What is the PB Rising Stars Mentorship Program?
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The #PBRisingStars Mentorship started with a tweet, a huge response, and two authors with book deals looking for ways to give back to the KidLit community that gave so much to them.
We pair agented picture book creators who are knowledgeable about querying, author-agent relationships, being on submission, book deals, and contract language with the next generation of children’s book creators for an immersive, four-month mentorship experience that is more than just a critique.
Our mission is to pull up-and-coming picture book creators up the turbulent publishing ladder, centering Black creators, creators of color, and ALL historically excluded communities.
We believe in equity. Above all, we believe that our mentors and mentees should reflect what publishing SHOULD look like.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Action
PB Rising Stars leads by example through its mentor and mentee positions, demanding equal opportunity and front-row-center visibility for historically underrepresented creators in publishing.
67% of our leadership team identifies as historically underrepresented.
2022: 67% of our Mentors and 77% of our Mentees identified as historically underrepresented creators.
2023: 76% of our Mentors and 68% of our Mentees identified as historically underrepresented creators.
2024: 77% of our Mentors and 68% of our Mentees identified as historically underrepresented creators.
2025: 93% of our Mentors and 73% of our Mentees identified as historically underrepresented creators.
