01 Wednesday May 2024
Posted in Los Angeles, SoCal, Treasure Chest, Tri-Regional News
Tags
authors, contests, Events, illustrators, publishing, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI Impact & Legacy Fund, SCBWI members, SCBWI SoCal
ONGOING
A video and transcript of the Children’s Book Changemakers Special, presented by the SCBWI Impact and Legacy Fund, are currently available on the SCBWI YouTube page.
24 Wednesday Apr 2024
Tags
author-illustrators, contests, Illustration, illustrators, Jaime Zollars, Jessica Woo, Kristin Marine, Mentorship Award, picture book, SCBWI community
by Jaime Zollars
In January, we invited illustrators to apply for a six-month mentorship with one of our Published and Listed members. This year’s mentor, Jaime Zollars, joins us to announce the winner and share some of the submission highlights.
It was a wonderful experience reading the entries for this year’s mentorship contest. It made me realize just how much I have missed my teaching days among so many promising students, and how exciting it is to share in the process of creating lasting stories. I loved reading the entrants’ goals, ideas, and thoughtful answers to my questions.
Continue reading03 Wednesday Apr 2024
Posted in Los Angeles, SoCal, Treasure Chest, Tri-Regional News
Tags
authors, Christine Van Zandt, Comic Orange, craft, illustrators, Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, middle grade, PAL events, publishing, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI Impact & Legacy Fund, SCBWI members, SCBWI SoCal
On Thursday, April 11th at 4pm PT / 7pm ET, you’re invited to the Children’s Book Changemakers Special, presented by the SCBWI Impact and Legacy Fund. This exciting Zoom program is free to all (no SCBWI membership required) and features rare appearances from iconic children’s book thought leaders whose work has made a difference. More information or register today.
13 Wednesday Mar 2024
by Roya Asgari
Since becoming a working illustrator seven years ago, I’ve come to understand that creating charming book illustrations requires more than artistic skill. It also takes creativity, storytelling ability, and an understanding of a book’s themes and audience. Here are some tips I’ve learned from working with art directors and self-publishing authors.
Continue reading06 Wednesday Mar 2024
Tags
authors, Comic Orange, contest, craft, illustrators, Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, publishing, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, Writers Day
Burst into creative bloom this Saturday at Bud to Blossom. How to Grow Stories and Nurture Creative Inspiration, the in-person SCBWI-Los Angeles 2024 Writers Day conference being held at the Skirball Cultural Center on March 9, 2024. An all-star faculty—including speakers Deborah Halverson, Henry Lien, Ariel Richardson, Liz Garton Scanlon, and Karol Ruth Silverstein—will nourish your creative spirit and encourage your stories to sprout and grow. Enjoy keynotes, breakouts, an afternoon book signing, and a patio lunch by the famous lily pond. Event schedule and faculty profiles here. Online registration is now closed. Walk-ins welcome (cash or check only).
07 Wednesday Feb 2024
Tags
authors, CenCal Writers Retreat, contest, craft, illustrators, publishing, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, Writers Day
Tri-Region Members: Last call! Remember to share your Great News and Toot Your Horn! announcements no later than Friday, February 9, 2024, to appear in this month’s columns. All items submitted after February 9 will run next quarter.
The C. Harrington Scholarship is accepting applications through February 17, 2024. Established in memory of Claudia Harrington—mentor, author, SCBWI-L.A. regional advisor, and friend—the scholarship awards one SCBWI-L.A. member free tuition to either the LA Region Writers Day (see March 9, below) or an Illustrator event of the current year, and includes a free editor critique or portfolio review. Claudia was the recipient of the Sue Alexander Service Award in 2015. Read more about Claudia and this special scholarship here.
