Book Birthday Blog with Lisa Wheeler

 Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog! 

Where we celebrate new books by Michigan's children's book authors and illustrators

Congratulations to Lisa Wheeler on the release of her new book, Dino-Thanksgiving!  

 

 

 

Congratulations on the release of Dino-Thanksgiving! This is the latest in your Dino-Holiday series, right after Dino-Halloween. Could you tell us a little bit about what inspired this series?
 

Thank you! The Dino-Holiday series was suggested by the team at CarolRhoda/Lerner books. I'd written ten of the Dino-Sports books, and they felt that this would be a terrific new series where kids could see their favorites from the first books, celebrating various holidays.
 

What’s your favorite thing about writing for a larger series of books? What would you say is the most challenging part?

Writing a series like this allows me to give the characters their own distinctive personalities. For instance, Triceratops and T. Rex are born leaders, while the Pterodactyl twins are always up to some form of mild mischief.

The hardest part is finding some cohesion. In the Dino-Sports series, I basically did a play-by-play of whatever sport the dinos were involved in. But for the Holidays series, this wouldn't work. So for each of the books, I've found that having one or two characters involved in a repeating 'gag' that comes full circle at the end, has helped with cohesion. For instance, in Dino-Thanksgiving, Compsognathus (Compy), a very small dinosaur, keeps saying, "I'm hungry. Is it time to eat?" This plot line comes full circle at the end.
 

When it comes to day-to-day writing, what does your process look like? Do you have a daily routine or strategy, or is it more unstructured?

While I am a morning person and get more done if I'm up-and-at 'em early, I don't have a writing routine. (I gave up on that once my husband was home all the time.) But I do try to do something 'writing related' every day. Sometimes that might be a school visit or a book signing. These days it's more like puttering on a book of poems I started years ago, revising unsold picture books or answering emails from readers.
 

What do you like do to stay inspired and fill that creative bucket? Do you have any tricks or tips for when you feel stuck?

I think much better when I'm in motion. When I really need to get my brain juices flowing, I take a walk-- alone! I also have found inspiration while being a passenger in the car on a long trip, cleaning my house, and for my next book, tiling the shower.
 

What advice would you give to an aspiring author looking to write or plan for a longer series of books?

Truthfully, the Dino-Sport series didn't start out as a series. I wrote Dino-Hockey as a standalone book. When CarolRhoda/Lerner was interested in buying it, they asked me to change the ending. (My original ending had the dinosaurs playing eternal overtime on the ice, like skeletons in a museum.) I didn't want to pick a winner, but I figured if I had to, I'd keep the ending upbeat by having the dinos look forward to soccer season.

This turned out to be a great decision because soon after, my editor asked me to write Dino-Soccer. All the rest of the books were requested.

If I went into this pitching a series, it may have been turned down. Publishers don't always want to take the risk of supporting a series when the first book hasn't proven itself. 
 

I’m sure this is a question many a kid has had, but I had to ask: what’s your favorite type of dinosaur?

I love Triceratops! I have a thing for woolly mammoths and I think the shape of a triceratops--big and bulky--puts me in mind of what an elephant or mammoth may have looked like in dinosaur form.
 

What’s on the horizon for you? Any fun projects or new ideas coming up?

I'm very excited about my next book!

On March 23, 2021 Someone Builds the Dream will be released by Dial. The illustrations have been done by Loren Long, who is well known for the Otis the tractor picture books as well as being the artist for Barack Obama's Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters and many other picture books.

Someone Builds the Dream is the book of my heart. It celebrates and pays homage to working class skilled tradesmen and women. I come from a blue collar background and married a blue collar worker. Yes, we need architects, designers, scientists and engineers. But for their dreams to become realities, we need carpenters, masons, electricians and more!

I am so proud to honor the men and woman of our country who are essential to build our dreams. 

 

Learn more about Lisa's upcoming book here.

