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Tracy C. Gold

AUTHOR, EDITOR, TEACHER

New On-Demand Class on Writing Rhyming Picture Books

Photo by Sean Scheidt

I am excited to announce my new on-demand class, “How to Write Rhyming Picture Books.” I’ve had so many friends and clients say they wanted to take the real-time classes I’ve led…but that the schedule didn’t work. Thus the idea of on-demand classes. It’s impossible to recreate the energy of real-time classes in an asynchronous mode, but I knew there had to be a way to capture at least some community feel.

I did my research, and landed on Thinkific as a platform to host online courses and a community discussion around those courses. While students will engage with the content at different times, this community will allow for discussion and for me to weigh in with feedback on student projects and questions.

When I recently polled my Facebook friends, several people asked for a class on rhyming picture books specifically. So, I have planned a class and scripted all of the videos. Now, before I film, I’m offering the class for presale. This way, I’ll make sure I have enough interest in the class to make all the videos, and I can also incorporate feedback on my curriculum to make sure I’m offering the best possible class.

So…I’m excited to introduce my pre-sale for “How to Write a Rhyming Picture Book”! Think of this like a Kickstarter…if I can get 10 people to sign up for the class by June 16, I’ll go ahead and create all the videos and launch the class by August 1 (if not earlier). 

If I can’t get 10 people to sign up, I’ll refund everyone’s money and rethink whether it’s worth offering the class. But I think I’ll find 10! 

I’m offering the class at a special discounted price before June 16 as well. Right now the class is $89 to join, a 30% discount from my plan for the permanent price ($129). 


The class includes a private community where you can connect with other writers and post your project for the class, which will be a new spin on a classic nursery rhyme. I’ll be able to chime in and provide feedback on the projects for the first 10 people who sign up for the class (and hopefully more, but that’s going to depend on demand). 

I plan to offer this class on Thinkific in both video and written format. You can watch or you can just read. For my audiobook/podcast fiends, you will also be able to purely listen to most of the class.

As a heads up, I’m likely going to launch this course on Skillshare as well eventually but that will be primarily video due to how that platform works. As of now, I’m planning to keep the course cheaper on Thinkific than the cost for a Skillshare membership. 

Find more details and sign up here!

Please feel free to reach out with questions at tracycgold@gmail.com.

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How to Write a Picture Book Query Letter (Template and Example) 

I have great news about picture book query letters: they can be extremely short and simple! Many authors agonize over query letters for novels and memoirs because they are key in convincing an agent to read a whole book. Picture books, on the other hand, are so short that agents are likely to at least skim the whole book as long as the query letter is half-decent. Back when I was an agent intern going through query letters, that’s certainly what I did.

Of course, you should still carefully compose a solid query letter, but much of the advice you’ll find online about query letters is geared toward longer books. So, here’s my take on writing a picture book query letter (with an example of my own successful letter). 

Follow the basic template you’d use for any book: the hook, the book, and the cook. 

  • “The hook” is your elevator pitch—how would you describe the book in 30 seconds to intrigue someone? 
  • “The book” is your longer description of the book—if you need it—and how that book fits into the market. As you’ll see in my example below, I only used “the hook” to describe my book on its own, and the next paragraph was describing my book in relation to other published books. I didn’t want to say my own book was the next “Goodnight Moon” or “Go the F*ck to Sleep,” but I knew my book was in conversation with those books, so I found a way to work them in. In addition, I included titles published by Familius to show that my book would be a good fit for them. When you’re writing to an agent and not directly to a publisher, it’s much harder to find books they’ve worked on, so I would just mention a book or two that has been published in the last few years. 
  • “The cook” is your bio. Keep this very short and sweet. If you have relevant expertise, include it—for example, if you teach kids how to sail, and your book is about a sailboat, or you’re a shark researcher writing about sharks, definitely say so. 

