7 Great Resources if You're Looking for an Agent

The goal: finding a literary agent who will represent YOU in your author/illustrator/translator career (and not just a single project.) Someone who communicates in a way that works for you and who is enthusiastic about your talent and projects.

So how do you find the agents you're going to query/pitch/approach? Here are seven resources that might help:

1) Narrow down your list of agents by genre at Agent Query: https://www.agentquery.com/

2) Narrow down your list of agents by keyword at Manuscript Wish List: https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/

3) Read interviews with agents, aggregated at Literary Rambles: http://www.literaryrambles.com/p/agent-spotlight-interviews.html

4) Dig into personal experiences with agents and agencies (on things like response time) at Absolute Write's "water cooler": https://absolutewrite.com/forums/index.php?threads/index-to-agents-agencies.352886/

Screenshot of Absolute Write's Index to Agents and Agencies

5) Meet agents at virtual and real-world events hosted by SCBWI, Highlights Foundation, The Writing Barn, etc...

6) Find the agent on social media and get a sense of what they represent.

7) Look at the agent's website for specifics on how to submit, and follow those guidelines.

Good luck!

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

P.S. Thanks to author J.S. Puller for the heads up on Absolute Write Water Cooler, a new resource for me!

Make Your Book Indistinguishable In Quality to One Published By the Big Five Publishers: A Free Resource

Hello, SCBWI friends!

The Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) has a free PDF checklist called The IBPA Industry Standards Checklist for a Professionally Published Book.

It's very helpful two page PDF that can help you make sure that when you publish your own work it is professionally put together and presented--both for industry folks (librarians, booksellers, agents, trade outlets, etc...) and the reading public.

The good news is the reading public doesn't care who published a book. So if you make sure your book is professionally done, you're giving that book the best chance to succeed.

Note: The term "self-publishing" tricks a lot of people into thinking that they just need to learn how to do it all themselves. This is the wrong approach. You need to hire professionals to do a lot of the elements that you can't do at a professional level. (Think about it: If no one is going to pay me to design the cover of their book, then I have no business designing the cover of my book.)

A better term for a creator publishing their own work is "author publisher" - because as a publisher, you're the final say on how professionally put together the book is. You hire the team, you oversee the project, and you're the one who signs off on the version that goes out into the world.

So if you are or want to be an author publisher, this IBPA Checklist for a Professionally Published Book is an excellent resource.

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

What Are All the Different Paths to Getting Your Work Published? The IBPA Publishing MAP (Models and Author Pathways) Helps You Explore the Options

Even for the same creator, each book project can have a different path to publication. The nonprofit Independent Book Publishers Association (I work for them as their Chief Content Officer) has put together a FREE overview and resource for the book publishing industry and for authors looking at different pathways to getting their creative works published. It's called the IBPA Publishing MAP (Models and Author Pathways).

The IBPA Publishing MAP includes eight different publishing models:

• Association, Society, & Non-Profit Publishers
• Author Publishers
• Corporate Trade Publishers
• Higher Education & Academic Publishers
• Hybrid Publishers
• Independent Publishers & Small Presses
• Service Providers
• University Presses

For each model, the IBPA Publishing MAP explores and explains these attributes:

• Definition
• Examples
• How They are Funded
• How They Generate Income
• Model Characteristics
• Appropriate for Authors Who
• Not Right for Authors Who

Additionally, the IBPA Publishing MAP includes a discussion of areas of model overlap, a disclaimer regarding predatory business models, and links to related resources.

Many advisors, volunteers, and staff members worked together to make this first iteration of the guide the best it could be on release. As with all documents, there are always ways to improve it, especially as publishing continues to evolve. You can leave feedback here in comments or email the IBPA team at info (at) ibpa-online (dot) org

IBPA's hope is that this is helpful to members of the SCBWI community as you consider the different options for getting your creative work published!

