Your April/May 2020 SCBWI Houston Newsletter
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Upcoming Meeting: May 4, 2020 7-9 PM
Next Meeting: June 1 7-9 PM
Please join us on the first Monday of every month from 7-9 p.m. at the Tracy Gee Community Center, 3599 Westcenter, Houston, or on Zoom if instructed to do so.
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This month:
May 4
–
Best of Books: PK – YA
Cathy Berner, Blue Willow Bookshop
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Next month:
April 6
–
First Pages – Panel Review
Authors get informal critiques prior to the upcoming submission deadline for First Pages for Sept. conference
The April Zoom meeting has been recorded. If you missed it or just want to refresh your notes, feel free to access it
online here
.
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In this issue you will certainly find a few nuggets of good news from fellow Houston members (YAY!), but there is a LOT to unpack here that are welcome opportunities that are a
direct
response to the Covid-19 pandemic. While you are social distancing and responsibly staying at home, take advantage of some of these...
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Alda Dobbs Announces Debut Book Deal
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Molly Cusick at Sourcebooks has acquired, in a two-book deal,
Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna
by
Alda P. Dobbs
, a debut #OwnVoices middle grade novel inspired by the author's great-grandmother's own experience. Twelve-year-old Petra Luna is a Mexican migrant girl from a poor mestizo family. As she struggles to escape violence and lead her family to the safety of the U.S. border during the Mexican Revolution, Petra must also hang tight to her dreams. Publication is set for fall 2021; Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary brokered the deal for North American and audio rights.
Some of you may know Alda as one of our conference volunteers and a winner of our Joan Lowery Nixon award. And more good news! Alda will be the presenter at our August meeting, speaking to us about the stepping stones to success... something we wish continues for her well into the future!
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Susan McCauley's
Ghost Hunters
gets two boney thumbs up
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Kirkus Reviews has posted a very positive online missive:
"Young readers should find themselves deeply engrossed. . .
a well-structured and absorbing supernatural tale of change and coping."
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Lynne Kelly's
Song for a Whale
Will Be Singing All the Way to China
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Lynne Kelly’s
Song for a Whale
, has danced its way to
New Buds
(China) in a pre-empt deal by
Ping Chang
at The Grayhawk Agency on behalf of Heather Baror-Shapiro at Baror International, in association with Molly O’Neill at Root Literary.
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Cheryl Pilgrim art chosen for the official poster of The Texas Arts and Crafts Fair
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Also, Cheryl's
Big and Little is the sole remaining Houston entry in the running for our region's Crystal Kite Award... Be sure to vote! Log in to your home page and look for the link on the left...
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What do you get when you combine art and literacy? Carole Pena, a middle school art teacher at Cornerstone Academy chose
Cathey Nickell's
picture book as inspiration for a Spring Branch ISD district-wide Art Trail project. Pena based her project on
Arthur Zarr's Amazing Art Car
. Pena and her students at Cornerstone Academy created the large 2-foot-by-3-foot piece of art using paper, newsprint, paint, crayon, and glitter. It was hung outside of the school just prior to Spring break for public viewing.
As part of the Spring Branch art project,
murals throughout the district
are based on favorite books of the artist and open for public viewing outdoors. Families and the community are encouraged to take some time to visit these installations, talk about the art and the book that inspired the work, and reflect on how art can transform the community.
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Turn The Page campaign by KHOU 11 is returning this year.
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“Story time is coming back here at KHOU 11! We had so many people interested in joining us for nightly stories, we wanted to bring this project back for our Turn the Page campaign this year. We’re trying to get a head start on it, so we’re putting the word out early to local authors. You were so kind to help us out last time, so I’m reaching back out to see if you’d spread the word among your colleagues. We are looking for age-appropriate stories for elementary school children that our anchors could read nightly during the campaign. The video would go out on Facebook live and also on our YouTube channel. We would give the authors a heads up when their stories were being read, and also send them a link afterwards.
And just like before, we’d need their permission to read it, in the form of a waiver. If you can share, or have another book you’d like to offer up yourself, we’d sure appreciate it! Anyone who is interested can just email me and I’ll arrange the pick up/waiver stuff from there.
Join us every weeknight (June 3-June 21) at 7:30 p.m. on the
KHOU 11 Facebook page
for a LIVE bedtime story!
Best,
Robyn Keeney
Marketing Director
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Cursed Covid Verse from a Literary Perspective
Rapunzel, at least the handsome prince loved your ladder worthy hair.
I'm calling you out, it's so unfair.
Gray is surging through my locks.
Only Anna's salon can cure this pox.
Quarantine and isolation aren't my favorite destinations.
I want this to end happily, my crown brown. Oh! Joy! Oh! Glee!
