Good News for Stephanie Barden

A big yippee & yahoo for Stephanie Barden!! Stephanie's debut book CINDERELLA SMITH, which comes out April 26, just got a starred review from Booklist.

For more information on Stephanie, and her work, visit her super adorable website!!

Friends of Yuen Lui Guild Event

The Friends of Yuen Lui Guild is celebrating National Reading Month with READ for Seattle Children's Hospital. This event includes an online book drive for patients at the hospital; author readings to patients at the hospital; and a public storytime at Elliott Bay Books. We are honored to be working with authors, Bonny Becker and Kirby Larson at the hospital readings, and we are thrilled to have Bonny Becker read from her MOUSE & BEAR books at Elliott Bay Books on March 27, at 3 p.m. Elliott Bay Books is generously donating a portion of the book sales from this event to uncompensated care at Seattle Children's Hospital. For more information about our online book drive and storytime, please visit the Friends of Yuen Lui website. RSVP for storytime and enter to win a $100 gift certificate to Elliott Bay Books (must be present to win).

Vote again for the Crystal Kite Award now!

The first round of voting is done and the finalists for our division (larger than our WWA region) are now online. Six are listed, rather than the expected five, which we suspect indicates a tie — though we already know our division had lots of fabulous nominees, so clearly it was impossible to narrow the list down that far!

Now it's time to go pick the winner! Final voting will end on April 15. As things get hectic before our big conference, you might forget -- so it's probably wise to vote right away. (Log in at SCBWI.org, go to your "member home," click the link for "what's new in your region," and click the Crystal Kites tab. Once you vote, you won't see the list, so be sure to admire all those names and titles first.)

Congratulations to the finalists, as well as to all the nominees. We know that every one of the more than 70 nominees in our division is truly a winner.

6th Annual BizArt Conference

Pre-Registration Deadline Monday March 21

BizArt

The Business of Being an Artist

for visual, literary, performing and media artists

March 25 and 26

9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Presented by ArtsNow at Edmonds Community College

Join us at the 6th annual BizArt Conference and gather vital information and skills to succeed in the business of being an artist.

• Cost is $99 for both days by Monday, March 21. Currently enrolled Students: $59
• $129 after March 21, or at the door.
• Single Day rate: $59 / $49 Students
• A limited number of scholarships are available
• Price includes Breakfast Snack and Lunch Buffet

2011 Conference Schedule

REGISTER NOW!

Workshops for All Artists

(For a Detailed Description of Each Workshop Click Here and Scroll Down the Page)

• "Copyright Law All Artists Want to Know" - Speaker: Washington Lawyers for the Arts
• "Writing the Artist Statement" - Speaker: Mary Jane Beufrand
• "Better, Smarter, Richer, Seven Business Principles for Creative Entrepreneurs" - Speaker: Jacqueline Peterson
• "Creating a Second Career in Art" - Speaker: Kathy Collins
• "Turn Art into Cards and Cash!" - Speaker: Ray Pfortner
• "Just Do It! An Artist's Guide to Project and Career Planning" - Speaker: Anne Belov
• "Have Workshop, Will Travel" - Speaker: Meredith Arnold
• "Reconciliation: Your Art and Life" - Speaker: Gloria Lamson
• "Building Business Relationships in an Electronic Era" - Speaker: Jennifer McCord & Roberta Trahan
• "Web & Social Media 101" - Speaker: William Frankhouser
• "Build Your Brand. Build Your Business" - Speaker: Patricia Vaccarino
• "100 Promotional Ideas for Under $100" - Speaker: Andre Bouchard
• "Tax Tips for All Artists" - Speaker: Christopher Comte

Workshops for Specific Disciplines

(For a Detailed Description of Workshop Click Here and Scroll Down the Page)

• "The Artist & Performer's Guide to Contracts" - Speaker: Dan Mayer
• "Publish in Anthologies" - Speaker: Mindy Hardwick
• "Exhibiting Your Art" - Speaker: Meredith Arnold
• "No Audition Required: Producing Your Performance" - Speaker: Llysa Holland & Andrew Litzky
• "Online Applications are Here to Stay: - Speaker: Artist Trust - Miguel Guillen
• "All Smart Cookies Can Self-Publish!" - Speaker: Emily Hill
• "Profiting from Periodicals" - Speaker: Carol Wissmann
• "So? What Do I Charge for my Artwork?" - Speaker: Ray Pfortner
• "Cooperative Galleries and Artist Collectives - Speaker: Kathy Fowells
• "Know Your Musical Resources" - Speaker: Nancy Rumbel

REGISTER NOW!