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

Indigenous Reads Rising - a New Resource Celebrating Indigenous Children’s and Teen Literature from We Need Diverse Books

Indigenous Reads Rising is a excellent new hub of book lists (spanning picture books, middle grade, and young adult readers), resources (for teachers/librarians/readers and writers), and even includes a state-by-state list of resources! The website is “a celebration of Indigenous children’s literature of Native Nations, centering those within the United States and Canada.”

As they explain on the Indigenous Reads Rising's about page:

Less than 2 percent of children’s books published in the United States depict characters from Native, First Nations, and Indigenous communities, according to the 2019 statistics compiled by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin. But the needle is moving. Every year, more stories are published by Native writers and illustrators, reflecting their cultures, Nations, and lived experiences, which is why we created Indigenous Reads Rising—to provide a resource where teachers, librarians, and readers can embrace these books.

While this site was founded with teachers and librarians in mind, every reader is welcome to explore our resources and book lists. Indigenous Reads Rising includes a variety of best practices articles and where to find more books by Native authors and illustrators, as well as extensive book lists organized by age category and topic. We also provide resources for Native writers and illustrators interested in honing their craft and applying for grants and mentorships.

Thanks to the team at We Need Diverse Books for creating Indigenous Reads Rising and maintaining it -- this is one to bookmark!

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

What's A Sales Sheet / A Tip Sheet / A One Sheet / A Sales Flyer ... And How Do You Put One Together?

Whether you're publishing yourself or you are being published by someone else, at some point there's going to be a Sales Sheet (it has lots of names) put together about your book -- promoting your book.

This article by publisher of Elva Resa Publishing and author Karen Pavlicin from the magazine of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), the IBPA Independent magazine, Anatomy of a Book Sales Sheet (…Tip Sheet, One Sheet, Sales Flyer, What-Have-You!), shares the basics, the extras, offers a template, and an example.

As Karen explains:

“A trade version of the sales sheet helps the sales reps, distribution team, reviewers, and buyers understand what sets this title apart, its key features, intended reader, and what will help the book succeed. A consumer or direct sales version of the sales sheet helps the reader connect with the book’s content, preorder the title, and learn about upcoming author events.”

A screen shot from the article showing the Sale Sheet template and example.

If you're looking at promoting your book, and understanding how this tool (whatever it's called) can help, this is well worth reading.

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

SCBWI Translation Hub and Resources

Make sure to bookmark translation.scbwi.org/

A screen shot of the new translation hub at scbwi.org, showing "translator" as one of the professional roles SCBWI members can choose when they self-identify.

It's a new home base for everything translations for kids and teens - there's a list of events, resources, a list-serve, even a critique connection!

There's also a nifty list of interviews with SCBWI Translator members!

Check it all out at: translation.scbwi.org/

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On!
Lee

Have You Explored SCBWI's Equity and Inclusion Resources?

 The SCBWI Equity and Inclusion Library aims to serve writers, translators and illustrators of works for children and teens. Designed as "a living document" and open to feedback for comments and suggestions, the library of resources serves a global audience.

With resources these eight categories so far (Economic Justice is in the works):

Resources for Asian and Pacific Islander Creators

Black Lives Matter Resources

Disability Awareness: Increase Access and Opportunity Resources

Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Resources

LGBTQIA+ Children's Book Creator Resources

Native, First Nations, Indigenous Creators Resources

Resources for Women Creators

And a list of General Inclusion Resources, there's a wealth of information to explore.

So, go explore!

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

P.S. - Cheers to April Powers, SCBWI's Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer, for making this a reality!

Do You Know SCBWI's "THE BOOK: Essential Guide to Publishing for Children"?

It's a benefit of SCBWI membership! 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.

The 2020 edition of The Book is now available! Current SCBWI members can log in and click here for your copy.

SCBWI Connects - SCBWI Offers a Digital Directory for Remote Learning Resources

So many creators of children’s books have risen to the call for help from teachers and parents during the COVID-19 crisis by creating online materials that will entertain, instruct, and inspire children and young people. Some are reading their books and discussing them. Some have created mini-lessons on art or history or craft projects. Some are doing the equivalent of a school visit with a presentation and slide show.

