December 6, 2025, 2-4 p.m. (PT) Lessons Learned on the Path to Publication

Hailing from Québec City, Marie-Laure Couët is a mixed media illustrator and designer with a love of collage, found objects, and chickens. When she isn't working on picture book illustrations she is empowering other illustrators and forging community as the Illustrator Coordinator for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Canada East. Before illustration, Marie-Laure ran an award-winning cheesemaking company in Massachusetts, U.S.A. and tended a dozen laying hens. The hens have been replaced by two human babies and, while the babies don't offer any eggs, they do provide Marie-Laure with all the snuggles necessary. And more than enough boogers. Butterfly Sea has a projected publication date in December 2025 with Tielmour Press. Couët’s illustrations are complete and the publisher is working on the final book design.

The inspiration of Patricia Daniele’s book, The Girl Who Tested the Waters, the story of Ellen Swallow, a pioneer in ecology, chemistry, safety engineering, home economics, and women’s education, was the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she met her husband, where she married him, and where her son graduated and was married in the same chapel. She learned about MIT’s first female graduate, but it was years before she told Ellen’s story. After several careers as an English teacher, an interior designer, wife, and mother, she went back to school to learn the craft of writing children’s books at UCSD Extension, and found she loved researching and writing nonfiction stories about people who overcame obstacles and inspired others. Remembering Ellen Swallow, she dug into her life and realized Ellen was first in many more things than being the first female graduate of MIT. Ten years later with research, writing, rewriting, editing, rejections, and waiting, her debut picture book was finally published.

After having written over 20 books in the adult historical romance genre for publishers such as Hachette and Penguin Random House, Jen Haymore is turning to her first love, writing for teens. Her first YA, All Gowned Up, released in February 2025, and a follow-up novel is coming soon. Jen lives in Southern California with her husband, a devoted husky, and two opinionated cats. She loves the ocean, traveling, hanging out with her family, and falling into magical worlds made up of words. www.jenniferhaymore.com

Elisabeth Norton is a neurodiverse author of poetry, books for young readers, and English language learning materials. Originally from the US, she lives in Switzerland where, in addition to writing, she teaches English and sells chocolate. She loves travel, hiking and learning Korean. She is the Assistant International Advisor for Outreach on the Global Leadership Team of SCBWI. She has two book series publishing with Wonder House Books: The “Big Feelings, Gentle Lessons” series follows the adventures of Bingo and Clover, a kitten and puppy living on a farm. Each of the rhyming board books in the series features a key emotion and a key social skill for pre-schoolers. The Bedtime series of three rhyming board books feature animals in different biomes during their waking and sleeping cycles, helping little ones to get ready to sleep at bedtime.

Joyce P. Uglow is a children’s book author, poet, speaker, and award-winning educator based in Burlington, WI. She’s the author of STUCK! The Story of La Brea Tar Pits (Bushel & Peck Books) and poetry in several print anthologies. She has an MSE in Special Education and MSE in Educational Leadership. She creates thought-provoking, curiosity-driven children's literature about nature, science, and our planet. Joyce explores museums, national parks, mountains, and the ocean whenever she can. She is SCBWI Wisconsin’s Co-Regional Advisor, 2024 CYBILS judge for poetry, and past president of Wisconsin State Reading Association. https://joyceuglowauthor.com