20 Wednesday Nov 2024
Posted in Great News!
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Ann Suk Wang, Ben St. James, Benson Shum, Eori Tokunaga, Helena Ku Rhee, J. Dianne Dotson, jendia gammon, Joan Bransfield Graham, Josh Oaktree, Kimberly Tso, Laura Segal Stegman, SCBWI community, SCBWI members, Sherry Shahan, Sue Ganz-Schmitt, Wayne L. Wilson
SCBWI loves celebrating our members’ successes and noteworthy news, and there are many! Read on to find out who’s got something to shout about. Digital high-fives welcome in the comments!
Continue reading08 Wednesday May 2019
Posted in Author's Perspective, Tips and Tools
by Helena Ku Rhee, Author
Helena with her muse Sherwin
EDITOR’S NOTE: Helena Ku Rhee grew up in Los Angeles, but has also lived in various parts of the U.S., Asia and Europe. Currently, Helena works at a movie studio by day and as a writer by night and weekends. Her debut picture book, The Turtle Ship (Lee and Low), is available now! Today, she shares seven things she learned after publishing her book and you’re going to want to learn them, too!
I’ve always loved learning about a writer’s journey — especially about the path of a debut author, with his or her very first book out in the world. Now that almost a year has gone by since the release of my debut picture book, I wanted to share seven learnings to help writers who are journeying towards their own exhilarating debut.
During what I refer to as the “Rejection Years,” I used to think I’d be so happy to get just one book published. Continue reading
11 Wednesday Jul 2018
Posted in Contests & Grants, Writers' Retreat
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Cambria Gordon, Helena Ku Rhee, Julia Edwards, Moni Ritchie, R.S. Mellete, SAG, Sue Alexander Grant
By Karol Ruth Silverstein, SCBWI-L.A. Contest Coordinator
To deem the results of the 2018 Sue Alexander Grant a “close call” would be putting it mildly. The top five manuscripts all ranked within a point of one another, with this year’s winner just edging out the runner-up.
Speaking of the winning manuscript, one of our anonymous judges noted, “It has all the pieces: Great voice, unique world-building that is nicely integrated into the storytelling, a cliff hanger ending, great humor mixed with tension and good dialogue.” Another judge added that it was the “most original manuscript of the group” and a “perfect middle grade” story.
The cherry on top? This year’s winner was last year’s runner-up! Continue reading
21 Wednesday Feb 2018
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Andrea Custer, Book Festivals, Book Fests, Claire Moore, conferences, Conventions, Helena Ku Rhee, Jacob Gerhardt, Lynn Becker, PB Rippey, Sarah Parker-Lee, SCBWI Annual Summer Conference, SCBWI members, Summer Conference
Hone your craft and connect with other writers, illustrators, and children’s book industry professionals at this year’s book fests and events. Grab your calendars and mark these dates.
Here are the dates for SCBWI’s biggest events for 2018:
March 3
Writers Day
Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles
This is a full-day to immerse yourself in expert keynote speakers, manuscript critiques, and agent pitch sessions. This year’s event, themed “Time to Level Up!,” offers writers a choice of three different levels based on experience and goals.
Read PB Rippey’s writer’s perspective on 2017’s event. Last year’s event also included illustrators. Read Lynn Becker’s illustrator’s perspective.
09 Wednesday Aug 2017
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Helena Ku Rhee, Joy Preble, Laurie Halse Anderson, Linda Sue Park, Miranda Paul, Rubin Pfeffer, SCBWI Annual Summer Conference
By Helena Ku Rhee, Kite Tales Contributor
Lin Oliver, left, and Judy Blume chatting it up during the Golden Kite Luncheon & Awards Presentation.
As in years prior, SCBWI’s annual summer conference was spectacular. We laughed, we cried, and at the end, we were inspired to rush home to create good art. A highlight for me was attending the pro track for the first time. With my debut book coming out in 2018, I knew I could benefit from sessions such as Rubin Pfeffer’s “Be Empowered, Publishing is Your Business” and Linda Sue Park’s marketing overview.
I was amazed to be sitting in the pro sessions with industry veterans. Hello, Laurie Halse Anderson! My first thought was: After publishing 20+ books, don’t these veterans already know everything? And my second thought was: If such luminaries are here, maybe I don’t belong! But later on, I discovered that artists in all phases of their careers were in attendance – from the pre-published to the many-times-published. I have to admit, before I got my first book deal, I didn’t think I was allowed in the pro track so I never even thought to attend. But I admired the forward thinking of the aspirants in the audience. Continue reading
17 Wednesday May 2017
Posted in Author's Perspective
Tags
agents, authors, Bill Contardi, Colleen Kong-Savage, contracts, Helena Ku Rhee, illustrators, picture books, publishers, publishing, The Turtle Ship
Jessica Echeverria (editor, Lee & Low), Helena, and Colleen Kong-Savage (illustrator)
Helena Ku Rhee is the author of The Turtle Ship, a forthcoming picture book by Lee & Low (Fall 2018). Helena, trained as a lawyer, followed an uncommon path by negotiating her own book deal. She tells Kite Tales about her debut and navigating publishing without an agent. Continue reading
Kite Tales 