New changes hope to supercharge our SCBWI-MI shop talk format:

We are making a few changes to our shoptalk format in hopes of adding a pool of resources that the coordinators can pull from each month.

My previous years of volunteering has made me well aware of how much thought goes into creating valuable shoptalk content month after month. I recently sent out a survey to the coordinators. I wanted to get a feel for where we are now, where we are headed and what could be helpful. These two changes were born out of the responses that I received.

The first idea was for each of our six shop talks to provide us with one regional zoom each year. We will do this on even months. (now presentations for half the year are covered).

The second idea was to provide a pool of willing presenters. We all know the value of testing out our conference presentation ideas at a shoptalk. Jodi created a sign-up form for interested presenters. We hope to learn who would be interested, their topic of choice and which shoptalk they would like to present to. We’re loosely shooting for every other month kind of vibe (when possible) alternating from regional zoom to in person (as there are advantages to both).

Please see the below sign-up form to volunteer as a presenter to your local shoptalk.

FYI: The new regional zoom will start with a KAST shoptalk in the first week of October 2024.

The SCBWI-MI gets its strength from its members. We volunteer our time and expertise for the good of all. Yes, your local shoptalk needs you.


Respectfully,

David Stricklen
SCBWI-MI Shoptalk Liaison (overlord haha)

Lessons from the Critique Carousel

 

Having had the opportunity to be part of last year’s Author/Agent Critique Carousel gave us a birds-eye view of what to expect when dealing with agents and critiques.

Logo by Cathy Gendron

First of all, we can’t emphasize enough what a phenomenal opportunity this is for creators to get a one-on-one critique with an agent. It’s why many of us attend in-person conferences. We’ve all heard stories of creators who show up to a conference, manuscript in hand, only to be forced to resort to ridiculous antics like following an agent into the restroom to discretely slip their manuscript under the door while the agent is indisposed. To be clear, neither of us has resorted to that type of behavior and we do not condone it. Signing up for the Critique Carousel is a much more civilized approach to contacting an agent and is less likely to get you kicked out of SCBWI or arrested.

One of the most important bits of advice we can give creators is to make sure you research, research, and then do a little more research when shelling out cold hard cash for an agent critique. Check the agent’s website, their Manuscript Wish List online, and wander over to the Literary Rambles website run by Michigan’s own Natalie Aguirre, who helped us create last year’s agent list. Make sure the agent you choose represents the type of story you want critiqued. There is nothing worse than someone choosing an agent who has zero interest in what the submitter is writing. Yes, they may be great at critiquing whatever you put in front of them, but agents really want to acquire creators that line up with their wish lists. Give yourself the best chance of not only receiving a phenomenal critique, but also connecting with the right agent interested in your work.

In fact, that’s exactly what Kristin Bartley Lenz did after parting ways with her previous agent. Yes, even experienced published authors struggle finding just the right fit. Kristin only entered last year’s Critique Carousel after researching the agents on our star-studded list. According to Kristin, Sera Rivers from Martin Literary Management’s wishlist contained essentially a description of Kristin’s novel. Having already revised the story many times, Kristin sent very polished pages, written in an unusual and experimental style with multiple perspectives.

Sera began her critique by saying, “These beginning pages blew me away! I read through them twice, and I honestly do not have much criticism.” She ended her critique with, “I would LOVE to read this!”

Another agent may not have been quite so into Kristin’s experimental style. It appears Sera and Kristin prove that our match-making Critique Carousel works when you’ve done your research!

There’s one more bit of advice Kristin took to heart from Sera, and it can benefit everyone seeking representation. After you’ve polished your work, flesh out your query letter and include what inspired you to write this book. Are there personal connections? Is there research you’ve done on the topic or the theme? Is your llama book based on the summer you spent on a farm in an obscure part of the world befriending a pack of llamas? Let the agent know!

