Jenn Gautam (she/her)
@jenngautam.bsky.social
✏️Picture book writer
#SCBWI #12x12
🤓 Nature nerd
🐙 Former sci educator
🏳️🌈Queer
🌳Outdoor parenting inspo on IG @ PuddleParenting.
📍 Massachusetts
#SCBWI #12x12
🤓 Nature nerd
🐙 Former sci educator
🏳️🌈Queer
🌳Outdoor parenting inspo on IG @ PuddleParenting.
📍 Massachusetts
So honored!! Looking forward to an amazing 2026 ☺️
We’re kicking off the new year by celebrating our 2026 12 x 12 Scholarship Winners! 🎉
Congratulations to:
Arifa Afzal
Azra Rahim
@jenngautam.bsky.social
@jennifertarr.bsky.social
Keishia Louis
Sheena Garg
We can’t wait to see what you create this year. #12x12PB #kidlit
Congratulations to:
Arifa Afzal
Azra Rahim
@jenngautam.bsky.social
@jennifertarr.bsky.social
Keishia Louis
Sheena Garg
We can’t wait to see what you create this year. #12x12PB #kidlit
January 2, 2026 at 3:04 AM
So honored!! Looking forward to an amazing 2026 ☺️
Reposted by Jenn Gautam (she/her)
For querying writers: I did a critiques today for an SCBWI conf & got questions about what kind of books you can cite as comps, & I think it’s worth distinguishing between *pitching* comps and *selling* comps. A brief 🧵:
November 8, 2025 at 8:08 PM
For querying writers: I did a critiques today for an SCBWI conf & got questions about what kind of books you can cite as comps, & I think it’s worth distinguishing between *pitching* comps and *selling* comps. A brief 🧵:
Reposted by Jenn Gautam (she/her)
Query Critique #GiveawayAlert! Enter my #giveaway contest to win a query critique from agent Mara Cobb & read my agent spotlight interview to find out what she's looking for. #amwriting #amquerying #kidlit www.literaryrambles.com/2025/11/lite...
November 12, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Query Critique #GiveawayAlert! Enter my #giveaway contest to win a query critique from agent Mara Cobb & read my agent spotlight interview to find out what she's looking for. #amwriting #amquerying #kidlit www.literaryrambles.com/2025/11/lite...
April 1, 2025 at 12:03 PM
March 2, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Pumped for #pbrisingstars after last night's meet the mentors zoom!
February 26, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Pumped for #pbrisingstars after last night's meet the mentors zoom!
Critique groups are ESSENTIAL! I think what surprised me most about writing picture books, was how much other stuff you have to do in addition to the writing. Read tons of picture books, attend webinars, be active on social media, critique others work, etc. list probably grows once published!
Share your best tips & resources for writing PBs. What surprised you about writing & revising, #PBParty?
*Read, read, read!
*Join supportive groups like SCBWI, 12x12PB & take workshops
*Great critique groups are priceless
*Don't get stuck on 1 PB - keep writing new ones, too
*Read, read, read!
*Join supportive groups like SCBWI, 12x12PB & take workshops
*Great critique groups are priceless
*Don't get stuck on 1 PB - keep writing new ones, too
February 25, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Critique groups are ESSENTIAL! I think what surprised me most about writing picture books, was how much other stuff you have to do in addition to the writing. Read tons of picture books, attend webinars, be active on social media, critique others work, etc. list probably grows once published!
Reposted by Jenn Gautam (she/her)
Our next #pbchat will be 2/12 - we’re taking a pendulum swing between new books and classics, and for February we’re going to discuss a favorite, The Story of Ferdinand. #kidlit
briankirbystudio.com/658-2/
briankirbystudio.com/658-2/
#PBCHAT Picture Book Club February 2024 - Brian Kirby Studio
I’ve organized a book club for picture books! A chance to meet other writers, illustrators, and creatives and talk about a picture book on Mondays at 9PM EST every two weeks, hosted on Bluesky. Follow...
briankirbystudio.com
January 31, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Our next #pbchat will be 2/12 - we’re taking a pendulum swing between new books and classics, and for February we’re going to discuss a favorite, The Story of Ferdinand. #kidlit
briankirbystudio.com/658-2/
briankirbystudio.com/658-2/
Day 1 of the #scbwiny25 conference has been great! Talked with other writers, had great consultations, and really enjoyed the tour of Delacourte Press!
January 31, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Day 1 of the #scbwiny25 conference has been great! Talked with other writers, had great consultations, and really enjoyed the tour of Delacourte Press!
On the train to the #scbwiny25 conference! Woohoo!
January 30, 2025 at 3:57 PM
On the train to the #scbwiny25 conference! Woohoo!
