, and structure to bring them into the world.
This is your invitation to stop waiting and start creating.
You won't be figuring this out alone.
👉 Expert guidance from children's book industry professionals 👉 Personalized feedback on your manuscript 👉 Networking with fellow authors 👉 Access to publishing resources and tools
And if you're still on the fence, please consider these fabulous books by just some of our talented students who have worked hard and followed their dreams to publication. I'd love for you to join them.
