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Practical perspective: Pitching your picture book

Are you planning to pitch your work, either via written submission or by attending a pitching event? You may understand the market, have a clear idea of where you fit in it, and know which publishers would be the best home for your work. You may even follow a recommended pitch formula to a tee! But without seeing examples of successful pitches, it can feel impossible to know how your pitch stacks up against others and whether there’s room for improvement.

Deborah Frenkel will provide valuable insight into the pitching process from her perspective as a picture book author. Deborah’s recent publication, The Truck Cat, is the National Simultaneous Storytime picture book for 2025. It was awarded Picture Book of the Year in the 2025 Australian Book Industry Awards, and is currently shortlisted for Picture Book of the Year in the CBCA Awards and for the Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children’s Literature. The book’s stellar trajectory began at an ASA Literary Speed Dating event in 2022, where Deborah successfully pitched it to Hardie Grant. 

Deborah will use her pitch for The Truck Cat as a lens to explore:

  • How to choose which publishers to pitch to.
  • How to start drafting a pitch (and how to find the mysterious hook).
  • Comparison titles and how to use them — which are relevant, which aren’t, and how can you find them?
  • Handling nerves while live pitching (especially if you're an introvert or not tech-savvy).
  • The next steps when your pitch is successful... or unsuccessful.

There will be time for questions.

Whether you are preparing to pitch your work for the first time or are seeking to strengthen your pitching skills, you won’t want to miss this rare opportunity to hear from a successful picture book author about how to approach this integral part of the publishing process.

Who is this for?

About the Presenter

Deborah Frenkel
Deborah Frenkel
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Can't make it to the live session?

No problem! Everyone booked in to this event will be emailed a link and passcode to access the recording afterwards. This recording will be available to view for 10 days after the live session. This also means that if you wish to revisit the session after attending it live to take further notes, you can do so!

After 10 days, the link will expire and the recording will no longer be available to view.