Hello fellow creatives!
Hard to believe November is on us already and that 2017 is almost over. I hope all of you have made satisfactory progress in your creative endeavors and have reached your goals for the year. If not, remember, publishing is a marathon – not a sprint. The only mistake you can make is to quit.
SCBWI News
BOOKS FOR READERS
This coming weekend, SCBWI will travel to Portland to present the Books for Readers Library, consisting of over 1,000 donated SCBWI books, to Kinship House. Many state officials and members of the non-profit community will be there to celebrate the event, as well as local SCBWI Regional Advisors Judi Gardiner and Barb Herkert and member Ruth Musgrave, who have been enormously involved and helpful. SCBWI will be documenting the event with video, which will available for viewing by the end of the week. In December, SCBWI will be heading to Providence, Rhode Island to present our gift to the Refugee Dream Center. SCBWI will host a party for all the families there, and will also provide footage and media coverage of the event. The Books for Readers program is something every SCBWI member should all feel very proud of. It’s changing lives!
SCBWI RECOMMENDED READING LIST IS OUT!
What used to be called the PAL Reading List is now called the SCBWI Recommended Reading List (https://www.scbwi.org/2017-recommended-reading-list/), and it went live online on November 1. The Reading List Program includes books of all genres from our PAL authors and illustrators, both front list and backlist titles. This is an opportunity to find that book that a kid or teen will enjoy and can engage with the fun and adventure of reading, as well as a good way to support your fellow SCBWI members.
SCBWI BOOKSTOP
SCBWI Book Stop runs through November 30, so make sure to visit, browse, and shop. And to sweeten the pot, SCBWI is offering a drawing for free tuition to the Summer Conference in Los Angeles, along with 5 $25 Visa eGift cards for visitors who visit 10 different Book Stop pages and leave comments.
Details from the website:
For the week starting on Monday, Nov 6, send an email to scbwibookstop@scbwi.org with the subject line “SCBWI BookStop 10 Plus Club 11/6” with the titles and authors or illustrators of the 10 different pages you visited by 11:59pm Pacific Time on Sunday, 11/12. You will then be entered for a chance to win the Summer Conference prize. You may enter only once for this time period.
– Entries received after the above stated dates and times will not be eligible.
NEW PAL MEMBER NEWSLETTER
A quarterly newsletter for our PAL (Published and Listed) members will be sent out Nov. 8. Called Pro Insider, it will be filled with tips and advice for members on marketing, school visits and other topics relevant to published authors and illustrators. This is a good time to check your SCBWI member status and make sure that you are listed as a PAL member if you fit the requirements.
Upcoming Webinar
There’s still time to register for our last “official” event of 2017: Revise Like an Editor: Five Questions You Should Be Asking Yourself, the two-part webinar with editor Catherine Frank (http://www.editedbycatherine.com). The webinar will be recorded if you aren’t able to attend live. You also don’t have to attend live if you want to have a critique. Here’s the low down:
What:
Two-part webinar with Catherine Frank with an optional written critique of the first 10 pages from your current WIP. Critique will take place after the webinar to allow participants to revise their work as needed.
When:
Part one: Thursday, November 9 from 9pm – 10pm CET
Part two: Thursday, November 16 from 9pm – 10pm CET
Participation in the first webinar is required for participation in the second. This webinar series will be available as a recording for a limited time to paying participants.
Creative Tuesdays
Here’s a little reminder of the ‘Creative Tuesdays’, which Sanne hosts in Tübingen once a month. The next few dates and themes are:
- November 21st: Drawing Animals – Our models will be Luise und Muckel, my daughters’ rabbits.
- December 12th: Drawing Hands
- January 16th: Handlettering
For more information please contact Sanne at: germanyaustria-ic@scbwi.org
Monthly Meet Ups:
Stuttgart
The Stuttgart group will meet on Saturday, November 18th in the children’s section (2nd floor) of the library at 10.30 am. The morning will be spent working on our creative projects and discussing each others’ work before having lunch together. Members sometimes return to the library to work after lunch too. If interested, please email Catherine Friess at: cjfriess@gmx.com.
Hamburg
The final meet up date for 2017 is penciled in for Dec 9th. For more information please contact Catherine Masek at: catherine.l.masek@gmail.com
Vienna
No meetings are schedule at this time although a Gluhwein at the Christmas Market may be an option. If you would be interested in joining the group, please contact Paul Malone at: paul.malone@chello.at
Munich
The next date will be early December. If you are interested in joining the group, please contact Patti at: germanyaustria-ra@scbwi.org
Remember, Sanne and I are here to answer any questions about SCBWI or upcoming events you might have. Another excellent resource is THE BOOK: The Essential Guide to Publishing for Children.
Only available to SCBWI members, THE BOOK contains new and essential articles such as:
– maximizing social media
– creating book trailers
– best practices in independent publishing, and grassroots promotion
– up-to-the-minute Market Survey, which includes a comprehensive house by house listing of editors, art directors and key personnel.
– Other directories include: The International Market Survey, The Book Reviewers Directory, The Agents Directory, and a unique feature called Edited By, in which editors have been personally surveyed to provide a history of their recent acquisitions.
– Key resources include: an annotated bibliography of essential reference books for any aspiring children’s book author or illustrator, as well as a current listing of bloggers, reviewers, grants and awards.
To download your copy, go to SCBWI.org. You must be logged into your account in order to access the file.
Wishing you all a sunny November,
Patti and Sanne