July 1, 2022

SCBWI Partners with Free Expression Network

by Sarah Baker, Executive Director, SCBWI

It speaks to the revolutionary power of children’s literature that every few years there’s yet another movement to ban our books. Since its inception, the SCBWI has been adamantly opposed to banning books (which we believe needs no explanation). And yet, here we are again.

For years, the SCBWI has been an unapologetic member of the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), but more active steps are needed now, and the SCBWI will use its resources and organizational power to meet this moment. As part of this effort, we’re proud to announce that the SCBWI has joined the NCAC’s working group, the Free Expression Network (FEN ).

FEN is an “alliance of organizations dedicated to protecting the First Amendment right of free expression and the values it represents and opposing governmental efforts to suppress constitutionally protected speech. FEN members provide a wide range of expertise, resources, and services to policymakers, the media, scholars, and the public at large.”

Exclusive SCBWI video content from kidlit's best and brightest

LEARN MORE

Great Reads. Important Themes.

All-new books by our members

LEARN MORE

Storytelling Across Genres: Balancing Fiction and Nonfiction

by Martha Brockenbrough

Martha Brockenbrough

Often, writers receive the advice to establish a brand—to write in a single category until they’re established. This is good advice for many people. It lets you build a fan base of readers who will eagerly return for more.

The reality of publishing life is nuanced, though. For many of us, by the time a next book comes out, those long-ago fans might have aged out of it. What’s more, publishing swings on a pendulum. Sometimes because of demographics and school curriculum changes, categories struggle. In my many years in the business, I’ve seen downturns hit picture books and YA.

This is why it can make sense for writers to explore both fiction and nonfiction. You have double the markets to submit work to. But even that isn’t the best reason to do it. The best reason? That you want to. That it excites you. That writing both fiction and nonfiction helps you become the best version of yourself, which helps you write the best possible books.

I started out as a writer of nonfiction—I was a journalist. This taught me how to ask questions, focus in on the important aspects of a story, and convey information clearly, succinctly, and quickly. I thought this would make it easier for me to publish books, but I was wrong. Storytelling—especially when it comes to fiction—has different demands. It took me years, a lot of reading, and many SCBWI conferences to learn the necessary aspects of craft.

Social Media Spotlight: July 2022

by Avery Silverberg

Welcome to another Social Media Spotlight, and happy July! My name is Avery Silverberg, and every month, I answer specific social media questions submitted by SCBWI members. In personal news, after an amazing two years on the SCBWI staff, I have transitioned to a new role as marketing assistant at Scholastic. I will be focused on marketing middle grade and young adult books as well as social media management with the @IReadYA team! Although my time working at SCBWI has come to an end, I am so thrilled to continue providing insights about social media to the SCBWI community! I am here as a resource for you, so please feel free to reach out. If you have a question about social media or digital book marketing, please email me at socialmediahelp@scbwi.org for the chance to have your question answered here!

Hi, Avery!

Do you have any tips for connecting with agents online? I am querying a young adult fantasy novel and am wondering if you think social media is a good place to connect with agents and editors?

Thanks,

Danny

Hi Danny,

Thanks for your question! Social media is a fantastic tool for networking and connection. That being said, you’ll want to be sure you’re being respectful online and following agent query guidelines. TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter are all great platforms for connecting with other querying authors and illustrators. The query process can be emotionally taxing, so be sure to use your community as a resource. Use hashtags #WritingCommunity and #AmQuerying to post about your querying journey! Consider things like using TikTok to ask for query letter advice, making a mood board of your characters to post on Twitter, or writing “querying author” in your Instagram bio. Utilize the #MSWL to see what agents are out there and what they’re searching for. By letting the world know you’re taking the query process seriously, you’re much more likely to attract literary agents prowling social media for new stories.

If you’re feeling ready to pitch editors and agents online, take advantage of the pitch events that take place every year. A few coming up include: #DVpit (August 1), #LatinxPitch (September 15), and #MoodPitch (November 3).

Best of luck!

Avery

Free Book Cover Critiques for Self-Published Authors at the Summer Conference 2022!

This year’s Summer Conference features craft- and business-oriented tracks for illustrators, nonfiction authors, picture book authors, and traditionally published authors—plus, for the first time ever, a self-publishing track dedicated to authors and illustrators who have self-published a YA or children’s book. We’re thrilled to offer a breakout session in the self-publishing track led by Becky Rodriguez Smith, a professional cover designer for BookBaby.

Becky’s session will cover (pun intended!) the ins and outs of cover design for self-publishing authors. As part of her session, she’ll give live critiques of attendees’ book covers and show before and after versions. The covers used for the presentation will receive a $100 coupon to use toward BookBaby cover design services! This is an unprecedented opportunity for self-published book creators to get professional feedback on their greatest marketing tool—the cover of their book.

If you’d like to have your self-published book cover critiqued by Becky, please email a high-resolution cover file (jpg, png, or pdf) to lauriemiller@scbwi.org by July 8. You must be registered for the conference to participate. To register, click HERE.

Tune in to the SCBWI podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, IHeartRadio, Pandora, & Stitcher. New episodes every Wednesday

LISTEN HERE

Apply to one of our 34 awards, grants, and scholarships today!

LEARN MORE

July Art Tips: Energy and Soul

by Maple Lam

Maple Lam

We asked two illustrators to share their approach to character movement and design.

Expressive characters add energy, dynamics and soul. How do you consistently create characters with such liveliness?

Ruth Chan: The first thing I have to do is make sure I love the character. I figure out how they are imperfect, and how those imperfections might make the reader care about them. They might be nervous or too earnest or very energetic. And then I figure out how to show these traits visually.

