PubU | ECPA

We welcome all who want to increase their knowledge around children’s lit, to attend the post-PubU afternoon Children’s Books Summit, where we’ll discuss best practices around editing children’s books, what children’s authors wish publishers knew, the illustration process, the latest data, and more. Simply indicate on your registration form that you’ll be joining us and lunch will be included!

SESSION ONE

What Children's Authors Wish Publishers Knew

How can we improve the publishing experience for our authors? Learn from children's authors about the highs and lows of the publishing process. With input from a survey engaging multiple authors from several Christian publishers, this session will provide helpful tools for you to create a great experience with your authors.

Jevon Bolden

With two decades of experience in the publishing industry, Jevon Bolden leads Embolden Media Group, a literary agency and publishing consulting firm that exists to cultivate, amplify, and advocate for the works of women writers, authors of color, and forward-thinking creators whose diverse ideas move the world through written, audio, and visual content. Jevon has authored eight books, ghostwritten and edited hundreds of titles, and helped build culture-shifting author brands. Advocating for inclusion and equity for diverse voices in publishing, Jevon serves as a consultant to the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) and a member of the organization's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) subcommittee. As a conference speaker, workshop facilitator, writing coach, and mentor, she shares the best of what she knows with passionate, creative, and influential people who desire to publish great books that make a difference.

Allia Zobel Nolan

Allia Zobel Nolan is the author of over 150 traditionally published titles. Her books reflect her two main passions: God and cats. Recent titles include Cat Confessions: A Kitty-Come-Clean Tell-All Book (over 130,000+ copies sold); The Worrywart’s Prayer Book, winner of the gold medal first place 2022 Indie Book Award for Christian Non-Fiction; Laugh Out Loud:40 Women Humorists Celebrate Then and Now...Before We Forget, finalist in the 2019 Indie Book Awards for Humor, the classic bestselling children’s book, What I Like About Me: a Book about Differences, and the sequel, What I Like About You: a Book About Acceptance finalist in the 2020 Indie Book Awards for Children’s Picture Books. God Made Us Just Right, published by Kregel, won a 2022 Catholic Media Award for best children’s book. Nolan’s latest picture book Harriet Hurry-Up and the Oh-So-Slow Day was published by Kregel in August. She lives and writes with her husband, Desmond, and their three fur babies in New England. Learn more at www.AlliaWrites.com

SESSION TWO

Best Practices in Editing Children's Books

Learn best practices for editing children’s books from a panel of experienced editors. These veterans of the industry will share some of the wisdom they have learned, offering practical tips, things to avoid, and what kinds of risks are worth taking.

Catherine DeVries

Catherine DeVries is Publisher at Kregel Publications, with over 30 years of experience in Christian publishing and a proven track record of crafting best-selling Bibles, books, and ministry resources for all ages. She began her career with Zondervan/HarperChristian, where she stayed for 17 years and helped launch the NIrV translation and Zonderkidz and acquired The Jesus Storybook Bible. As brand manager at United Methodist Publishing House, DeVries launched the Common English Bible translation. Then as Publisher for David C Cook, Catherine was responsible for Sunday school curriculum lines, trade books, ministry resources, and the Action Bible children’s line of products. Catherine has been with Kregel since 2018 and leads the English publishing division, including acquisitions and publishing planning in all formats and genres—fiction, non-fiction, children’s, academic and ministry. She is also the author of 25 children’s books.

Linda Howard

Linda Howard is Associate Publisher for Children and Youth at Tyndale House Publishers. She brings an extensive background working with children and children’s products to her role including teaching, marketing, and product development for several brands. Linda leads the kids’ team, developing overall strategy for Tyndale Children and Youth, acquiring projects, and overseeing product development of all books. She has worked with best-selling authors Tony Dungy, Randy Alcorn, Esau McCaulley, Ann Voskamp, Karen Kingsbury, Mike Nawrocki, Amy Parker, and more. Linda’s enthusiasm and passion for bringing children to a deeper understanding of Christ is what drives her work. Helping authors to publish and shape products that start children on a path to spiritual maturity is a responsibility she takes seriously, and she is grateful for the opportunity to serve families in this way.

Champ Thornton

Champ Thornton (PhD, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) and his wife, Robben, live in Newark, Delaware, have been married since 1996, and enjoy being parents to three energetic teenage children. He is an Acquisitions Editor at Crossway and is the author of numbers of books for kids and families, including The Radical Book for Kids, its sequel: The Really Radical Book for Kids, illustrated children’s books: You Count!, Why Do We Say Good Night? And Why Do We Say Thank You?, and devotionals for families and parents: Wonders of His Love: Family Advent Devotional, and Pass It On: A Proverbs Journal for the Next Generation. He’s also served as host of “In the Word, On the Go,” a ten-minute podcast for families. You can learn more about Champ at www.champthornton.com.

SESSION THREE

Best Practices in the Illustration Process

Illustrations can make or break a children’s book, which is why we sweat out the details during the development process. Join part two of the conversation with our panel of experienced editors as they respond to questions about the challenges and joys of visually bringing a story to life.