Aileen Kirkham
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Did you know many of the webinars we list in our newsletter come to us from different chapters of SCBWI? Its often difficult to be aware of them all. But our friends in the Nevada chapter have made it their mission to stay on top of all this valuable information and these wonderful opportunities. You should bookmark their site and check there often, but we will also include it in each new issue for your reference.
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In the meantime, here are a few choice offerings available today.
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SCBWI Summer Conference Goes Virtual
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In light of the ongoing health crisis, this year’s summer conference has been
moved from downtown Los Angeles to the digital realm.
The new event,
The SCBWI Summer Spectacular
, will take place live on Zoom,
August 1-4, 2020
.
The complete schedule will be posted on the SCBWI website the week of
May 10
. Check your inboxes for more information. This is an event for the ages, not to be missed!
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The Theater of Picture Books
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May 7
, 3pm central
Registration opened at 10am Pacific Daylight Time on Monday, May 4
th
for our free online workshop,
Two Art Directors Talking: The Theater of Picture Books.
It will be led by
Laurent Linn
, Art Director at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers and
Cecilia Yung
, Executive Art Director & VP at Penguin Books for Young Readers.
If you’d like to attend the workshop live, you can register starting Monday, May 4th by clicking
here
.
Registration for this free event is limited to 3000 attendees.
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Tomie dePaola Masterclass
Released for FREE
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All of us in SCBWI and the children's book community lost a dear friend and artist in
Tomie dePaola. Anyone who has been lucky enough to dine or converse with him, or simply to be near his great big gregarious spirit, knows that he was the genuine article: a singular personality, and a master artist.
As we mourn his loss, we also want to celebrate his incredible body of work
and his long and dear friendship with our organization.
We are making available to members his entire Master Class DVD that he shot with Lin Oliver, where the two of them go in depth and discuss the modern picture book, a form he helped to invent and elevate. With outsized generosity, Tomie breaks down the history of the picture book, his approach, his working methods---everything you'd want to know about how he crafts a work of art for children. Tomie was incredibly proud of this Master Class. So please enjoy it, and pull a book or three of his off the shelf.
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SCBWI YouTube Featuring
The Vault
Let's You Relive Wondrous Moments with Best-Selling Icons of Childrens Publishing -- Or Experience Them For The First Time
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We are so proud to introduce you to the all-new
SCBWI YouTube featuring the Vault
which launches today with a treasure trove of exclusive never-before-seen videos that put you smack in the middle of the greatest children’s book creators of our time. Culling the best moments from SCBWI conferences---from the early days in the 1970s all the way up to this year, the Vault holds the advice, teachings, and musings of the biggest and brightest names in children’s publishing over the past 50 years. Even if you never got the chance to be there originally, you can now have a front row seat to all the SCBWI conferences---the profound, the moving, the funny, the goofy, the heart-stopping moments that are at the center of this brilliant creative community.
It's easy to step into our new YouTube channel and watch featured video clips from award-winning creators including:
Kwame Alexander Laurie Halse Anderson Judy Blume
Bruce Coville Karen Cushman Paula Danziger
Sid Fleischman Gordon Korman Meg Medina
Vanessa Brantley Newton Linda Sue Park
Jerry Pinkney David Small Jerry Spinelli
Shaun Tan Richard Jesse Watson
Before Newbery medals, before National Book Awards, before the adulation, there were young writers and illustrators on the path to legend status. The awards and praises of the book industry and book lovers worldwide were heaped on the giants of the industry seen here. All of them shared the stage at our conferences over the years. You’ll be inspired, captivated, and enamored.
And that’s just the beginning! Each week we will be bringing you stunning archival footage to watch and share with your friends, family, and colleagues. SCBWI is giving its members and book lovers everywhere an opportunity not found anywhere else, to witness the history of contemporary children’s books in the making.
SCBWI members will see exclusive clips pulled from the vault just for them in Insight, the monthly e-newsletter, and in Pro Insider the e-newsletter for published members. You can follow all the fun on our social media – Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook – with sneak previews and only-on-this-platform content. Subscribe to our YouTube channel here
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheScbwi/
so you don’t miss out. And check in regularly, to keep the inspiration flowing.
For anyone interested in children’s books, for anyone who values creativity, for anyone wanting a direct hit of inspiration and joy, SCBWIYouTube featuring the Vault is the place to be. See you there, friends.
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Literary and Illustration Agent, Janna Co
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May 9, noon-1:30 PM central
Kids’ graphic novels are one of the hottest categories in book publishing. In this 75 minute session, literary and illustration agent Janna Morishima will discuss the nuts and bolts of getting started in graphic novels. She’ll explain what exactly a graphic novel is (and the difference between “graphic novels” and “comics”); who the major players in graphic novel publishing are; what editors and agents are looking for; what’s typically included in graphic novel submissions; how to format a graphic novel script; and what’s working and what’s not in the graphic novel category.
