Posted by: Katie B | September 15, 2010

Ready for Another Contest?

It’s NAESP time!!!

The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) has launched a contest for aspiring children’s book authors.  First prize of the “National Children’s Book of the Year” contest is an endorsement by the NAESP Foundation and a publishing contract through Charlesbridge Publishing. 

Yes, you will be published.  Worth a try, right?

According to the website, “Prospective authors may choose to publish a picture book or a chapter book written for children from 3-16 years of age. Five finalists will be announced in each category and two winners will be announced at the 2011 Annual Convention and receive a contract to publish his/her books.  Judging will be based on content, originality, and age-appropriateness of the manuscript.”

You can try to Download the entry form here or go directly to the website.  Mail the entry form by February 15, 2011 and a copy of your manuscript to:

NAESP Foundation
1615 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

There is a charge to submit your manuscript, but this sounds like a great opportunity. 

To give credit where it’s due, I have to admit that I stole this idea off of Kathy Temean’s website.  She does an amazing job of consolidating information on children’s writing and illustrating.  Be sure to put her on your favorites list!

Leave a Comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by: Katie B | September 14, 2010

Cobblestone & Cricket: Opportunities for Children’s Authors

Opportunity

 

Cobblestone & Cricket are a division of the Caras Publishing Group that “enlightens, entertains, and educates children”.  Basically, they publish a slew of the beloved children’s magazines including Babybug, Ladybug, Spider, Cricket, Appleseeds, etc.  With all these magazines it means they are often looking for new content to publish.  Bonus opportunity for us!  

Cobblestone & Cricket have a Guildelines tab listed right on their website which outlines, by magazine, what their interests are.  The submission guidelines are very detailed, which makes them easy to follow.  Or, in my case, makes it less likely I’ll mess up.  One thing publishes really hate is when you don’t pay attention to their Guidelines.  

So many of us have tried our hand in the Picture Book marketplace, and as we know, it is incredibly tough.  Word limits are restrictive and creating a story that dovetails with illustrations is trickier than it sounds.  Magazines offer another outlet for these sweet stories, and they allow some leniency in descriptive language.  Not to mention, if you do get published in a magazine, it lends additional credibility to your name!  

So, give it a try.  What do you have to lose?  Let me know how it goes.  As posted previously, I love a good success story.

Leave a Comment

Posted in On Publishing

Posted by: Katie B | September 13, 2010

Run, Don’t Walk: SCBWI 2010 Metro NY Professional Series Begins

The Metropolitan New York chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) sponsors a series of monthly seminars where “professionals from the publishing world share their wisdom and advice”.  Meetings are limited to 80 people, ensuring a more intimate setting.  Best part, the fee is $15 for members and $20 for non-members.  Certainly worth the train ride into the city.

The 2010-2011 season kicks off on October 12th with Senior Editor Cheryl Klein (Arthur Levine Books) presenting “twenty-five techniques that writers can use to revise their manuscripts”.

The series continues on November 9th with an Agents Panel including Stephen Barbara of Foundry Literary + Media, Jennifer Laughlin of Andrea Brown, and Marietta Zacker of the Nancy Gallt Literary Agency.

I don’t need to remind you to purchase your tickets ahead of time (but I just did) to ensure you have a spot.  The series runs until June, so be sure to check out the Metro NY website over the next ten months.  All the dates are listed, and the topics will be updated as the dates get closer.

If you plan on attending in October, let me know.  We can meet for a drink before the event!  Unless, that’s not professional?  Hmmm….

Leave a Comment

Posted in Classes, Seminars and Critique Groups

Posted by: Katie B | September 12, 2010

Mookse and Gripes Blog

For some fun reading, check out the book reviews on the Mookse and Gripes blog.  It was created by a spouse of a Westfield Critique Group member, so you know it has to be good!

This book enthusiast works his way through contemporary literary fiction and some modern classics.  Along the way, he keeps us up to date on recent book awards and potential “up and comers”.   Maybe you’ll find your next rainy day read among his listings.

If you like to read, as well as to write, but don’t have a lot of time for either, it’s great when you find someone who has done the homework for you.  There’s nothing worse than standing in the aisle of the library with no idea what to pick up, only to find the selection you decide on is worse than sitting through James Cameron’s Titanic (I’ll never get those three hours back – although Leonardo has gone on to prove himself at the top of his class.)  By the time you return the book, you owe $8 in late fees, you’ve received a $35 parking ticket because you used your spare change on the book charge, and you’ve spilled your coffee on your favorite jeans while you were digging in your purse.  

