Testimonials

I am forever grateful to have been selected as one of the 12 x 12 Diversity Scholarship recipients! I’ve learned so much from this supportive kidlit community. And as a gold member, I could submit to agents who were closed to submissions. Eventually, after much revising and many rejections, I finally started to get noticed. I was winning contests, I was getting requests for more work, and in September of 2022, I signed with my agent, Leah Pierre!

12 x 12 has been a lifeline allowing me to focus on my dream of someday becoming a published picture book author. Julie and Kelli’s fun sense of humor and upbeat attitude only scratch the surface of what is a massive resource for picture book writers.

Being a 12 x 12 Scholarship recipient has been an amazing experience. The 12 x 12 writers are eager to encourage, support, and offer advice. I truly feel blessed to have gotten to be a part of this wonderful community.

This opportunity allowed me to stay connected to the most knowledgeable and generous writing community I know. Their advice and support in the forum and Facebook group helped me to prepare my manuscripts for submission, and their commitment inspires me even in the toughest moments. We are stronger together! 12 x12 will always be my writing home.

“What stands out for me about 12 x 12 are the comprehensive resources and being a part of a supportive kidlit community. Through 12 x 12, I’ve raised the level of my craft and met other writers to swap critiques and cheer successes. It’s telling that very experienced and successful writers are active, long-time members. There’s something for everyone no matter where you are in your writing career.”

“At face value, setting a big writing goal and pursuing it in a public arena can be daunting. But there is no one way to engage with a writing community—the key is to start engaging, because you never know what will cross your path. A single writing friend you make, a needed confidence boost for your manuscript at the right moment, or one little nugget of gold from a guest presenter—any of these could be just the thing you didn’t know you needed for the next leg of your journey. They certainly were for me! 12 x 12 was the perfect gathering place of talented, like-minded, generous people to make those discoveries possible.”