Open Call for a Paid Writing Opportunity: Apply to be a Guest Blogger for SCBWI: The Blog in 2025

Hi Community!

In 2025 we're going to continue with a guest blogger every month! For all of us who create work for children and teens (authors, illustrators, translators), it's a great way to share what YOU want to share with our community.

As a reminder, posts can be about craft, business, inspiration, helpful tips, advice, interviews... and you can use video, audio, text, images... the sky's the limit, and generally posts should take about five minutes or less to consume.

This is a paid blogging opportunity - you'll receive $50 a post, so $200 for the four posts.

Here's how you apply:

If you'd like to be considered for a guest blogging spot (4 posts in one month), you're welcome to email me at leewind (at) roadrunner (dot) com these three things:

1) a few sentence bio of your involvement with kid lit and scbwi

2) one blog post example

3) a few additional topics you would want to address 

Our goal is to schedule the entire 2025 year by December 2024 - so I encourage you to apply now!

Thanks!

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

Do You Have a Picture Book Manuscript You've Been Crafting? Submissions are open for the Ann Whitford Paul – Writer’s Digest Manuscript Award

There are two categories - Fiction and Nonfiction!! They're looking for "the most promising manuscripts" and the two winners will each receive a $1,000 grant to "encourage the development of an excellent picture book manuscript." 

It's certainly a springboard on the road to publication!

Submit your picture book manuscript by April 30, 2023 - get all the details here.

Ann Whitford Paul

Ann is the author of many picture books, including the bestselling If Animals series, including If Animals Kissed Good Night, which School Library Journal called "charming". She's also the author of the excellent WRITING PICTURE BOOKS: A Hands-On Guide From Story Creation to Publication.

Want some free tips from Ann herself? Check out the "for writers" section of Ann's website and download Ann's "Five Tips to Keep in Mind When Writing Picture Books" - and in classic internet click-bait fashion, I'll just say that #1 is advice I wish I'd learned much earlier in my author journey.

Submit your best work, and good luck!

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

Have You Checked Out the 52 Grants and Awards SCBWI Offers Members?

Check out the SCBWI Awards and Grants page on the SCBWI website, with all the current opportunities organized into seven categories: 

Writers

Illustrators

PAL Published

Independently Published

Students

Community Grants 

SCBWI Partnered Grants & Awards

Just one of the opportunities listed at the SCBWI Awards and Grants page

Each grant listing also includes information letting you know if is is currently taking submissions. SCBWI Awards and Grants is a great page to bookmark as you pursue your career in children's and teen literature!

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

The SCBWI 2021 Winter Conference Manuscript Gallery Offers Writers An Opportunity To Be Discovered!

 

Illustrators have the Portfolio Showcase, putting their illustrations in front of the top publishing professionals working today. And the winners of that portfolio showcase have gone on to have significant careers as illustrators!

Now, on a scale the SCBWI hasn't done before, there's a parallel opportunity for writers:

Registered Winter 2021 conference attendees who are SCBWI members can post up to 500 words of ONE children’s book manuscript, PB text, PB dummy or manuscript synopsis to our online manuscript gallery. Over a hundred editors and agents will be invited to peruse the gallery starting on February 19, 2021. These agents and editors will then reach out to authors whose work is a good fit for their lists. This is a fantastic opportunity to get your work in front of industry professionals!

The deadline to submit your manuscript is February 12, 2021. Find out all the details here.

The full conference information is here - it's going to amazing!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Illustrators – Do You Know About the Portfolio Showcase at #LA19SCBWI?

It's a showcase.

It's a contest.

It's an amazing opportunity to get your work seen by SCBWI judges, mentors, and the art directors, editors, agents, and other publishing professionals attending the SCBWI Summer Conference.

Nifty illustration by Priscilla Burris, SCBWI U.S. Illustrator Coordinator & Advisor

It's a chance to meet a professional deadline.

It's a chance to get feedback on your work.

It's a chance to put your work out there!

Read all the details here.

We hope you'll join us at the 48th Annual SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles, August 9-12, 2019. Find out all about the conference at this link: https://www.scbwi.org/events/48th-annual-summer-conference-in-los-angeles-la19/

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

#NY18SCBWI has a new "Master Class" format, and is selling out fast!

This is exciting!

The 2018 SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City offers an array of masterclasses with agents, editors, and luminaries in the children's book field, featuring keynotes by Caldecott-winner Dan Santat and best-selling author Angie Thomas, an agent panel, and an editor panel.

There's a Golden Kite Gala, a portfolio showcase, socials, peer roundtable critiques, a networking dinner, an autography party...

And with all that, the real star is you – and how much you can advance your career, both in craft and in the business of our industry know-how.

The masterclass format promises attendees a chance to delve deeply into their work with hands-on, smaller group sessions. As a result, space is extremely limited, but there are still a few spots left in these exclusive masterclasses.

Check out what's still available and register here.

Hope to see you there!

Illustrate and Write On, 
Lee

Illustrators! Have You Applied For the Don Freeman Grant?

Two grants of $1,000 each will be awarded annually. One grant to a published illustrator and one to an pre-published illustrator. The money may be used in any way to help you complete your project. Acceptable uses include: purchasing art supplies, enrollment in workshops or conferences, courses in advanced illustrating or writing techniques, travel for research or to expose work to publishers/art directors, or childcare.

The deadline for this year is coming fast: March 31, 2017

Get all the info here, and good luck!

And writers, the SCBWI Work In Progress grant applications are due March 31 as well.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee