Author: Kirsten W. Larson

Kirsten W. Larson used to work with rocket scientists at NASA. Now she writes picture books and graphic novels for curious kids -- and grown ups too. She's the author of the craft book, REIMAGINING YOUR NONFICTION PICTURE BOOK: A step-by-step revision guide (Both/And) and the picture books, WOOD, WIRE, WINGS: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane, illustrated by Tracy Subisak (Calkins Creek, 2020), A TRUE WONDER: The Comic Book Her Who Changed Everything, illustrated by Katy Wu (Clarion, 2021); and the Orbis Pictus honor winning THE FIRE OF STARS: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars are Made of, illustrated by Katherine Roy (Chronicle, 2023). Her forthcoming books include THIS IS HOW YOU KNOW, illustrated by Cornelia Li (Little, Brown, 2025) and THE LIGHT OF RESISTANCE, illustrated by Barbara McClintock (Roaring Brook, 2025). Find her at kirstenwlarson.com or on Twitter/Instagram @KirstenWLarson.

Setting Yourself Up for Success in 2019

 Blank page. Clean slate. Fresh start. Even if you swear off New Year's resolutions, there's something about starting a new year that changes our energy, making us eager for new ventures. If you're a Sub It Club member, you're polishing your pages, honing your query, building your sub list, and poised to hit send to... Continue Reading →

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Taking Stock

True confessions. I started and restarted this blog post many, many, many times (and ate a lot of Christmas cookies in the process). Should I offer practical advice, like whether to send submissions over the holidays? (The answer: Always send your work when ready. Agents--if they aren't closed to submissions--often try to make inroads on... Continue Reading →

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Researching New Agents

Industry publications like Writer's Digest or Publishers Lunch often include announcements of new literary agents just entering the business. We are told these agents are a "golden opportunity" for writers and illustrators since they are actively building their client lists. So are new agents a goldmine or a minefield? The answer is "it depends." On the plus side,... Continue Reading →

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Sub It Strategies: Literary Magazines

We spend a lot of time at Sub It Club discussing submissions to agents and book publishers; however, agents and publishers aren't the only way to get your work in front of readers. Long before they became best-selling authors, the likes of Steven King and Elizabeth Gilbert honed their skills in magazines. Long after they... Continue Reading →

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Query Letters That Worked: CITY OF LIES (Fantasy)

  Sub It Clubber Sam Hawke has good news to share. Her debut fantasy novel, CITY OF LIES (Tor, 2018) arrived on shelves in July after a very long journey! Sam started researching agents in 2013, began querying in late 2014, and got her agent in mid 2015. About a year later (2016), her agent... Continue Reading →

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Evaluate Small Publishers Like A Pro

You've been offered a book contract. Woo hoo! As a long-time Sub It Club reader, you've done your homework. You've made sure the publisher isn't a vanity press that will require you to pay to publish. You've had a publishing lawyer review the contract to make sure it's free from questionable terms. It's time to... Continue Reading →

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