A little bit about the book:

 

It's time to give thanks!

Dinos big and small prepare for their favorite feast.

Join in the laughter as they cook lots of food, watch football, play games, and of course...eat!

A little bit about the author:

Award-winning author, Lisa Wheeler has published over 45 books for children. Her newest books include People Share With People, Even Monsters Go to School and Dino-Halloween. Lisa Makes her home in southeast Michigan with her husband and adorable dog, Frankie. Visit Lisa's website at: www.lisawheelerbooks.com

Sandy Carlson Continues Her Adventure of Life

Mitten blog co-editor, Charlie Barshaw is here to show our appreciation for a long-time SCBWI-MI member who's in the process of moving out of state. Read on for Charlie's interview with Sandy Carlson, and please join us in wishing her well. Stay in touch, Sandy!

Sandy Carlson Continues Her Adventure of Life by Writing About It

You’re currently living in a donated mobile home while you await your move. What are the joys and challenges you face in this environment?

 

I am a writer in transition. We sold our Battle Creek house in July, moved into a borrowed RV in the country in August, and will be moving to Wisconsin at the end of October to be near the grandkids.

 

We had never spent the night in an RV before moving in here. Internet service was advertised at this RV park, but maybe once a week for 15 minutes I can get on the server. The park is 20 minutes from town. We have one vehicle. Husband still works in town. Our  desktop computer is boxed up for the move. My husband transferred his work data to my laptop, which he either takes to work or works on here in the RV. Therefore, no Internet (unless I go to town) and no computer (except my iPhone). This transition from working full-time as a writer to not being able to write for 2 1/2 months (longer if you count the packing, moving, and unpacking) has been very interesting. However, I now have a whole new set of (RV) characters to write into future stories.

 

Transition. Adapting.  Surviving as a writer.

 

I still manage to write two blogs a week, my Sandy Carlson one, my shorter S. L. Carlson one, and occasionally for my publisher’s blog. I use the note pad on my iPhone, then cut and paste it when I get get to town with Internet access.

 

 

Why does C. S. Lewis‘s work affect you so deeply?

 

I see him as a Renaissance Man. As a writer, he is generally known for three genres: children’s fantasy, adult science fiction, and Christian theology. He was ever-learning, constantly adapting to circumstances. I, too, write in many genres, including personal essays, aka, blogs.

 

What is the world you envisioned in the war unicorn chronicles?

 

In my four war unicorn books (small press),

I envision 12th Century European, with living fantasy creatures and magic. Of course, the political structures, money, and places are made up, but based on places I’ve been. There will be more war unicorn stories coming.

 

Each of my stories take place in the out-of-doors. We have only tent camped before, and have had many wilderness experiences — all good stuff for future stories.

 

For instance...

A couple of days after Jeff and I were married, we backpacked into Mark Twain national forest in Arkansas. We’d hiked about four hours before deciding to rest on a fallen log at the a meadow’s edge.  It wasn’t long before we discovered an interesting species of the area: the seed tick. These itty-bitty arachnids fairly covered our bodies including under our underwear. We stripped naked and proceeded to brush, then burn, hundreds of the tiny ticks off of us. 

 

That night, we slept in the open meadow where we figured there were no ticks. We were correct, but what we hadn’t counted on was Sasquatch.

 

In our two-man backpacking tent we laid for a couple hours listening to some creature charge down the hill at our tent, snorting and stopping within a foot or two of it before walking to the top of the hill to recharge. Years later, we were talking with an Arkansas farmer who identified the creature we heard as a wild boar. Every year, people are killed by wild boars. I have yet to write about ticks or boars in my stories, but it is more writing fodder.

 

What inspired you to write Michigan middle grade historical fiction?

