The Kidlit Compass Blog

Should Writers Follow Trends in Children’s Publishing?

Emma Walton Hamilton June 9, 2026

Every year at both the Southampton Children’s Literature Conference and at Picture Book Summit, whenever aspiring writers have a chance to ask agents or editors a question, they ask some…

What Makes a Manuscript Stand Out to Agents and Editors?

Emma Walton Hamilton June 2, 2026

If you ask agents and editors what they’re looking for, you may hear many different answers: A strong hook. A fresh concept. Market awareness. Commercial potential. But beneath all of…

Should You Query Agents or Submit Directly to Publishers?

Emma Walton Hamilton May 26, 2026

Writers entering the children’s publishing world are often surprised to discover that most major publishers do not accept “unsolicited” – meaning “un-agented” – submissions. This naturally raises the question: “Should…

How Do You Know When Your Manuscript is Ready to Query?

Emma Walton Hamilton May 19, 2026

One of the most common questions I hear from my students, editing clients, and other aspiring children’s book writers is: How do I know when my manuscript is truly ready…

The Mucky Middle: Maintaining Momentum from Page 8 – 24

Emma Walton Hamilton May 12, 2026

Writers often worry about beginnings. They worry about endings even more. But the place where picture books most often falter is the middle—the long stretch between setup and resolution where…

Story Sonar: Listening Beneath the Surface of an Idea

Emma Walton Hamilton May 5, 2026

I’ve often written about the importance of developing what Peter H. Reynolds calls story radar—the ability to notice ideas in the world around us. A snippet of playground dialogue. A…

Playful Prompts to Reignite Your Imagination

Emma Walton Hamilton April 28, 2026

If you’ve been writing picture books for a while, you may have noticed that ideas sometimes arrive in bursts—and sometimes they don’t arrive at all. When inspiration feels distant, a…

Creative Ruts: What They Really Hide

Emma Walton Hamilton April 21, 2026

Every writer eventually encounters a creative rut. The ideas feel flat. The enthusiasm fades. The work that once felt exciting begins to feel mechanical. When that happens, many writers assume…