Tag Archives: mentoring

Announcing the 2026 SCBWI-Los Angeles Mentorship Contest Winner!

26 Friday Jun 2026

Posted by in Contests & Grants, Los Angeles, Mentorship Contest, Tri-Regional News

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by Brenda Scott Royce

In April, we invited authors to apply for a six-month mentorship with one of our PAL (Published and Listed) members. Open to writers in the earlier stage of their career, the SCBWI-L.A. mentor contest has been a springboard to many a successful career.

This year’s mentor, Rebecca Langston-George received several worthy applications from local writers, all of whom have bright futures ahead. She is grateful to have friends in the writing community willing to trust her with their precious stories and wants to thank each person who applied.

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Be an SCBWI Mentor in 2026! But first … a word from our 2025 mentor

11 Wednesday Feb 2026

Posted by in Contests & Grants, Los Angeles, Mentorship Contest, Tri-Regional News

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by Sherry Shahan

I’ve been a proud member of SCBWI since the mid-1980s. I was a young, unpublished writer who met other dreamers at a National Convention in Southern California. Forty or so years later, we remain best of friends, with children’s books that cross age groups and genres. I was thrilled to be selected as the mentor for the 2025 SCBWI-Los Angeles Mentorship Contest for Middle Grade Authors. Giving back is a rewarding way to honor the many mentors who helped shape my career.

Two cover images from Sherry Shahan's books Ice Island and Spicy Hot Color / Colored Picantes

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Attention PAL Nonfiction Authors: Be an SCBWI Mentor in 2021!

24 Wednesday Feb 2021

Posted by in Contests & Grants, Mentorship Contest

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by Nicole Maggi  

Last June, I handed in a major rewrite on a write-for-hire project, took a deep breath, and turned my attention to a new venture: the SCBWI-L.A. Mentorship. I had spent several weeks earlier in the spring selecting the recipient of the Mentorship, and I was excited to get to work with my mentee, pre-published author Edward Underhill. 

2020 mentor Nicole Maggi.

Over the course of the summer, as the pandemic grew worse and the world darkened, and my own creative spark began to dim, working with Ed was a beautiful bright spot, like a brilliant star in a moonless sky. His novel, a joyous trans coming-of-age rom-com, was a true escape every time I opened the manuscript.  

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Attention PAL Novelists: Be an SCBWI Mentor in 2020!

01 Friday Nov 2019

Posted by in Contests & Grants, Mentorship Contest, SCBWI Mentorship Program

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by Karol Ruth Silverstein, SCBWI-L.A. Contest Coordinator

MENTORSHIP1The SCBWI-L.A. Mentorship program alternates between picture book writers, illustrators and novelists. And this year, it’s the novelists’ turn again.

Many folks can attest to the value of having a mentor—but there’s tremendous value in being a mentor as well. From learning more about your own craft to reaffirming your love of storytelling to the simple satisfaction of giving back to the SCBWI-L.A. community, being a mentor can be incredibly rewarding.

We caught up with the SCBWI-L.A. 2019 Mentor Bethany Barton, currently mentoring author/illustrator Emily Asaro, and asked her the following:

KAROL RUTH SILVERSTEIN: What motivated you to be an SCBWI-L.A. mentor? Continue reading →

2019 Mentor Bethany Barton Has Selected Her Mentee!

15 Wednesday May 2019

Posted by in Contests & Grants, Mentorship Contest

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By Bethany Barton, author/illustrator

Have you ever gotten a restaurant menu where everything looks so delicious, it’s nearly impossible to decide? That’s what it felt like going through the applications for SCBWI’s 2019 Mentorship contest! Too much good stuff!

First of all, I want to thank everyone who applied. It’s not always easy to share our artwork with the world, and so many of you were willing. I feel privileged to have gotten my eyes on what you create. I was blown away by the talent on display in every one of this year’s mentorship applicants. The passion for the craft of visual storytelling for children could be seen (and often felt!) in every image that popped into my inbox and I was oh-so-inspired to see the gifts you have to offer young readers. Please keep drawing, please keep painting, please keep telling stories with your images. You must. We didn’t work together this time, but I look forward to seeing your books on shelves, hearing about your successes, and high-fiving you at SCBWI events.

And now, without further ado, I’d love to introduce the world to my mentee: Continue reading →

Heads Up Illustrators and Author/Illustrators – the SCBWI-L.A. 2019 Mentorship is for You!

13 Wednesday Feb 2019

Posted by in Contests & Grants, Mentorship Contest

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By Karol Ruth Silverstein, SCBWI-L.A. Contest Coordinator

SCBWI-L.A. PAL member Bethany Barton is the 2019 Mentor! This year’s mentorship contest is for illustrators and author/illustrators and we’ll be accepting applications from February 15 through March 22.

To encourage applicants, we thought we’d check in with last year’s mentees, Monica Mancillas and Jennifer Fitzgerald, to see how their mentorship experience went.

KAROL RUTH SILVERSTEIN: What did you hope to get out of the mentorship when you first applied?

JENNIFER FITZGERALD: I am just starting out writing for children, so initially I was looking for guidance in getting started. My biggest issue is time management. I’m a business owner and a parent, which means time to sit and think can be at a minimum. I needed someone to be accountable to, someone who I could trust to send me an email out of nowhere saying, “How’s it going? What are you working on right now? Send me something.” It made making time to write more real to me and I really needed that. Continue reading →

Calling All SCBWI-L.A. PAL Illustrators: Be a Mentor In 2019!

12 Wednesday Dec 2018

Posted by in Contests & Grants, Mentorship Contest

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By Karol Ruth Silverstein, SCBWI-L.A. Contest Coordinator

For the past four years, SCBWI-L.A. has been offering mentorships to pre-published members, switching between writers and illustrators. It will be illustrators’ turn again in 2019, and that’s where out PAL illustrators come in!

As past mentors can tell you, the experience is incredibly rewarding. We asked some of them to share about why they decided to throw their hats in the ring and how they’ve benefitted themselves from being mentors.

Here’s what they had to say: Continue reading →

Paying it Forward: Going from Mentee to Mentor is Easier than You Think

08 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by in Author's Perspective, Tips and Tools

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By Sherry Shahan

Elizabeth Van Steenwyk signs her new picture book Blacksmith’s Song. (Peachtree Pub.)

I was clueless about children’s books when I signed up for a writer’s workshop years ago with the prolific Elizabeth Van Steenwyk. Her credits: Seventy-five fiction and nonfiction titles. Impressive. But what struck me most was her generosity.

After reading my WIP, Elizabeth offered to send it to her editor at a school book-fair publisher. Willowisp Press became home for my first six middle-grade novels.

When our SCBWI region began discussing a mentorship program, I knew I wanted to be involved. Continue reading →