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Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit @natashakhankazi.bsky.social · 27d

Happy Book Birthday, Kari!

Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit @natashakhankazi.bsky.social · 27d

Kelsey, you are the best! Thank you 🤗

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Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit @natashakhankazi.bsky.social · Aug 20

Thank you for this review!

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Reposted by Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit

12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge @12x12challenge.bsky.social · Aug 19

🎉 Happy Book Birthday to @natashakhankazi.bsky.social! 🎉

📚BELA AND LILY, also illustrated by Natasha and published by Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House, is here!

Find it here: buff.ly/XbOYn4g

#kidlit #12x12PB

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Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit @natashakhankazi.bsky.social · Aug 20

Thank you, friends!

Reposted by Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit

Kelsey E. Gross @kelseyegross.bsky.social · Aug 19

Such a sweet book about making friends with kids from different cultural backgrounds and who speak different languages -- so important! Congratulations @natashakhankazi.bsky.social on beautiful text and illustrations! #kidlit

PB Spree @pbspree.bsky.social · Aug 19

Happy Book Birthday to @natashakhankazi.bsky.social as we welcome Bela and Lily into the world. You will fall in Love with Bela and Lily as they learn you don’t need to speak the same language to discover beautiful friendships are universal and get a glimpse at the Bengali language! #kidlit

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Reposted by Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit

PB Spree @pbspree.bsky.social · Aug 19

Happy Book Birthday to @natashakhankazi.bsky.social as we welcome Bela and Lily into the world. You will fall in Love with Bela and Lily as they learn you don’t need to speak the same language to discover beautiful friendships are universal and get a glimpse at the Bengali language! #kidlit

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Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit @natashakhankazi.bsky.social · Aug 19

Thank you, Kelsey! 💚

Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit @natashakhankazi.bsky.social · Aug 15

Thank you, Kristen!🤗

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Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit @natashakhankazi.bsky.social · Aug 2

Happy book birthday!

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Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit @natashakhankazi.bsky.social · Jul 18

BELA AND LILY was inspired by a childhood memory in a Dallas park, and every page was drawn at my desk in Los Angeles. So it’s only fitting that I’m celebrating the launch in both cities I love. 🌼

💛 to my team at Kokila, @penguinkids.bsky.social, @childrensbookworld.bsky.social

bit.ly/NKK-Events

BELA AND LILY Picture Book Event Flyer: Highlighting Event Information for Los Angeles and Dallas. Images include a picture of author-illustrator Natasha Khan Kazi in the present day in Los Angeles, along with a photo of her when she was 7 years old in Dallas.

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Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit @natashakhankazi.bsky.social · Jul 18

Happy Book Birthday!

Reposted by Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit

PB Spree @pbspree.bsky.social · Jul 15

pbspree Join us in celebrating GROUCHO The Grouchy Grounhog. Written by @lydialukidis.bsky.social and illustrated by #TaraHannon!
Way to go-kids are going to love this book!

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Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit @natashakhankazi.bsky.social · Jul 18

Happy Book Birthday!

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Reposted by Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit

PB Spree @pbspree.bsky.social · Jul 15

Another beautiful book by author @jyotigopal.bsky.social hits the shelves today! Illustrated by #DishkaaPawaskar. in the Mangroves is an enchanting and multilayered picture book about the interconnected animals of the Sundarbans Mangrove Forest.
Congratulations!

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Reposted by Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit

PB Spree @pbspree.bsky.social · Jul 8

Happy Book Birthday to #ErikaLynneJones with the release of her author/illustrator debut of ZARA IN THE MIDDLE, published by @harpercollins.bsky.social
Congratulations on your beautiful book! #pb #writingcommunity #pbspree

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Reposted by Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit

PB Spree @pbspree.bsky.social · Jul 1

Happy Book Birthday to #KimberlyLee and #MichelleJingChan! 100 Days is out in the world and in the hands of young readers everywhere? Congratulations! What a beautiful book! #pb #writingcommunity #pbspree

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Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit @natashakhankazi.bsky.social · May 19

I love that!

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Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit @natashakhankazi.bsky.social · May 19

If you have personally taken the manuscript as far as it can go and don't know how to revise it further on your own, you are probably ready to show a critique partner or a professional critique. Once those trusted partners don't have significant feedback, you will probably be ready to query!

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Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit @natashakhankazi.bsky.social · May 19

Great question! Editors often have different visions for the same story. It isn't a matter of trust. It's a matter of which editor is most aligned with your vision for the story. Which editor elevates what you are already trying to say and do, without compromising the integrity of your project?

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Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit @natashakhankazi.bsky.social · May 19

It is a lot of work to complete a dummy. And after acquisition, so much can change. If you have time to do more than one, go for it, it can never hurt. But I think one dummy and a couple polished manuscripts (with some final art) is more than enough.

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Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit @natashakhankazi.bsky.social · May 19

1) Break revision down as foundational revision(shape), mid-level revision (emotion), fine-tuning (line)
2) Get critiques but don't make changes for 24 hours, sit with the feedback, and only change what makes sense for your story.
3) Read the story out loud. Do you want to do it 100 more times?

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Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit @natashakhankazi.bsky.social · May 19

When I pitched my first book, I had the manuscript as polished as could be; I think it had 5 or more professional critiques. I also had a few pieces of final art. I didn't have a complete dummy. The art notes were enough to fill in the blanks. Good luck with your project!

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Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit @natashakhankazi.bsky.social · May 19

Great question. My PB Bela and Lily (August), was inspired by the ESL kids I met on my first school visit. I saw a shared connection, making a friend w/out English. To start the story, I did a childhood memory brain dump, all the small things I noticed, all the emotional truths, in a Word Doc.

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Natasha Khan Kazi | Kidlit @natashakhankazi.bsky.social · May 19

You are so right! I tried to streamline what I know about the pre-published stage (based on my own experience) here: natashakhankazi.com/resources-fo...

Unfortunately, in the early stages of writing, I consumed a lot of information as well, but eventually, the dots started to connect.

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