Get your children's book in front of a real publisher.
The Acquired Academy changes all that. Our program is unlike any author workshop you've ever attended. Because it's run by a publisher actively looking for new titles, our video courses are specifically designed to help you write the books that publishers want. And, you'll get what no other writing workshop can offer:
- 1) One-on-one time to discuss your manuscripts with our head of house.
- 2) The exclusive chance to compete for a traditional publishing contract from Bushel & Peck.
I See Jesus
Let's Go Birding!
The World of Trains
Uh-Oh!
Scenic America
Kids of the Revolution
Your publishing journey starts here.
How the program works
A real path to publication
First, we'll help you write what publishers want.
Your writing time is precious! Our video lessons will teach you which concepts have real publishing potential, and which ones probably aren't worth your time. We'll help you brainstorm brand new concepts from the ground up, each carefully calibrated to maximize publisher appeal.
Then, the head of our publishing company will review your work.
When you're finished with the Academy lessons, award-winning publisher David Miles will personally review your work with you over the phone and provide critical feedback for improvement and marketability. This one-on-one feedback from a head-of-press decision maker is rare and invaluable!
Finally, enter our Pitch Day competitions for a real chance to be published.
With your training and manuscript review complete, you're now eligible to enter our Pitch Day competitions, held twice a year in June and December. Each Pitch Day, two authors are awarded a traditional publishing contract with Bushel & Peck! This invitation is only open to Acquired Academy graduates.
Lesson 1: Understanding a Book's Real Value
No matter how beautifully it's written, if a book doesn't offer a compelling value—that is, an experience or lesson or tangible reason for someone to drop $20 on it—it will struggle to sell. Understanding a book's true value to parents and readers will help you maximize its value to publishers. Modules include:
- Finding Ideas with Value
- Case Studies in Book Value
- A Look at Real Submissions
- Refining Your Ideas
Lesson 2: Bestselling Evergreen Topics
Many submissions fail because there simply isn't a market for the topic. Learn what's working in the industry today. Modules include:
- Bestselling Topics
- Tier 1: Publisher Powerhouses
- Tier 2: Relationship Books
- Tier 3: Educational Evergreens
- Tier 4: Animals
- Tier 5: Fantasy and Adventure
- Tier 6: Holidays
Lesson 3: Bestselling Trends (and Some Cautions)
Getting the right topic is only half the battle. What you do with the topic will make or break your submission. Learn how to make your book stand out by being the best or the first. Modules include:
- All About Trends
- Rule #1
- Rule #2
- Rule #3
- Refining Your Ideas
Lesson 4: How to Make Your Book Stand Out
Getting the right topic is only half the battle. What you do with the topic will make or break your submission. Learn how to make your book stand out by being the best or the first. Modules include:
- A Mantra for Standing out
- Be the First
- Zooming In
- Zooming Out
- Using Mashups
- Refining Your Ideas
- Be the Best
- Using Format to Stand Out
Lesson 5: Market-Stack Your Book
Only 25% of books are sold in bookstores, so publishers look for books that can work in multiple markets. Learn what those markets are and how you can craft a manuscript that stacks the retail opportunities. Modules include:
- The Secret of Market Stacking
- Market Evaluations
- Refining Your Ideas
Lesson 6: Unlock Foreign Rights Sales
Foreign rights sales can be a significant revenue stream for children's publishers, but small missteps can ruin your chances. Learn simple changes you can make to appeal to foreign publishers. Modules include:
- Introducing Foreign Rights
- Case Studies
- What Works
- Turn-Offs for Foreign Publishers
- Boosting Foreign Rights Appeal
- Refining Your Ideas
Lesson 7: Writing
Hear the five things a publisher looks for when reviewing an author's writing. Modules include:
- The Writing a Publisher Wants
- Creating an Experience
- Making it Kid-Centric
- Emotion, Emotion, Emotion
- Building a Strong Structure
- Leaving Room for the Illustrator
Lesson 8: Finding Your Bullseye
In our final course, you'll take everything you'd learned and blend it into a new, truly marketable book idea—ready to discuss with a real publisher. Modules include:
- The List
- Value Cuts
- Scoring the Candidates
- Refining the Winners
- Your Bullseye
Getting Published
By this point, you should have identified several superb book ideas, ready for writing and submission. But we don't stop there! The final course in the Acquired Academy outlines the next steps you can take to propel your publishing journey forward, from publisher consultations to entering our semi-annual Pitch Day competition.
Plus, all Acquired graduates receive these awesome perks:
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$500 off our Jumpshot program
Check out JumpshotJumpshot is Bushel & Peck's groundbreaking hybrid program for children's authors and illustrators. Our clients range from first-time authors to traditionally published veterans looking to publish more books and reach more readers.
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$100 off Acquired In-Person
Notify me when registration opensComing soon in 2027! Get ready for a 3-day in-person retreat filled with fun, learning, and lots of publishing. You'll work one-on-one with publisher David Miles, editorial director Ryan G. Van Cleave, and fellow attendees to craft incredible books with a real chance of getting acquired.
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Live "Advice Line" help during our Ask the Publisher podcast
Join Advice Line waitlistComing soon! During our Ask the Publisher podcast, David and Ryan will discuss trends, best-practices, and other know-how to help listeners get ahead in their publishing journey. Anyone can listen, but Acquired graduates can join our Advice Line segments to get live help with manuscripts and publishing questions.
Meet your publishing instructor
David Miles is both a publisher and bestselling children's author. As publisher of Bushel & Peck Books, he has acquired and developed countless children's books, from award-winning titles like The Witness Trees to commercial powerhouses like the Draw With Mom franchise. His work with authors—from celebrities like Nancy Kerrigan and Keyshawn Johnson to kidlit luminaries like Jane Yolen and Rob Sanders—has produced a host of starred reviews, awards, and other accolades. David's own books have sold over a half million copies. He was named a Publishers Weekly Star Watch Honoree and a Trvst Changemaker. He lives in Fresno with his family.
FAQs
Can I enter more than one Pitch Day?
Yes! Anyone who has graduated from the Acquired Academy is welcome to enter one manuscript each Pitch Day.
What other publishing options are there besides Pitch Day?
At Bushel & Peck, we're thrilled to offer three paths to publication:
- Traditional Path: Normally, submitting to our traditional path requires an agent, but we open it to all authors during the months of June and July. In the traditional path, authors publish with an advance + royalties model.
- Acquired Academy: Through our Acquired Academy, authors develop skills to make the most compelling manuscripts possible. Twice a year, we hold a Pitch Day where two Acquired Academy graduates win traditional publishing contracts with Bushel & Peck.
- Jumpshot: Jumpshot is our hybrid program, but don't let that fool you. Our book acceptance rate at Jumpshot is still less than 10%, and publications through this program are held to the same rigorous standards of art and story as our other programs. Authors who publish through Jumpshot include both debut writers looking to break in and seasoned veterans wanting to publish more titles more quickly.
And of course, you're absolutely welcome to pitch your books to other publishers!
Does Bushel & Peck own any of the work I create during the Acquired Academy program?
Not at all! And you're absolutely allowed to take what you write and develop here and pitch it to other publishers. Though many authors who finish the program do eventually become Bushel & Peck authors either through Pitch Day or our Jumpshot program, we encourage you to explore other paths for bringing your work to market. Qhat appeals to each publisher will vary, of course, but generally speaking, what you develop through our program should be marketable to many other publishers.
