Your December 2021 SCBWI Houston Newsletter |
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Upcoming Meeting: Monday, December 7 7-9 PM
Next Meeting: Monday, January 3 7-9 PM
Please join us on the first Monday of every month from 7-9 p.m. on Zoom until meetings are resumed at the Tracy Gee Community Center,
3599 Westcenter, Houston.
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This month:
Our Chapter's online End-of-year PARTY!
We hope you'll join us to celebrate and socialize. In an effort to amp up the cheer, we asked Kate Pentecost (Houston member, YA author, and bartender extraordinaire) to once again share some festive holiday cocktail recipes. The attached recipe card has both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. Of course, you're more than welcome to bring any drink and snack you'd like as we socialize.
And don't forget...we've got lots of exciting DOOR PRIZES to give away! We hope to see you there. It's all taking place during our regular meeting time, Monday, December 6th at 7:00 pm. Click image above to enter!
January topic Coming Soon
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Yahoo Listserv has ended. STAY in the loop by joining the new listserv NOW.
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The listserv has proved to be a great way to keep in touch, start critique groups, announce good news, etc. With us not meeting in person in the near future, let's keep in touch virtually.
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New Nonfiction Space Book
by Marianne J. Dyson Released
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Marianne Dyson has a new nonfiction space book for kids, Up in Space: we built a station, just in time for the holidays! This 32-page picture book introduces young children to the International Space Station via a rhyming story and full-color NASA photos. Includes a glossary and index. Autographed copies are available in hardback and paperback through her website.
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Lauren Hill Announces the Publishing of her new book |
PICKLES! Princess Periwinkle LOVES pickles. She loves them so much, she gets to help her dad pick the winner for this year's Pickle of the Year contest! But there's one pickle who makes a unique appearance, and it's one Princess Periwinkle will never forget! The lesson learned in this adorable, pickle-filled story is that accepting others for their own unique abilities makes us all special, even if that person is a PICKLE!
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New Book by Brenda Aguilar Harris |
Amy shows her favorite balloon to her friends. When her best friend Teep-Teep asks Amy to play, he pops it. Heartbroken, Teep - teep wonders if Amy is still his friend. Teep - teep learns the bond of friendship and the meaning of grace.
SQUISHY BALLOONS is a tale of friendship, fun, and squishy, squashy balloons. SQUISHY BALLOONS by Brenda Aguilar Harris is a starter story for sharing what empathy and friendship are. Parents and teachers, will find themselves naturally discussing the subject of grace. Minimalistic watercolor art by Harris empowers the story and extends the narrative to draw the reader in. Also published in Spanish as Los Globos Squishy
The book was for sale at the Galleria area Nutcracker Market held in November and can be found at booksellers and online at Amazon.com
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Everyday Objects Reimagined
December 18th 10am – 11am CT (Click image above)
Take the Ordinary
and make it
Extraordinary
Where can inspiration and creativity come from?
By playing of course.
Join us while we play with ordinary shapes
overlooked in our daily lives and
make them something new.
During our creative time together, Yousef Balat (Houston IC) I will be posting an
inspiration board of different household and office objects
so we can create something new out of the everyday.
(Illustrators and Writers both welcome)
from 10am - 11am central time
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Publishers Weekly Warns of Organized
Book Banning Efforts
There has been a lot of news not only locally, but nationally, about books being selectively questioned and outright banned. While efforts to remove books from schools and library collections are not uncommon, librarians and freedom to read advocates warn that this current spike in challenges is different, as it appears to be part of a broader political strategy.
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SCBWI Winter Conference February 11-13 2022:
Back with programming that is
innovative and inspiring.