Then, unless the submission guidelines say otherwise, I would recommend pasting your book below your query and attaching it. Say so in your email, and include the courtesy line “This is a simultaneous submission” if you’re writing to more than one agent or publisher. If you’re writing to agents, you can add something like “I would be happy to send along other picture books if you’re interested,” as agents generally like to see multiple picture books before signing a new client.

Below is my successful query for “Everyone’s Sleepy but the Baby.” 

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I Wrote a Picture Book. Now What? 

One of the best parts of my work as a picture book author and freelance editor is talking to people who have written their own picture books. I love hearing their ideas and guiding them along the process of figuring out what to do next with their books. 

Keyboard


I recently found myself wishing for a centralized place for the resources and advice I most commonly share. When I first started working with picture books, I had to piece together all of this by myself, and a blog post like this would have been super helpful. 


So, here we go! 

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12 of the Best Halloween Books for Kids

Woohoo, it’s spooky season! Here are some great reads to get your kiddos in the Halloween spirit. If you’re lucky, you might even be able to find these books used for cheap enough to hand out as extra special treats on Halloween!

Of course, I’ve got to include my own book, “Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat,” on this list, but I thought I’d compile some other favorites, too. Thanks so much to my Twitter friends for recommending some books to include by diverse authors. I found some new favorites to mix in with this list of both new and classic Halloween books for kids.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of great Halloween books for kids. I would love for readers (and authors and illustrators) to comment with their favorites to grow the list!

For ease, I’ve included Amazon affiliate links, but you can order online from most local bookstores if they don’t have these in stock. All Amazon links here are affiliate links.

Not Too Scary: For The Littlest Kids and Up

Approved by my easily-spooked four-year-old!

“Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat” by Tracy C. Gold (me!), illustrated by Nancy Leschnikoff

Obviously, I had to include my own picture book here! Critter-loving kiddos love reading about this adorable bat and all of the yummy bugs it eats (Nancy Leschnikoff’s illustrations are fabulous, in my biased opinion). Mix in some science with your Halloween fun!

If Your Babysitter is A Bruja,” by Ana Siqueira and illustrated by Irena Freitas

Does your child love Halloween…but hate babysitters? Introduce them to the not-so-scary idea of having a babysitter come over with this adorable Halloween tale. Plus, it comes in a Spanish edition, too (“Cuando tu niñera es una bruja”).

If You Ever Meet a Skeleton,” by Rebecca Evans and illustrated by Katrin Dreiling

You’ve never met a cuter skeleton…or a better book about what to do when you’re feeling a little shy or scared. This one is a must for kiddos who love a stinky feet joke!

“Stumpkin,” written and illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins

Will this stemless pumpkin be able to live his dream of becoming a Jack O’ Lantern? Read and find out! The illustrations are stunningly simple in favorite Halloween colors.

“Mother Ghost,” by Rachel Kolar and illustrated by Roland Garrigue

A spooky twist on many favorite nursery rhymes! This book is so creative; it’s like multiple books in one. Younger kids will enjoy it on its own merit while older kids and adults will get an extra layer of appreciation by reading it in conversation with traditional nursery rhymes. You can even ask your kids what kind of twist they would like to put on a nursery rhyme!

“The Monstore,” written by Tara Lazar and illustrated by James Burks

My kid loves this one year-round! She’s an only child and still loves this, but it’s extra special for squabbling siblings who perhaps could be spooked into getting along.

“Spooky Pookie,” written and illustrated by Sandra Boynton

This tiny board book is perfect for the youngest trick-or-treaters (or for a short bedtime read for older children). So cute and fun!

Read more: 12 of the Best Halloween Books for Kids

“Room on the Broom,” written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler

This one has a classic feel, though it was only published in 2001 (so that makes me feel a bit old!). Fly through the sky with a very accommodating witch!

“How to Catch a Monster” by Adam Wallace and illustrated by Andy Elkerton

If your kid likes fart jokes, you’re probably going to want to get this one. Pee-ew! A great read for any child who is scared of the “monster under the bed” or in the closet or wherever, no matter what time of year it is!