Connections do happen when you put yourself out there. But for most of us, getting our work in the hands of an agent is mostly about having an actual publishing professional provide their opinion of the story you want to submit and hopefully give you what you need to make that piece stronger and marketable. Once you’ve made the changes suggested, if they ring true to your vision, send the agent your revised version along with an appropriately written cover letter. Being able to submit is one of the perks of being part of this event.

Let’s also keep in mind, agents are human. We know this is a shocker, but they have their own opinions, likes and dislikes. It’s not uncommon for two agents to have opposing opinions. During our time with SCBWI, we’ve both witnessed agents giving advice that have shut people down. DO NOT TAKE THEM TO HEART. Listen to what they have to say. If the comments ring true, then embrace them and apply them to your work-in-progress. If they don’t, try to figure out a way to use their comments to strengthen your work anyway. During last year’s events one of us was told their submitted piece read like a movie script rather than a middle-grade novel. One way to handle this is to throw a temper tantrum. This may or may not have happened. Who’s to say? A far healthier way to look at that comment is to consider your writing style might be a better fit for a graphic novel rather than a traditional book format.

If the agent you researched comes back with ways to improve your already “perfect” manuscript, consider what they have to say. They are deeply involved in the industry so their opinion—we emphasize opinion—should carry a little more weight than a family member who thinks your manuscript is the best thing ever!

Other than connecting with your dream agent, receiving at least one new thing that can be applied to your manuscript from a critique is considered a success. See if you can find that one thing that aligns with your vision and use it to strengthen your manuscript. On the flip side, if you’ve heard the same advice from more than one source, it might be worth adjusting your vision based on those comments. Sometimes the thing we fight against most is the one craft element that might make all the difference.

Good luck to those taking a spin on this year’s Critique Carousel!

 Respectfully,

 Your Previous Critique Carousel Coordinators, 

Anita Fitch Pazner, MFA and David Stricklen, IMHO

Anita Fitch Pazner is the author of the recently released Topsy-Turvy Bus that takes kids on a journey discovering alternative energy sources and organic gardening, along with ways to help repair the world one fresh new idea at a time. Anita received her master's degree in writing for children and young adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Volunteering for SCBWI has been one of the many ways she stays connected to her writing community and friends across the country. 

 

In a former life, David Sticklen was the Grand Rapids airport police chief with 30 years experience in law enforcement. After retiring, David went all in on his creative side. He has written a series of middle grade fantasy adventure books: Beneath and Beyond (a Midwest Book Review Bookwatch Selection), Through the Eyes of the Beast and TheHeart of the Swarm. His newest release is a contemporary middle grade fiction entitled Ripley Robinson and the Worm Charmer, which is reviewer recommended by Kirkus Review, featured in their October 2019 magazine and listed as one of the 35 great middle grade books worth discovering. His books and school visits are always filled with magic and creativity.

David’s reverse perspective painting was an ArtPrize (world’s largest attended art competition) 3D 2018 popular vote finalist & a Colors of Community 3D & 2D (ArtPrize category) first place winner. His 2021 reverse perspective painting won 1^st prize mixed media in the Colors of Community competition.

Dave has volunteered in many roles with the SCBWI for nine years, assisting with SCBWI conferences as a chair or go-to-guy. He is the former Michigan Shop Talk Liaison and is the current Michigan Indie Coordinator and Grand Rapids Shop Talk Co-coordinator.

 

Indie Trailblazers by David Stricklen

 

Artwork by Melissa Bailey

You may have noticed our beautiful new Indie Trailblazers Icon on the SCBWI-MI website.

Indie stands for independent publishing. Authors have chosen independent publishing for a variety of reasons. Full creative control, frustration with the query process, and a quick turnaround to name a few.

As your Michigan indie coordinator, I thought that we could do a bit more for the indies who are trying to find their way. The trouble with working on an independently published project is that there is more than one way. The traditional path is well worn but the indie path is like cutting your way through the literary wilderness. That is why we call our indie authors, trailblazers.

