Big Book News!

I've been keeping this announcement a secret for so long!

Hello everyone!

I have some BIG news to share! If you didn’t see Publisher’s Weekly last week, or the Instagram post on Friday, here’s what’s going on:

I’m so happy to shout from the rooftops that my debut author-illustrator picture book, Bear’s Friend, is being published by Rise x Penguin Workshop, an imprint of Penguin!!!

Just in case it’s a little hard to read, it says:

Nicole Fox at RISE x Penguin Workshop has acquired Bear’s Friend by debut author-illustrator Katie Dwyer, a picture book about a bear who proudly introduces his new friend—a rock—to the forest animals, only to face doubt when the others don’t understand their bond, in this fresh take on friendship, self-acceptance, and staying true to the ones we love. Publication is slated for fall 2027; Kaitlyn Sanchez at Bradford Literary Agency did the deal for world rights.

I’ve been sitting on this news for months waiting to share! This is a pinch-me-I’ve-been-working-toward-this-for-years moment. From working on my portfolio, to querying, to redoing my portfolio, to querying again, to illustrating many picture books, to starting to write, to querying again again, to finding an agent, to making dummies and going out on submission, and finally signing my first contract as an author-illustrator. It has been a winding road, one that I’m happy to be on.

Shout out to my fabulous agent, Kaitlyn Sanchez, who is a rockstar cheerleader and supporter of my work! And to my incredible critique group who I couldn’t have done it without.

And just for you, my sweet subscribers, here are some sketches of Bear, the most lovable character I’ve drawn yet!

Don’t give up on your dreams, guys. Work hard, keep learning, take every rejection as an opportunity to grow. If you want it, go after it.

I’ll share more about Bear’s Friend in future posts. I hope you’ll follow along! Until next time,

xo,

Katie