Click here to explore the entries in these categories: activities; art lessons; audiobooks & ebooks; bilingual; book readings; emotional & mental wellbeing; podcasts; teaching guides; and visits & workshops.

Illustrate and Write On – and Stay Safe,
Lee

Do You Know About SCBWI Webinars?

Our friends at SCBWI Nevada host a listing of SCBWI regional chapter webinars that offer you a chance to take an online class with an expert and move your craft and business of children's publishing knowledge forward!

As they explain,

"SCBWI offers webinars across the regions in the US and abroad. This is a list of the webinars being provided by the various regions. All webinars are recorded, so that if you registered but didn’t see it live, you can watch it in the recorded form. So, it doesn’t matter if you’re not able to make it to the live event; however, how long the recording is available differs by event. Webinars are priced affordably so that you can all attend."

With upcoming webinars on world building, Amazon SEO, Scholastic Bookfairs, creating compelling characters, writing middle grade mysteries, putting together your illustrator portfolio, cutting your picture book text, and so many more, you can craft your own educational path!

Check out the full list here, and consider bookmarking the page so you can check back as new webinars are added.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Literary Agents of Color - A Great Resource to Know About

Agent Beth Marshea's recent article in Publishers Weekly, We Need Diverse Agents, points out,

"With nearly 80% of the industry identifying as white, straight, and able bodied, is it any wonder that so many stories sound the same? Calls for more diverse characters, authors, and stories are great. There’s a step further that must be taken, however; we need to make changes to the gatekeepers. As Kacen Callender rightly pointed out in their Publishers Weekly article, 'We Need Diverse Editors,' sometimes stories weren’t written for the people we have guarding the house.

The need for representation in all aspects of publishing is clear. In order to get an editor, books need to be represented by agents—so it stands to reason that the industry needs diverse agents, as well."

And then, Beth brought up the website Literary Agents of Color at https://www.litagentsofcolor.com/, which, as of writing this, lists 56 "amazing agents of color."

Our industry certainly needs more, but it's great to know about this resource!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

A "Hot Tip" from Frances Gilbert (Editor-in-Chief, Doubleday Books for Young Readers) On Keeping Up On The Industry

How do you know who publishes what? Where can you get a comprehensive glance at what each publisher—what each imprint—is publishing? How do you know where your book might fit?

Frances Gilbert highlights an upcoming title

Frances Gilbert, at this past week's SCBWI Los Angeles Writers Day Conference, suggested Edelweiss.plus, a free resource that lets you look at (and study) publishers' catalogs.

Check it out here.

Thanks, Frances!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

¡El SCBWI tiene recursos en español para los socios hispanohablantes! (The SCBWI has resources in Spanish for Spanish-speaking members!

SCBWI's newest "member of the year" is actually members of the year in 2018...Judy Goldman (RA Mexico) and Malena F Alzu (SLC, Spanish language Coordinator.)

SCBWI's newest members of the year: Melana Alzu (left) and Judy Goldman

Melana and Judy very kindly put together this explanation (in both Spanish and English) of some of SCBWI's Spanish-language resources:

* *

El SCBWI tiene recursos en español para los socios hispanohablantes. Uno de ellos es el boletín electrónico cuatrimestral, totalmente en español, La cometa, que tiene alrededor de 800 suscriptores alrededor del mundo.

La cometa es editada por Judy Goldman (Regional Advisor de México) y producida por Malena F Alzu (SLC, Spanish Language Coordinator). Entre los suscriptores hay editores, escritores, ilustradores, traductores y gente interesada en el tema de la literatura para niños y jóvenes en español. En el boletín se ofrecen entrevistas a profesionales del sector, noticias de concursos, cursos, premios y conferencias así como artículos de socios sobre temas relacionados con la técnica, con la profesión y crónicas de eventos a los que asisten.