For general BizArt information call ArtsNow at 425-640-1344 or email: info@bizartinfo.com

Good News for Carole Estby Dagg

Good News for Carole Estby Dagg! Gene Ambaum and Bill Barnes, the Unshelved Guys, condensed her book THE YEAR WE WERE FAMOUS into a one page graphic novel!! Very fun stuff for Carole! To see more of Carole's work visit her website.

2011 Conference Series: Editorial & Art Director Faculty: Liz Waniewski

One month until our 20th Annual Writing and Illustrating for Children Conference. It's time to highlight another one of our wonderful Editorial & Art Director Faculty; Liz Waniewski! Liz is the Senior Editor for Dial Books for Young Readers (an imprint of Penguin). She's been with Dial since 2001, and and edits everything from picture books to middle grade and young adult novels. The books she edits are character driven with distinct voices and points of view.

Some of the books she's worked on recently are LADYBUG GIRL AT THE BEACH by David Soma, and Jacky Davis, SAPPHIQUE by Catherine Fisher, FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB by Antony John, and FANTASY BASEBALL by Alan Gratz. Liz first spoke at an SCBWI conference in 2004.

Here's a Q & A from an interview on Author Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen's website.

What advice would you offer an aspiring picture book author? An aspiring novelist? Write what you care about, work on making it as perfect as you want it to be, work on it until you are happy with it, and only then send it in. You have to love it and be proud of it and that will shine though to the editor reading it. Remember that this is a very subjective business and what is not right for one editor may be just right for another.

Liz has another great interview on CYNSATIONS (Cynthia Leitich Smith's blog). If you'd like to add your name to the waiting list for the conference, make sure you visit the event website.

Kristen McLean Presentation

Many SCBWI WWA children's book lovers enjoyed a terrific presentation last night by Bookigee's Kristen McLean, who spoke about "The Future of the Publishing Industry." Kristen is generously sharing her presentation slides with us; it's the first link in the list here. (You'll need to be able to open a Powerpoint pptx file, but note there are lots of other great things to find there on her site, too.)

The Do's, Don'ts, and "Stuff" of Writer's Conferences

Happy one month until our 20th Annual Writing and Illustrating for Children Conference!!! I'm so excited!! And every day for the next month I'll continue our Faculty Bios & also start posting Faculty interviews! We'll be sharing other conference tips, events, and so much more!! The conference registration is full, but you can still go to the event website, and get your name on the waiting list!

To get your prepared for the conference here's a post by Donna Bowman Bratton called "The Do's, Don'ts, and "Stuff" of Writer's Conferences". It's a funny, helpful, and practical way you can get yourself ready to make the most of the conference. Donna says that the key to getting the most out of a conference is preparation. You have a month to get yourself ready, and she gives you some homework and tips to do so.

Here are a few of my favorite Don'ts and Do's of conference etiquette you should abide by:

Don't:
1. Don't stalk the editor or agent- Let them go to the restroom in peace.
9. Don't wear sparkles, flags, or lighted tops in the hopes of getting noticed. I guarantee, you will be.

Do:
13. Be your genuine self. Remember, agents, editors, and award winning authors are people, too. They appreciate a friendly chat. But, at the end of a long day, respect that the speakers are tuckered out.

And I love her final tip!!

Start a conference/workshop notebook that you can add to with each event. It's an easy, efficient way to keep track of your notes. Later, it will serve as a snapshot of the many ways you strive to progress your writing and publishing journey.

Make sure you check out our posts each day for the remaining month before the conference!

Highlights Whole Novel Workshop

You’ve written a novel, something that everyone seems to talk about doing but almost no one manages. But you . . . you have done it. What an accomplishment!

Now what? Once your book lands on an editor’s desk, it has about three seconds to grab the editor and hold his or her attention. Three seconds. After all of your work, your struggle, the heart and soul you have put into those pages. Three seconds. Your next step is crucial: you must be certain—before you send the book out—that it is ready for editorial review.

The Highlights Foundation, along with Newbery-honor author Carolyn Coman, created the Whole Novel Workshop for writers like you. This workshop does what an MFA program does—without the added time and expense. It provides the writer with an accomplished mentor. That mentor will read and critique your entire novel before the workshop begins and then work with you for a full week, guiding you as you polish your book so that an editor will pick it up and not want to put it down until the last page has been turned.

During the Whole Novel Workshop, you will enjoy
• focused one-on-one response to your entire novel in progress from acclaimed author Carolyn Coman or accomplished editor Joy Neaves;
• group critiques;
• seminars on technique and craft; and
• ample time to write and revise in a private, rustic cabin.

Give your work its best chance to pass the three-second test. Devote a week of your summer

(June 5-12, 2011) to polishing your novel at the Whole Novel Workshop.

