Picture Book Training Workshop: From Concept to Publication

Much like an athlete needs to train for an event, children’s book writers have to train for picture book writing.

Whether you are in the early stages of story development or are seeking publication, this workshop led by Detroit Writing Room children's book coach Amy Nielander will walk you through a Training Plan that will help you stay focused on the finish line: submitting your story for publication.

You will learn how to create deadlines, define your audience, sharpen your pitch, develop a picture book dummy, work through sticking points, craft a query letter, target traditional publishers and more.

This in-person workshop at the Detroit independent bookstore 27th Letter Books will propel you forward so you can cross that finish line (finally!) and feel proud.

The workshop also celebrates Children's Book Week, the longest-running national literacy initiative in the U.S. Running May 5-11, the week is based on the belief that children’s books and literacy have the potential to transform lives, and we couldn't agree more!

27th Letter Books

3546 Michigan Ave, Detroit, MI 48216

All parking is street parking.

Early bird admission - $45 until April 1, 2025

General admission - $55

Detroit Writing Room members get 20% off!

Tickets are nonrefundable. Registration closes at 12 p.m. EST on May 10, 2025. Tickets will not be available at the door.

Attendance Bonus:

• Guests will receive a promo code for 20% off a one-on-one coaching session with Amy Nielander
• There will be a raffle at the end of the workshop featuring Amy's latest picture book "My Name Is Not Ed Tug," a copy of "Second Sight: An Editor's Talks on Writing, Revising, and Publishing Books for Children and Young Adults," Perspectives Magazine and a purple journal!

About Amy Nielander

Amy Nielander is a College for Creative Studies alumni and children’s picture book author-illustrator. After studying the craft of writing and illustrating picture books for seven years, her first wordless picture book, “The Ladybug Race,” exhibited at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in Italy. After her book was published by PomegranateKids, she received a Bronze Medal Book Award in the Children's Picture Books All Ages Category by Independent Publisher. In 2020, she was selected by the Muskegon Museum of Art as one of the 20 Michigan Illustrators to participate in the “20 for 20: Celebrating Michigan Illustrators” exhibit. Amy loves visiting schools and sharing her picture book making process with children. Her second picture book, “Grama’s Hug,” was released in 2020 and published by Page Street Kids. Her latest book, "My Name Is Not Ed Tug," was released in 2022 by West Margin Press. As a Detroit Writing Room coach, she is eager to help her clients complete projects as well as navigate the traditional publishing submission process. When she is not working on picture books, she enjoys traveling with her family, going on walks with her Havanese and creating new characters weekly on her blog for families.

Sign up for one-on-one coaching with Amy for traditional publishing submission consulting, picture book manuscript critique, picture book dummy critique, query letter writing and critique, and literary agent submission consulting at .

About The Detroit Writing Room

The Detroit Writing Room offers an inspirational community for writers, creatives and professionals. Whether you’re working on the next Great American novel or a resume, the DWR has 30 professional writing coaches to help with all your writing needs. We also host book talks, writing workshops, and literary events. Visit detroitwritingroom.com to sign up for coaching, memberships, events and more. Check out newyorkwritingroom.com to see our New York-based coaching team.

27th Letter Books is a community-focused and collectively-run independent bookstore. Their curation aims to highlight new books with a diversity of authorship and excellent writing craft. They also host free community events programming around storytelling in all forms: written, visual, audio, and hybrid. Learn more at 27thletterbooks.com.

Host or Publisher The Detroit Writing Room