También existe la página de Facebook --SCBWI en español--, donde, de manera regular, se publica información actualizada sobre el sector.

Adicionalmente, se ha formado, recientemente, un grupo de crítica a distancia (critique group) en español.

Si quieres recibir La cometa, apuntarte al grupo de crítica o tienes alguna duda o comentario sobre los recursos del SCBWI en español, mándanos un correo a slc@scbwi.org con tu nombre completo y país de residencia.

* *

The SCBWI has resources in Spanish for Spanish-speaking members. One is La cometa, an electronic newsletter in Spanish. Published every four months, it’s sent out to about 800 subscribers around the world.

La cometa is edited by Judy Goldman (RA Mexico) and produced by Malena F Alzu (SLC, Spanish language Coordinator). Among its readers are editors, writers, illustrators, translators, and people interested in children’s literature in Spanish. The newsletter includes interviews with sector professionals, news about contests, courses, awards, and conferences as well as articles written by members focused on themes such as technique, the profession, and reports about events they have attended.

Also available is the Facebook page –SCBWI en español—where sector information is published in a timely manner.

Additionally, a critique group writing in Spanish has been formed.

If you would like to receive La cometa, join the critique group or have a question or commentary about Spanish-language resources, send us an email to slc@scbwi.org with your full name and country of residence.

* *

Illustrate and Write On, in English, or español, or your language of choice,
Lee

Diversity Awards and Grants for authors and illustrators

Do you know all 13 of these?

SCBWI Diversity Awards and Grants – Emerging Voices Award and Multi Cultural Work in Progress Award.

ALA Awards: Coretta Scott King Book Awards recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults.

Schneider Family Book Awards for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience.

Pura Belpré Awards honoring a Latino illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience.

Stonewall Book Award – Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award given annually to English-language works of exceptional merit for children or teens relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience.

 Asian Pacific Library Association: Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature honors and recognizes individual work about Asian/Pacific Americans and their heritage, based on literary and artistic merit.

American Indian Library Award: The American Indian Youth Literature Awards: presented every two years. The awards were established as a way to identify and honor the very best writing and illustrations by and about American Indians. Books selected to receive the award will present American Indians in the fullness of their humanity in the present and past contexts. 

Texas State University College of Education: Tomás Rivera Book Award:  to honor authors and illustrators who create literature that depicts the Mexican American experience. 

Association of Jewish Libraries: Sydney Taylor Book Awards given to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. 

University of Wisconsin Madison: South Asia Book Awards: recognizes the year’s best among children’s and young adult literature that portray South Asia or South Asians living abroad.

University of Wisconsin Milwaukee; Américas Book Awards: honoring books that authentically and engagingly portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States. 

The Jane Addams Peace Association: The Jane Addams Children's Book Awards are given annually to the children's books that effectively promote the cause of peace, social justice, world community, and the equality of the sexes and all races as well as meeting conventional standards for excellence. 

Scholastic Asia and National Book Council of Singapore:  The Scholastic Asian Book Award (SABA) SABA recognizes children’s writers of Asian origin who are taking the experiences of life, spirit, and thinking in different parts of Asia to the world at large.

Find out more at the SCBWI website Diversity Resources page here.

YA Highway - An Excellent Resource for Writers

This "Publishing Road Map" the folks at YA Highway have put together is so clever!

When you're at their website, clicking on the different locals takes you to different treasure-troves of resources! Like clicking on, 'Time Management Manor' takes you to a list of two dozen blog posts and articles on time management for writers, with sections on
Time Management Tips, Tricks and Pep Talks,
Writing and Family, and
Internet-Specific.

The links in those list are well-worth the time, not coincidentally including "Your Time Is Your Currency" by famed author Laurie Halse Anderson.

'Agent Acres' is busting with advice (with nearly 50 articles, websites and resources), and you can visit 'E-Book Estates', the 'Province of Self-Publishing' and 'Money Marsh' (How Much Do Authors Get Paid) all in the same day!

