The Big Five-Oh Conference Premiers Next Month
by Lin Oliver
|
|
|
|
Registrations are coming in droves for the just announced SCBWI 50th Anniversary Conference, The Big Five-Oh. Held on Zoom over five days from July 29 through August 2, with a free bonus day on August 7 devoted to peer critique groups, the gala event has more moving parts than a Rube Goldberg invention—all designed to provide you with stimulation, inspiration, a vibrant community of colleagues, and a varied array of topics.
Even before the first day on July 29, there will be multiple socials and of course, the Welcome Session for First-Time Attendees led by the ever-welcoming Jolie Stekly on July 28. The first day, July 29 (which is optional) offers two intensives: Launchpad which is designed for those relatively new to the field of children’s publishing, and Pro, designed to explore insider business, financial and marketing issues for published authors and illustrators.
That day is followed by the three main days of The Big Five-Oh, a diverse array of over fifty speakers and topics, all presenting a HOW TO aspect about creating children’s books. There will be veteran and classic authors and illustrators, new and breakout stars, rank-and-file members who submitted never seen before topics, panels of editors, art directors and agents, plus iconic interviews with some of the rarely seen greats of our field—-all being offered in rapid fire succession of fifteen or thirty minute sessions. It’s a new format intended to give you the broadest range of topics, the most specific and helpful information, and a multitude of voices and opinions.
|
|
|
Getting the Most from Peer Critiques
by Jim Averbeck
|
|
|
|
Critique groups are an essential part of any writer’s growth. Just ask any member of my own critique group, The Revisionaries. We’ve been meeting twice a month for 23 years. When we began, none of us were published. Now our members’ can boast of several New York Times bestsellers, major award winners, and a galaxy of starred reviews.
SCBWI gives you the opportunity at their national conventions to try your hand at crit grouping with your peers. Here are a few tips for participating in these groups.
Organizing the session
Split into groups of a size that gives everyone enough time to have their work reviewed. Six members seems to be the sweet spot, though one more or less is fine. If possible, group together by your target audience (picture book, middle grade, YA) and even better if you can meet with folks writing in the same genre (contemporary, verse, non-fiction, etc.)
Divide the total session time by the number of group members, and assign a timekeeper. Setting a timer on your phone is helpful, and the timekeeper should let everyone know when five minutes remain in their critique. Make sure your timekeeper has the temperament to move you along when necessary.
|
|
|
SCBWI to Disseminate New Ezra Jack Keats Showcase Prize at Conference |
|
|
|
In honor of Ezra Jack Keats, the legendary author and illustrator of children’s books such as The Snowy Day and Whistle for Willy, SCBWI will, in partnership with the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, be awarding one cash prize of $2,500 to a promising BIPOC illustrator.
A white man from New York, Keats was nevertheless an ally and pioneer in children's literature of the 1960s by including protagonists of color in his beautifully nuanced picture books. To honor his legacy of highlighting underrepresented voices, the Ezra Jack Keats Showcase Prize will be awarded to a promising BIPOC illustrator who has submitted to the Portfolio Showcase at the Big Five-Oh.
To be considered for the prize, members must check the box labeled "Ezra Jack Keats Prize" when they register for the conference. CLICK HERE to register for the Big Five-Oh Summer Conference, or HERE to learn more about the Ezra Jack Keats Prize. In coordination with the EJK Prize, five of the BIPOC Conference Scholarships will be reserved for illustrators--if you are an eligible member needing financial support to attend the conference, CLICK HERE to apply.
|
|
|
Celebrating the Ann Paul Award Winners |
|
|
|
This year a whopping twelve hundred manuscripts were submitted for the Ann Whitford Paul-Writer’s Digest Most Promising Picture Book Grant. This was double the number of previous years and not only was that number astounding, so, too, was the quality of the manuscripts.
Was it the year of COVID that inspired so many writers, or the forced time at home that gave some uninterrupted time to revise? Or maybe being surrounded by kids all day, every day, inspired more unique ideas? No matter the cause, the output was fantastic, and the judges read and reread each manuscript. Deliberations were thoughtful, enthusiastic and passionate. Thank you all for your submissions!
This year’s winner is:
Kim A. Larson’s BUTTON’S ADVENTURE.
In just 162 words of perfectly rhymed text, we follow a button that pops off a child’s coat and spins and floats, whirls and whooshes about, allowing different characters to use it in creative ways—Praying Mantis as plate, Chipmunk as a Frisbee and Salamander as a hat, etc. Fun illustration possibilities and a full-circle ending make this a satisfying, imaginative, and delightful read.
