19 Wednesday Feb 2025
Posted in Toot Your Horn!
Tags
chapter book, early reader, fantasy, Historical Reference, horror, MG, middle grade, mystery, nonfiction, nonfiction picture book, picture book, poetry, published, publishing, SCBWI community
SCBWI members’ publishing news is something to celebrate here at Kite Tales! Check out whose book is coming to a platform near you or around the world. Horn-tooting and digital high fives welcome in the comments!
05 Wednesday Feb 2025
Tags
authors, Charlotte Huck, Comic Orange, Getty, Golden Kite Awards, Highlights Foundation, illustrators, indie-publishing, LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund, Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Los Angeles Zoo, middle grade, Next Generation Indie Book Awards, PAL, published, SCBWI Annual Winter Conference, SCBWI Art Day, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, SCBWI Virtual Winter Conference, scholarship, Sketch Safari, tabling, volunteer, workshop, young adult
OPEN NOW
We are deeply saddened by the devastations that have impacted our artist friends as a result of the Palisades and Eaton fires. “The LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund (the ‘Fund’) is a pooled fund led by the J. Paul Getty Trust with support from a coalition of major arts organizations and philanthropists.” If you are in need of financial support, applications must be submitted by Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. For more information about eligibility, click the link here. If you would like to donate in support of the Fund, please go directly to the Getty’s website here.
OPEN NOW
Registration for the SCBWI-LA Sketch Safari at The LA Zoo is now open! “Join illustrator Alexander Vidal and SCBWI peers for a fantastic, in-person illustration event at the Los Angeles Zoo” on Saturday, March 29, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. “While this is a sketch event, writers are welcome to share the fun for story inspiration!” The cost of registration also includes admission to the zoo.
OPEN NOW
The in-person 2025 SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City may have passed, but it is not too late to register for the SCBWI Virtual Winter Conference 2025! “Don’t miss this chance to boost your children’s book career! Join us online for exclusive industry panels, hands-on sessions diving deep into the craft of writing and illustrating children’s books, and valuable networking with fellow creators.” The online event will take place ONLINE from February 21–22, 2025. Register today!
OPEN NOW
Register now for 2025 Art Day: Illustrators and Writers Connect, SCBWI SoCal! This one-day hands-on workshop will take place at the Laguna College of Art & Design on March 15, 2025, and feature several award-winning guest speakers! If you would like to register for written critiques, the deadline to sign up is February 13, 2025. Scholarship applications to attend Art Day 2025 are due February 27, 2025, by 10:00 p.m. Winners will be notified by March 1, 2025. For more information about the Art Day: Equity and Inclusion Scholarship, click here.
27 Wednesday Nov 2024
Posted in Toot Your Horn!
Tags
chapter book, early reader, fantasy, Historical Reference, horror, MG, middle grade, mystery, nonfiction, nonfiction picture book, picture book, poetry, published, publishing, SCBWI community
SCBWI members’ publishing news is something to celebrate here at Kite Tales! Check out whose book is coming to a platform near you or around the world. Horn-tooting and digital high fives welcome in the comments!
14 Wednesday Aug 2024
Posted in Contests & Grants, SAG, Writers' Retreat
Tags
contest winner, middle grade, SCBWI community, SCBWI members, Sherry Shahan, Sue Alexander Grant, working writers retreat
by Brenda Scott Royce, SCBWI-L.A. Contest Coordinator
We’re thrilled to announce this year’s winner of the Sue Alexander Grant, Sherry Shahan, whose middle-grade adventure got our judges’ hearts racing!
“My middle-grade work-in-progress, The Icy Wilds, was inspired by my many treks to Alaska as a photojournalist,” Sherry says. “In particular, visiting a small town where 95 percent of the residents live in a building that also houses a post office, church, general store, etc.”
Here’s what the judges had to say:
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.
20 Wednesday Mar 2024
Posted in Contests & Grants, Los Angeles, Tri-Regional News, Writers Days
Tags
Andy Narwahl, Annette Bethers, authors, Lillie Pardo, Mary Malhotra, Mary Shannon, middle grade, picture book, Rilla Jaggia, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, Trenise Ferreira, WritersDay2024
by Brenda Scott Royce, Contest Coordinator
Please join us in celebrating the 2024 Writers Day Contest runners-up and winners, who were announced at the SCBWI-L.A. Writers Day event on Saturday, March 9. With a record number of submissions this year, the competition was very steep! Our anonymous judges chose seven honorees in four categories: Young Adult, Middle Grade, Picture Book, and Non-Fiction. First-place winners in each category receive free tuition to next year’s Writers Day event and a manuscript critique from one of this year’s faculty members.
Excerpts from the judges’ comments are included in the list of honorees that follows. If you’d like to contact any of the winners to request their manuscript or discuss publication, please let us know!
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
29 Wednesday Nov 2023
Posted in Contests & Grants, Los Angeles, Writers Days
Tags
authors, middle grade, Nicholas Ponticello, Patricia Toht, picture book, SCBWI community, Vincent X. Kirsch, writing contest, young adult
by Brenda Scott Royce
SCBWI-L.A.’s signature event, Writers Day, will be back in 2024—and with it comes the Writers Day Contest, an opportunity for all attendees to enter for a chance to win prizes and public recognition of their work.
Why enter writing contests? Prizes are awfully nice, and hearing your name announced as the winner is a definite thrill. A contest win can get you a step closer to publication. And just entering can be a reward in itself, providing the boost you need to polish your manuscript and send it out into the world.
Continue reading01 Wednesday Nov 2023
Posted in Ask an Editor, Tips and Tools
Tags
#AskanEditor, authors, Christine Van Zandt, editor, middle grade, nonfiction, novel, picture book, publishing, query letters, writing tips, YA
“Ask an Editor” is a quarterly forum wherein SCBWI members submit questions that are answered as part of our Kite Tales blog.
Hi Christine—I’ve finished the first draft of my middle-grade mystery but still have a ways to go before it’s ready for me to submit it to literary agents. When do I start writing my query letter?—Ava, Los Angeles
04 Wednesday Oct 2023
Posted in Community Corner, SoCal, Tri-Regional News
Tags
Amin Sharif, author-illustrator, authors, Bronwen Butter Newcott, Heather Buchta, illustrators, middle grade, Nazli Tahvili, OC Children's Book Festival, picture books, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, Shiho Pate, Susi Schaefer, Susie Yi, Tootie Nienow, YA
by Beverly Plass, RA SoCal SCBWI
Thousands of book-loving families flocked to the OC Children’s Book Festival at Orange Coast College on October 1. The event featured hundreds of booths as well as several on-stage presentations. SoCal SCBWI hosted a booth with its published authors, illustrators, and author-illustrators.
Continue reading
Kite Tales 