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Please join us for:
- A rare presentation from Caldecott medal-winner, Brian Selznick. Open to the public
- Dynamic keynotes and industry panels
- A half-day of programming for illustrators offered at no additional cost
- Breakout sessions led by acquiring editors and agents with the opportunity to query
- The career-launching Portfolio Showcase
- Online socials and peer critiques
SCBWI members $150
Non: $250
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Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Stephanie Garber
Brian Selznick
Kelly Yang
Paula Yoo
Editors:
Michelle Frey
Farrin Jacobs
Emma Ledbetter
Denene Millner
Cynthia Leitich Smith
Art Directors:
Erica De Chavez
Maria Elias
Kristen Nobles
Lesley Worrell
Cecilia Yung
Agents:
Chad Beckerman
Jemisco Chambers-Black
Samantha Fabien
Thao Le
James McGowan
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Historical Fiction & Authentic Voice in YA Novels
12/16/2021
7 pm-8:15 pm
Guadalupe Garcia McCall, award winning author of Pura Belpre Medal Book UNDER THE MESQUITE, will speak on historical fiction for YA and authentic voice. She will also be offering limited manuscript critiques.
$15 SCBWI member
$25 nonmember
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WriteforKids.org :
Writing the Modern Picture Book Biography with
Beth Anderson
Wednesday, December 8, 7pm central
Beth Anderson will personally guide you through the process of choosing a subject, researching and crafting a truly modern picture book bio.
How today's Picture Book Biographies are different from those of the past.
How to find a subject that is "story worthy".
How to gather, organize and capture ideas.
How to find the specific moments of your subject's life that will truly resonate.
The modern Picture Book Biography's story arc.
Characterization, setting, pacing, point of view, word choice and the craft essentials of the modern Picture Book Biography.
How to stand out in a competitive marketplace.
Early Bird price $47. Day of price $67
This is not an SCBWI sponsored event:
SCBWI in no way endorses the above advertisement,
and encourages readers to thoroughly investigate
any service before signing up.
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It’s time for our annual roundup of the best BookBub Ads campaigns of the year! Every December on the BookBub Partners Blog, we share a collection of
top-performing ad campaigns to showcase the effective and inventive ways advertisers used this tool to promote their ebooks, audiobooks, preorders, new releases, and more over the past year.
The featured campaigns represent a variety of successful advertising strategies for different genres, book prices, and marketing goals. We hope they spark ideas and inspiration for your own advertising in 2022!
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21 Authors on TikTok to Follow for Book Promo Ideas |
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TikTok can be a great place for authors to both promote their books and build community — the app has nearly 100 million monthly active users in the United States alone, and it boasts a burgeoning community of readers,
dubbed "BookTok".
We’ve compiled a list of authors who are creating TikToks to connect with their audiences and even boost sales. These authors vary in their publishing paths and genres. We encourage you to scroll through both their feeds and the BookTok hashtag to see the wide variety of content that readers and authors are sharing and consuming.
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SCBWI Indie Support
SCBWI is happy to announce the launch of new member benefits to support authors and illustrators who publish their books independently. Your SCBWI membership now gives you access to resources to help distinguish reputable self-publishers from the scams; new publications that discuss self-publishing tools, technologies, and marketing practices; a self-publishing guidebook that will be out this fall; grants and awards for self-published books and more!
Check out the full list of benefits HERE.
If you’d like to receive ongoing notification about SCBWI’s self-publishing programs and publications, please log into your member profile and check the “Independently Published” box.
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2021 Version of The Book now available.
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THE BOOK is updated with invaluable, up to date market surveys, and several new articles including Bringing Your Backlist Forward, Putting Together a Winning Virtual Presentation, and Beware Author Self-Publishing Scams. Whether you are published or pre-published, there are many helpful articles to jump-start your career and/or provide the encouragement and knowledge you need moving forward.
THE BOOK is one of your most invaluable member resources that should be within reach at all times. Check out each section for information and insights: Preparing & Submitting Your Work, Published and Listed (PAL), Self-Publishing, SCBWI en Español, SCBWI Market Surveys, SCBWI Directories and Resources, Publicizing Your Published Work, SCBWI School Visits, and SCBWI Legal Questions.
To view THE BOOK, just log into your profile page and click on PUBLICATIONS, then on The Book in the dropdown menu. You must be logged in to download or order THE BOOK.
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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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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 |
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.
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Our Staff
Regional Advisor:
Asst. Regional Advisor:
Lynne Kelly
Illustrators Coordinator:
Monthly Program Chair:
Cheryl McCosh
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Listserv Coordinator:
Twitter Coordinator:
Newsletter & Website
Art Credit
Header Design:
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Copyright © 2021 SCBWI-Houston, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
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