November 2, 2022

Winter Conference Registration Opens November 10, Both In-Person and Virtual Events

Keynotes, Panels, Intensives, One-on-One Consultations, and More!

For the first time ever, SCBWI will be hosting not one, but TWO Winter conferences! On February 10-12, 2023 we’ll be back in-person in New York City – this time at the New York Midtown Hilton Hotel. Two weeks later, on February 25, we’ll host a virtual conference for those who are unable to make it to New York City.

For the IN-PERSON CONFERENCE, we’re unveiling an all-new format that features day-and-a-half-long deep-dive intensives with master-level teachers. Intensive topics for writers include:

-The Miracle of the Picture Book, with editor Allyn Johnston from Beach Lane Books

-Brilliant Beginnings and Elegant Ends: A Workshop for Novelists, with Cheryl Klein, Editorial Director of Algonquin Young Readers and author Sarah Aronson

-True Revision with authors Elana K. Arnold and Eliot Schrefer

-Character Development and the Transformational Arc, with authors Varian Johnson and Larissa Theule

-Crafting the Young Adult Novel with author Nova Ren Suma

-Fantasy World Building with author Tracey Baptist

-Telling the Truth: Writing Powerful Picture Book Biographies, with Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransom

-Marketing Your Way to Success: Build Your Bestselling Book Marketing Plan, with Tonya Duncan Ellis and Jane Friedman

Click below to read more about offerings for illustrators.

TikTok, For Fun and Profit

by Olivia Abtahi

The first time I learned about authors on TikTok, I was confused. Who are these authors singing and dancing instead of writing? I thought to myself as I scrolled through different accounts. Like many authors, I had just read the NYT article extolling how TikTok was a hitmaker when it came to bestsellers lists.

Not for me, I thought. No way.

And then I started using the app.

From vegan Mexican food recipes to a spooky video on the Sargasso Sea, I watched anything and everything. I was hooked. After years of scrolling through picture-perfect posts on Instagram and dealing with a cesspool of demoralization on Twitter, it was refreshing to see people be authentic and (seemingly) have fun on social media.

I kept watching, finally circling back to the authors who had so confused me in the first place. Huh, I now thought. That looks cool.

So, I got over myself and tried it. And boy, it’s been a blast.

When author Ana Crespo made an author visit via Zoom to M.E. Small Elementary School on Cape Cod, the joy in classrooms was palpable.

“Most children in our K-3 school had never met an author before,” said Literacy Coach and SCBWI member Mary E. Cronin, “and they were excited to meet Ana, who speaks both Portuguese and English.”

Crespo, a native of Brazil who lives in Colorado, is the author of several picture books, including The Sock Thief, Hello, Tree, and Lia and Luis: Who Has More? She made four presentations over the course of two days, presenting individually to each grade level at the M.E. Small School.

Crespo’s author visit was provided by SCBWI’s Amber Brown Grant, which funds author visits to deserving schools. In her application for the grant, Cronin wrote of the M.E. Small School, “The students at M.E. Small are an enthusiastic bunch. Give them a rich and layered read-aloud experience, and they hang on every page turn. Give them a place to dance, and they dance their hearts out. Provide them with art materials and their creations burst with color. They are “all in,” ready to embrace any new experience given to them.”

Introducing Bologna Book Fair Scholarships

SCBWI is proud to announce a brand new benefit for our illustrator members. We will have a strong presence at the global Bologna Book Festival which focuses on illustrators from all over the world. Two winners will each receive a ticket to the Bologna Book Fair, travel fare, and a stipend for accommodations. Winners will have an opportunity to show their portfolios to publishing professionals, display their portfolio at our industry party in Bologna and attend the prestigious fair. Submission Guidelines will be up on our website by November 15, 2022.

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

LEARN MORE

Great Reads. Important Themes.

All-new books by our members.

LEARN MORE

Introducing SCBWI’s First Out-from-the-Margins Winners

SCBWI is proud to announce the winners of the first ever Out-from-the-Margins Award (OMA), a comprehensive new program designed to help boost the careers of underrepresented creators. These talented authors and illustrators were hand-picked by judge Stacey Barney (editor, Penguin Random House / Nancy Paulsen Books for Young Readers).

Tracy Badua

Nicole Chen

Karen S. Chow

Anita Crawford Clark

Judy Allen Dodson

Shamar Knight-Justice

Claudia Martinez

Zahra Marwan

Each of the eight winners will receive a $5,000 grant to put towards the promotion of an upcoming book release. They will also take part in a cohort group and receive mentorship from industry professionals on the topics of social media, school visits, selling to indie bookstores, school and library marketing, and website design.

Every month a talented illustrator is chosen to be the SCBWI Featured Illustrator. This month's featured artist is Lenny Wen. Her unique use of colorful mark making in whimsical settings lend to her ability to create delightful images for children’s books. Learn more about her work by visiting Lenny Wen’s website.

Are you interested in submitting work to be a Featured Illustrator? Click here to watch the Featured Illustrator's interview and apply! https://www.scbwi.org/featured-illustrator/

SCBWI BookStop Is a Go!

BookStop is up and running with over 8,000 book buyers and readers visiting the site in just the first three days of the promotion. If you’re a member with a book that has been published between 2020 or will be published by the end of 2022, you are eligible to create a BookStop page. Click here to find out more.

Remember that the BookStop promotion goes through December 5. Your books will be available on the biggest holiday shopping days of the year, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. We’re pleased to bring BookStop back for another year to support your talent and the books you created.

Impact and Legacy Fund This Month: First Programs Come to Fruition in Rapid Succession

Happy November, friends! The Impact and Legacy Fund has some exciting updates and announcements below.

Calling all early-career illustrators! The Tomie dePaola Professional Development Award closes tonight at 11:59pm PST. Apply now for your chance to win up to $3,500!

The Stephen Fraser Encouragement Fund is open until November 15th. Apply to be one of three children’s book authors, artists or translators to win encouragement in the form of $2,000!

On November 30th at 8pm EST, we’re partnering with the National Coalition Against Censorship to bring you a live Zoom webinar—Are You Free to Read What You Want? Watch as high school students in schools with banned books have a conversation with banned authors Ellen Hopkins, Mike Curato, and Lesléa Newman. The webinar is free and you can register on the NCAC’s website. It will also be available on the SCBWI website as of December 1.

SCBWI Exclusive with... Eve Adler, Agent, Red Fox Literary

Eve Adler worked as an editor for over sixteen years before becoming an agent. She’s building her list with authors and illustrators of board books, picture books, early readers, chapter books, and middle grade projects. She’s drawn to stories that make kids feel comforted, loved, and understood; to diverse voices; to ideas that break the mold; to projects that meet kids where they are developmentally; and to books that expand kids’ worlds while helping them understand their own. She loves developing ideas with authors and illustrators, and finding the right home for each project! Find out more on Instagram @publishing_eve, and on MSWL.

What path lead you to becoming an agent?

I was an editor for over sixteen years, and it was wonderful—I had the privilege of working with incredible authors and illustrators, and I learned a lot in my time at various publishing houses. Agenting had always been in the back of my mind, because I loved the idea of working more directly with authors and illustrators, developing ideas with them, finding the right publisher for each project, and helping clients build their careers. After many years of considering going over to the other side, I finally made the jump this year, and it’s been great! The creative opportunities feel limitless, and I’ve been so inspired by my clients and the submissions I’ve been getting. I’ve also been doing a lot of workshops and critiques, which I’m enjoying tremendously.