Sharon Baldwin

Cover of the book "Aunty's House"

My publishing company has a beautiful new book coming out soon: "Aunty's House" a story about kinship by two Aboriginal creators. Pre-order it here: loosepartspress.square.site/product/aunt...

Penguin Children’s Bookseller Grant 2025 Learn more and apply for the Penguin Children’s Bookseller Grant – a $200,000 initiative designed to engage young readers.

It's very easy to get down about publishing industry news, but this made my day when I learned about it! Kids literacy programming is my jam. Looking forward to seeing what comes of it. www.penguin.com.au/articles/501...

I designed our logo as well. Went through many W and M iterations and I liked how the letters worked together in this font, gave it a curvy/femme feel and can even see quotation marks in the negative space.

A few months ago, two friends and I started a new group: Writing Mothers for anyone in the Blue Mtns area who identifies as a mum to come together to write and chat. It's been such a great space to commiserate, laugh and lift each other up: www.instagram.com/writingmothe...

Until I have to talk about myself... 🙃

I carried immense shame over flitting from project to project for many years until I realised how much my ADHD played into that. And while it's come at a financial sacrifice, ultimately it's been worth it for the creative peace of mind.

Sometimes I envy people who just went to college then got 9-5 jobs that they stuck with for years. My career is so all over the place it feels like an identity crisis every time I have to distill it down into a cover letter or bio. I'm getting better at embracing that though.

DESIGN I have designed over twenty books for Loose Parts Press, along with all of the company’s marketing materials including posters, postcards, flyers, social media graphics and more. I also creat…

Please feel free to pay me for my design work though! sharonbaldwin.net/design/

LinkedIn sent me another alert for a job it thinks I'd be great at - an UNPAID graphic designer role at a publishing company.
I feel like I'm losing my mind.

Today I sent my 50th agent query. It's where I told myself I was going to stop. More than 50 seemed delusional. But then you always wonder, what if #51 is the one who says 'yes.' #amquerying

Loved the 'maybe pile' episode. (And as a querying author I would love to know if I ended up there. Will take any nuggets of encouragement I can! Lol)

I mean, so much for 'hope' in my last tweet, I guess...

‘Sign our own death warrant’: Australian writers angry after Melbourne publisher asks them to sign AI agreements Authors asked to allow Black Inc to use their work for ‘training, testing, validation and the deployment of a machine learning’ system

“The industry is in such serious shit at the moment … what with the takeover of Text and Affirm, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. I spoke to [a publishing colleague] and he said to me, ‘You know, we’re dead. You know, it’s just going down the toilet.’”
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/m...

When the world feels as fucked as it does, continuing to make books, create content for and educate kids feels like an act of both hope and resistance.

My Incredible Extra Ordinary Chickens | Blue Mtns Books Available for Pre-Order for April 2025 arrival!They may look like ordinary chickens, but Esther, Iris, Pearl, Dot and Florence are anything but. Incorporating fantastic fowl facts, this delightful sto...

The latest picture book I've designed and published is now available for pre-sales! Order your copy here: www.bluemtnsbooks.com.au/product/my-i...

Tourist on my train speaking Italian on the phone. Oh boy, I though, I can put my Duolingo skills to test! But this lady did not order one salad or appetiser or describe anyone as a tall father or a shy girlfriend. I feel cheated!

I've got a couple new publishing projects in the works I'm very excited about. Have had my head down in book design mode and can't wait to share. New creative projects are a life raft in the ocean of rejection. 😂🌊

"All I want is to write my books, buy other authors’ books, and enjoy art. So please, I’m begging you, don’t make me use Facebook, Instagram or Twitter just to see or buy your books and art." #indiepublishing

One of the criteria is "Extensive contacts in the performing and/or literary arts industries locally and
internationally." Ma'am, if I had that I wouldn't need to apply for a minimum wage job at age 43.

Description for a job paying $50K/year (AUD - that's $31K USD and less than I was making 12 years ago) has 12 selection criteria and wants you to provide 2 "case studies" for each. You want me to write a dissertation for a job paying barely above minimum wage?

'Very fine man': Trump's praise for Albanese as he considers Australian tariff exemptions US President Donald Trump has described Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as a "fine man" following a call regarding Australia's trade relationship with the US.

If Trump is calling you a "very fine man" you might not be on the right side of history 🤔 Something to consider in the next election. Luckily in Australia we don't have a two-party system. #auspol www.sbs.com.au/news/article...

DEI WATCH This guide is broken into three categories: 1) DISMANTLED - companies that have ended or scaled back their DEI efforts; 2) COMMITTED - companies that have active DEI initiatives; and 3) FUNDED - organ...

A great website tracking all the companies that have bent the knee to Trump and eliminated their DEI programs, and all the companies that have stood strong.

www.dei.watch

"Marshmallows are for team players" is the new "coffee is for closers" #severance

Opinion | The World’s Richest Men Take On the World’s Poorest Children I’ve seen U.S.A.I.D. operate around the world, and it’s not woke — it’s lifesaving.

The world's richest man is taking food and medicine from the world's poorest children
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/05/o...

I think you've missed the context for my comment and misunderstood. I was identifying what is essentially a "pay to play" publishing scheme. Big red flags.

I wonder how many first time picture book authors with indie presses in Aus would earn that investment back in a year 🧐 #booksky #childrenspublishing #australianpublishing

Well known Aussies children's publisher emailed me to let me know if I take their $300 course I might then qualify to take their $4800 course which might get me closer to being published by them. This is a trad publisher that's been nominated for publisher of the year multiple times.

#australianpublishing #independentpublishing #communitypublishing #childrenspublishing #booksky

Who can talk to me about community publishing as a model? As a small traditional publisher I'm finding my current model unsustainable in the long-term and self-publishing is not respected. But given my background in the nonprofit world, there's a lot that appeals about a more collaborative approach.

Dear ALP / Greens / Inds,

If there’s 1 overwhelming conclusion you can draw from the US election, it is that people are tired of Inaction. I do believe our hyperstimulated brains expect the same fireworks from Governments too.

It almost doesn’t matter if they are good actions or bad!

#auspol 1/