SUMMER 2026 SEMESTER · ENROLLMENT OPEN THROUGH JUNE 2
Craft your picture book
in 10 weeks!
A full year of live teaching and real feedback
even if you've never written or drawn before.
We help aspiring children's book creators develop a complete story and book dummy in just 10 weeks...
You’ll go from stuck or unsure…
to holding a complete picture book dummy you’re proud of.
Even if you don’t have an idea yet.
Even if you’ve been sitting on your story for years.
Even if you think you don’t have time.
With expert guidance, live support, and a proven step-by-step system, you’ll finally build the book you’ve always dreamed of.
We help aspiring children's book creators develop a complete story
and book dummy in just 10 weeks...
You’ll go from stuck or unsure…
to holding a complete picture book dummy you’re proud of.
Even if you don’t have an idea yet.
Even if you’ve been sitting on your story for years.
Even if you think you don’t have time.
With expert guidance, live support, and a proven step-by-step system, you’ll finally build the book you’ve always dreamed of.
Hi, I'm Arree.
I'm a published picture book author and illustrator. My books include Mixed: A Colorful Story and the Ninja! series. I started Storyteller Academy almost a decade ago because I wanted to teach the things I wish someone had taught me when I was learning to make picture books.
Since then, I've worked with thousands of writers and illustrators. Some have gone on to land agents and sign book deals, some have self-published, some have written books that never got published but still made them more proud than anything else they've done.
I built Creator's Pro to be the program I wish I'd had at the start of my career: structured craft instruction, real community, working professionals as teachers, and the kind of feedback that actually moves your work forward.
If you're ready to stop dreaming about a picture book and start making one, I'd love to have you in.
Creator's Pro is the place where your picture book stops being "someday" and starts becoming real.
Whether you're writing your very first story or finally finishing the one you've had in your heart for years, you'll find live workshops led by working authors and editors who genuinely care about your work. A community of creators who get it: the blank page fear, the self-doubt, the late-night rewrites, the thrill of a sentence that finally lands. And direct mentorship from Arree, every step of the way.
You won't just learn how to make a picture book. You'll actually make one.
“I would not be a published author without Storyteller Academy. I like to say that before SA, I didn’t know how much I didn’t know. Arree’s Making Picture Books class set me on the path that has led to my book launch in just a few weeks!”
– Todd Sturgell, author/illustrator of Except Antartica
Summer Semester
Live workshops with published authors and editors. Classes built to take you from idea to finished book. These sessions are scheduled across the year at varied days and times and every one is recorded, You're never locked out by your calendar.
10-WEEK CLASS
Book Dummy Bootcamp
ARREE CHUNG
MONDAYS | June 8 – Aug 24 (no class July 6)
Build your picture book dummy from start to finish over 10 weeks of live instruction. Each session walks you through the process step by step from thumbnail sketches to a polished, submission-ready dummy.
Can't make Mondays? Every session is recorded! Many members do the whole Bootcamp on replay and still finish their dummy.
Your 10-Week Path to a Finished Picture Book Dummy
Weeks 1–3: Clarify Your Story Idea
Use Arree’s Story Framework to uncover and shape your unique book concept even if you feel stuck.
Weeks 4–6: Build Your First Book Dummy
Follow a proven system to bring your story to life from beginning to end.
Weeks 7–10: Revise With Vision
Refine your story's voice, typography, pacing, and endings using Arree's signature revision process.
BONUS: Launch Your Career
Finish your dummy, navigate the AI conversation, and connect with agents and publishers in our marketplace.
MONTHLY PROGRAMS
JUNE 13 | JULY 25 |
AUGUST 29 | SEPTEMBER 26
MELISSA MANLOVE, ARIEL RICHARDSON, & EILEEN ROBINSON
Discover how publishers really market picture books and how to create with the market in mind.
JUNE 24 | JULY 22
AUGUST 26 | SEPTEMBER 9
TIM MCCANNA & NADIA SALOMON
Get actionable feedback on your pages from published authors invested in your success.
JUNE 10 | JULY 8 |
AUGUST 12 | SEPTEMBER 23
ARREE CHUNG, ISABELLA KUNG & JULIE DOWNING
Bring your illustrations and get supportive, specific guidance on style, composition, and visual storytelling.
1-DAY & 2-DAY WORKSHOPS
JUNE 2
LYDIA LUKIDIS
Use curiosity, play, and wonder to write stories that connect with young readers, guided by an author of children's books.
JULY 14 & 22
SALLY KIM
Go behind the curtain on how publishers market picture books. Learn how books get positioned and promoted so you can create with the market in mind.
AUGUST 9
MIRANDA PAUL
Learn how to bring scenes to life through action, dialogue, and sensory detail. Then apply it hands-on to your own manuscript with expert feedback.
AUGUST 18
NADIA SALOMON
Break down beloved picture books to discover how the best storytellers weave words and images into something unforgettable.
SEPTEMBER 19 & 20
MIRANDA PAUL & LYDIA LUKIDIS
Two experienced authors guide you from that first spark of an idea all the way to a structured, story-ready draft.