“Ghosts in the House,” written and illustrated by Kazuno Kohara

The illustrations in this one are so fun and bright. Younger children will enjoy the simple and high-contrast illustrations, while older children will get an extra level of enjoyment from getting the concept of ghosts turning into white sheets!

Slightly Spooky

My four-year-old partly loved these…and partly was scared by them. “Too scary!” So, read at your own risk!

“Boo Stew,” by Donna L. Washington and illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler

What a root-tooting-hoot this one is! Chef Curly Locks can’t find anyone to eat her creepy cooking creations. The town can’t find anyone brave enough to get rid of their terrifying Scares. Ah ha! When Curly Locks comes into town, she finds the Scares love her cooking, and follow her away from the townspeople to cook and eat happily ever after. A great read aloud. This one run’s on the long side; great for story times but maybe a bit too long and spooky for bedtime (especially for younger children).

“Los Gatos Black on Halloween” by Marisa Montes and illustrated by Yuyi Morales

What a twist, what a turn…all the scary monsters are actually terrified of…human children! Rhyme your way through many monsters (and a peppering of Spanish vocabulary) with this fun read.

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“Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat” is Officially Published!

I am so excited that this spooky Halloween book is officially published today! “Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat” is a fun, informative picture book geared toward kids from ages 4-8.

"Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat": Halloween book by Tracy C. Gold

This book started when my literary agent, Carrie Pestritto, mentioned that publishers were looking for Halloween books. While brainstorming, I remembered seeing a million bats flying out from Congress Bridge in Austin, TX in a huge wave at sunset, setting out in pursuit of bugs. Boom, “Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat” was born! I did some revising at an “unworkshop” at the Highlights Foundation retreat center, worked on it with Carrie and with my critique partner Tamara Girardi, and we sent it out to publishers!

Thanks to Carrie’s submitting skills, the book found its home with Kelly Barrales-Saylor at Sourcebooks eXplore right as Covid was shutting the world down in March 2020. Sourcebooks found amazing illustrator Nancy Leschnikoff, who created adorable purple and pink bats without even knowing purple was my favorite color!

I got some extra bat fact checking from my friend and bat expert Liz Mering, and worked with the Sourcebooks team to create what I think is a pretty darn cute book!

I’m so excited for this book to start soaring into homes. Look out for lots of fun events and giveaways coming your way in September/October!

In the meantime, here are a few places where you can buy the book, though any bookstore should be able to order it:

The Ivy Bookshop: 5928 Falls Road, Baltimore, MD: order at this direct link for pickup or delivery

Amazon (affiliate link)

Bookshop

Walmart

Barnes & Noble

Target

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“Everyone’s Sleepy but the Baby” on What’s for Launch Podcast

I had so much fun chatting with Maria Frazer on her “What’s for Launch” podcast all about what it was like to publish “Everyone’s Sleepy but the Baby.” Take a listen if you’re curious about what it takes to publish a board book, the poetry inside picture books, and what it was like to launch a book in the middle of a pandemic.

Also, I’m super excited for Maria’s forthcoming middle grade book, “Margarita in the Spotlight,” which is an Audible Original coming out this Fall! I love audiobooks, and this one is about a family of musicians, so it sounds perfect for the format!

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“Everyone’s Sleepy but the Baby” is Officially Published!

My adorable little debut board book, “Everyone’s Sleepy but the Baby,” is officially published as of today, April 13th, 2021.

Here is some amazing news: thanks to the generosity of my friends, family, and readers, I have had ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FOUR preorders, which means I am donating ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FOUR books to babies in need via ShareBaby. *Update–the total number was actually 184 when I checked with the local bookstores!

Want better news? Well, the books come in boxes of 40. So I’m just going to round up and donate TWO HUNDRED books to ShareBaby! I’ll be back to update this post when I have pictures of the gigantic stack of books going to their warehouse. *Update: below is the stack of books plus some diapers we took over in my mom’s car, plus me with Amina Weiskerger, ShareBaby’s executive director, outside their warehouse!