It's a great resource. Check it out.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Writing Young Adult Fiction for Dummies - A Great Craft Book by Deborah Halverson

I need to start this post with an apology to Deborah and all of you.  I resisted checking this book out for too long, because I didn't love the self-defined idea of claiming "dummy" status by picking it up... I guess I was embarrassed. (I'm almost embarrassed to admit that!)

But really, I'm over it now. Because Deborah Halverson (who I'm always so impressed with) has put together a really useful guide, for all of us who write YA.

And her book is packed with good stuff. Like on page 76, where Deborah explains:

Calling all heroes

Your goal with your main character (or protagonist) is to move the plot forward and in the process transform that character into something better or wiser, thereby giving life to the story's themes. The reader, too, should be better off for having read this character's tale. To accomplish this, all protagonists, regardless of their age or the genre, have to share three attributes:

 A need or want strong enough to make the hero struggle onward, no matter what obstacles frustrate his quest to achieve it: This need or want is the character's goal. In teen novels, the need/want must be something other teens can relate to. After all, shattering the glass ceiling at the office has no meaning for readers whose career arc is still in the squeezing-lemons-at-Hot-Dog-on-a-Stick phase – if they're even old enough for a work permit. Examples of teen-friendly needs/wants are parental or peer approval, salvation of other characters in physical or emotional peril, or winning a competition against other teens.
Within this need/want attribute is its opposite: the fear of failing to attain that Big Want. This is an important factor because the more undesirable you make the consequence of failure, the greater your hero's fear will be, increasing the tension in your story. Tension makes readers turn pages. I talk about raising the stakes to heighten tension in Chapter 6.

 A key flaw. The protagonist's flaw is that undesirable trait he keeps tripping over as he tries to attain his goal. Another way to look at his flaw is as his vulnerability. Maybe he's afraid of heights, or painfully shy, or too self-centered. Achieving success is darned hard when you're in your own way. Hard... but not impossible, thanks to the character's core strength.

 A core strength. This is the personality trait that will overcome the key flaw. The core strength must be evidenced in the character in one form or another throughout the entire story. Simply pulling it out of your hat for the climax feels contrived. Maybe your characters didn't notice this strength or it was just budding, but it was there. For example, if you want to set up a character's extreme act of compassion, the hero may rescue an abandoned animal early in the story and nurse it to health, or he may stop his bike so as not to run over an insect hobbled by a broken wing, or he may surreptitiously give a favorite toy to a needy kid he meets at the park. Small moments like these set the stage for the core strength to blossom at the end of the story.

Perhaps your hero's want is to be popular, his flaw is glory-hogging on the basketball court (earning him not admiration but further alienation), and his strength is a moving compassion for underdogs like himself. In this scenario, his compassion for someone else finally overcomes his need to set a point record when he passes the ball to a teammate with even more at stake for the game-winning basket. Both characters become school heroes, and your main character has made a key transformation. That's an example of a successful character arc, which I focus on later in this chapter.

Here's the table of contents, to give you a big-picture idea of what's covered:

So are we dummies for wanting to write YA? Nahhh.

As M.T. Anderson says in the book's Foreword, we're the smart ones:

"If you write to stir the emotions of readers, to move people deeply, to change people's lives, then you should consider writing for young adults. Who else will read your book 12 times? Who else will try to steal a copy from the library? Who else will sleep on top of your book? Who else will make a diorama of your book with the main character played by a Styrofoam cup? Who else, in short, will invest themselves imaginatively in your world like a young person will?"

Writing YA is a great calling.

And "Writing Young Adults For Dummies," even with that title, is an excellent guide.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

A Very Cool Tool

One of the great things about attending one of SCBWI's Winter or Summer Conferences is how much you learn. And this is true no matter where you are on your journey as an illustrator and/or writer.

In a conversation I had this past weekend at #NY14SCBWI with the remarkable Jane Yolen (who has published over 350 books for children and teens!), I brought up how cool it was that the faculty at the Friday plot intensive (including her) were doing the same writing exercises as the attendees.

