Jamie Smart among contributors to new Children’s Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook

By John Freeman on July 18, 2025

Celebrating its 22nd edition, the indispensable Children’s Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook has just been released, alongside the equally invaluable 119th edition of the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook 2026. The former includes an article on creating successful comic books by Jamie Smart, creator Bunny vs Monkey, whose graphic novel collections have now sold over two million copies.

Siân Roberts (artist on Don’t Disturb The Pirate and Kindness Comes Back) also provides an article on picture book illustration and Sital Gorasia Chapman, author of The Bedtime Boat and The Maths Adventurers, an item on picture book writing.

Jamie grew up in a family of authors and artists that regularly bought the new Writer’s And Artists Yearbook and share it. “It wasn’t just a guide to the industry, it gave us hope that one of us might get published,” he says. “Every time I went back to that book I was excited about what it might lead to.

“Fast forward twenty five years or so, and I’m being asked to contribute an article about making comics for this year’s children’s edition. Younger me would find it pretty mind blowing that I’m now on the other side of the Yearbook. In particular, I really wish I could show my parents. I think they’d find it all rather funny how these things turn out.”

“Comics can be huge, thrilling epics, or tiny, minimal gags; they can be dramatic, heart breaking, autobiographical, life changing,” he writes in his article. “Comics convey information in such a uniquely immediate way they can not only be educational and informative, but can also swing your opinion, make you laugh or just take you on a wonderfully bananas adventure.

“If you want to tell a story – any kind of story, as far as I’m concerned – comics are one of the purest ways of doing it.”

“I’m very chuffed to say that I wrote an article for this year’s edition,” writes Siân Roberts of her contribution to the Children’s Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook. “Focusing on my experience in the industry from getting an agent to working with publishers, hopefully giving some helpful insight along the way!

“As always the book is full of everything you need to know to get your children’s books, illustration and screenplay published with articles from so many industry experts!”

Both books, published by Bloomsbury Yearbooks, are brilliant tools for aspiring and published creators, providing everything you need to know to get your work noticed. Included are thousands of up-to-date contacts for publishers, plus inspiring articles from dozens of successful writers, illustrators and industry insiders.

Packed with insights and practical tips, both Yearbooks provide expert advice on submitting to agents and publishers, writing non-fiction and fiction across genres and formats – poetry, plays, broadcast media and illustration; advice on self-publishing, copyright, finances and contracts, marketing, prizes and festivals, and more.

If you’re an aspiring creator who needs more persuading, head over to the Writers and Artists website for some exclusive extracts of a few of the articles from both books, to get a better idea of how useful these books are. (We’ve included links to the extracts available online below).

Featuring over 80 articles full of inspirational and practical guidance, articles for the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook 2026 include a Foreword by bestselling author Naomi Alderman; “Working with Your Editor: the Author–Editor Relationship” by Zeljka Marosevic; “How to be a Literary fiction writer” by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan; “Keeping it Short: Putting Together a Short-Story Collection” by Vanessa Onwuemezi; “Writing About the Natural World” by Sophie Pavelle; “More Options for More People: Inclusivity and Opening up the Industry” by Aki Schilz; “Getting Your Debut Into Print: the Path to Publication” by Jennie Godfrey; “Perseverance in Getting Poetry Published” by Pascale Petit; “Becoming a Lyricist” by Kathryn Williams; “Getting Your Screenplay Noticed” by Robert Taylor; “Can You Make a Living Writing Comedy? Yes, But…” by Dave Cohen; “Creating Compelling Characters for TV” by Kira-Anne Pelican; “Playwriting” by Carmen Marcus; “Literary agents” by Eve White; “Writer development initiative” by Julia Forster; and “Harnessing the Power of BookTok and Social Media to Promote Your Writing” by Rosie Hewlett.

“If you want to tell a story – any kind of story, as far as I’m concerned – comics are one of the purest ways of doing it.”

Jamie Smart

The Children’s Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook, has long since established itself as the place to go if you’re a writer and/or illustrator looking to find out more about the Children’s publishing industry. Among the 70 advice articles included are a Foreword by Ross Montgomery (winner of the Children’s Book Award 2025); “Creating Successful Comic Books” by Jamie Smart; “Picture Books: The Illustrator’s Story” by Siân Roberts and “Picture Books: The Writer’s Story” by Sital Gorasia Chapman; “Debut Dilemma: Your Publishing Options” by Andy Darcy Theo; “What Does a Ghostwriter Do?” by Sam Binnie; “Writing for YA or Adults: How Do You Know?” by Finn Longman; “The Next Chapter… Being a Successful Self-Published Author” by Griselda Heppel; “Writing poems for children” by Laura Mucha; “The Author-Agent Contract” by Lydia Silver; and “The many hats of a literary agent” by Christabel McKinley.

I remember poring over a copy of the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook early in my career for contact advice, fascinated by the machinations of the publishing world even as a teenager. Back then, it wasn’t as sophisticated, but it was informative, and the format today makes this pair of books all the more a useful, valuable resource for creatives.

• Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook 2026 is available now from all good bookshops | ISBN: 978-1399421249 | AmazonUK Affiliate Link | Bookshop.org Affiliate Link

• Children’s Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook 2026 is available now from all good bookshops | ISBN: 978-1399421270 | AmazonUK Affiliate Link | Bookshop.org Affiliate Link

• Head over to the Writers and Artists website for some exclusive extracts from both books

About the Author
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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.