Picture Book Creator Conference

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Picture Book Creator's Conference

Are you ready to take your picture book from idea to publication? The Picture Book Creator Conference hosted by At Home Author is your exclusive opportunity to learn from the pros, connect with fellow authors, and discover actionable strategies for writing, publishing, and marketing a successful children's book.

📅 Date: 2026

⏰ Time: TBD

📍 Location: Zoom

What's in Store:

6 Expert-Led Sessions

Dive into six jam-packed sessions designed specifically for aspiring picture book authors like you! We’ve broken the day into two parts, with three sessions in the morning and three in the afternoon, covering everything from story development to the ins and outs of publishing and marketing.

Each session will include:

30-minute presentation from industry experts

15 minutes for live Q&A where you can get your most pressing questions answered

We also have literary agents in attendance that registered participants can book a live, 10-minute pitch session with. More details below!

Schedule

🕘 Morning Sessions (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM CST)

⭐️ 9-9:45am CST

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⭐️ 10-10:45am CST

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⭐️ 11-11:45am CST

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🕐 Afternoon Sessions (1:00 PM - 4:00 PM CST)

⭐️ 1-1:45pm CST

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⭐️ 2-2:45pm CST

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⭐️ 3-3:45pm CST

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Event Speakers

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Don’t miss this chance to jumpstart your picture book career. Whether you're just getting started or ready to publish, the Picture Book Creator Conference will give you the tools, resources, and inspiration you need to succeed!

Pitch Opportunties + Critiques!

We're fortunate to have literary agents and editors in attendance that you can pitch your manuscript to LIVE. This paid add-on is only available to registered participants, offering an exclusive opportunity to receive feedback on your project from an industry professional. While a pitch session doesn’t guarantee representation, it can help open doors for you and your picture book. Those same agents and editors are also offering written critiques for attendees as well! Pitches will take place on Saturday, January 30th (the day after the sessions).

Pitches - $35 each

Critiques - $75 each

Please note that paying for a pitch session is not the same as paying an agent for representation, which is never allowed in the industry. These optional add-ons are industry standard for writing conferences, but it's important to note that this doesn’t guarantee representation—it's an opportunity to get direct feedback and potentially open doors for you and your book.

Kristina Sutton Lennon - Focused Artists

For Focused Artists, she has facilitated book deals with publishers, including HarperCollins, Hachette, Penguin RandomHouse, Disney Publishing, and Simon & Schuster. Kristina previously served as the Director of Media Rights at Context Literary Agency. In 2022, Publishers Weekly named her a Rising Star Watch Honoree. Kristina earned her MFA from Louisiana State University.

In picture books, Kristina wants:

Coming soon

Hollie Michaels - Martin-Newens Literary

Hollie is a literary manager at Martin-Newens, and is building her list of amazing authors and illustrators from kidlit to adult. Hollie began her agenting career when working toward her M.A. in Creative Writing from City University of London, where she worked part time for the Blake Friedmann Literary Agency as a reader. When she returned to NYC, she joined the Gersh Agency as an assistant in the Theatrical Department. After Hollie moved into education, while working in indie theater as a director and producer, Hollie taught theater from grades K-12 and continued teaching when she moved to CT and had kids. During that time, Hollie ventured into publishing, expanding her background from playwright to writing for kids. Hollie is the author of nine books and two more under contract. She is the author of the chapter book series, Golda and Ezra, published by Capstone, as well as an early middle grade, The Bad News Bestie. Her youth play, Children of Hooverville, is published and widely performed by middle schools around the country. Her short comic Wimbly can be found in Kids Comics Unite anthology, Let’s Go!

In picture books, Hollie wants:

Coming soon

Amy Giuffrida - Belcastro Literary Agency

After Amy earned her BA at the University of Kutztown and a M.Ed. from Lock Haven University, she incorporated her love of reading and books with being a middle school teacher. Amy’s biggest joy was to put the perfect book in the hands of a teen and change their minds about reading. Amy turned this love into a career by reading romance slush for a publishing company, then interned for various literary agencies, until she became an associate literary agent in 2020.

In her spare time, you can find Amy either listening to, reading, or talking about books. She also loves binge-watching teen and reality TV shows—all while snuggling with one or more of her three rescue dogs.

In picture books, Amy wants:

Humor and whimsy
Diverse characters written by BIPOC and marginalized creators
Strong messages

Morgan Wilson - Belcastro Literary Agency

Morgan’s love for writing and books and was fostered from an early age by a grandmother that wrote them bedtime stories and taught them how to write poetry. As they grew this love evolved into devouring books faster than their bookshelves could keep up and writing their own stories in magical kingdoms galaxies away.

With over a decade of work in classrooms across the Midwest, Morgan wants to uplift the stories that their students needed so that everyone can see themselves on the page using magic, finding love and defeating the bad guy. They are dedicated to being an agent for change in the publishing industry and working with marginalized voices so that every child and adult can experience the joy of a book that speaks to them.

In picture books, Morgan wants:

Underrepresented cultures, folklore, mythologies etc, and societal commentary.

Themes of self acceptance and self love

Kids learning new things and skills

Rhyme or prose

Authors and author/illustrators

Christine Goss - Fine Print Literary

After graduating from Lake Forest College with a BA in communications, Christine worked in sales before realizing her true passion was in books. As an author herself, she values strong craft and brings that insight to every manuscript she champions. Christine began her publishing journey at The Purcell Agency, where she was promoted to Associate Literary Agent in 2023 before joining FinePrint Literary in 2024.

When she’s not working with writers, Christine is usually chasing after her two energetic boys—who are often chasing the family’s spirited pup.

In picture books, Christine wants:

Anything silly, but not potty humor
I'm a sucker for alliteration and lyrical prose
Fiction and non-fiction

Mara Cobb - Lighthouse Literary

After earning my master's degree in English, achieving over fifty publications, and serving as the editor-in-chief for a small literary journal, I jumped into publishing, representing authors in a variety of genres. Now, as a literary manager at Lighthouse Literary, I am most excited about coming alongside fresh and seasoned writers to help them reach their full potential.

I love stories that make me laugh out loud, stories that tug at my heart, and stories that offer hope in an authentic way.

In picture books, Mara wants:

Heartwarming and hopeful
Zany, laugh-out-loud silly, with wordplay or puns
Family (including unconventional families--foster care, living with grandparents, etc.)
Real-world concepts (money management, grief, autonomy) in engaging, child-friendly ways.

Or...

Katherine is seeking Christian picture books, devotionals, and really sweet, cuddly board books.

Emily wants character-driven, humorous PBs with themes of environmentalism, family, or self-discovery. She loves funny holiday stories with a twist (like CUPIG, BUFFALO FLUFFALO, MY PAPI HAS A MOTORCYCLE) and prefers human characters.

Michele is drawn to heartwarming, family-centered stories where the child is the hero, books that highlight diverse cultures, and upper elementary nonfiction.

Zoie is looking for fiction and nonfiction PBs with original messages, underrepresented perspectives, or insight into lesser-known topics. She favors strong voices, commercial hooks, and nonfiction tied to U.S. curriculum. Not seeking biographies, holiday books, bathroom humor, or fairies/unicorns.

Sarah loves heartwarming stories, family themes, and PBs focused on the arts or social-emotional learning. Prefers author-illustrators at this time.

Pitch sessions only available to registered participants!