Catherine DeVries

Catherine DeVries is Publisher at Kregel Publications, with over 30 years of experience in Christian publishing and a proven track record of crafting best-selling Bibles, books, and ministry resources for all ages. She began her career with Zondervan/HarperChristian, where she stayed for 17 years and helped launch the NIrV translation and Zonderkidz and acquired The Jesus Storybook Bible. As brand manager at United Methodist Publishing House, DeVries launched the Common English Bible translation. Then as Publisher for David C Cook, Catherine was responsible for Sunday school curriculum lines, trade books, ministry resources, and the Action Bible children’s line of products. Catherine has been with Kregel since 2018 and leads the English publishing division, including acquisitions and publishing planning in all formats and genres—fiction, non-fiction, children’s, academic and ministry. She is also the author of 25 children’s books.

Linda Howard

Linda Howard is Associate Publisher for Children and Youth at Tyndale House Publishers. She brings an extensive background working with children and children’s products to her role including teaching, marketing, and product development for several brands. Linda leads the kids’ team, developing overall strategy for Tyndale Children and Youth, acquiring projects, and overseeing product development of all books. She has worked with best-selling authors Tony Dungy, Randy Alcorn, Esau McCaulley, Ann Voskamp, Karen Kingsbury, Mike Nawrocki, Amy Parker, and more. Linda’s enthusiasm and passion for bringing children to a deeper understanding of Christ is what drives her work. Helping authors to publish and shape products that start children on a path to spiritual maturity is a responsibility she takes seriously, and she is grateful for the opportunity to serve families in this way.

Champ Thornton

Champ Thornton (PhD, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) and his wife, Robben, live in Newark, Delaware, have been married since 1996, and enjoy being parents to three energetic teenage children. He is an Acquisitions Editor at Crossway and is the author of numbers of books for kids and families, including The Radical Book for Kids, its sequel: The Really Radical Book for Kids, illustrated children’s books: You Count!, Why Do We Say Good Night? And Why Do We Say Thank You?, and devotionals for families and parents: Wonders of His Love: Family Advent Devotional, and Pass It On: A Proverbs Journal for the Next Generation. He’s also served as host of “In the Word, On the Go,” a ten-minute podcast for families. You can learn more about Champ at www.champthornton.com.

SESSION FOUR

Data and its "Storylines"

You have access to data, but what do you do with all of that information? How can data help us in our publishing efforts? Using research from trusted resources including Circana Bookscan, an industry analyst will explain the importance of these numbers, what they tell us, and what they don’t tell us.

Sofia Anderson

Sofia Anderson is a data analyst for Tyndale House Publishers’ online sales team, where she blends her expertise in mathematics and studio art to enhance storytelling through data. She is dedicated to using data to drive better decisions in the publishing industry. Sofia is excited to share her insights at the Children's Summit, especially since she has illustrated two children's books of her own!

SESSION FIVE

Putting it All Together

In our final session together—taking into account what we’ve learned from authors, editors, illustrators, and our analyst—we will look at a case study from Harriet, Hurry-Up and the Oh-So-Slow Day! by Allia Zobel Nolan to see how content informs illustration and is supported by data.

Allia Zobel Nolan

Allia Zobel Nolan is the author of over 150 traditionally published titles. Her books reflect her two main passions: God and cats. Recent titles include Cat Confessions: A Kitty-Come-Clean Tell-All Book (over 130,000+ copies sold); The Worrywart’s Prayer Book, winner of the gold medal first place 2022 Indie Book Award for Christian Non-Fiction; Laugh Out Loud:40 Women Humorists Celebrate Then and Now...Before We Forget, finalist in the 2019 Indie Book Awards for Humor, the classic bestselling children’s book, What I Like About Me: a Book about Differences, and the sequel, What I Like About You: a Book About Acceptance finalist in the 2020 Indie Book Awards for Children’s Picture Books. God Made Us Just Right, published by Kregel, won a 2022 Catholic Media Award for best children’s book. Nolan’s latest picture book Harriet Hurry-Up and the Oh-So-Slow Day was published by Kregel in August. She lives and writes with her husband, Desmond, and their three fur babies in New England. Learn more at www.AlliaWrites.com

TRACK LEADERS

Catherine DeVries

Catherine DeVries is Publisher at Kregel Publications, with over 30 years of experience in Christian publishing and a proven track record of crafting best-selling Bibles, books, and ministry resources for all ages. She began her career with Zondervan/HarperChristian, where she stayed for 17 years and helped launch the NIrV translation and Zonderkidz and acquired The Jesus Storybook Bible. As brand manager at United Methodist Publishing House, DeVries launched the Common English Bible translation. Then as Publisher for David C Cook, Catherine was responsible for Sunday school curriculum lines, trade books, ministry resources, and the Action Bible children’s line of products. Catherine has been with Kregel since 2018 and leads the English publishing division, including acquisitions and publishing planning in all formats and genres—fiction, non-fiction, children’s, academic and ministry. She is also the author of 25 children’s books.

Elissa Schauer

Elissa Schauer (MA, Wheaton College) is the Executive Editor at InterVarsity Press (IVP) where she champions the children’s imprint—IVP Kids—and a new collection of Bible studies. Prior to her work at IVP, she was a classroom teacher and a children's curriculum writer, and she also logged a lot of miles in a minivan with her three sons. Elissa lives outside of Chicago with her husband, Mike, in their nearly empty nest.