After all your hard work…it’s almost time to enter the 2025 PBParty contest. Wahooooo! The judges and I can’t wait to see your entries. Plus many of the participating agents and editors told me how excited they are to browse the showcase.

This is the last post before submission day and has all the info you need. Here are links to the Google forms. Remember–they will ONLY be open during the submission window. Please don’t wait until the last minute. Once the forms close, they won’t open again until the 2026 contest.

Google form for WRITERS

Google form for AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATORS

NEW! You should receive an e-mail after you enter.
NEW! You should be able to edit your responses while the form is open. Do NOT attempt to make changes close to the time the form closes (I’d say no later than 7 pm Eastern, to be safe).

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Please read our PBParty contest announcement post and FAQ here.

Submission day is Monday February 3, 2025

Midnight to 8 PM EST

Here’s the list of 63 participating PBParty agents, editors, and art directors. Wahooooooo! So many told me how excited they are to see the showcase. 🙂

*You’ll find a PBParty Participant badge and banner toward the bottom of the agent/editor post. Enjoy. 🙂

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Here’s a post with tons of helpful tips, including the PBParty Prep Zoom link and sample Google forms so you’ll be 1000% ready to dazzle!

Participants requested photos of some of the PBParty Prep Zoom slides. I’ll include them below, in slideshows.

2024 PBParty Contest Stats

Scroll through the amazing slides that PBParty judge and Ninja Superstar Sylvia Chen created with 2024 contest stats, frequent topics, agent/editor wishes & non-wishes and author/illustrator tips.

Please remember that we’re sharing to help you decide between possible manuscripts to enter. But great picture books always have a chance! Some items are only from one or a few people while others are way more frequent (such as bios and rhyme in the non-wishes). You’ll see some on both lists. We’ve had participants make it into the showcase multiple years with a tough sell (and can’t enter this year because they’re agented). So go with the story of your heart. The one only YOU can tell.

IMPORTANT!

To keep our amazing agents happily coming back year after year, you need to contact me to withdraw your entry if you receive an offer and won’t be able to give PBParty agents at least two weeks to consider requested work from the end of the showcase, which is March 14. (MindyAlyseWeiss@gmail.com) Please let us know as early as possible. You all rocked this last year!

Note: You aren’t required to submit to showcase requests, but if you do send requested material to agents, you MUST give them at least two weeks from the end of the showcase and from the day you submit to them to decide.

Reminder of What Will Disqualify You

Please don’t worry about being disqualified. As long as you follow the rules (especially the ones listed below) you’re safe. If you accidentally enter the same manuscript twice, it will create more work for us, but we’ll chalk it up as a mistake and will still consider it. If you enter more than one manuscript, you’ll be disqualified. If a rhyming manuscript isn’t spot-on, it can’t be considered for the final showcase, but for author/illustrators, we’ll still consider art for the Illustration Showcase.

We truly want you to succeed, which is why we spend so much time preparing you for entry day. 💗

Please Thank Our Hard-Working Judges and Volunteers!

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If you’re on the fence about joining, I hope you’ll take a deep breath and take the plunge. You and your stories are worth it! Don’t let ‘what ifs’ nag you all year. Here are inspirational graphics from PBParty judge Stacey Byer and a couple of participants who want to lift everyone up. I hope they make you smile, too.

Don’t forget to check out the daily discussion questions on social media starting February 3! It’s such a fun way to connect with the kidlit community. We’ll have a party on Twitter, BlueSky, and sometimes Instagram to celebrate our love of writing and picture books with daily topics like: share your favorite picture book or where do you get your writing inspiration. It’s fun, helps everyone discover new resources, books, authors, and illustrators…plus it makes the wait a little easier. Everyone is welcome to join the chat fun…even if they don’t enter the contest.

The judges and I are sending tons of good luck vibes your way. Fairy dust! ✨✨✨✨✨✨