Do You Want to Write 12 Picture Books in 12 Months? | Learn More!

Shannon Stocker

Shannon Stocker

Shannon Stocker is a writer, musician, and advocate for the immunocompromised. She’s authored such picture books as LISTEN: HOW EVELYN GLENNIE, A DEAF GIRL, CHANGED PERCUSSION (Dial/Random House, 2022), CAN U SAVE THE DAY (Sleeping Bear Press, 2019), and WARRIOR (Sleeping Bear Press, 2023), as well as the 21st Century Junior Library: TOGETHER WE CAN: […]

Sean McCarthy

Sean McCarthy began his publishing career as an editorial intern at Overlook Press and then moved over to the Sheldon Fogelman Agency.  He worked as the submissions coordinator and permissions manager before becoming a full-time literary agent.  Sean graduated from Macalester College with a degree in English-Creative Writing, and is grateful that he no longer has […]

Melissa Nasson

Melissa Nasson has spent her life living in and around Boston, attending college at Boston University (Go Terriers!). While studying at Boston University School of Law, she realized that becoming a literary agent would combine her passion for books with her legal background, and she began interning at Zachary Shuster Harmsworth, and later at East-West […]

Alexandra Weiss

Alexandra Weiss is an Associate Literary Agent at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Publishing from Columbia College Chicago, and currently resides in the Windy City. She has written for online publications and media websites such as Bustle as a Books and Features Writer, and […]

Kaitlyn Leann Sanchez

Kaitlyn Leann Sanchez is an agent with Context Literary Agency. She’s also a mom, wife, junior high school math teacher, and picture book author of humorous stories. She’s the proud co-creator and co-host of the Spring Fling Kidlit Contest, creator of the Kidlit Fall Writing Frenzy Contest, and co-creator of Kidlit Zombie Week. In her free time, Kaitlyn loves […]

Ana Crespo

Ana Crespo, herself a picture book author, became an assistant agent at East West Literary Agency in January of 2021. Prior to becoming an agent, Ana apprenticed with Deborah Warren and the E/W team for two years. She has a degree in journalism, a Master of Education in Adult Education, and is a 2020 graduate of the Denver Publishing […]

Saba Sulaiman

Saba Sulaiman is an agent at Talcott Notch Literary Services, a boutique agency located in Milford, CT. She holds a BA in Economics and Middle Eastern Studies from Wellesley College and an MA from the University of Chicago, where she studied modern Persian literature. Being an immigrant who is constantly negotiating her own identity and sense […]

Erin Casey

Erin graduated from Hamilton College in 2015 with a B.A. in Creative Writing and a job as an intern at the then Nancy Gallt Literary Agency. The agency’s name has since changed to Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency and Erin has worked her way from intern to Associate Agent. She represents all kidlit age groups, […]

Beth Marshea

Beth is the owner and Lead Agent at Ladderbird Literary Agency. She has a BA in Literature and a Masters in Business Administration and is always looking for new and exciting ways to bring more diversity into publishing and beyond. Outside of agenting, Beth, teaches writing in her local community with a focus on bringing […]

Jennie Dunham

Jennie Dunham 2024

Jennie Dunham has been a literary agent in New York, New York since May 1992. In August 2000 she founded Dunham Literary, Inc. She represents literary fiction and non-fiction for adults and children. Her clients have had both critical and commercial success. Books she has represented have appeared on the New York Times Best Sellers in adult hardcover […]

Financial Need Scholarship Guidelines

All applications will be accepted via email only between November 1, 2023 – November 30, 2023 at kelli@juliehedlund.com.

Subject line of the email:

  1. 12 x 12 Financial Need Scholarship
 

Please include the following in the body of the email:

  1. An autobiographical statement and career summary in 250 words or fewer.
  2. A short statement describing the nature of the financial need/circumstances in 250 words or fewer.
  3. A sample query letter for the manuscript you are submitting with your application.
  4. Pitches for two additional completed picture books.
 

 Attached to the email:

  1.  The full text of one picture book manuscript, attached as a Word document named as FIN_YourFirstName_YourLastName_Title_of_Manuscript.doc (or docx).