Mary Helen Berg
@maryhelenberg.bsky.social
Writer. Awkward is my super power | Soon: @ Bushel & Peck Books and @Tielmour Press | #PBParty Finalist 2025, HM ‘24, Finalist ‘23 | #Writementor ‘22 | #SCBWI | #12x12PB | #Kidlit #PB
Pinned
Cannot believe it but I signed two #PB contracts this year! And my book with @TielmourPress
is on its way! Yippee!! Can NOT wait to work with the immensely talented @suetodd.bsky.social
is on its way! Yippee!! Can NOT wait to work with the immensely talented @suetodd.bsky.social
My CP has a shiny new agent! Congrats to both of you!
I’m excited to announce that I’m now represented by @janinele.bsky.social at JLLA!!! Grateful to so many who have been along on my writing journey thus far, but for now I’ll start with a shoutout to #PBParty for providing the opportunity for this connection!
#KidLitMegaFeed #PictureBooks
#KidLitMegaFeed #PictureBooks
February 11, 2026 at 11:28 PM
My CP has a shiny new agent! Congrats to both of you!
Reposted by Mary Helen Berg
Debut #pb from my CP. I can't wait to get my hands on this!
Here it is! The cover for my first #PB. Art by @suetodd.bsky.social
February 10, 2026 at 11:42 AM
Debut #pb from my CP. I can't wait to get my hands on this!
Here it is! The cover for my first #PB. Art by @suetodd.bsky.social
February 10, 2026 at 1:33 AM
Here it is! The cover for my first #PB. Art by @suetodd.bsky.social
Help Publishing for Minnesota blow past their fundraising goal!
Publishing for Minnesota
Silent auction 'Publishing for Minnesota' hosted online at 32auctions.
www.32auctions.com
January 29, 2026 at 4:58 PM
Help Publishing for Minnesota blow past their fundraising goal!
The Publishing for Minnesota auction launches this week to support groups providing legal aid, emergency assistance, food, and community resources to those in urgent need.
www.32auctions.com/publishingfo...
www.32auctions.com/publishingfo...
Publishing for Minnesota
Silent auction 'Publishing for Minnesota' hosted online at 32auctions.
www.32auctions.com
January 28, 2026 at 10:35 PM
Reposted by Mary Helen Berg
Looking for financial assistance to attend @boydsmills.bsky.social (formerly Highlights) retreats or take online classes and workshops? The Scholarship window is OPEN! www.facebook.com/BoydsMills/p...
Boyds Mills
OUR 2026 SCHOLARSHIP WINDOW IS NOW OPEN!
Boyds Mills offers scholarships each year thanks to the generous support of our community!
Apply now!
Have questions? Join us for our #𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽...
www.facebook.com
January 25, 2026 at 1:18 AM
Looking for financial assistance to attend @boydsmills.bsky.social (formerly Highlights) retreats or take online classes and workshops? The Scholarship window is OPEN! www.facebook.com/BoydsMills/p...
Reposted by Mary Helen Berg
BUTTERFLY SEA had the loveliest write up on Jilanne Hoffman's blog. Please take a moment to read this and other posts too. What I love about @jilanne.bsky.social is that she thinks deeply about what goes into a picture book.
jilannehoffmann.com/2025/12/12/b...
#kidlit #CanKidLit #KidLitMegaFeed
jilannehoffmann.com/2025/12/12/b...
#kidlit #CanKidLit #KidLitMegaFeed
Butterfly Sea - Perfect Picture Book Friday - Jilanne Hoffmann
* Sometimes I read a book and the echoes of another come immediately to mind. In this case, the new book I’m featuring, Butterfly Sea, begins with the echo and then veers off in another direction, lea...
jilannehoffmann.com
January 21, 2026 at 9:49 PM
BUTTERFLY SEA had the loveliest write up on Jilanne Hoffman's blog. Please take a moment to read this and other posts too. What I love about @jilanne.bsky.social is that she thinks deeply about what goes into a picture book.
jilannehoffmann.com/2025/12/12/b...
#kidlit #CanKidLit #KidLitMegaFeed
jilannehoffmann.com/2025/12/12/b...
#kidlit #CanKidLit #KidLitMegaFeed
To Help SNAP Recipients, Bookstores Set Up as Food Banks www.nytimes.com/2025/11/11/b...
To Help SNAP Recipients, Bookstores Set Up as Food Banks
www.nytimes.com
November 11, 2025 at 5:11 PM
To Help SNAP Recipients, Bookstores Set Up as Food Banks www.nytimes.com/2025/11/11/b...
Reposted by Mary Helen Berg
Curious why a standard picture book is 32 pages in traditional #KidLit trade publishing? And why NOT all 32 pages are for story content? In this #PictureBooks101 post, I explain picture book format & construction:
debbieohi.com/2025/09/pict...
debbieohi.com/2025/09/pict...
September 23, 2025 at 1:09 AM
Curious why a standard picture book is 32 pages in traditional #KidLit trade publishing? And why NOT all 32 pages are for story content? In this #PictureBooks101 post, I explain picture book format & construction:
debbieohi.com/2025/09/pict...
debbieohi.com/2025/09/pict...