– Laurie Elmquist, author of City Baby
Cart Closes on
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Choose Your Path and
Start your Journey Today
PRO ANNUAL · MOST POPULAR
$750
per year · best value
2 months free when you pay annually
$75/month, cancel anytime.
What You'll Get
- FREE 1:1 with Arree, Nadia, or Tim ($175 value) Annual plan only · this enrollment window only
- Book Dummy Bootcamp with Arree Chung (10 weeks)
- Editor Versus + live workshops all year
- Story & Art Feedback workshops
- 78+ new live classes through the year
- Inside the Publisher's Marketing Playbook with Sally Kim, plus a 3-month window to submit your work directly to Sally for consideration
- The community of picture book creators
- Vibrant community of fellow picture book creators
- Full curriculum: 40+ courses
PRO VIP
LIMITED TO 2 SEATS
$2,250
or 4 monthly payments of $575
What You'll Get
- Everything in Pro Annual including the Book Dummy Bootcamp, live workshops, Editor Versus sessions, and feedback workshops
- 6 One-on-One Coaching Calls with Arree Chung (on your schedule)
- Over 78 New Live Classes Throughout the Year
- A private welcome session in Week 1
- Full Curriculum Access with Over 40 Courses and Mini-Classes
Only 2 seats per semester.
14-day money-back guarantee · Cart closes Tuesday, June 2 at midnight PT
They Took the Leap and Brought Their Stories to Life
– Bonnie Kelso, author/illustrator of Nudi Gill: Poison Powerhouse of the Sea
“Storyteller Academy gave me the encouragement and tools to turn my fine art background into a burgeoning career in illustration. This means the world to me, because, I have always known that I wanted to write and illustrate children’s stories since I was little girl stapling copy paper together to make my own books. However, I was lacking mentorship and direction; I never knew anyone who had walked the path before me. I am grateful to Storyteller Academy for carving a clear path that showed me that my lifelong dream is tangible with actionable steps and building supportive relationships.”
– LaTonya Jackson, Illustrator of Hair and the Holy Spirit
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Summer 2026 semester start?
The semester kicks off with your first workshop, Writing with Childlike Wonder with Lydia Lukidis, on Tuesday, June 2. Enroll any time before the cart closes June 2 at midnight PT.
Do you Have a scheduled time for the classes?
JUNE
- Tue June 2, 5:00–7:00 PM — Writing with Childlike Wonder (Lydia Lukidis)
- Wed June 10, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM — Drawing and Art Feedback Workshop (Arree)
- Sat June 13, 8:00–9:00 AM — Editor Versus: Submissions (Melissa Manlove)
- Sat June 13, 9:00–10:00 AM — Editor Versus Inner Circle Critique Group (Melissa Manlove)
- Wed June 24, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM — Story Feedback Workshop (Tim McCanna)
JULY
- Wed July 8, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM — Drawing and Art Feedback Workshop (Arree)
- Tue July 14, 5:00–6:30 PM — Inside the Publisher's Marketing Playbook (Sally Kim)
- Wed July 22, 5:00–6:30 PM — Inside the Publisher's Marketing Playbook (Sally Kim)
- Wed July 22, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM — Story Feedback Workshop (Nadia Salomon)
- Sat July 25, 8:00–9:00 AM — Editor Versus: Marketing (Melissa Manlove)
- Sat July 25, 9:00–10:00 AM — Editor Versus Inner Circle Critique Group (Melissa Manlove)
AUGUST
- Sun Aug 9, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM — Show Don't Tell for Young Readers (Miranda Paul) — 1-day intensive
- Wed Aug 12, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM — Drawing and Art Feedback Workshop (Arree)
- Tue Aug 18, 5:00–7:00 PM — Deconstruct Mentor Texts, Day 1 (Nadia Salomon)
- Wed Aug 19, 5:00–7:00 PM — Deconstruct Mentor Texts, Day 2 (Nadia Salomon)
- Wed Aug 26, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM — Story Feedback Workshop (Tim McCanna)
- Sat Aug 29, 8:00–9:00 AM — Editor Versus: Voice (Melissa Manlove)
- Sat Aug 29, 9:00–10:00 AM — Editor Versus Inner Circle Critique Group (Melissa Manlove)
SEPTEMBER
- Wed Sep 9, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM — Drawing and Art Feedback Workshop (Arree)
- Sat Sep 19, 10:00 AM–12:00 PM — From Idea to Manuscript: Structuring a Story That Sticks, Day 1 (Miranda Paul / Lydia Lukidis)
- Sun Sep 20, 10:00 AM–12:00 PM — From Idea to Manuscript: Structuring a Story That Sticks, Day 2 (Miranda Paul / Lydia Lukidis)
- Mon Sep 21 — Story Lab begins, Week 1 (Arree) — 10-week live course, Mondays
- Wed Sep 23, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM — Story Feedback Workshop (Nadia Salomon)
- Sat Sep 26, 8:00–9:00 AM — Editor Versus: Illustrators & Illustrations (Melissa Manlove)
- Sat Sep 26, 9:00–10:00 AM — Editor Versus Inner Circle Critique Group (Melissa Manlove)
