Quick Facts
HOST REGION: Eastern Pennsylvania
CONTACT: Kristen Strocchia [email protected]
COST: This is a FREE webinar made possible by a grant from SCBWI and the Authors Coalition of America.
CRITIQUES: available at an additional cost; scroll down for more information
RECORDING
The webinar will be recorded, and the recording will be available for one month following the event. Attendees will receive a link and a password by email about two days after the event.
REGISTRATION CONFIRMATIONS
Upon completion of payment, you will receive a payment confirmation by email. You will also find a registration confirmation on the website that will include event-specific details. Go to your Member Home and click on My Events under the black bar at the top of the page. All events you have registered will be displayed on this page. If there are additional meeting details (i.e. Zoom links for virtual events or materials required for the event), this information will be found under the green Meeting Info button.
REFUND POLICY
The 3 FREE webinars in this series are made possible by a grant from SCBWI and the Authors Coalition of America.
Webinar Description
There are many types of story structures in picture books, readers encounter two types most frequently: The traditional narrative arc, or Freytag's Pyramid, and what is sometimes called a "Gentle Arc" or "Quiet Book." This webinar will show how each structure works like a map to lead the reader to the end of the book. Attendees will understand the key elements of each type of book and look at examples of each.
Meet the Faculty
About Jessica
Jessica Whipple is a poet and author of two children's picture books: Enough Is... (Tilbury House 2023, illust. by Nicole Wong) and I Think I Think a Lot (Free Spirit Publishing 2023, illust. by Josée Bisaillon). Her poetry for adults has appeared in print and online literary magazines, most recently Philadelphia Stories, ONE ART, McSweeney's, and Gastronomica: The Journal of Food Studies. Jessica is represented by Emily Keyes of Keyes Agency. For more information, follow her on social media @JessicaWhippl17 or visit AuthorJessicaWhipple.com.
PB Critiques Available: (at an additional cost)
ADDITIONAL COST:
- Premium Members: $60 USD
- Preview Plan: $65 USD
For all submissions, format your work in 12 point font, with one-inch margins, and double spacing. (US Letter paper size-Include all materials in the same document; please don’t send two documents.)
- For Picture Book (PB): Please send entire manuscript or dummy and a 11-page query letter (12-point, Times New Roman font; in the same document). Translator submissions should include a brief note about the source work (also in the same document).
How to format your submission:
⇒For all submissions, format your manuscript in 12-point font, with one-inch margins, and double spacing (US Letter paper size). Include your synopsis in the same document (please don’t send two documents).
⇒Please SAVE YOUR FILE as Webinar Faculty Last Name_Your Last Name_TITLE OF MANUSCRIPT as a PDF or DOC or DOCx.
Example: Whipple_Strocchia_PURPLE CARROTS
⇒Then send your file to Kristen at [email protected]. The subject should read: Webinar Faculty Last Name_Your Last Name_TITLE OF MANUSCRIPT (same as saved file name).
Submission deadline: Friday, June 19, 2026.
We anticipate critiques to be returned on or about Monday, July 20, 2026.