24 Wednesday Jan 2024
by Dr. Jeff Creely
**Note: The SCBWI-L.A. Mentorship is a six-month program that alternates between illustration and writing. For 2024, it’s the illustrators’ turn! Ahead of mentee applications opening on January 28, Dr. Jeff Creely, 2023 contest winner, shares his experience with the program. The 2024 mentor will be announced at the end of the post.**
A year and a half ago, I made a promise: I was going to “give myself permission to publish a bad book.” After four years of writing mostly on my own, I felt that it was time to brave more collaborative experiences and put myself out there … even if that meant learning that my writing wasn’t very good. Embracing every opportunity became my mantra. I sought out reading groups, critiques, conferences, and agents. Although I had some positive feedback, the outset of 2023 tested my resolve with a string of rejections.
Honestly, I entered the SCBWI-L.A. Mentorship Contest on a whim. I came across the post only two days before the deadline and went back and forth on whether I had enough time to write a well-crafted entry (hint: I don’t think I did). Admittedly, my expectations were low, but the prospect of being mentored by a seasoned professional in the writing field was an opportunity I couldn’t let slip. I yearned for guidance and had a slim hope that someone could validate the potential I still believed my manuscript held.
Continue reading17 Wednesday Jan 2024
Posted in Ask an Editor, Tips and Tools
Tags
#AskanEditor, Alexis O'Neill, author-illustrators, authors, business, Christine Van Zandt, editor, illustrators, middle grade, nonfiction, picture book, publishing, school visits
“Ask an Editor” is a quarterly forum wherein SCBWI members submit questions that are answered as part of our Kite Tales blog.
Hi Alexis – I have three traditionally published nonfiction picture books and have heard that I can make money doing school visits. You seem to do a lot of them. How do I get my first school visit and what should I charge?
—KK, Los Angeles
10 Wednesday Jan 2024
Posted in Illustrator's Perspective, Tips and Tools
Tags
agents, illustrator tips, illustrators, Jaime Zollars, publishing, querying, writing, writing tips
By Jaime Zollars, Illustrator Coordinator, SCBWI CenCal
As the illustrator coordinator for the Central Coast, I’ve found that a topic of primary interest among member illustrators is agents, and the most pressing question is how to find one. If you are an illustrator seeking representation, my best advice is to consider whether or not you are ready, do your research, create an ordered list, reach out to artists represented by agents you plan to contact, double-check submissions criteria, solicit no more than a few agents at one time, and be prepared for another round of submissions if your first attempt is not what you hoped!
1. Is your work ready for an agent? You only have one chance for an agent to see your work for the first time. Consider whether your work is ready for an agent. Examine your work for consistency, craft, and presentation. Does your work have a developed look to it that has a unique identity? Does the work appear to be crafted professionally? Is the work available on a website that is carefully curated, easy to navigate, and professional? If you can say yes to all three questions, you may be ready to find your match.
Then you will likely wonder, “How do I find an agent?” This is the golden question, but there is a better question to ask.
Continue reading03 Wednesday Jan 2024
Tags
authors, CenCal Writers Retreat, contest, craft, illustrators, publishing, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, Writers Day
Event registration opening soon! From Bud to Blossom: How to Grow Stories and Nurture Creative Inspiration. Join SCBWI Los Angeles for the in-person “Bud to Blossom” Writers Day Conference, March 9, 2024, at the Skirball Cultural Center. An amazing faculty will nourish your creative spirit and encourage your stories to sprout and grow. Already have a flourishing manuscript? Then add an Agent Pitch to your event day! Enter the manuscript contest (see below) for a chance to win a free event plus a free 10-page manuscript review. Come meet fellow SCBWI Los Angeles and Tri-Region members and enjoy a delicious al fresco lunch beside the famous lily pond. See you there!
*Deadline extended!* Submissions are open now, and January 28, 2024, is the new deadline to enter your work into the SCBWI-L.A. Writers Day Contest. If you plan to attend the March 9, 2024, event (see Save the Date above), you can enter the contest now for the opportunity to receive a free written critique from a member of the event faculty PLUS free tuition to next year’s Writers Day (or equivalent event). The contest is open to all who register for Writers Day, and there’s no additional fee to enter. To quote Vincent X. Kirsch, one of last year’s contest winners, “You can do this!”
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