Catherine Friess @ Story Snug

Let’s talk drafting! ✍️

When you start a new picture book, do you:
A) Outline first
B) Dive straight into drafting
C) Start with the ending
D) Let the characters surprise you

Drop your answer below! 👇

#12x12PB #kidlit

GIVEAWAY - to celebrate the release of my BRAND NEW POETRY BOOK, I will be giving away a FREE, SIGNED COPY! To be in with a chance of winning:

- Repost this
- Follow me if you don’t already
- Tag cronies for extra entries

Winner selected 20/03/26 #BookSky #EduSky #KidLitUK #giveaway

Babies Born During COVID Are Now in Kindergarten. Here’s What Educators Are Learning Gaehde: Kindergarten teachers say the generation of children born during the pandemic is a cohort unlike any before.

‘When asked what would most help this generation of learners, educators were nearly unanimous: more family and home engagement in reading.‘ 📚

www.the74million.org/zero2eight/b...
#Earlyyears #literacy #covid #amreading #kindergarten

“In the first week of March the wind blows hard, swaying the reeds and bushes and bending the big trees beyond the lake to its cold breath.”

The first page of ‘What to Look for in Spring”
Artist: CF Tunnicliffe
Writer: EL Grant Watson

Pro #submission tip...I get that personalising for each agent is laborious, but if you're going to talk about authors you have long admired from my list, maybe just Google and check their books are actually published...

Breakthrough Scholarships | Curtis Brown Creative Our scholarships provide regular funded places on our courses to talented writers facing barriers to entry.

We’re currently accepting applications to four different free opportunities for under-represented writers as part of our Breakthrough Writers’ Programme!

Details below 🧵

Artists! I am looking for a Jewish illustrator for a middle-grade project focusing on Jewish history, practice, and culture. If your style feels fun, MG-appropriate, and both editorial & narrative, please drop a link or DM! (And editor & agent friends, if you have someone to rec, it's appreciated!)

Can’t believe I got purple first! #Connections
Puzzle #996
🟪🟪🟪🟪
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟨🟨🟨🟨

Our early bird discount ends today!

15% off all talks, workshops, panels and masterclasses for our April writing festival.

See the full programme here www.bournemouthwritingfestival.co.uk/programme-of...

Thank you Natasha ❤️

Hello Friends! Welcome to #MSWL Day 2026! 🎉

This is our second ever #MSWL Day on Bluesky. We’re happy you’re here!

You can, as of TODAY, search Bluesky and ManuscriptWishList.com posts at once: manuscriptwishlist.com/smart-search. All posts are verified by a human who works in publishing. ☕

IT'S WEDNESDAY!

It's #buyastrangerabook day!

The grooviest day of all.

I'll give out TWO books.

FOR FREE.

If you'd like one, let me know.

Also, if you'd like to #BuyAStrangerABook too, let me know.

It's a thing! Look.

www.biggreenbookshop.com/stuff-you-mi...

UK only.

A robin purchased on a red brick wall with February flowers in the foreground and a view of bare trees in the background

‘Forsythia, Chionadoxa, Hellebore, Crocus’
(Garden Flowers, 1960)
Artist: John Leigh-Pemberton

Kelpies Prize 2026 DEADLINE EXTENDED!
You now have until midnight, Sunday 8th March to enter.
If you have any questions, drop us an email or a DM - we're here to help. ☺
All the details and link to entry form here: discoverkelpies.co.u...

Moon's Ramadan

Moon's Ramadan

Moon's Ramadan

#Moon’sRamadan explains events & traditions that take place during fasting & the moon's role in determining when #Eid celebrations can begin 🌝
storysnug.com/2023/03/moon...
@natashakhankazi.bsky.social @harpercollins.bsky.social #BookSky #Ramadan #UKKidLit #KidLitUK #StorySnug #picturebook

Cover of The Ice Beneath Me by Patti Buff. It features a frozen lake with snow and footprints on it with the shadow of a person's legs coming from the left.

My crime novel The Ice Beneath Me is now available to read as part of the Libraro Prize.

Readers decide which books move forward by reading and championing their favorites. If you have time please head over and take a look.

app.libraro.com/manuscript/d...

#amwriting
#booksky
#LibraroPrize

Book cover: Fake Query Letters by Dead Authors

FAKE DEADS IS LIVE!!

Want a free e-copy of our new book?

Just sign up for our newsletter here:
mailchi.mp/f6bb9bab4527...

(I'll be sending a code for a free epub in our March newsletter.)

The longlist for the 2026 #KlausFluggePrize is out! 18 talented debut picturebook illustrators are in the running. Congratulations to them all and to the editors, art directors and designers who helped create these books 🎉 #booksky #kidlituk

booksforkeeps.co.uk/longlist-rev...

Mr Wolf's Pancakes cover

Mr Wolf's Pancakes

Mr Wolf's Pancakes

Mr Wolf is hungry & really fancies #pancakes. But will his #fairytale neighbours help him make them?
storysnug.com/2017/02/mr-w...
#MrWolfsPancakes #PancakeDay #ShroveTuesday #UKKidLit #KidLitUK #amreading #picturebooks #BookSky @janfearnley.bsky.social @farshorebooks.bsky.social

📣 Entries have opened in the 11th consecutive year of the First Novel Prize. Head over to www.firstnovel.co.uk to check out what our judges are looking for and send us your best work #amwriting #amediting #amquerying #writingcompetition #fictionwriting #firstnovelprize

BBNYA 2026 - Author Sign-Up Form Please fill out the the form below to submit your novel to the Book Blogger's Novel of the Year Award 2026! ***Author sign-ups close on April 26, 2026 at 23:59 GMT.*** Before entering your novel, pl...

Author Entries are open!!! Head to our website or go direct to the sign up form here!:

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Lovely to see LITTLE HOME BIRD by Jo Empson in @storysnug.com's 'This is My Place' Children's Mental Health Week booklist about 'finding and creating homes and spaces where you can feel a sense of belonging' 🕊️

#ChildrensMentalHealthWeek @place2becharity.bsky.social

Thank you for sharing the #blogpost 🪺

Unsolicited writing advice, no. 554:
When choosing a title for your novel, make sure it sounds like fiction. Jame's Runcie's terrific novel, THE DISCOVERY OF CHOCOLATE, and Marina Lewyzca's A BRIEF HISTORY OF TRACTORS IN UKRANIAN, were both repeatedly placed in the nonfiction section of bookshops.

Thank you Helen 😊

My #picturebook came 3rd in the @writersonline.bsky.social #PictureBookPrize 🥉
I've been happy dancing all week 💃

Thank you Stephen. This is a wonderful confidence boost 😊

Children’s chatter is here! 🖍️✨

Your one stop digest for children’s writers, illustrators, librarians, publishers and readers.

Sign up here 👉 www.thebookseller.com/maili...

Thank you @amysparkes.bsky.social & @writersonline.bsky.social for organising the #picturebookprize & huge #congratulations to Alex & Zahrah 👏
I'm really excited that Garden Magic is a winner 💐
#amwriting #writingcommunity