There is an obvious need to point inquiring authors in the right direction. A helpful suggestion by someone who has already been down that path (and learned from trial and error) can save time and costly mistakes.

Indie publishing would include hybrid publishing (combines aspects of traditional and self-publishing – you hire your dream team), vanity publishing (publishers do it all for you for a price), self-publishing (the author does it all) and digital. All of these various publishing methods would fall under the indie umbrella. 

In an effort to provide the most current and accurate information for our members we have acquired three award winning or Kirkus review recommended indie authors to be our advisors: 

Melissa Bailey - Picture Book 

David Stricklen - Middle Grade

Melanie Hooyenga – Young Adult

Depending on the indie path that you are considering, you may contact one of our three advisors above that best fits your intended direction. Please keep in mind that they are not intended to take the place of a critique group. They are here to make helpful suggestions regarding the path you wish to take depending on your particular goals.

When choosing one of our indie advisors to answer your questions, you should not only look at their genre but also their process. 

• Do you plan to completely self-publish? 
• Are you going to enlist a dream team to complete the different aspects of publishing? 
• Pay a vanity publishing company? 
• Are you going to do your own artwork? 

Has one of our advisors already blazed that trail and done it successfully? It is my hope that you find this opportunity helpful as you take the first step in blazing a trail of your own.

You will find information about each of our indie advisors, as well as their published work and their step by step publishing process by simply clicking on the link below to the SCBWI-MI website:

https://michigan.scbwi.org/files/2020/08/Indie-for-info-Web-Page.pdf

Coming up on the SCBWI-MI Blog:

A new post from our Equity and Inclusion Team, a special book drive, Pinterest tips, Webtoons, a Writer Spotlight, Book Birthdays, and more! The Mitten blog is always looking for guest posts from SCBWI-MI members. Find our Submission Guidelines here.

Did you notice we have a new blog banner? Thanks to our new Featured Illustrator, Wendy Berry! Read her interview here.

SCBWI-MI Happenings:

Virtual Shop Talks and Workshops will continue in the months ahead. Information is posted on the calendar at the SCBWI-MI website. Follow our chapter on social media and subscribe to the MichKids listserv for reminders, updated information, and ongoing conversation. Everything you need to stay connected is here: https://michigan.scbwi.org/online/.

Save the date! 

April 23-25, 2021, more details to come.

SCBWI-MI Calling for Indie Mentors!

Here's a special request from SCBWI-MI Indie Coordinator, David Stricklen:

As the Michigan Indie Coordinator, I am seeking to identify our indie high achievers and ask them to consider a role as an indie mentor.

This is an important first step in an effort to provide the most current and accurate information to our members and help them choose the right indie path to publishing for them.

Indie publishing would include hybrid publishing (combines aspects of traditional and self-publishing), vanity publishing (publishers do it all for a price), self-publishing (the author does it all), and digital. All of these various publishing methods would fall under the indie umbrella.

Mentor information will be added to the SCBWI Michigan website with a link to a special page called Independently Publishing Resources. On this page, visitors will find the indie mentor's bio, links to their work, contact information and their particular publishing path. Depending on the indie path members may be considering, they will now have identified the best resources for information.

Are you an indie high achiever? Would you agree to be a resource for members on the SCBWI-MI website? At a minimum, you should be able to answer yes to the questions below.

 ● I have independently published at least three picture books or two novels.
 ● I have sold a minimum total of 2,500 books.
 ● I have presented at a variety of schools and/or conferences.
 ● I have presented my work at a variety of book fairs.

If you would like to be one of our SCBWI-MI indie mentor resources, please email indie coordinator David Stricklen.

David Stricklen is the SCBWI-MI Indie Coordinator, Grand Rapids Shop Talk Coordinator, and the overall MI Shop Talk Administrator. Learn more about his middle-grade novels at www.blackwaterpond.com.

