Deborah Halverson's Blog

Deborah’s “State of the Children’s Book Market” Zoom Event

When you’re creating children’s books, you don’t find out “current trends” in order to jump on the trend wagon. By the time your book is made, that trend may be over. You learn the trends to understand the industry in which you operate. Those and broader market must-knows are on my agenda for June 26, 2025, when I will present a Zoom event called “The State of the Children’s Book Market” for SCBWI, the Society of Children’s Books Authors and Illustrators. The online event is 90 minutes long and free to SCBWI Premium members. I’m so excited to present this comprehensive overview of the children’s publishing industry and marketplace. I’m also including insights into the launch and closure of various imprints, the influences of AI, challenges surrounding book banning, and the current landscape of the middle grade market. Members can register on the SCBWI website: www.SCBWI.org.

Deborah at Big Sur Children’s Writers Workshop

I’m honored to be up in Monterey, California, today, on the faculty of this year’s Big Sur Children’s Writers Workshop. Hosted by Andrea Brown Literary Agency, this three-day workshop “brings top tier professionals together with both beginner and seasoned writers.” Writers mingle and discuss their works with editors, agents, and published authors and attend small group sessions where one-on-one feedback is provided. My role is to be a “mentor,” facilitating discussion of ten pages of each participant’s writing. I get to add my two cents on the pages as well. The groups meet several times, there are keynotes to attend, and have downtime for writing, which can be revision based on feedback or work on new material, inspired by those comments and the weekend in general. What a wonderful event!

Listen to Me on the How Writers Write Podcast

If I’m not listening to audiobooks, I’m listening to podcasts. The How Writers Write podcast is a fabulous one, and I was honored to be interviewed on it. We talked YA fiction, establishing productive writing routines, and getting yourself unstuck when writers block strikes. What fun to dig into the at-your-desk (or not!) details of writing life. And host Brian T. Murphy’s traditional end-of-interview Six Questions are wonderfully creative. Question #3 is a hoot: “If you could pick a spirit book—this is the book you would choose to be reincarnated as—what book would it be?” How would YOU answer that? Here’s the link to the podcast if you want to see what book I would be: https://bit.ly/3WEcApq. Or type How Writers Write episode 111 in your favorite podcast app.

Deborah on SCBWI Podcast

I’m honored to be the featured guest for a great conversation with SCBWI Podcast host Theo Baker in the episode “From Slush Pile to Stand Out Manuscript with Deborah Halverson.” We got into the nitty-gritty of my editorial approach, the challenges and joys of writing, and my journey in publishing. You can listen to the podcast on your favorite podcast app, including these (click to listen): Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts.

Me, Being Brave

I’m most comfortable stepping into the greater world via words on a page. But in these days of Zoom webinars, social media, and ubiquitous phone cameras, it’s probably inevitable that I would push the boundaries of my comfort zone. And so I have: I’ve started creating quick videos of craft tips and my DearEditor.com Q&As. Here’s a picture of the opening image on the very first one. Turns out it’s fun to film and edit the videos, now that I’m getting used to watching and listening to myself. And since I’m being brave, I’m going big — I’ve posted that video across social media and even on YouTube. I’d like to share my first video with you. Here are the links, so you can pick the social media platform you’re on. And if you feel so inclined, consider following me there so my videos get some thumbs-up, because being brave is scary.

My first Quick Q&A video, click on Twitter | TikTok | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube.

Editing and Writing to the Beat

I had a spectacular #MobileEditing office today! I set myself up at the Rady Shell at San Diego Bay during the San Diego Symphony’s open rehearsals. I edited a picture book AND revised two chapters of my own WIP.

I know some folks would be distracted by the glorious music that swirled around me. I get that. But for me, when I’m doing creative work, music becomes a part of my state of mind, not a distraction. I feel immersed in the music, blissfully creative and productive.

Being outside, with that view and on such a gorgeous, fresh day, only enhanced my creative spirit. I’ve discovered that I enjoy being outside when I write or edit. I can’t think of a more wonderful #MobileEditing office than the one I had today. Utter delight.