For the most part, it’s all in facial expressions and body language for me. A simple wavering in the line of a mouth can transform a character from a smug confident character to a worried or embarrassed character. The size and shape of eyes (and their pupils) can express anything from surprise to disdain to boredom. A character’s body language alongside any facial expression really brings it all home.

Is TikTok the Future of Book Marketing?

This article has been reprinted here with the permission of Publishers Weekly.

The writing of this column took a major detour while I was watching HBO, specifically the new series The Staircase (the last episode of which will land on June 9). I discovered that this fictional account is based on a documentary that aired on Netflix in 2018 (though large parts of it were first broadcast in 2005). Not being an aficionado of true crime, I’d missed it when it first appeared, and missed the Netflix version. It’s a stunner—a wonderfully constructed documentary carefully plotted over 13 episodes. That got me checking what else I’ve been missing, leading me to two other recent Netflix programs: American Murder: The Family Next Door and the three-parter Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer.

Meanwhile, I was working on my column for Publishers Weekly. The theme: influencing readers—beyond BookTok. I certainly didn’t expect to find a point of intersection with these two shows. Did I? Bear with me.

BookTok, though just over two years old, is taking the publishing world by storm. Obscure backlist titles are being thrust into the spotlight, generating sales of hundreds of thousands of copies. Every chain bookstore now prominently displays BookTok titles, pushing Oprah’s selections back to the next table. While the vast majority of the top BookTok books are YA, the phenomena is beginning to spread beyond YA’s borders—Alex Michaelides’s The Silent Patient is currently on Barnes & Noble’s BookTok bestseller list, as is Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. Kristen McLean at NPD Group is quoted as saying that Book-

Tok’s influence is spreading both to adult fiction and nonfiction.

SCBWI Announces Winners of Ann Whitford Paul Award

The Ann Whitford Paul – Writer’s Digest Manuscript Award is given annually to promising picture book writers. Winners from two categories, Fiction and Nonfiction, are given a $1,000 grant to encourage the development of an excellent picture book manuscript.

The winners for 2022 are listed below:

WINNER OF THE NONFICITION GRANT

WHAT THE CAMERAS SAW by Hilary Echols

HONORABLE MENTIONS IN NONFICTION

LIVING BRIDGES by Sandhya Acharya

DRAGONFLY DANCE by Kathryn Hagen

WINNER OF THE FICTION GRANT

BECAUSE OF A DOG’S WHISKER by Deborah Foster

HONORABLE MENTIONS in Fiction

THE MAGIC IN MING’S HANDS by Maureen Tai

FOX ON THE FARM by Susanne Connolly

Click below to read a special message from Ann Whitford Paul and to learn more about each winner.

SCBWI Exclusive with... Alex Slater, Agent, Greenburger Kids

Alex Slater has experience in every area of literary agenting, from interning and assisting to selling foreign rights and launching the careers of his own clients. After two years at the Maria Carvainis Agency, and twelve years at Trident Media Group, he’s thrilled to be bringing his passion for publishing and his expertise in its business to Sanford J. Greenburger Associates (SJGA) and Greenburger Kids. As always, Alex seeks to read stories from writers who have been systematically held back. His clients today include several award-winning and New York Times best-selling authors.

Tell me about Greenburger Kids?

SJGA is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, and in all that time, the company has represented some of the most beloved children’s authors and illustrators, such as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (The Little Prince) and Felix Salten (Bambi). To continue in that spirit of supporting and developing the next generation of classic books for young readers, we’ve launched Greenburger Kids, a new division solely dedicated to picture books, graphic novels, and middle grade and YA literature. Greenburger Kids’ vision is to launch and nurture the careers of today’s most dynamic and important authors with a passionate team whose expertise reaches every part of the complex and competitive children’s market. That’s Greenburger Kids!

Alex Slater

Don't Forget to Apply!

Scholarships are still available for the 2022 Summer Conference.

BIPOC Scholarship

All-expense paid tuition to the Summer Conference plus one bonus pitching session for Black, Indigenous, and people of color. Scholarships are available for writers and illustrators, half reserved for women of color.

Open through July 8. Click HERE to apply.

General Conference Scholarship

All-expense paid tuition to the Summer Conference for any SCBWI member experiencing financial hardship.

Open through July 8. Click HERE to apply.

Student Illustrator Scholarship

Conference tuition for full-time university students studying illustration.

Open through July 8. Click HERE to apply.

Student Writer Scholarship

Conference tuition for two full-time university students (any major). One winner will be chosen from a graduate or doctoral program, and one winner will be chosen from an undergraduate program.

Open through July 8. Click HERE to apply.

Present Your Own Workshops At SCBWI Conferences

CLICK HERE to submit a proposal to present a workshop at a future SCBWI event. Any member may apply, and you must be logged in to your SCBWI account to submit the form. Kim Turrisi, Conference Director, will be reviewing applications. We look forward to your proposals!

What Are You Reading?

Sarah Baker (Executive Director):

White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo

D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths

Tammy Brown (Director of Marketing and Communication Strategy):

Soul Food Sunday by Winsome Bingham

Kim Turrisi (Director of Programming and Content)

Golden Ticket by Kate Egan

Sarah Diamond (Senior Manager of Awards and Publications):

The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

Laurie Miller (Manager of Events and Special Projects):

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

Member Tip of the Month

Please remember only people 18 years or older can be members. If you recommend SCBWI to a friend or family member (thank you!) they must be 18+ to join.