Coming up on the Mitten Blog:

Wendy BooydeGraaff will be here this Friday with Standard Manuscript Formatting in the KidLit World - just in time to submit your manuscripts for the SCBWI-MI Nonfiction Mentorship Competition. The submission window opens on May 5th.

Self-Publishing Success

We asked two indie authors from SCBWI-MI to share their success stories. Thanks to Melanie Hooyenga for sharing her experience with contests and to David Stricklen for his experience with professional reviews. Read on for their hard-earned perspectives.

Enter At Your Own Risk
by Melanie Hooyenga

I’ve been writing novels for twelve years, am currently writing my tenth, and have self-published six since 2012—and I’ve learned a lot over the years. One of the hardest things writers face, aside from actually writing the book, is marketing. You could spend every waking hour learning everything there is to know about how to market your book, and before you got to the end of the list, everything will change.

One option that I don’t feel gets enough attention is contests. Like most anything else in the world, not all contests are created equal, and you have to a) do your research, and b) know what you hope to get out of entering.

My first novel, Flicker, had been out for over a year when I heard about the Writer’s Digest Self-Published eBook Awards. A writer friend encouraged me to enter, so I submitted my book, paid my $99 entry fee, and promptly put it out of my mind—as you do with anything in the publishing industry because it’s soooo slooooowwww.

Imagine my surprise when I learned I’d won the YA/MG category! Winning came with a mention in Writer’s Digest, a review that I could blurb, $100 in writing-craft books, and a $1000 cash prize. All of this was more than I ever expected, and the one part that I felt helped me the most was the blurb. Having Writer’s Digest say that I was good enough boosted my confidence in the decisions I’d made with my writing career.

My marketing efforts for my first series were lackadaisical at best, so when I published the first book in my second series, The Slope Rules, I decided to follow a marketing plan. Aside from boosted posts, blog hops, and creating an ARC group, I researched contests.

I started with contests my friends had won, and came up with six. My criterion:

• They allowed self-published books 
• The covers of past winners were well-done and didn’t scream “self-published”
• The entry fee was under $100
• All books received a review, regardless if they won

Let me repeat that last one, because that’s the most important thing for me: all books received a review, regardless if they won. There are a lot of services that provide reviews for a fee, but I decided to spend my money on contests that came with a review.

That first year, I won or placed in three of the six contests I entered (hooray!!) so with my next book, I only entered the contests where the previous book had been successful. And I won or placed in those as well! With The Edge Rules, the last book in the series, I only won/placed in two of those three, but I entered several new contests and have won a couple of those. AND, for the first time, I was a finalist in the BookLife Prize, which is the self-publishing arm of Publishers Weekly! I won the YA/MG category and best-selling author Amanda Hocking read and blurbed my book.

When researching contests, it’s important to determine what’s in it for you. Some have awards ceremonies, some give trophies or certificates, others award money or an equivalent, and some feature winners in their publications. Ultimately it comes down to what you want out of the process. Since my number one goal has always been an industry review, that’s what I’ve focused on.

Contests in which I’ve won or placed:

• Indie Reader http://indiereader.com/
• Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards http://www.moonbeamawards.com/
• Readers Favorite Book Awards https://readersfavorite.com/annual-book-award-contest.htm
• Children’s Literary Classics http://www.clcawards.org/
• Writer’s Digest Self-Published eBook Awards https://www.writersdigest.com/writers-digest-competitions/self-published-book-awards
• BookLife Prize https://booklife.com/about-us/the-booklife-prize.html
• Orange County RWA Book Buyers Best Awards http://occrwa.org/contests/book-buyers-best/

Contests I considered, but passed on mainly because of price:

• Indie Excellence http://www.indieexcellence.com/
• IBPA Ben Franklin Awards http://ibpabenjaminfranklinawards.com/
• International Book Awards http://www.internationalbookawards.com/
• Next Generation Indie Book Awards https://indiebookawards.com/enter/entryform
• Independent Publisher Book Awards (Ippy) http://www.ippyawards.com/

This article has a good breakdown of contests for self-published, traditionally published, debut, genre-specific, and more: https://insights.bookbub.com/book-awards/.

If you belong to writing organizations, look into their contests—including regional chapters, even if you aren’t a member of those specific groups. I heard about the Orange County RWA contest through the national newsletter. The Slope Rules won a cover contest in Alaska that I entered that because they said all entries would be displayed at their annual convention—which meant the $15 entry fee placed my book in front of hundreds of people who might never have heard of my book. (And I took a chance that readers in Alaska would like a book with snow on the cover.)

I’ve had success entering contests where past books have been well-received, but that hasn’t worked every time. Like everything else in publishing, tastes are subjective and winning is never a guarantee.

Multi-award winning young adult author Melanie Hooyenga writes books about strong girls who learn to navigate life despite its challenges. She first started writing as a teenager and finds she still relates best to that age group. When not at her day job as Communications Director at a local nonprofit, you can find her wrangling her Miniature Schnauzer Owen and playing every sport imaginable with her husband Jeremy.

You can see the full list of her books and awards here: https://www.melaniehoo.com/media/awards/.

Editor's note: SCBWI provides numerous competitions/awards/grants for members (learn more here) and has not endorsed the contests listed above. Melanie has shared many pros and cons based on her own experience, but as she noted, it's important for every author to do their own research to make the best decisions for their own work. Want to learn more? Here's another post about book awards for self-published authors: https://www.thebookdesigner.com/book-awards/


Melanie discussed the importance of book reviews in her experience with contests. Now, here's David Stricklen, SCBWI-MI's Indie Publishing Coordinator, to share his experience with reviews for his popular self-published books.

REVIEWS FROM AN INDIE PERSPECTIVE
by David Stricklen 

It is all about validation. If you are an indie published author, it will generally be assumed that you are second best until you prove otherwise. I submitted my newest book, Ripley Robinson and the Worm Charmer, to Kirkus Review at a cost of $425.00. Remember, you are paying for an honest review, you are not paying for a good review. What you get is what you get. You will receive a one page review from a respected professional who will read the entire work. You can only hope there is a positive sentence in there somewhere that can be used in promoting your work in a brochure or slide presentation with the Kirkus name on it.

In this case, I lucked out. Kirkus liked it. I received a personal phone call from them and was told that it was a recommended review. My work had also been chosen (at no additional charge) as one of the reviews to go into the October 2019 issue of Kirkus Review magazine. I received a free copy of the magazine and on page 137 was the entire review with a picture of the cover. Let the book orders flow, right? Wrong, there are hundreds of reviews in the magazine and I didn’t see a jump in my website book sales.

What is the benefit then? Again, as stated above, it is for validation. I am able to mention during school visits and seminar presentations that Ripley is a Kirkus recommended book. In this way, I am validated by a respected industry professional and yes, this does help sell books. I routinely outsell the traditional titles at school visits.

Below are a few to try: Midwest Book Review and PW Booklife are free but they may not do a review for you because of the high demand. PW Booklife does have the option to pay for a guaranteed review. I hope this helps.

David Stricklen is the SCBWI-MI Indie Coordinator, Grand Rapids Shop Talk Coordinator and the overall MI Shop Talk Coordinator. Learn more about his middle-grade novels at www.blackwaterpond.com.

Learn more about reviews for self-published books at:
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/indie-reviews/

http://www.midwestbookreview.com/

https://booklife.com/about-us/publishers-weekly-reviews-and-booklife-reviews.html

Registration opens today at 6pm for the SCBWI-MI Spring Conference: Building Your Nonfiction Toolbox.

Don't delay, registration is limited to 100 participants!

A variety of critiques are available, and they will sell out quickly. Go here to find the registration link and everything you need to know: https://michigan.scbwi.org/2020/01/07/building-your-nonfiction-toolbox-michigan-scbwi-spring-one-day-event/

Meet SCBWI-MI's New Indie Coordinator: David Stricklen

SCBWI provides support for writers and illustrators on various publishing paths – traditional and  independent/self-published. Some authors combine these approaches for different books at different points in their career. SCBWI-MI has a PAL Coordinator for "Published And Listed" members, ie. traditionally published authors ((shout-out for Jodi McKay and the wonderful work she's been doing in this role!) And now our chapter has an Indie Coordinator for non-PAL members - David Stricklen! We asked David to explain more about this newly created role and what he hopes to accomplish. More information will be coming, but here's a start.

Introducing David Stricklen, SCBWI-MI Indie Coordinator:

As the newly appointed SCBWI-MI indie coordinator, I will be working closely with the co-regional advisors to develop initiatives to engage and support independently published authors. There are many different roads to publishing these days. I consider independent publishing as anything other than traditional publishing. This would then include hybrid, self publishing and digital.

Because there are so many roads with independent publishing, no one is an expert. If I cannot answer your questions, I will point you toward a member who has taken the path you are looking into. I also ask successful indie authors to be open to helping those who would like to follow the paths that they have already blazed. I encourage the self published author to put together their own dream team. Hire a professional editor, proofer, typesetter and printer. There are indie authors that carry all the skills needed without enlisting professionals but this is the exception rather than the rule.

Indie Advantages:

If you enlist a local printer you can eliminate shipping costs. You can get off the query merry-go-round and focus on your target audience’s preferences and not the targeted agent’s. You have full creative control. You keep all the royalties.

Indie Disadvantages:

Although you keep the royalties, you will also have to fully fund the process from editor to artist to printer. You are responsible for your own promotion. Your success or failure is directly related to the quality of your product and the time and effort you put forth.

To help the cause:

Because independently published authors can have their best sales success during school visits, I am putting together a school visit presentation for the SCBWI Marvelous Midwest Multi-Regional Conference. It is possible to outsell traditionally published titles at individual schools. In a local school visit, I once outsold the entire book fair 112 to 37 for 7th grade sales; I know it can be done.

The number one challenge for an indie author is the promotional reach. Few of us have the funds, connections and advertising dollars to promote the way the traditional publishers do. To level the playing field, I am working on a website where middle school students will conduct manuscript reviews. This would be similar to market analysis. Everyone will know in advance which titles are a sure thing. You can rewrite and resubmit after shortcomings are identified. You may also sell the completed book on this website with the student review rating. Traditional titles will also be rated next to yours. Although this is not an SCBWI program, it is being done with the intent of providing a process where a writer’s work is reviewed and rated by the target audience and sold to individuals such as librarians who are interested in purchasing books that will be a no miss. I put together my dream team for this website project: Kristin Lenz, Sue Spahr (a recently retired middle school principal) and the Meijer Inc IT web designer.

In a former life, David was an airport police chief with 30 years experience in law enforcement. Now retired, he has written a series of sought after indie MG fantasy adventure books: Beneath and Beyond, Through the Eyes of the Beast and The Heart of the Swarm. The start of a new series entitled Ripley Robinson and the Worm Charmer will be out in 2019. His books and school visits are filled with magic and creativity. David’s reverse perspective painting was a 2018 3D finalist in ArtPrize as well as a first place finish in the post prize Colors of Community art competition.

In addition to being the Michigan indie coordinator, David is also an active SCBWI advisory committee member and Grand Rapids Shop Talk Coordinator. For more information go to www.Blackwaterpond.com

Coming up on the Mitten blog: Our new Ask the Editor feature, more tips for Painless Self-Promotion, and interviews with our two mentors for the upcoming 2019-2020 Picture Book Text Mentorship Competition. The SCBWI Annual Winter Conference is happening right now in New York! Follow along on SCBWI's official blog with Lee Wind. We'll have our own recap in a few weeks from Shutta's Scholarship winner, Laura Stewart.