 

An elderly friend related to me of growing up in the Saugatuck area, and as a child, running down the sand dunes to jump into the Kalamazoo River.
Sometimes a rooftop from the old town of Singapore would be visible. Other times it was gone and another had appeared. Fascinating. I spent many hours doing doing paper research in libraries, as well as time at the location itself. I need to visit the sites I write about, and meditate in that area, trying to imagine what life would’ve been like there in an earlier age.

 

What inspired you to write Time Sisters for an older audience?

 

This survival story idea came to me decades ago, similar to Hunger Games in content, so more mature than middle grade. One must follow that writing urge and see a story through to the end, whether you like it or not. Although not my writing level of preference, I wrote it out; entered it into contests with very good reviews; revised it so many times; editors nibbled at it, and commented on it; more revisions; and I finally just threw it out as a whole novel to an Amazon.

 

What advice do you have for writers considering the Indie Publishing route?

 

If you have the time and endurance to hold out, do not go the Indie route. It takes much time and money to pursue this. I would much rather be writing.

 

What are your plans for the future?

 

My future plans are to survive this RV transition; get significantly moved in at our new Wisconsin location; love up my grandkids; contact the WI-SCBWI; and continue writing till I die.

Sandy Carlson Website & Blog: www.sandycarlson.com

S. L. Carlson Fantasy Blog: https://authorslcarlson.wordpress.com

Twitter: @sandycarl

Pinterest boards: http://www.pinterest.com/authorsandycarl/

FaceBook page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/sandycarl

Email: sandycarl642@yahoo (dot) com

Coming up this weekend:

Learn more about this free webinar here: https://michigan.scbwi.org/events/gr-west-webinar-writing-dazzling-dialogue/

Book Birthday Blog with Jim Benton

 

 Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog! 

Where we celebrate new books by Michigan's children's book authors and illustrators

Congratulations to Jim Benton on the release of his new book, Franny K. Stein, Recipe for Disaster!  

 

Happy Halloween! This year, to celebrate, we feature an especially frightful tale, featuring mad scientist Franny K. Stein! Read on to see how this hair-raising story came to life... 

 

Congratulations on the release of Franny K. Stein, Recipe for Disaster! This is the 9th book in the Franny K. Stein series, following the mad scientist as she sets out to create the Most Delicious Muffin On Earth, and deals with the consequences of a muffin-obsessed student body. Did you set out to write Franny K. Stein as a series of books, or was its evolution into a longer series more of a surprise?
 
I didn’t really think that far ahead. I pitched book one to a few different publishers, and was just really excited when we did a deal with Simon and Schuster. When they said they wanted to start with four titles I was just knocked out.
 
Franny K. Stein is delightfully wild and a little dark, as are her adventures! How do you draw the line for younger audiences when writing darker humor? Is it ever something you think about when writing?
 
I just go by instinct. The readers seem to understand that Franny’s heart is in the right place, and she always fixes things when she messes up. Franny and her lab look pretty sinister, but they know that she’s all about curiosity and discovery and outrageousness.
 
Your website describes some of the materials you use to draw for books like the Franny K. Stein series. Have you always liked a combination of pen and watercolor for your illustrations? Have you experimented with other mediums?
 
I use all kinds of stuff. The more recent Frannys are still drawn with good ol’ ink on paper, but I do the tinting on a computer.

Franny K. Stein is just one of your many characters! (Readers can browse some of our previous interviews with you here to read about more of your books.) Do you find you have lots of character or story ideas floating around at once? How do you record those ideas and decide what to move forward with?
 
SO MANY! I will not live long enough to execute all the ideas I have for stories. They are pinned up on bulletin boards and stacked in boxes all over my studio. Generally, I just work on whatever suites me at that moment.
 
On another note, It’s Me: Catwad was recently featured as NBC 5’s Book of the week. Congratulations! Did you ever anticipate your books having such a wide reach?
 
I don’t really think about it. Dear Dumb Diary, for example, has almost ten million books in print, is in over ten languages, and I made a TV musical based on it. But in the beginning, it was just four pages I thought were funny. I think if I thought any further than that, it might not come out right.
 
