Submissions

We hope The Mitten blog is read and shared by book lovers far and wide, but at this time we’re only accepting content from SCBWI-MI members.

SCBWI-MI members are encouraged to submit guest blog posts. 

What are we looking for?

• Success stories. We want to celebrate and learn from your success.
• Tips on any aspect of the publishing process – writing, illustrating, editing, revising, promotion, time management, etc.
• Agent/editor interviews
• Photos, personal impressions, and brief overviews/takeaways of events, such as conferences, Shop Talks, book signings, book clubs, festivals, etc. 
• Reviews of books on craft

We’re also looking for contributions for our ongoing features:

• Ask the Editor: Do you have a question about publishing/getting published? Katherine Gibson Easter is here to help! Katherine is an editor at Zonderkidz Publishing in Grand Rapids, a graduate of the Denver Publishing Institute, and she spent five years working at Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Email your questions to Mitten Blog editor Sarah LoCascio, and she'll pass them along to Katherine.

• Hugs and Hurrahs: We want to trumpet your good news! Send 1-3 sentences about your accomplishment to Sarah LoCascio. We love to include photos and art, too.

• Book Birthdays: Email Christy Matthes if you have a new book being published. She'll interview you for our Book Birthday blog to help spread the word.

• The SCBWI-MI E&I Team creates regular posts for the Equity and Inclusion Corner, including the new feature, On the Shelf. If you have a suggestion for a book you would like to see included in this series, email Tara Michener. Learn more at https://michigan.scbwi.org/2020/07/30/equity-and-inclusion-e-i-team/.

• It Starts with Hello: Do you remember the moment when you entered your first Shop Talk or SCBWI-MI workshop with a tinge of nervousness, and then someone in the room smiled and said hello? These friendly gestures led you to feel welcomed and allowed you to feel like you belonged—so you stayed. Our new column, It Starts with Hello, will highlight these positive personal memories that may inspire others. Send your It Starts with Hello submission (under 300 words) to our Outreach Coordinator, Isabel Estrada O'Hagin.

Do you have an idea for a blog post or a new feature? We’d love to hear it!

Submission guidelines: 

Please query Sarah LoCascio at sarah.prusoff.locascio@gmail.com.
Feel free to ask about a specific idea before writing your post.

1. Posts should be approx. 400-600 words
2. Please send in the body of an email or attached as a Word document
3. Use bullet points or paragraphs for easy reading
4. Include a brief bio and author photo
5. Include any links, art, book covers, or photos to accompany your blog post. (All images must be your personal property or fair use/public domain.)

This sounds like a lot of work, why should I bother? What's in it for me? 

Let us tell you! 

Here's a dose of encouragement and a handy how-to article with blogging basics from Patti Richards: Knitting the Perfect Mitten Blog Post.

Here's an article with tips for tightening your writing: https://thewritelife.com/edit-your-copy/.

Here's some dos and don'ts from the first editor of The Mitten, Kristin Bartley Lenz: The View from the Other Side of the Desk

Ready to query? 

Did you read Patti's how-to post? 

Did you edit and proofread your article? 

Great! We look forward to hearing from you!