Jane's response, said with a wise smile?

"Any time an artist stops learning, they're dead."

One very cool tool that was mentioned at #NY14SCBWI by Elizabeth Wein is Google Book's Ngram Viewer.

It lets you explore word and phrase usage in print from 1800 through 2008. You can find out when a word started being used, when it peaked, and even compare its usage as a noun as opposed to its usage as a verb. (Like with the word "Cook.")

The results come back as a chart, and, as in the example above, it would help you figure out that if you're writing a historical piece before 1965, a character likely would refer to "kindergarten" rather than "child care."

There's a lot of different ways to use this tool, and it's worth checking out Advanced Usage.

Thanks Elizabeth! And like Jane said, let's all keep learning!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Especially For Illustrators! A Digital - and Interactive - Edition of Josef Alber's Landmark "Interaction of Color"

Yale University Press is releasing this digital 50th Anniversary edition of "Interaction of Color."   It's of the most influential books on color ever written, and as described in SCBWI's "THE BOOK," covers

"Color studies demonstrating the principles of color relativity, intensity, and temperature, vibrating and vanishing boundaries, and the illusions of transparency and reversed grounds."

From the publisher's description of this interactive edition:

 • Full text and plate commentary.
• Over 125 of the original color studies, including the “flaps” and moving pieces that have made the studies so captivating to generations of students.
• Over 60 interactive plates and studies that allow you to experiment with color and find your own solutions to Albers’s famous problems.
• Detailed discussion of key principles, including the relativity of color; light intensity and brightness; how to make one color look like two or two colors look like one; transparency; after-image; film and volume colors; color temperature and humidity; and vibrating and disappearing boundaries.
• The ability to create, save, and export your final designs and palettes into your favorite design software.
• A beautiful new color palette tool.
• Archival video of Albers in the classroom, and audio of the renowned teacher talking you through special exercises.
• Original video commentary by experts explaining Albers’s principles, making even the most challenging problems easy to understand.
• Interviews with leading designers and artists explaining how they use color in their professional practices.

The Interaction of Color app is available FREE from the App Store on iPad at www.AppStore.com/InteractionofColor, and the complete version is available as an in-app purchase for $9.99. The free version allows users to view a full chapter, including text, commentary, and two interactive plates, and to experiment with all the features, including the color palette tool. The full version includes the complete text, over 125 color plates, over 60 interactive studies, and a wide range of video commentaries, interviews, and additional features.

Created by Yale in partnership with the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, and developed by Potion Design.

It sounds very cool, and appears to be a great use of technology. Here's the app trailer:


 

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

150 resources for writers - an article worth exploring

This article, 150 resources to Help You Write Better, Faster, and More Persuasively has some great links in it.

Sections include resources on Blogs, Legal, Style and Citation, English, Genres, Info, News Digests, Media, Organization (as in organizing your writing), Organizations (as in professional, including a shout-out to SCBWI!), Rhetoric, Tools, Word References and even Writing Software.

There were many I'd heard of, and others I hadn't and thought, "Wow, really?  That could be useful..."

A few I bookmarked:

Symbols.com Want to use symbolism in your writing or analyze it in a famous work? Symbols.com can help, with more than 1,600 articles about thousands of signs from Western cultural history. (Try hitting "random symbol" - it's pretty cool.)

ePodunk: ePodunk provides in-depth information about more than 46,000 communities in the U.S. through maps, cemetery listings, and even local newspapers.

and The Arts and Humanities Dictionary (they have DUNE and HARRY POTTER glossaries!)

Check it out and see which ones get the "Wow, that could be useful" reaction from you!  (And leave a note in comments about the resources you're most excited to discover.)

The Hero's Journey... Explained by Puppets!

This is brilliant!
(If you can't see the video below, click here to see it on youtube.)


Thanks to Emma Dryden for sharing this with me, so I could share it with all of you!

 Illustrate and Write On,
Lee