Shows / 12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast
Podcast for picture book writers by picture books writers with the 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge founder Julie Hedlund and co-host Kelli Panique www.12x12challenge.com
Episodes
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast043 - 12 x 12 Scholarship Winners Spill the Tea
What's it like to win a 12 x 12 Scholarship? Every November, we accept applications for 12 x 12 Scholarships. Scholarships are awarded in the categories of…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast042 - Amanda Davis is Chasing the Light in Picture Books
Chasing the light no matter what you're writing! 12 x 12 member Amanda Davis has written fiction and nonfiction picture books on topics that run the gamut of…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast041 - Indiia Willmot and the First-Year Member Experience
What's it like to be a first-time 12 x 12 member? We invited first-year 12 x 12 member Indiia Wilmott onto the podcast to share what it's like when you join…
- 12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast
040 - Mid-Journey Author Successes with Caitlin Binder Markey
Let's talk about the middle of the writing journey with Caitlin Binder-Markey So far, most of our podcast episodes have been interviews with published writers…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast039 - Karly Dizon: An Agent's Passion for Kidlit
Agent Karly Dizon of Fuse Literary joins Julie Hedlund and Kelli Panique to chat about her love for picture books and kidlit, and why she comes back year after…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast038 - Betsy Bird: Where are the Funny Female Writers?
Can you be a funny female picture book writer and get published? Uber-librarian Betsy Bird and Julie Hedlund talk about the challenges of being a funny…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast037 - Jess Townes: The Life of a Ninja Bookseller
The Life of a Ninja Bookseller Not only does Jess Townes write incredible picture books, but she's also a Critique Ninja in the 12 x 12 membership AND she's a…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast036 - Miranda Paul has a Secret...
A trade secret, that is... Earlier this year, agent and author Miranda Paul gave a webinar called Trade Secrets: Ways to Make Your Picture Book Idea More…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast035 - A Tribute to Jane Yolen
Our dear Jane... The children's writing community lost one of our greats this year when our beloved Jane Yolen passed away. She is not only the author of over…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast034 - 12 x 12 New York Times Bestsellers!
What's it like to be a New York Times Bestseller? It's a momentous time for the 12 x 12 membership and so we bring you a momentous podcast episode! During the…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast033 - What You Need to Know About Press Kits with Kelli Panique
What You Need to Know About Author Press Kits Kelli Panique has been working behind-the-scenes at events for creatives for almost 15 years now. As a regular…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast032 - Turning Real Life Stories into Picture Books with Emma Walton Hamilton
Turn real-life anecdotes into stories Author and independent editor Emma Walton Hamilton shares the story of her latest collaboration with her mother, Julie…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast031 - Rachel Orr, Tasha Hilderman, and Suzy Levinson
The Fun Part of Having an Agent After their 12 x 12 webinar about establishing successful agent-client relationships, agent Rachel Orr and her clients (and 12…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast030 - Alyssa Reynoso-Morris: Getting the Gig After Party
The ins and outs of author visits As a past 12 x 12 webinar speaker, Alyssa Reynoso-Morris brought us Getting the Gig! A jam-packed webinar with ideas and…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast029 - Rainbow Arcs After Party with Daria Peoples
Do you change your writing or does your writing change you? In early 2026, Daria Peoples gave a webinar about Rainbow Arcs and plotting the internal and…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast028 - Chiara Colombi on Why AI Can't Replace Picture Book Creators
What you need to know about AI In 2025, Chiara Colombi gave our most asked-about webinar called "What Kidlit Creators Need to Know About AI." Chiara works with…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast027 - Kari Lavelle & Lindsay Leslie Team Up for Author Visits
You've got a friend in me! In this episode, Kelli Panique chats with Kari Lavelle (pronounced CAR-EE) and Lindsay Leslie. Their writing friendship began when…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast026 - Does Your Picture Book Have Enough Hooks?
