Caryl Hart - How Children's Publishing Works - and how I made it this far

How Children's Publishing Works

- and how I made it this far.

When I first started thinking about writing for children I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't have the first clue about the industry, how it worked or what was expected. I just had a passion for writing and liked the idea of getting a book published. I now have around 80 published titles, a further 10 in production, and have worked with many of the big UK publishing houses. 

In this session I'll tell you how I got my first deal and how I've grown my career over the past 26 years, while demystifying the industry to help you move forward in your own career.

Caryl Hart is an award-winning children's author who writes picture books and young fiction. She also runs numerous events for schools, libraries, festivals and community groups. She was Author in Residence for Nottinghamshire County Council in summer 2022 and has been Author in Residence for nine years for the Storymakers Project, run by Tameside Libraries. 

Caryl Hart - explore the website here!

Her recent awards and acclaim include:

The Jellyfish Jiggle won the 2026 Book Trust Storytime Prize

The Safari Stomp selected by BookTrust for their Book Start Story Packs 2025

The Girl who Planted Trees won Best Picture Book, Teach Early Years Award, 2022

Meet the Weather selected for Scottish BookTrust Bookbug & Read Write Count bags 2026 and one of 4 picture books selected by BookTrust for Great Books Guide, 2023

Meet the Oceans featured by Waterstones Best Books of 2021, Babies & Toddlers and Books for Topics EYFS Best Curriculum Support, 2021