About the Rady Shell: “Years in the making, The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park is the soaring culmination of a long-time civic desire to have a state of the art concert venue that elevates the experience of live music while also serving as a public center for all of San Diego… Besides the visual splendor of the natural setting by the bay and the architectural drama that is The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park itself patrons find comfortable seating either in table settings up close, rows of seating in mid-range and lawn seating at the top of the Skyline Terrace. https://www.theshell.org/about/venue/

The San Diego Symphony is more than 100 years old, and is “one of the leading orchestras in the United States.” Its music director is Rafael Payare. “Mr. Payare’s profound musicianship, technical brilliance and charismatic presence on the podium has elevated him as one of the most sought after young conductors, working regularly with the world’s leading orchestras.” https://www.sandiegosymphony.org/about-the-sdso/history-and-mission/

Deborah In the Redwoods

Technology can be a very good thing. This weekend, thanks to the magic of Zoom, I’ll be “with” the members of Redwood Writers, the largest branch of the California Writers Club. I will be presenting an hour-long webinar called “You’ve Written a Book, What’s Next?” It’s beginners as well as advanced writers — published and pre-published — looking to perfect their submission package and strategy. I’m honored to have been invited!

Where I Write (and Edit)

I was honored last month to be featured inWriters’ Forum magazine’s “Where I Write” feature.

Originally, my husband created my dream writing space at home. He built glass-door bookcases and wainscoted the walls and lugged in a comfy green couch to set alongside my desk. But then we had triplet sons, and that space was given over to babies and copious baby gear. I never got it back—and that’s okay. Leaving the house flips my switch to Work Mode. With my “mobile office tour” of San Diego’s amazing places, I’m always eager to get to work. San Diego is my new dream writing space.

I like to post photos of me in my mobile office on my social media. Last week I was at San Diego Bay enjoying a necessary summer breeze next to the Maritime Museum.

For the “Where I Write” feature, we focused on my writing and editing visits to the San Diego Public Library’s public reading room, which is a gorgeous space. It’s indoors, yet the dramatic raised ceiling and walls of windows overlooking San Diego Bay and the historic Coronado Bridge make me feel like I can breathe deeply. That feeling of expansiveness is important to me when choosing writing spaces. I have no set writing space. For years, I wrote my books and edited other author’s manuscripts on my laptop at the local pool and park. I would stand and stretch my arms, walk around, even pull out a mat for a stretching session. But during the initial phase of the pandemic, the pool and parks were closed, so I rediscovered the open spaces of San Diego. Now my default writing spaces are the lake and fields by my home, but at least two days each week I pick a beautiful San Diego location like Balboa Park, or the beach at the famous Hotel Del Coronado, or that stunning SDPL writing room. I choose my locations sometimes by mood, but usually with some thematic link to what I’m writing or editing that day.

As I said in the Writers’ Forum article, “Just give me a travel mug of hot cocoa, a beautiful space, and an engrossing project to write or edit and I’m happy.” Word.

Talking Book Trends with Book Folk

I had a great Sunday afternoon. Why? Because I spent it with authors and illustrators of children’s books–always a great, varied, and energetic group of people. I was invited to a virtual meeting of SCBWI Nebraska. I talked about how the various categories of children’s books are performing, how some audience and market expectations are changing while others remain constant, and what trends seem to be playing out in the market and in acquisitions and in reader reception. In the process, I showed the group a beautiful selection of children’s books covers, adding titles to many To Read lists, I’m sure. I love when speakers share books that illustrator their points… although my To Read list will take my lifetime to get through!

Talking Book Trends with Fellow Book Folk

I had a great Sunday afternoon. Why? Because I spent it with authors and illustrators of children’s books–always a great, varied, and energetic group of people. I was invited to a virtual meeting of SCBWI Nebraska. I talked about how the various categories of children’s books are performing, how some audience and market expectations are changing while others remain constant, and what trends seem to be playing out in the market and in acquisitions and in reader reception. In the process, I showed the group a beautiful selection of children’s books covers, adding titles to many To Read lists, I’m sure. I love when speakers share books that illustrator their points… although my To Read list will take my lifetime to get through!