Hook, hook, does your book have enough hooks? In this episode, Julie gives an overview of picture book hooks and why they are so important in today's…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast025 - Debbie Davey's Self-Publishing Journey
Author Debbie Davey won a spot on the podcast by donating to Publishing for Minnesota! (Thank you, Debbie!) In this episode, Debbie shares her experience with…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast024 - Picture Book Summit 2026 Agents & Edtiors
The Flintstones meet the Jetsons! It's our first-ever crossover episode! The 12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast is just one of the hats that Julie Hedlund and Kelli…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast023 - Bologna Children's Book Fair
This past April, Julie went to Italy (her favorite country) to attend The Bologna Children's Book Fair for the first time in five years. It was fantastico…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast022 - Lee Wind: Allyship in the Age of Book Banning
Author and Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) Chief Content Officer Lee Wind has always advocated for books that help marginalized kids and teens…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast021 - Celebrating AANHPI Month with Carren Jao
Meet Carren Jao, one of the passionate co-leaders of the 12 x 12 Asian Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (ANHPI) Affinity Group. Ellen Lee was unable to join us…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast020 - Heidi E.Y. Stemple Loves Backmatter
Award-winning children's author Heidi E.Y. Stemple joins co-hosts Julie and Kelli to celebrate her latest picture book releases and to talk about why…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast019 - Jorjeana Marie: Improv for Writers
Meet stand-up comedian, actress, TV writer, audiobook narrator, and picture book author Jorjeana Marie, here on the 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Podcast to…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast018 - Julie Travels Down Under
G'day, Mates! Our fearless leader, Julie Hedlund, recently returned from a month down under in Australia. Of course, there were stunning beaches and beautiful…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast017 - Rajani LaRocca: Writing Fueled by Joy
Inspired by Joy in Storytelling Newbery Award-Winning Rajani LaRocca shares personal insights into her writing, including when she started writing, when she…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast016 - Keila Dawson: No Poem Too Small
Keila V. Dawson has partnered with fellow creatives Jeanette Bradley and Lindsay Metcalf to tell the stories of young activists through the power of poetry. No…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast015 - Michelle Cusolito: In the World of Nonfiction
Write what you love Michelle Cusolito's love for writing nonfiction picture books is palpable and, we dare say, contagious. In this episode, she generously…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast014 - Lisa Rogers - Poetry and Picture Book Biographies
Where Picture Book Biographies and Poetry Come Together The National Poetry Month celebration continues! 12 x 12 charter member, poet, and author Lisa Rogers…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast013 - Renee La Tulippe - Passionate About Poetry
Let's celebrate poetry! Welcome to National Poetry Month! We begin the celebration with one of our favorite poets AND poetry teachers, author Renee LaTulippe…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast012 - Ask a Bookseller After-Party with Julie Rowan Zoch
What does a bookseller want book creators to know? Welcome to our first After-Party! After-parties will be a semi-regular feature on the 12 x 12 Picture Book…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast011 - Marcie Colleen: Writing Graphic Novels for Young Readers
Why would a picture book author write a graphic novel? Why not? Author (and Charter 12 x 12 member) Marcie Colleen shares how curiosity (and the willingness to…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast010 - A New Perspective with Kelli Panique
What's the silver lining of having a broken arm? While Julie is away, Kelli will play! Kelli is taking over the podcast today. And, just like writing, an idea…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast009 - Caroline Perry: The Most Interesting Story
In celebration of Women's History Month, Julie Hedlund interviews author Caroline Perry and they discuss their picture book biographies of two extraordinary…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast008 - Marzieh Abbas: Teach Yourself to Write Picture Books
Julie Hedlund and Kelli Panique enjoy a delightful conversation with author Marzieh Abbas. Marzieh has over 40 published books for kids, from board books to…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast007 - Leah Schanke: Making History Kid-Friendly
Can young readers handle difficult topics? Author Leah Schanke thinks so. It's just one of the reasons she wrote her debut picture book, Freedom at Dawn…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast006 - Kirsten W. Larson: For the Love of Nonfiction
Author Kirsten W. Larson and Julie Hedlund discuss the joy of writing nonfiction, including: Why Kirsten loves writing nonfiction for young readers Where her…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast005 - Valerie Bolling Challenges Herself (and YOU!)
We begin our Black History Month celebration with 12 x 12 member and author Valerie Bolling, who talks about reinventing her writing as a means to expand on…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast004 - Emma Walton Hamilton: The Query Whisperer
Are you in the submission trenches? Co-Founders of The Complete Picture Book Submissions System Emma Walton Hamilton and Julie Hedlund share their submission…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast003 - Looking at Today's Picture Book Market with Adria Goetz
Join the fun as Julie Hedlund interviews our first-ever podcast guest: agent Adria Goetz of KT Literary! What you'll discover: How Adria became an agent What…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast002 - Here's Kelli!
Houston, we have a co-host! Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon. Laurel and Hardy. Thelma and Louise. Life is more fun with a partner—and work is certainly easier…
12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast001 - Welcome to the 12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast
Welcome to the 12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast! Host Julie Hedlund, Founder of the 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge, introduces us to this new podcast for…