Applications for the Whole Novel Workshop are being accepted through March 25, 2001. You will be notified of acceptance status by April 8, 2011. Only eight students will be accepted, to ensure that each novel receives the close attention it deserves. To apply, contact Jo Lloyd at 570-253-1192, e-mail jo.lloyd@highlightsfoundation.org, or request an application online.

Highlights Foundation Founders Workshops take place near Honesdale, Pennsylvania. You’ll stay in your own cozy cabin, surrounded by 1,300 wooded acres and hiking trails. Workshop fee includes individual cabins; all meals (provided by a top-notch chef); airport pickup service, if
needed; and an intimate teaching setting at the homeplace of the Founders of Highlights for Children. For more information on this workshop, the faculty, etc. visit the Highlights Foundation website.

Good News for Trudi Trueit

Good News abounds for Trudi Trueit!! First, Simon and Schuster's Aladdin books has acquired a novel Trudi wrote for tweens titled STEALING POPULAR. Yay! It's the story of a modern day middle school 'Robin Hood,' who steals from the popular kids and gives to the unpopular kids, that is, until she dares to take on the most popular girl in school. The novel will be published as part of Aladdin's MIX line for tweens, with a tentative publication date of fall 2012.

Secondly, Trudi writes the SECRETS OF A LAB RAT series for Aladdin, and the third book in that series, SCAB FOR TREASURER? will be released April 19, 2011. It will be out in simultaneous hardcover and paperback, with audio rights to Scholastic. Trudi has included a brief synopsis below.

Secrets of a Lab Rat 3: Scab for President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer?

No matter how hard he tries, fourth-grader Scab McNally can’t seem to come out ahead of class math quiz champion, and possible space alien, Missy Malone (a.k.a. Never Missy). When Never Missy decides to run for class president, Scab sees his big chance—he’ll run against her and win by a landslide! To ensure victory, Scab vows to eat anything his classmates bring to school (well, almost anything). His plan is working, too, until his opponent shows up with a few surprises of her own. Will Scab ever beat the unbeatable Never Missy? Can his stomach survive the likes of ancient fruitcake, squid, and assorted stinky cheeses? Never say Never ...

A little background info on Trudi: She's represented by Rosemary Stimola. She has published 73 books (most in the nonfiction market for Scholastic and Marshall Cavendish). She's written for pre-k through high school on topics such as weather, history, holidays, health, and wildlife. STEALING POPULAR is her seventh fiction novel. For more information on Trudi, and her work, visit her website.

Andrea K Lawson News

Andrea K. Lawson has news to share! First Andrea announces the debut of her Rainforest Portraits and her new Poodle Series at The Director's Gallery, Bainbridge, Washington! Please stop in at The Director's Gallery anytime to view Andrea's small affordable whimsical paintings in oil and acrylic; landscapes, bouquets and small Poodles and Rainforest Paintings.

Second, Andrea is now donating 5% of her sales from her new Rainforest Portrait Series to The Washington Wilderness Coalition to preserve our rainforests. For more information visit this link. For more information on Andrea, and her work, visit her website.

2011 Conference Series-Distinguished Faculty: Jolie Stekly

The 20th Annual Writing and Illustrating Conference is just around the corner!!! Although the event is full, you can still get your name on the waiting list. One reason I'm so excited is because we have the most amazing faculty! The talent, experience, and all-around-awesomeness is overwhelming! Another one of those super stars is our own Jolie Stekly.

Jolie is a writer, mom, and former elementary teacher (she writes mostly YA). She is the Retreat Director for our annual fall retreat for Writers-Weekend on the Water, and also writes for SCBWI Team Blog. Jolie was the co-regional advisor for our SCWBI WWA region from 2006-2009. She is represented by Rosemary Stimola (who I found out also represents Suzanne Collins).

I first heard Jolie speak at the Conference Orientation for First-Time Attendees at last year's annual conference. I'd never been to the annual conference (and was still relatively new to SCBWI). I wasn't sure what to expect, and was a little nervous, but after listening to Jolie share her first time conference experience, and go through the weekend's events, I was so excited for the conference! Jolie is empathetic, energetic, and encouraging; which really sets the tone for the entire weekend. She really encouraged us to get to know the other attendees, and that turned out to be my favorite part of the conference.

Her blog, Cuppa Jolie, is a great blog to follow! Jolie has a wonderful regular post called Monday Moments, which she started in January 2009 (she's on post #110). Monday Moments are writing prompts for works-in-progress. They are questions that come from Jolie's experiences, are very useful writing post/tool if you're working on developing your characters.

So if you're a First Time Attendee attending the annual conference, make SURE you attend the Conference Orientation session (which Jolie organizes). Check out her blog, and you can also follow her on Twitter. You can also get your name on the conference waiting list by visit the event website.