Hi!
I know it’s only October, and we’re enjoying the fall colors and the pumpkin-spiced everything and no one wants to think about January…but actually, you do. You do want to be thinking about January. Because this really amazing SCBWI-MI thing starts then…
THE 2027 PICTURE BOOK MENTORSHIP!
GET EXCITED!!!!
Okay, I’ll tone it down and start explaining over my pumpkin spice muffin.
The SCBWI-MI mentorship program is on a three year rotation for genre: picture books, illustration, MG/YA novels. 2025 was an illustration year, with the incredible Penelope Dullaghan serving as the mentor to Marisa Korovesis. 2026 was MG/YA novels, with the amazing Sheela Chari serving as mentor to Heather Shumaker.
Here’s what Marisa said about her experience:
“This has been an absolutely thrilling experience. I have learned so much and gained a lot of knowledge and confidence from Penny. It's truly been one of the best experiences of my life.”
And here are Heather’s thoughts on the mentorship she’d just wrapping up:
“Sheela is incredible. And she’s been incredibly helpful, taking my novel to the next level. … I would like to work with Sheela forever and have her by my side every time I write a novel.”
Kelly has been writing professionally for decades. Her work, both fiction and non-fiction, has appeared in national and international magazines, newspapers, and anthologies for adults and children. She is the author of twenty-five books celebrating families, friends, pets, and all that goes into being a kid! These include award-winning titles such as Not Norman, A Goldfish Story & Norman One Amazing Goldfish; Vampire Baby; Dad and Pop; Rainbow Kite; and non-fiction baseball books such as The House that Ruth Built and Out of the Mouth of Babe.
Kelly is a graduate of the Vermont College Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults program and a long-time member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), the American Library Association (ALA), and the Author's Guild. She is a two-wheeling, veggie-picking, bleacher warmer based in Westhampton Beach, NY. For more about Kelly and her books, visit her website: www.kellybennett.com
Kelly will be sharing information about herself in an upcoming blog post at the end of November, so stay tuned for that!
So now, let’s talk about what you need to do to apply to work with her!
The mentorship website has TONS of information to help you get ready, including formatting details, an example submission, and a robust FAQ, plus my email if you have lingering questions. I’ll put it at the bottom of this post, too, for good measure🙂.
One of my favorite things about the mentorship program is that EVERYONE gets SOMETHING! That’s almost as good as this pumpkin spice latte…
So, here are the prize opportunities:
The winner receives the mentorship, plus a golden ticket submission to an agent or editor. The first and second runners up both receive gold form feedback from the mentor, as well as some additional prizes that you can see on the mentorship webpage. But even if you aren’t one of the top three, YOU STILL GET FEEDBACK!
Each submitted manuscript will be judged by three super-secret, super-awesome, anonymous judges. While their identities are secret, here’s what I can tell you: two of them have authored and published nearly a dozen books between them, one is an editor for a publishing company, and one is also an early literacy specialist/ librarian.
Every single person who registers will receive a paragraph of feedback from each judge, related specifically to the judging criteria: Use of Language, Development of Plot, Character Development, Pacing, and Overall impression/Originality.
You read that right: three, unique, specific reviews of your work. What a great chance to improve your writing! Seriously, you don’t want to miss this.
I’m so excited to be coordinating this program and can’t wait to see the manuscripts that come in! Registration for the mentorship opens on January 12th, 2027 and closes on January 26th. There are only 20 spots, so get those manuscripts ready!!!
See you soon, and Happy Writing!
Questions? Email Jessica at scbwi.mi.mentorship@gmail.com
Jessica’s first book, Drinking from the Fire Hose: A Survival Guide for New Teachers was published in 2024 and is available on Amazon. She is excited to be joining the SCBWI-MI team!
Her life goal is to help everyone love themselves, love their people, and love the planet. You can learn more about her at bottlingsunshine.com.
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