Great opportunity!⬇️⬇️
Query Critique #GiveawayAlert! Read my interview Ashlee MacCallum & enter my #giveaway contest. She represents pb through new adult. #amquerying #amwriting #kidlit www.literaryrambles.com/2025/09/lite...
Literary Agent Interview: Ashlee MacCallum and Query Critique Giveaway
Today I’m thrilled to have agent Ashlee MacCallum here. She’s a junior agent at Howland Literary. Hi Ashlee! Thanks so much for joini...
www.literaryrambles.com
September 11, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Great opportunity!⬇️⬇️
Reposted by Mary Helen Berg
If you are interested in #kidlit make sure you are taking advantage of all of what the community here on Bluesky has to offer. Find out more about the lists, feeds, and helpful people here: briankirbystudio.com/a-list-of-li...
A List of …Lists (and Feeds & Starter Packs) - Brian Kirby Studio
The algorithm-free aspect of Bluesky is refreshing, but setting up your account can be a little confusing, so I’ve put together a little explainer with some of the top lists/feeds to follow. When you connect with accounts that share your interests, check their profile for their lists, feeds, and starter pack tabs. Charlene Chua used […]
briankirbystudio.com
September 10, 2025 at 1:47 PM
If you are interested in #kidlit make sure you are taking advantage of all of what the community here on Bluesky has to offer. Find out more about the lists, feeds, and helpful people here: briankirbystudio.com/a-list-of-li...
Reposted by Mary Helen Berg
🎉 WIN a FREE 1-year @SCBWI.bsky.social membership! 🎉
We’re giving TWO festival fans the chance to join @scbwi and unlock:
✅ Networking with children’s book creators
✅ Career resources + discounts
✅ Exclusive professional tools
💜 Learn more: www.scbwi.org/partners
We’re giving TWO festival fans the chance to join @scbwi and unlock:
✅ Networking with children’s book creators
✅ Career resources + discounts
✅ Exclusive professional tools
💜 Learn more: www.scbwi.org/partners
August 28, 2025 at 2:03 PM
🎉 WIN a FREE 1-year @SCBWI.bsky.social membership! 🎉
We’re giving TWO festival fans the chance to join @scbwi and unlock:
✅ Networking with children’s book creators
✅ Career resources + discounts
✅ Exclusive professional tools
💜 Learn more: www.scbwi.org/partners
We’re giving TWO festival fans the chance to join @scbwi and unlock:
✅ Networking with children’s book creators
✅ Career resources + discounts
✅ Exclusive professional tools
💜 Learn more: www.scbwi.org/partners
Reposted by Mary Helen Berg
Wild journey into a biohacking convention peddling urine therapy and snake venom,with the goal of living beyond 180. Organizer and self-proclaimed father of biohacking, Dave Asprey, claims the movement is "leading the charge on making America healthy again": www.wired.com/story/biohac...
Snake Venom, Urine, and a Quest to Live Forever: Inside a Biohacking Conference Emboldened by MAHA
WIRED attended a biohacking conference filled with unorthodox and often unproven anti-aging treatments. Adherents revealed how the Make America Healthy Again movement has given them a renewed fervor.
www.wired.com
June 25, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Wild journey into a biohacking convention peddling urine therapy and snake venom,with the goal of living beyond 180. Organizer and self-proclaimed father of biohacking, Dave Asprey, claims the movement is "leading the charge on making America healthy again": www.wired.com/story/biohac...
Snake Venom, Urine, and a Quest to Live Forever: Inside a Biohacking Conference Emboldened by MAHA |
Fascinating piece from @lowbahr @WIRED
Fascinating piece from @lowbahr @WIRED
Snake Venom, Urine, and a Quest to Live Forever: Inside a Biohacking Conference Emboldened by MAHA
WIRED attended a biohacking conference filled with unorthodox and often unproven anti-aging treatments. Adherents revealed how the Make America Healthy Again movement has given them a renewed fervor.
www.wired.com
June 25, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Snake Venom, Urine, and a Quest to Live Forever: Inside a Biohacking Conference Emboldened by MAHA |
Fascinating piece from @lowbahr @WIRED
Fascinating piece from @lowbahr @WIRED
Happy #ChildrensBookWeek to all who celebrate💐📚📚!
May 7, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Happy #ChildrensBookWeek to all who celebrate💐📚📚!
Reposted by Mary Helen Berg
Albert Whitman Files Petition for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy buff.ly/E2XlNnp
April 25, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Albert Whitman Files Petition for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy buff.ly/E2XlNnp
Reposted by Mary Helen Berg
Albert Whitman filed a petition for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization.
lunch.publishersmarketplace.com/2025/04/albe...
lunch.publishersmarketplace.com/2025/04/albe...
Albert Whitman Files for Voluntary Bankruptcy - Publishers Lunch
Children’s book publisher Albert Whitman has filed a voluntary petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Northern District of Illinois. According to the filing, the company owes approximately $1.66 mi...
lunch.publishersmarketplace.com
April 23, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Albert Whitman filed a petition for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization.
lunch.publishersmarketplace.com/2025/04/albe...
lunch.publishersmarketplace.com/2025/04/albe...