What’s your advice for building a following as an author, both online and off?
 
I think this is always the same, isn’t it? 1. Finish writing the book. 2. Finish re-writing the parts that are terrible. 3. Show it to publishers. Each one of those steps can be difficult, but each step must be taken.
 
What projects do you have coming up? I hear there’s another Catwad book soon to come…
 
Coming up soon or very recently released—COMET THE UNSTOPPABLE REINDEER, FRANNY K STEIN RECIPE FOR DISASTER, CLYDE, ATTACK OF THE STUFF, CATWAD FOUR ME?, JOP AND BLIP, and FANN CLUB.

 

A little bit about the book:

 

Franny K. Stein isn’t a good baker. But when she sees that the fundraisers for the art and music departments at her school aren’t making enough money, she decides to take matters into her own hands.

Using her genius mind and kitchen, which is really just another type of laboratory, she sets out to create The Most Delicious Muffin On Earth!

Sales, of course, go through the roof. But bad things can happen when people become exposed to the best thing they’ve ever tasted. They can become...overenthusiastic.

 

A little bit about the author: 

Jim Benton is the award-winning creator of more than thirty books, including the New York Times best-selling series Dear Dumb Diary, the series Franny K. Stein, the series Catwad as well as the international licensing hit, It’s Happy Bunny. His books have sold more than fifteen million copies worldwide, been translated into more than fifteen languages (and Braille), and have garnered numerous honors (like LIMA awards, Addy awards, Eisner nominations, Reuben divisional awards, an Eleanor Cameron award, and a NAPPA award to name a few). Benton is a member of the Writers Guild of America, the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators, the National Cartoonists Society and The Society of Illustrators. He has also contributed to The Licensing Book, Writer's Digest Magazine, Reader's Digest Magazine, Kidscreen Magazine, Dark Horse Presents, MAD Magazine, and The New Yorker. Learn more about him at www.jimbenton.com.

Shutta's Scholarship - Now Threefold! Revisit the Magic with Four Previous Winners

https://michigan.scbwi.org/2020/10/24/shuttas-scholarship-is-here-again-threefold/

 

Shutta will pay the full tuition fee for three (!) Michigan SCBWI members to attend the SCBWI (online) Winter Conference.

• One scholarship will go to an illustrator or author/illustrator. 
• One scholarship will go to a pre-pubbed member. 
• And one scholarship will go to a general member. 

The qualifying rules are listed on the application form on the SCBWI-MI website and at Shutta’s website. 

The deadline to apply for the scholarship is by midnight on November 15, 2020. Applications will be accepted beginning ASAP. The winner will be drawn at random and notified soon after November 15th. 

DOWNLOAD SHUTTA'S SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION HERE

The online conference is February 20-21, 2021. Registration starts on October 28, 2020. See the national SCBWI website for conference details. 

Past winners have included: Sara Kendall, Laura Stewart, Meline Scheidel, Andrea Donahoe, Lindsey McDivitt, Amy Nielander, Kelly Barson, Vicky Lorencen, Elizabeth McBride, Taraneh Matloob, and Betsy Williams. 

Here are some of their experiences shared right here on the Mitten blog in previous years. Revisit the magic of the conferences in their posts, and click on their names to see what they've been up to since then. Yes, some of their books are now out in the world!

Laura Stewart, 2019:
https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2019/03/scholarship-winner-laura-stewarts-scbwi.html

Meline Scheidel, 2018:
https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-2018-scbwi-winter-conference.html

Andrea Donahoe, 2017:
https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-2017-scbwi-annual-winter-conference.html

Lindsey McDivitt, 2016:
https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2016/03/four-fears-float-away-at-scbwis-nyc.html

Books With Barbers: A Fresh Cut For Readers

Books with Barbers – it’s easy to be drawn to this poetic alliteration and program title. Today you will discover that this is more than just a title, it is a literacy initiative that’s making an impact in our local community. In this blog post, Equity & Inclusion Team member, Debbie Taylor provides insights on the Books with Barbers initiative. Her interview with co-chairs, Dr. Ashelin Currie and Ms. Jerry Jones, Ed.S., explores the premise behind this program and its continued relevance.