Three excellent honor books were also selected. The honor winners are, in alphabetical order: HUE ARE BEAUTIFUL by Tara Baldridge, UNSTOPPABLE LORENA by Belen Medina Cabot, and GREAT CARRIER REEF by Jessica Stremer.
|
|
|
SCBWI Announces the Amber Brown Winners |
|
|
|
The Amber Brown Grant commemorates author and beloved school speaker, Paula Danziger. One school is awarded each year with an author or illustrator visit and new books to continue Paula’s love of connecting children with creative influences.
This year there were two worthy recipients: Greenway Elementary School, a rural, Title I school in Bisbee, Arizona where notable author, David Bowles gave a presentation and Moore Elementary, another worthy school in a suburban neighborhood in Houston where renowned author Chris Barton will speak.
Each school will receive a virtual visit by a well-respected children’s author or illustrator. The chosen schools will also receive a $250 stipend to create a memorable day and $250 worth of books by the visiting author or illustrator.
CLICK HERE to read more about the Amber Brown Grant.
|
|
|
Remembering Eric Carle and Lois Ehlert |
|
|
|
The SCBWI mourns the loss of one of the most celebrated and beloved creative minds in our field, Eric Carle, who passed away at his summer studio last week in Northampton, Massachusetts. Eric Carle, best known for The Hungry Caterpillar, published in 1969, also wrote or illustrated more than 70 books over the course of a long career.
Born in Syracuse, New York, he recalled an idyllic childhood holding hands with his father as they explored the woods and fields near their home. It was on those treks that he became particularly enamored of insects, especially those brimming with color. Love of color, in fact, was to eventually lead him to a life in picture book illustration.
|
|
|
Social Media Uncovered:
All About BookTok
by Avery Silverberg
|
|
|
|
Welcome to #BookTok! Unlike any other social platform before, Tik Tok welcomes unfiltered reactions from readers, the more authentic, the better. Teen readers showcase their love of YA (backlist and frontlist) as proven by E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars (2014) returning to the bestseller list, along with Adam Silvera’s They Both Die at the End (2017) thanks to viral BookTokers. A common misconception is that Tik Tok is an app owned by Gen Z — meanwhile, authors of all ages promote their books to readers on Tik Tok, discovering brand new audiences of today. Not only is the interface fun and easy, but why miss out on a chance to connect with more readers?
|
|
Doing Better for Transgender Creators
By Elijah Forbes
|
|
|
|
As long as human beings have existed, we have told stories. Storytelling has allowed for individuals across the globe to find community, joy, and shared culture. However, transgender artists and authors have often not been afforded the space to tell their own stories. We have been subjects of critique and criticism, rarely allowed the platform to share our lived experiences. Transgender authors in children’s literature face an especially difficult battle in the public sphere, as many of us work to create media shaped by our authentic experiences for an industry often unwilling to discuss oppression. These authors also find themselves faced with questions regarding decency for merely existing, as well as far fewer connections in the industry, due to being seen as difficult to work with when we speak up regarding our individual needs.
|
|
SCBWI Exclusive with...Saritza Hernandez, Agent, Andrea Brown Literary Agency
|
|
|
|
A literary agent at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Saritza came to agenting from a publishing industry background and currently represents over 25 writers and illustrators from underrepresented communities creating works in picture books, middle grade, young adult, and adult (fiction and nonfiction).
What was your path to publishing?
Mine was a rather circuitous path as my start in publishing was in the textbook division of what was then known as Harcourt School Publishers. I started as an administrative assistant to the Technical Production Department Manager and over the course of 17 years worked in as many departments as I could, learning along the way. But it wasn’t until a friend who had written a novel and needed help to have it published that I realized there was a side of the publishing table I had yet to learn about. At the time, Twitter was just taking off and I decided to ask the Twitterverse for information on how one would go about being mentored by a literary agent. Lori Perkins at the L. Perkins Agency reached out and she offered me an opportunity to be mentored virtually. It’s important to note that this was 10 years ago and had it not been for that opportunity, I would not be here today. Lori Perkins and Louise Fury (now at the Bent Agency) opened a door to a wealth of knowledge and a future career path I would not have otherwise known about and they were truly ahead of their time.
What needs to stand out to you when you read a manuscript? The things that make you say ‘I have to represent this person.’
There’s not one THING that really stands out beyond loving the manuscript and feeling that instant need to be a part of its success! But when that desire to work on the book is coupled with an almost immediate list of editors I want to share it with, I KNOW I’m going to take a shot at being considered for representation.
|
|
Announcing the 2020 Magazine Merit Winners |
|
|
|
The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2020 Magazine Merit Awards for fiction, nonfiction, illustration, and poetry which appeared in magazines in 2019.
