Article Opportunity for The Chinook

Greetings, fellow SCBWI-WWA members...

In honor of Google's release of eBooks today, I would like to challenge one or more of you to write an article for The Chinook about the various e-readers and electronic book movement. I'm open to different takes on the issue, though I'd like to keep things positive and informative, rather than negative and dismissive.

If this interests you and you're willing to do some research so that we can have an informative and instructive piece, please email me at scbwiwa@scbwi-washington.org.

Please contact me before moving forward with any writing, I want to make sure we're on the same page, content-wise.

Thanks!

I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Liz Mills

Articles Editor

Trolling for Trenches Tales

Straight from our own Chinook Editor, Liz Mills...

As surely as the Fremont Troll grabs VW Beetles off the Aurora bridge for lunch, I am low on Trenches interviews! Let there not be an issue without juicy stories of how we are making our way through the wild, woolly world of publishing. Have you recently sold a magazine story? Are you a regular contributor to a magazine column? Did you recently sign with an agent? Did you recently get a book deal or sell your millionth book? We want to hear from you--how you got your start, where your ideas come from, how we can learn from you and follow in your footsteps. Contribute, or I'm personally sending the troll after each one of you. And there have not been many Beetles going across that bridge, let me tell you. Please email me at tfttnw@gmail.com for a list of questions. Otherwise, there'll be a contribution from the Troll, I promise!!

Good News for Liz Mills

Liz has just released her book, THe SPOOKY WHEELS ON THE BUS. It's now on sale at Santoro’s Books, which will host a book launch party September 11, 2010. This is Liz's thirtieth book! The link for this is found on the PhinneyWood.com website.

Liz also puts together our SCBWI Chinook, and sends me wonderful links to post for the Update! You can find more information about Liz on her blog. Congratulations Liz!

Looking for Tipsters for the Chinook

The Chinook is looking for tips about writing query letters. Can you help?

How many query letters have you written in your writing career? What helpful tips have you learned from those that were successful and those that weren’t so successful? Would you contribute those tips to an article in an upcoming issue of the Chinook? We’d love to learn from you!

Email your tips to Elizabeth Mills at tfttnw@gmail.com.

Write for the printed Chinook

This comes from Liz Mills, our Chinook editor: 

Our next issue of The Chinook will focus on submission and promotion.

Who among you has an interesting insight into the vast and somewhat confusing world of submission? Perhaps an unusual path you took? Some interesting and diplomatic perspectives on some of the newer publishing houses and imprints? Creative ways to handle rejection letters, such as using them to repaper the bathroom? Tips on how to handle THE phone call--the one we all wait for with the juicy offer?

And does anyone have suggestions from personal experience on unique ways to promote oneself as an author and/or illustrator in this busy world of social media and instant communication? We want to learn from you! 

Please send your articles and ideas to me at tfttnw AT gmail.com. Even if you're not quite sure how to formulate your thoughts into an article, drop me a mail. We'll work on the piece together! I look forward to reading your sage advice.

A query about queries

This comes from Elizabeth Mills, editor of The Chinook, our printed quarterly.

How many query letters have you written in your writing career? What helpful tips have you learned from those that were successful and those that weren’t so successful? Would you contribute those tips to an article in an upcoming issue of the Chinook? We’d love to learn
from you!

Email your tips to Elizabeth Mills at tfttnw@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you!