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.

Query or Contest: What’s best for you?

A brief story: A few years ago, I started researching agents (read more about my process here). Before I sent out my first queries, I heard about an upcoming Twitter pitch contest and entered on a whim. I got a favorite (an invitation to send the manuscript), but not from an agent at the top... Continue Reading →

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Be A Word Count Wizard

You've likely heard some of these guidelines: "Picture books should be under 500 words." "Your novel should be 90,000 words -- max." "The sweet spot for middle grade is 35,000 words." Each genre and category has its own guidelines for how long (or short) the book should be. If you follow them, your work is... Continue Reading →

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Query Letters That Worked: Maximillian Villainous (PB)

I've got some monstrously good news! Today I'm featuring debut picture book author Margaret Chiu Greanias, who has graciously agreed to share her successful query letter for Maximillian Villainous (Running Press Kids, 2018). This query helped her hook an agent, which led to this book's sale. Though Maximillian Villainous isn't out until August, you can click here to... Continue Reading →

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BINGO! shouts Nancy Whitesides

Hello Sub It Clubbers! In amazing news, illustrator Nancy Whitesides shouted "BINGO" just eight days after author Candice Conner became our first "Small Steps to Success Bingo" winner of the year. If this is any indication, 2018 is going to be full of Sub It Clubber success stories! So, without further ado, let's meet Nancy and learn about... Continue Reading →

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Submissions 101: Tracking Queries

Recently we've had a few discussions in the Facebook support group about how to track queries. Should you use QueryTracker? Or a spreadsheet? Or perhaps good old fashioned pencil and paper is the right choice. There's really no right answer. It all comes down to what works best for you. To help you decide, here's... Continue Reading →

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Finding and Researching Agents: Step-by-Step

    Are you ready to start your agent search in earnest? Are you a little overwhelmed by the prospect of researching agents? Fear not! Sub It Club has a step-by-step process to help you build your agent query list. 1) Start with a good list. Before you begin your research, get a good list of... Continue Reading →

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