Just for fun, here's David Stricklen's reverse perspective painting which was a 2018 3D ArtPrize finalist! We have so many multi-talented, hard-working SCBWI-MI members who share their experience and offer help and guidance along the way. Cheers!

Writer Spotlight: Dave Stricklen

You’re retired now, but your previous career is more colorful and unusual than most. Can you tell us a little about the job you used to do?

I was the Chief of the Airport Police in Grand Rapids for 22 years. I was always in the middle of anything that went wrong or right. We had a 16 person police department and 6 person dispatch center.

I’m sure you’ve collected many stories about your experiences with the airport Police. Could you give us one example? Have you considered writing a memoir?

We received a call from a tenant that a woman was being forced into a Lear jet. She was screaming “Help, I’m being kidnapped!” My Sergeant and I jumped in the patrol car and raced toward the main runway. The aircraft was turning to take off so we drove at them as they started to roll toward us. We turned sideways blocking the aircraft. The doors flew open and people spilled out. Arrests resulted.

I have 86 one liners on a piece of paper. Each represents a significant incident that could be written about. Someday I will write about them but right now I’m having too much fun in MG fiction. I also set up security for every president while I was Chief. I was able to meet them and go on Air Force 1.

Instead of sipping a beer and watching the grass grow when you retired, you wrote a middle grade trilogy. Where did THAT come from? Did you always envision the work as three separate volumes?

My grandmother lived with us when I was little and we were special buddies. She had me make up a new story for her each night before I went to bed. I made my own comics as a child and wrote stories as an adult. I never stopped. When I retired, I decided to go all in with my passion and wrote my first book. The characters in my books had more to say so the series just happened.

You decided to independently publish your novels, and you’ve been unusually successful in marketing them. Without giving too much away, what’s your secret?

Being an unknown, I first needed credibility. I was a reviewer’s choice bookwatch selection from Midwest Book Review and received positive reviews from Kirkus and Writers Digest Magazine.

I wrote books that my MG self would have loved to read. The books are fast moving, with a roller coaster plot. If the books did not engage MG students, I would have died a quick death. If the characters didn’t get wiser, stronger or smarter from their experiences in the first book, they would not survive the next two. My goal was never to be as good as a traditionally published book, my goal was to exceed them. The books are all hardcover, unique original artwork both on the cover and at the start of each chapter, the best paper and a nationally recognized printer. I hired a real editor, proofer and printer.

You do many school visits a year. Again, without divulging any trade secrets, to what do you attribute your prowess with middle school students?

My school visits are very interactive. I create stories on the fly with them just as I did with my grandmother. I do a few magic tricks that go along with the presentation. The real trick is that I enjoy my time with the students and they can see it. I sold 147 books to one grade at one school. I often times break 100. I have no middle man and the printer is located in Grand Rapids so I have no shipping cost. I make about $9.00 for every book that I sell.

You’ve gotten deeply involved in SCBWI and are working on the Advisory Committee planning conferences. What do you find most satisfying when involved in the inner workings of these special events?

These creative types are a pleasure to be around and have become good friends. We all share a love for story creating that binds us.

What are you working on now?

I’ve written a MG story (that has my heart) about a wrestler who enters a worm charming contest called Ripley Robinson and the Worm Charmer. In the past, I didn’t have the patience to take the traditional route. I now have the patience to take that step.

Thanks Dave. For more information, visit  Dave's website

Dave Stricklen is one of the co-chairs for the upcoming SCBWI-MI fall conference, the September 15-16  Gathering on the Grand

 He’ll also have an original piece of artwork displayed at the B.O.B.  for Art Prize . (If you need any more reason than Gary Schmidt and Denise Fleming , all the Art Prize displays should be installed and ready to view that weekend.)

Charlie Barshaw just finished the first draft of his YA novel Aunt Agnes (working title).He also gratefully accepted an offer to work as an editor on The Mitten, where he plays around with pictures and asks Ruth innumerable questions.