January 29, 2025 at 2:17 PM
January 24, 2025 at 2:42 AM
Woohoo! Almost here 😃 #scbwiny25 #kidlit
January 24, 2025 at 2:41 AM
Woohoo! Almost here 😃 #scbwiny25 #kidlit
This article is amazing! All about how weird Goodnight Moon is, but we tend not to notice because we are just used to it.
lookingatpicturebooks.substack.com/p/goodnight-...
lookingatpicturebooks.substack.com/p/goodnight-...
Goodnight Moon
Jon and Mac consider: the plight of the picture book author, wildlife trafficking, tangenting, disappearing socks, death, life, and mush
lookingatpicturebooks.substack.com
January 14, 2025 at 2:15 AM
This article is amazing! All about how weird Goodnight Moon is, but we tend not to notice because we are just used to it.
lookingatpicturebooks.substack.com/p/goodnight-...
lookingatpicturebooks.substack.com/p/goodnight-...
Woohoo #pbparty announcement is live!!
If you're an unagented writer or author/illustrator of picture books, I hope you'll enter the 2025 #PBParty contest. It has helped make so many agent and editor matches in the past...and we can't wait to see the magical matches that will happen this year.
mindyalyseweiss.com/2025-pbparty...
mindyalyseweiss.com/2025-pbparty...
2025 PBParty Annual Contest ⋆ Mindy’s Writing Wonderland
The annual PBParty contest is for unagented writers and author/illustrators with finished and polished picture book manuscripts. We pick a wide variety of genres for agents/editors to browse in the sh...
mindyalyseweiss.com
January 10, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Woohoo #pbparty announcement is live!!
Working on my #pbparty manuscript. Two lines are vexing me. I have approximately 20 options for both of them and don't love any 🫠🫠🫠🫠 back to the drawing board.
January 10, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Working on my #pbparty manuscript. Two lines are vexing me. I have approximately 20 options for both of them and don't love any 🫠🫠🫠🫠 back to the drawing board.
Reposted by Jenn Gautam (she/her)
This advice is important now, and will be even more important in two weeks, when the next administration is going to flood the zone with horribleness, with the intent of overwhelming everyone into compliance. Pick your battles and keep your focus. Trust others are doing the same elsewhere.
January 9, 2025 at 9:01 PM
This advice is important now, and will be even more important in two weeks, when the next administration is going to flood the zone with horribleness, with the intent of overwhelming everyone into compliance. Pick your battles and keep your focus. Trust others are doing the same elsewhere.
Reposted by Jenn Gautam (she/her)
"Writing a picture book is a bit like packing for a trip in a tiny carry-on bag. … The challenge [is] … making those words powerful enough to carry half the story while leaving room for the illustrations to shine."
scbwi.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-...
#Writers #Authors #WritingCommunity #Writing
The Power of Less
Write Picture Books with Impact Using Fewer Words Writing a picture book is a bit like packing for a trip in a tiny carry-on bag. You have l...
scbwi.blogspot.com
January 9, 2025 at 4:40 PM
"Writing a picture book is a bit like packing for a trip in a tiny carry-on bag. … The challenge [is] … making those words powerful enough to carry half the story while leaving room for the illustrations to shine."
scbwi.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-...
#Writers #Authors #WritingCommunity #Writing
Love this illustration in the book Boats on the Bay by Jeanne Walker Harvey illustrated by Grady McFerrin! The swirly water is entrancing.
January 9, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Love this illustration in the book Boats on the Bay by Jeanne Walker Harvey illustrated by Grady McFerrin! The swirly water is entrancing.
Reposted by Jenn Gautam (she/her)
Looking to curate your own private feed that also helps you discover new voices? I highly recommend the DISCOVER feed. You can mark what kind of posts you like and don't like by clicking on 3 dots at bottom right. Thanks @why.bsky.team!
More: publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/cu...
#BlueSkyTips
More: publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/cu...
#BlueSkyTips
January 7, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Looking to curate your own private feed that also helps you discover new voices? I highly recommend the DISCOVER feed. You can mark what kind of posts you like and don't like by clicking on 3 dots at bottom right. Thanks @why.bsky.team!
More: publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/cu...
#BlueSkyTips
More: publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/cu...
#BlueSkyTips
Reposted by Jenn Gautam (she/her)
Reposted by Jenn Gautam (she/her)
Monthly reminder: Many people have a book in them, but it takes a special kind of freak to leave the Land of Laziness, cross the Plains of Procrastination and Insecurity Mountain, find the Blade of No One Made You Do This, and use it to cut your chest open and yank that book out.
January 2, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Monthly reminder: Many people have a book in them, but it takes a special kind of freak to leave the Land of Laziness, cross the Plains of Procrastination and Insecurity Mountain, find the Blade of No One Made You Do This, and use it to cut your chest open and yank that book out.