Pamela Love won in the Fiction category for “The Fog Test”, a clever science fiction tale of persistence which appeared in the February 2019 issue of Crickets.
“Moving Day Villanelle”, a hauntingly melancholy poem by Carol L. MacKay, published in the Summer 2019 issue of Caterpillar, took the prize in the Poetry category,
Hatem Ally's vivid, character-rich illustration "Saving the village bicycle" for the July 2019 issue of Highlights won in the Illustration category.
In the Nonfiction category, Viji K. Chary won for "Powder Art", a fascinating look at the annual kolam contest in Chennai, India.
The SCBWI apologizes for the delay in announcing these awards. In order to update our application process, and compensate for the issues in physical mail last year, we will be adapting the Magazine Merits to an online submission form from 2021 onward. If you have already applied for the 2021 Magazine Merits via snail mail, you will need to reapply using our online submission form. Stay tuned for more information on how to apply in the coming months.
|
|
Equity and Inclusion Corner
by April Powers
|
|
|
|
June is LGBT+ Pride month in several countries around the world.
Happy Pride Month and a very happy welcome to our June Equity & Inclusion Book Club pick: THE SHIP WE BUILT by Lexie Bean! This beautiful, queer, middle-grade novel, features a transgender male protagonist named Rowan who writes secret letters attached to balloons and releases them into the universe. Please join us on JUNE 28 @ 10 am PST for a book club discussion with Lexie - see you there!
In the US, we also celebrate Juneteenth to recognize the end of slavery here; First Nations Day and Native American Citizenship Day also recognize indigenous populations impacted by colonization and their citizenship, respectively. In case you missed our SCBWI Celebrates: Voices from the Asian Diaspora you can find the recording here. We invite you to peruse other remembrance days and holidays. If you’d like to participate in SCBWI events that center underrepresented voices, please check out: LGBTQ representation in Kidit June 12, Creating Multilayered Characters, June 15, and the recording of Ernesto Cisneros in our EI Book Club.
|
|
Regional Corner: Louisiana/Mississippi
by Cheryl Mathis
|
|
Cheryl Mathis, Co-Regional Advisor, Louisiana/Mississippi
|
|
As SCBWI celebrates its 50th year, Louisiana/Mississippi is entering its 46th. Our region began as the “New Orleans Chapter” in 1975 when Zenobia Johnson was elected as the New Orleans Regional Advisor to the first official advisory board. A Ninth Ward school principal who joined in 1972, Zenobia was honored in Los Angeles in 1992 as one of two members who had attended all 21 SCBWI Summer Conferences.
By the time Zenobia passed the RA badge to Carrel Muller in the late 1990s, the region was known as the Louisiana Region. Carrel, who served for over 20 years and was an elementary school librarian and university children’s literature instructor, organized many workshops and conferences in New Orleans. The region grew substantially in those years with the vocal support of legendary storyteller, author, professor and French Quarter raconteur, Coleen Salley. Coleen, known far and wide as a children’s literature expert, sent anyone who asked for advice to Carrel and SCBWI.
|
|
Draw This! is our monthly prompt word for illustrators. Artists can post their DrawThis! entries on Twitter and Instagram with the tag #SCBWIDrawThis
There is no longer a gallery for DrawThis! View all entries by searching the tag #SCBWIDrawThis.
The May prompt was MOVING DAY
The May winners are...
|
|
The June prompt is YIKES!
|
|
As the SCBWI prepares to launch our 50th year of existence, kicking off with this summer’s gala 50th conference, we want to take a walk down memory lane and share some of our most cherished, funny, meaningful, weird, exciting conference moments. You can be our ultimate source for those memories. Do you have a unique conference experience to share? Something funny, something life-changing, something strange, something tender, something joyous, something unbelievable, something that could have only happened at SCBWI? If so, we are inviting you to send us that memory…..it could be only in words (maximum of 200 words) or words plus a photo, or a captioned photo only. We are planning to run these pieces every month in INSIGHT during our anniversary year beginning in June, and feature some on our social media platforms, too. If we choose your piece, you will receive a great assortment of SCBWI swag---tee shirt, mug, book bag, hat. Sort through your memories and share them with our community.
|
|
THROWBACK: Meg Medina and Paul O. Zelinsky celebrate fifty years of Woodstock memories at the
2019 SCBWI Summer Conference party.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