This webinar will be recorded and made available until May 16, 2020 for those that registered but could not attend the live event. If you do not watch it before then, there is no refund.
Email with Zoom link for participation will be sent the day before. Replay link will be sent the day after.
$15 members
$30 nonmembers
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Thanks to
Bookshop
, there is now an
online alternative to Amazon
Independent bookstores, and booksellers,
get a lifeline just when they need it most
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Independent bookstores around the country have a particularly clever lifeline, one perfectly suited to the unprecedented moment we find ourselves in. The strange part?
It came into being just weeks before the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic, and before the bookstores started closing up shop
wondering if they’d reopen at all.
The lifeline in question is called
Bookshop
. In simple terms, it’s a super clean, user-friendly online bookstore whose raison d’être is supporting independent bookstores — not simply with exposure or resources (though that’s certainly a factor), but with cold hard cash.
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Friends, you’ve probably heard that shops like ours have the go-ahead to reopen. We’re not quite there yet, though. For one thing, our shelves are dusty, all the tables are covered with partial orders, and half the store is devoted to packing needs. We like to joke that the shop doesn’t have her makeup on. She’s looked cuter. And at the end of the day, our priorities are everyone’s health and safety. For now, we have decided to keep the door shut for at least another week. We promise that when we’re ready, we will welcome you inside with more love than you can imagine. Until then, it's a wave through the window and your books waiting for you on the porch. And in the meantime, we’re highlighting a few new releases from some big names below—whether you’re looking for a picture book, middle grade, YA, or a juicy novel, we think you’ll find something you’ll love.
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PW, Independent Publishers Launch
#ReadIndie Campaign
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Organized in response to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, Publishers Weekly is joining with a group of independent publishers, organizations, and trade magazines to launch #ReadIndie, an online campaign designed to highlight the range, importance, and distinctive character of the indie publishing community.
At 12:30 pm Eastern/9:30 am Pacific on May 4, independent publishers and those wishing to support them are encouraged to flood their social media channels with common messaging and graphics around the hashtag #ReadIndie to bring maximum awareness to the campaign. Publishers and supporters can go to a #ReadIndie page on the
PublishersWeekly website
to download the #ReadIndie graphic and text.
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Exciting PAL Opportunity with the Harris County Public Library!
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Houston SCBWI has been working with the Harris County Library system looking
r ways both organizations can continue to engage readers and support creators
in these challenging times.
The Library has made a generous offer which would allow PAL members to use the
Library's social media platforms and recording/editing equipment to make and promote bookish content-- so use your imaginations! There may also be opportunities for
web chats, live streams, and more. All content will be shared on the Library's
social media platforms and archived where possible.
Please note that this is the beginning of a direct dialogue between Houston SCBWI's PAL members and Library staff. To start, this offer will be extended on a first come first served basis. You can sign up by filling out this
form
. The first 5-10 sign ups will be put in direct contact with Library staff. While we will do our best to get everyone who is interested in participating in touch with the Library, please be aware that this is a new format/venture for both organizations and we're still determining how/if this will work.
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Houston SCBWI is Looking for a Few Good Volunteers!
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Houston SCBWI is completely run by volunteers and we have positions to fill!
We're still looking for volunteers to fill our
Silent Auction Committee Chair
(part of the Conference Committee) and our
Programming Chair
(part of our region's leadership team).
Interested, but daunted by the workload? Sign up with a friend! Our region wants to foster happy, willing volunteers, and one way we can accomplish that is to be realistic about expectations. We're glad to have a conversation about
splitting positions into co-chairs, just ask!
You can apply by
filling out a short questionnaire
. Volunteer positions are open to friends of Houston SCBWI; however, preference will be given to those with SCBWI memberships. Selections will be made by the Regional Team. Please direct any questions to Meghan Senkel, Regional Advisor, at
houston-ra@scbwi.org
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Have an idea on how to improve Houston SCBWI?
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Information and Procedures
The
SCBWI Emergency Fund
has been established to provide assistance to SCBWI members of at least
six months’ standing in times of emergency or hardship. The emergency or hardship could involve,
for example, matters of health, family issues, or natural disasters that are in any way restricting
or preventing an SCBWI member’s ability to work as an author or illustrator.
The fund is also running low due to the high number of applications.
If you wish to donate to the fund, you may do so on the website or by mail:
Please send a check to:
SCBWI Emergency Fund
6363 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 425
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Your contribution will be announced in the following SCBWI Bulletin. Dollar amounts will not be listed. If you wish to remain anonymous please indicate so in your letter.
There is a $1,500 cap on any given grant, and no member may receive the grant more than twice.
SCBWI does not expect to be reimbursed for grants made from the Emergency Fund.
Applications for assistance can come from the individual member seeking the aid or from someone noting their member friend or associate is in need of assistance. Applications are confidential and not shared outside the organization.
