StretchLearn Course
Learn the real rules of kidlit, build a 32-page dummy, and submit like a working author.
Course Overview
Children's publishing has hard, specific rules: a picture book runs 32 pages, lands under 500 words, and must leave room for an illustrator to do half the storytelling. This course teaches those rules and the craft underneath them, then walks you through building a 32-page dummy, polishing your manuscript, and submitting to agents and editors the way working authors do.
Learning Outcomes
Identify the correct category, word count, and page count for picture books, early readers, and chapter books
Write a picture-book manuscript under 500 words that depends on illustration and the page turn
Map a story across 14 to 16 spreads in a 32-page dummy that paginates cleanly
Revise for read-aloud rhythm, scene economy, and a satisfying child-centred resolution
Build a submission package with a query letter, comp titles, and correct formatting
Navigate the agent and editor submission process, including SCBWI resources and royalty basics
Curriculum Preview
Preview the course structure, see how the modules build on one another, and understand the path this program is designed to take you through.
Learn the formats, age categories, and hard numbers that govern children's publishing before you write a word. Most rejections come from getting these wrong.
Turn an idea into a structured, character-driven manuscript under 500 words, built for the page turn.
Translate your manuscript into a 32-page dummy, understanding pagination, spreads, and the writer-illustrator relationship.
Revise to a professional standard, format and query correctly, and navigate agents, editors, and the deal.
Built for Application
This program is designed around progression: focused lessons, structured modules, applied resources, assessments, and a course rhythm that turns information into usable capability.