Tracy C. Gold
@tracycgold.bsky.social
Author of picture books about family and nature with Sourcebooks and Familius. Freelance editor. Mom. Horse, dog, and garden enthusiast! tracycgold.com for more
I wrote about what it meant to carve out the time to braid for the MidAtlantic Horse Rescue's Thoroughbred Show this weekend! (And what it means to carve out the time to train a green horse, too!) www.chronofhorse.com/article/why-...
Why I Braid My Horse (Myself) - The Chronicle of the Horse
chronofhorse.com
Today, the Baltimore Fishbowl published my thoughts on sharing my picture book, “Call Your Mother.” I talk about cherishing the mother figures in our lives, and being motherly to all, when we can. @familiusbooks.bsky.social
On Writing a Picture Book that Makes Moms Cry
Author/editor Tracy C. Gold reflects on her mother's selfless mothering and the process of writing a picture book that makes moms cry.
baltimorefishbowl.com
🎉 HAPPY PUB DAY 🎉 We're so excited to add these three titles to our Familius #bookshelf! 📚 "Superbloom" by Mark Lisk 📚 "100 First Words for Little Texans" by Christopher Robbins and illustrated by Gareth Williams 📚 "I'm a Baby" by Terry Pierce and illustrated by Volha Kaliaha #BookLaunch
In a great personal victory, I figured out how to spell onomatopoeia without looking it up today
Picture book writing tip: if you're using the word "things," can you swap it for something more specific? An editing client of mine just did this and I'm cracking up at her more specific replacement! This is a small change that can make a big difference.
Do you have your Mother's Day gifts yet? 💐 Because THIS book needs to be on your list! #MothersDay #GiftIdea #GiftsForMom #BooksForMom
Tracy C. Gold@tracycgold.bsky.social · last yr.Pssst I have a book that will make your mom or grandma cry (hopefully in a good way). Beautiful gift for Mother's Day! On sale with other great gifts via @familiusbooks.bsky.social: familius.com/gifts-for-mom/ Of course on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/1641709049 And many many indies!
Hidden in my overwhelming Monday inbox was some EXTREMELY exciting news from an editing client I'd last worked with...two years ago. That I can't even share details about yet. Y'all. This industry. Slower than molasses doesn't even come close. Hang in there!!
May I point you to my favorite list of small publishers that take unagented submissions of picture books? Huge thanks to Bitsy Kemper for maintaining this! bitsykemper.com/publishers/
New Update: 100+ Publishers Ready to Discover YOUR Children’s Book! - Bitsy Kemper
Find over *80!!* publishers actively accepting children's books from #unagented writers! Come find one that works for you. #amwriting #kidlit Updated Jan 12, 2024
bitsykemper.com
Pssst I have a book that will make your mom or grandma cry (hopefully in a good way). Beautiful gift for Mother's Day! On sale with other great gifts via @familiusbooks.bsky.social: familius.com/gifts-for-mom/ Of course on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/1641709049 And many many indies!
Gifts for Mom - Familius.com Shop
Find the perfect gifts for mom, from cookbooks to children's books, for every special occasion—birthdays, Mother's Day, and more!
familius.com
I feel like this falls in the category of "don't read the reviews" but when an author friend unsubscribes from my email list and then adds me to theirs without an opt in...not gonna lie, I get salty!
I think the most important part of world building is having something to say about the real world. #kidlitchat
Just had a picture book editing client tell me "This book would be easier if it had not come to me in rhyme." UNIVERSAL TRUTH, ha
I feel like I've been yelling about the violations of human rights with this presidency but it does nothing to change anything. Those who thought this racist administration would only go after "illegal" or "criminal" immigrants were fooled. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/14/u...
They Followed the Rules. Now Thousands of Migrants Are Told, ‘Leave.’
The Biden administration allowed 900,000 people to use an app to schedule appointments to cross the border. Emails over the last few days told them to leave or face deportation.
nytimes.com
Those of you who thought this racist administration would only go after "illegal" or "criminal" immigrants were downright fooled.
The New York Times@nytimes.com · last yr.Many migrants who entered the U.S. using an app introduced by the Biden administration have been told their legal status would end seven days after the date on their notice. If they failed to leave voluntarily, they would face deportation, the notices said.
I wrote about how much I love shedding out horses for Chronicle of the Horse. Tissue warning: I do talk about the grief of losing my beloved horse and a lost dog *he sent* to cheer me up. Every now and then I step out from the kidlit world and write an essay! www.chronofhorse.com/article/conf...
Confessions Of A Shedding Season Lover - The Chronicle of the Horse
chronofhorse.com
Picture book query tip: Spoil the ending! So NOT: Will Little Sue save her project from disaster in time for the science fair? INSTEAD: Just in time, Little Sue realizes that if she uses different materials, she can still be ready in time for the science fair.
I am feeling really grateful for wonderful clients who send me wonderful books to work on!
Writing a picture book query letter? I have a guide for them here! tracycgold.com/how-to-write... They are MUCH simpler and shorter than queries for novels.
How to Write a Picture Book Query Letter (Template and Example) « Tracy C. Gold
tracycgold.com
Leaving line notes on picture books is so much fine. It's like "Would this be cuter?" "Awww!" "So funny!"
You know, it is wild how freelance life goes from "I don't have enough work and I'm going to run out of money" to "I have so much work I'll never be able to meet my deadlines" in about a blink of an eye
It's a really sad world where I have to tell a client that I'm only comfortable working on faith-based projects if those projects are inclusive/welcoming to all gender/racial identities. Religion has so much potential to do good in the world. But right now it is so often used to exclude and shame.
A lot of writers come to me asking for help editing their query letters. Yes, I can almost always find a way to make them better. But I also know lots of writers with great materials who are getting rejections in the current market. It is brutally competitive and there's an element of luck involved
Well this is kind of important. Just a little. @vanityfair.com www.vanityfair.com/news/story/t...
The Expert Who Kept Eye Drops From Blinding You Was Fired Yesterday
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency terminated thousands of experienced public health professionals in an April Fools’ Day massacre. We’re all about to pay the ...
vanityfair.com
Look, I am not a big fan of AI illustrations. But until AI can get the number of fingers on a hand correct consistently, I don't think we have to worry too much. I mean, if you're gonna use AI, at least count the fingers.
A lot of new rhyming picture book writers are concerned with the syllable count of their lines. Who is out there teaching this? While counting syllables can be a helpful tool, what's most important is the rhythm: the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.
I am such an adult, I had two pb and js and a bunch of chicken nuggets for lunch...
For writers looking for critique partners, Susan Dennard has a blog post right now where you can meet critique partners in the comments! stdennard.substack.com/p/the-great-...
The Great Critique Partner Meet Up
It’s been almost a year since the last critique partner meetup, and as social media subsumes more and more social networks, I feel like it’s get…
stdennard.substack.com
I prioritize my repeat clients and they get a faster turnaround but uh what happens if a month is...ALL repeat clients...what do I edit first? Will I have to make them wait? EEK!?