Copies of "Everyone's Sleepy but the Baby" that I am donated to babies in need via ShareBaby

Thank you so much to everyone who preordered, requested the book at their library, and helped spread the word. I am so happy to be helping two hundred families in Baltimore start their libraries.

Here is a darling book trailer to give you a sneak peek of the book!

You can buy the book wherever books are sold (at least online!), but here are some links to make it easy for you! I’ll be doing the rounds to sign stock at local stores in the coming weeks. Follow me on Twitter or Instagram to see where I’ve signed books! “Everyone’s Sleepy but the Baby” makes a wonderful baby shower gift book if you have friends who are expecting or have recently become parents.

The Children’s Bookstore, 4717 Harford Road in Lauraville (Baltimore, MD): order via this direct link for pickup or delivery.

The Ivy Bookshop, 5928 Falls Road, Baltimore, MD: order at this direct link for pickup or delivery.

National Bookstores

Amazon (affiliate link)

Barnes and Noble: Barnes and Noble allows reviews to be posted before launch, so you can see what a few early readers think of the book here! 

Familius: My publisher is offering a buy-one get-one 50% off deal as I type this only for books bought on their site (code: BOGOFAM)

Target

Walmart

Indiebound

Local Bookstores

Charm City Books, 782 Washington Blvd in Pigtown: preorder at this direct link for pickup or delivery (local delivery is free!)

Greedy Reads, 320 West 29th Street in Remington: preorder at this direct link for pickup or delivery

Greedy Reads, 1744 Aliceanna Street in Fells Point: preorder at this direct link for pickup or delivery

You should also be able to find the book online via the website of local bookstores across the country, or call/email your favorite store to order.

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Halloween Book Cover Reveal on Tara Lazar’s Blog: “Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat”

I am so excited that the cover for my book, “Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat” is finally live! Illustrator Nancy Leschnikoff and the team at Sourcebooks Kids did such beautiful work on this book!

Here is a little video with the cover at the end that my agent, Carrie Pestritto, helped me put together!

To read about how I got the idea for this book, and enter to win a virtual call from amazing author Tara Lazar, head over to her blog, where the cover for this Halloween book was first revealed on April 8!

I am doing a preorder campaign for this book–if you preorder it, I will send you free stickers! I have details about that here. It comes out from Sourcebooks on August 1, 2021, with plenty of time before Halloween.

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Read New Kid Lit and Win with the “12 Months of Books Challenge”

If you’re looking for some NEW books to read to or give to your kids, my friend Tamara Girardi has built an amazing list of books coming out in 2021! She has organized them by month, so you can preorder books for a kid in your life and know that they’ll have books every month of 2021 (yes, I am three months late in posting this, but I hope Tamara will do this for 2022 as well!).

What’s the cookie? If you submit each book you preorder to Tamara’s Google Form, she will enter you in a drawing for a $100 gift card.

The books range from picture books up to young adult, and they are, at a glance, from very diverse creators, featuring diverse characters.

Of course, as I know well, the original month of a book’s publication isn’t always the month it will come out, so why not order two per month to be safe? (;

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New Release Date for “Everyone’s Sleepy but the Baby”

Now releasing March 16, Everyone's Sleepy but the Baby

Well, publishing my debut in a pandemic has caught up to me. Due to shipping delays, “Everyone’s Sleepy but the Baby” will now be releasing on….record scratch…April 13th, not March 16th, and not the original date of March 2nd.

The GOOD NEWS is that I have more time to reach my goal of donating a few hundred books to babies in need via ShareBaby! (I’m at 140 right now, spread the word and help me get to 300??)

If you ordered this book for a baby shower or any reason that makes it a pain that it’s delayed, please let me know! I will likely get my author copies closer to the original date and might be able to help you out.

Details about preordering (and signed copies via The Children’s Bookstore!) here: https://tracycgold.com/preorders/.

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