Members should fill out the application, which can be found
here
. The applicant will receive an electronic confirmation and all communications will be by email unless the applicant indicates no access to a computer.
To learn more about the Emergency Fund, please click
here
to read the FAQ.
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Don't Get SCAMMED!
Are you aware of Writer Beware? It's a good site to check on complaints about publishers. This 2019 roundup covers the year in review. If you're not familiar with how "vanity publishers" scam authors, be sure to study the links under SAVE YOUR CASH and ADVICE YOU CAN USE. It also touches on how awards can take advantage of authors.
Use the
SEARCH THIS BLOG
function to look up specific publisher and agent names.
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FREE On-demand webinars from SCBWI MD/DE/WV!
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Creating Your Portfolio with
Rebecca Evans
• Formatting Your Manuscript for Submission with
Kathy MacMillan
• A Conversation with Picture Book Authors 1 (Read Local Challenge webinar featuring
J.H. Diehl, Amy S. Hansen, and Rebecca Evans
)
• A Conversation with Picture Book Authors 2 (Read Local Challenge webinar featuring
Ann McCallum, Karen Leggett Abouraya, and Lezlie Evans
)
• Conversation with Picture Book Authors 3 (Read Local Challenge webinar featuring
Veronica Bartles, Sue Fliess, and Megan Wagner Lloyd
)
• A Conversation with Middle Grade Authors 1 (Read Local Challenge webinar featuring
Laura Shovan, Leah Henderson, and Barbara Carney-Coston
)
• A Conversation with Middle Grade Authors 2 (Read Local Challenge webinar featuring
R.D Henham and Deborah Kalb
)
• A Conversation with Young Adult Authors (Read Local Challenge webinar featuring
Kathy MacMillan, Linda Budzinski, Meg Eden, Pintip Dunn, and Christina June
)
We are pleased to offer these free webinar recordings, available anytime
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SCBWI Podcast Goes Public
In a bold expansion to new platforms, SCBWI has made the first season of its popular podcast,
SCBWI Conversations
, available to the public. Our library of in-depth, insightful episodes feature the best of editors, agents, authors, and illustrators in the children’s book industry. As of today, we have over nine thousand listeners on six continents who have joined us since our public launch in May. The most current season will remain exclusive content for SCBWI members only. It is available for streaming from our website
here
.
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An Ongoing and Updated List of Webinars
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The Nevada SCBWI chapter has a new feature listing and updating webinars of interest to our members. Be sure to bookmark this page to stay abreast of new opportunities...
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Austin's Cynthia Leitich Smith Is Compiling
an ever growing list of Texas children's-YA
authors and Illustrators.
Howdy! Texas is bursting with talented children’s-YA book creators.
Once again, my Cynterns and I are updating the ever-growing list of
Texas children’s-YA authors and illustrators at:
It’s a popular resource for event planners, gatekeepers and Texas book lovers.
listings or updates to existing listings.
Those who currently live in Texas or have previously lived in Texas are
eligible for inclusion.
Please reply with byline, official website URL, preferred titles to
highlight, and current city and/or state of residence.
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Monthly Meetings
When: Meetings are held on the first Monday night of each month (first Tuesday if first Monday is a holiday), 7-9 pm. Fiction, Nonfiction and Illustration critique groups meet from 6-7pm.
What: All regular monthly meetings are open to all at no cost or obligation. To suggest speakers or topics and/or to be added to our monthly meeting reminder e-mail list, contact Program Coordinator via our Contact Us page.
Where: The meetings are held at the Tracy Gee community center, located at 3599 Westcenter Dr, Houston, TX 77042.
Please note: Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, meetings will be held online through Zoom until further notice.
2020 schedule of meetings
June 1
–
First Pages – Panel Review
Authors get informal critiques prior to the upcoming submission deadline for First Pages for Sept. conference
July 6
–
Humor in Writing
Crystal Allen – assistant@crystalallenbooks.com
Aug 3
–
Steppingstones to Success: From Query Letters to Contracts
Alda Dobbs
Sept. 8 (Tuesday)
–
National SCBWI Conference Recap – Attendees’ Panel Discussion
Oct. 5
–
The Illustrator’s Voice
Diandra Mae – email: Houston-ic@scbwi.org
Nov. 2
–
How to Write the Best Dialogue
Lane Riosley – lane.riorsley@gmail.com
Dec. 7
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Holiday Celebration: Potluck, Literary Bingo & Book Sales
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Our Staff
Regional Advisor:
Asst. Regional Advisor:
Lynne Kelly
Illustrators Coordinator:
Monthly Program Chairs:
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Listserv Coordinator:
Twitter Coordinator:
Newsletter & Website
Art Credit
Header Design:
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Copyright © 2020 SCBWI-Houston, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
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