I need this desperately! TY!
Create a website that can grow with your #kidlit career. Whether you're starting from scratch or refreshing your established online presence, you'll leave with actionable steps to build or improve your website in ways that directly support your writing career.
www.scbwi.org/events/la-we...
www.scbwi.org/events/la-we...
April 17, 2025 at 2:52 AM
I need this desperately! TY!
Reposted by Mary Helen Berg
APRIL’S🌷REVIEWS FOR REVIEWS!
1️⃣Leave a review for a kidlit book
2️⃣Comment which book you reviewed and where for a chance to win a manuscript review (critique) & AMA zoom
For more info: brilawyer.wixsite.com/brilawyer/revi…#Reviews4reviewsw#WritingCommunityt#amwritingn#Kidliti#amqueryingng
1️⃣Leave a review for a kidlit book
2️⃣Comment which book you reviewed and where for a chance to win a manuscript review (critique) & AMA zoom
For more info: brilawyer.wixsite.com/brilawyer/revi…#Reviews4reviewsw#WritingCommunityt#amwritingn#Kidliti#amqueryingng
April 8, 2025 at 12:44 PM
APRIL’S🌷REVIEWS FOR REVIEWS!
1️⃣Leave a review for a kidlit book
2️⃣Comment which book you reviewed and where for a chance to win a manuscript review (critique) & AMA zoom
For more info: brilawyer.wixsite.com/brilawyer/revi…#Reviews4reviewsw#WritingCommunityt#amwritingn#Kidliti#amqueryingng
1️⃣Leave a review for a kidlit book
2️⃣Comment which book you reviewed and where for a chance to win a manuscript review (critique) & AMA zoom
For more info: brilawyer.wixsite.com/brilawyer/revi…#Reviews4reviewsw#WritingCommunityt#amwritingn#Kidliti#amqueryingng
Reposted by Mary Helen Berg
Looking for a kidlit critique group or hoping for one that better aligns with your interests? The Kidlit 2025 Critique Match is here: forms.gle/HsoHLUbQnMEH...
Kid Lit Critique Partner Meet-Up 2025
This is for children's writers looking to join an online critique group. Writers will be organized into groups based on common interests and receive an email the first week of May 2025 introducing the...
forms.gle
April 8, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Looking for a kidlit critique group or hoping for one that better aligns with your interests? The Kidlit 2025 Critique Match is here: forms.gle/HsoHLUbQnMEH...
#RightToReadDay is TODAY!
SCBWI is proud to collaborate with Unite Against Book Bans @authorsabb.bsky.social and Macmillan to support this cause!
uniteagainstbookbans.org/right-to-rea...
SCBWI is proud to collaborate with Unite Against Book Bans @authorsabb.bsky.social and Macmillan to support this cause!
uniteagainstbookbans.org/right-to-rea...
April 7, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Reposted by Mary Helen Berg
KIDLIT BOOK NEWS is a new FEED.
Use #kidlitbooknews when posting about book deals, cover reveals, trade reviews, awards, launches, etc.
Pre-order the wonderful JUST ASK ME!
by @kdmaz.bsky.social with link below.
#kidlit #kidlitcommunity
bookshop.org/p/books/mayb...
Use #kidlitbooknews when posting about book deals, cover reveals, trade reviews, awards, launches, etc.
Pre-order the wonderful JUST ASK ME!
by @kdmaz.bsky.social with link below.
#kidlit #kidlitcommunity
bookshop.org/p/books/mayb...
Maybe Just Ask Me!
Check out Maybe Just Ask Me! - <B>Based on the author’s own childhood experience, this clever and heartfelt picture book follows a young girl who wants to bring discussion of her disability into...
bookshop.org
April 6, 2025 at 2:38 AM
KIDLIT BOOK NEWS is a new FEED.
Use #kidlitbooknews when posting about book deals, cover reveals, trade reviews, awards, launches, etc.
Pre-order the wonderful JUST ASK ME!
by @kdmaz.bsky.social with link below.
#kidlit #kidlitcommunity
bookshop.org/p/books/mayb...
Use #kidlitbooknews when posting about book deals, cover reveals, trade reviews, awards, launches, etc.
Pre-order the wonderful JUST ASK ME!
by @kdmaz.bsky.social with link below.
#kidlit #kidlitcommunity
bookshop.org/p/books/mayb...
Reposted by Mary Helen Berg
Happy We Need Diverse Books Day! With book bans and challenges happening at a horrifyingly consistent rate, we need this day more than ever. #WeNeedDiverseBooksDay #kidlit afuse8production.slj.com/2025/04/03/p...
Press Release Fun: Happy Inaugural We Need Diverse Books Day!
With book bans and challenges happening at a horrifyingly consistent rate, we need this day more than ever.
afuse8production.slj.com
April 3, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Happy We Need Diverse Books Day! With book bans and challenges happening at a horrifyingly consistent rate, we need this day more than ever. #WeNeedDiverseBooksDay #kidlit afuse8production.slj.com/2025/04/03/p...