I often leave the library wishing I’d just bought the book; it would have been cheaper.  But then I’d be stuck with a recycling pile since I couldn’t take advantage of one of the library’s biggest benefits – just give the thing back.

Les Baux

Sometimes I just don’t have time for the irony in life, and I prefer to have someone point me down the right path.  Check out these selections and let me know what you think!

1 Comment

Posted in On Reading

Posted by: Katie B | September 11, 2010

Fall 2010: The New School’s Forum is Back!!!

The fall schedule for the New School’s Forum on Writing for Children is now online.  Moderated by Deborah Brodie, the panel meets once a month with various speakers and is open to the public.  Best part, it’s available for a whopping charge of $5.  Intimate setting, ability to meet the panelists, pertinent material.  What more could you want?

Mark your calendars for the following dates:

Tuesday, September 28 – Diane Wolkstein, award-winning storyteller, folklorist, and performer, is the author of 23 books of folklore, including The Magic Orange Tree and Other Haitian Folktales.  Diane is also the epicycle editor of Parabola magazine.

Tuesday, October 12—Getting Published Panel:  Meet three publishing professionals who will share their expertise about publishing children’s books today. You’ll have an opportunity to direct questions to Jenny Brown, reviewer, TwentyByJenny.com; Andrea Cascardi, agent, Transatlantic Literary Agency, Inc.; and Joy Peskin, Executive Editor, Viking Children’s Books.

Tuesday, November 9—Maryann Macdonald is the acclaimed author of picture books and middle-grade fiction, including Costume Copycat and Little Piano Girl, which Publishers Weekly called “a touching memorial to a jazz great who is not yet a household name.”

Tuesday, December 7—Michael Garland is author/illustrator of 26 picture books, including Super Snow Day and the New York Times bestseller Miss Smith and the Haunted Library. He has illustrated fifty books for other authors, some by celebrities like James Patterson and Gloria Estefan.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Classes, Seminars and Critique Groups

Posted by: Katie B | September 2, 2010

Rutgers One-On-One Conference is October 16th!!!

Rutger’s University Council on Children’s Literature (RUCCL)  is holding their annual writing conference on October 16th, 2010.  The exact title is “One-On-One Plus” because each attendee is partnered up with an “exclusive” mentor.  I haven’t heard of any other conference with such a low attendee to mentor ratio.  One to one is hard to beat!  Then (and here’s the Plus part), you break out into round table discussions of five on five.  Five attendees with five mentors.  Great ratio, great opportunity to really get to know professionals in the business.  I’m nervous already.  

The Climb

 

If you didn’t get an opportunity to apply to the program this year, set up an alarm on the calendar for next June.  That’s when the applications typically are due.  You have to be selected to attend, when helps keeps the numbers down (love that ratio!).  It’s certainly worth a try!  

I’ve heard strong feedback about the conference, including tales of star-struck writers waltzing out of the facility with contract in hand.  I can only dream.  Check back by end-October.  I’m sure I’ll have a recap of the event and let you know if it lived up to its reputation.   Hopefully I’ll be waltzing myself.  

Drop me a line if you are attending.  The more familiar faces, the better!

Leave a Comment

Posted in Classes, Seminars and Critique Groups, On Writing

Posted by: Katie B | July 27, 2010

Good News – I love to put it in print

The Journey

 

I write so often about all the drudgery that goes into writing, so here’s a little something different.  Someone I know got an agent.  Got an editor.  Got an illustrator.  Got a contract.   

It can actually happen.  

She’s getting a book published.   

And not just any book, but a PICTURE BOOK.  You know, the ones that are supposed to be SO HARD to get published.  The market that is the MOST challenging right now.  And she did it.  Yep.  Reverting to my 80’s valley speak – it is totally awesome.  

Now – word of caution – it wasn’t easy.  It wasn’t overnight.  It wasn’t even overyear (is there such a thing?).  She had to work like the rest of us.  She joined critique groups and went to conferences and had her work professionally reviewed and rejected.  But she didn’t quit.  She didn’t stop.  And she was rewarded with the well-deserved ultimate prize.  You go girl.  I’ll be first in line for the book signing.  

Oh – and she has a pretty cool website for writers too.   www.taralazar.com  You can learn more about her journey there. 

Congrats Tara!

Leave a Comment

Posted in On Publishing, On Writing

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »

Categories