~Angie Verges, E & I Corner Blog Co-host

Books With Barbers: A Fresh Cut For Readers

Two extraordinary women, Dr. Ashelin R. Currie and Ms. Jerry Jones Ed. S., coordinate Books With Barbers in Detroit through the Black Child Development Institute (BCDI) affiliate. Books are provided to a local barbershop on the eastside of Detroit so children and young men can have access to high interest books that feature characters of color. Research clearly indicates the value of books that reflect the readers’ experiences, culture and community.  Barbershops often serve as a community hub for boys, young adults, and elders. These books are fuel for the camaraderie enjoyed as patrons receive haircuts, shaves and trims.

Dr. Currie was inspired to act after learning about various literacy initiatives of the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI). She joined forces to coordinate the program with Ms. Jones, a former special education teacher with the Detroit Public Schools and a literacy activist and resource expert. Their goal is to share literature in which children can see themselves in texts, provide a strong foundation of their racial identity, and cultivate a love of books. BCDI-Detroit is intentional in sharing books that are counteracting society's narrative of African American males.

The first barbershop selected was The Final Kut, owned by Kevin Ingram. This shop on Detroit’s west side is near an elementary school and a church. The proximity to these establishments provided access to the target audience. When Mrs. Jones first approached the barbershop, the owner was not available. Undeterred, she left a compelling note with a two-dollar bill to make certain the message was noticed. It was—and Mr. Ingram was excited that his shop was selected for the first Books With Barbers initiative. The community has joined them in their effort. State representatives, Michigan Reading Association members, and other organizations joined them for a cutting ribbon ceremony held last year. The coordinators and supporters revisited the barbershop throughout the year to host African-American Read Ins and book giveaways during winter and spring breaks.

Although for a time the program was halted due to the pandemic, Books With Barbers continued to collaborate with other groups to support boys and their families. In the past, the books remained at the barbershop, now children can simply take books home. The next site for the program will be located on the east side at the community barbershop in the Ford Resource Engagement Center which is connected to a middle school. The program is seeking another site on the southwest side of Detroit. The expansion will allow even more readers to enjoy the newest haircut and a special book.

SCBWI-MI and your E & I Team will lead a book drive to help Books with Barbers stock their shelves. Look for our announcement with more information in early November! 

Ashelin R. Currie, Ph. D., is a literacy consultant with Oakland Schools. Ashelin served as the president of the Detroit Affiliate of the National Black Child Development Institute (2017-2019) and is currently the co-chair of the literacy committee.  She works extensively with children and families and other community organizations systems to improve the academic lives of students beyond the school.

Ms. Jerry Jones, Ed. S., is literacy resource expert and advocate who has led literacy initiatives, served on boards and volunteered in a variety of organizations including Kiwanis Detroit and the Detroit Public Library. She was a special education teacher for over 16 years in the Detroit Public Schools.

Debbie Taylor is a picture book author and a member of the SCBWI-MI Equity & Inclusion Team. Her work has been published in children's magazines including Spider, Cricket, and Pockets Magazine. Taylor is the author of Sweet Music in Harlem (Lee and Low 2004) and Over in Motown (Fifth Avenue Press 2020) She volunteers for local, regional and national literacy efforts.

***

Barbershop Writing/Illustrating Prompt

from Angie Verges

• What has been your experience with a barbershop or salon visit? Below are some thoughts to ponder, story starter ideas, or merely a collection of words/images to use as you please. Share a peek at your ideas in the comments.

• Write/Draw about a time you visited a barbershop or had a barbershop experience at home. What did you see inside (how did the shop look)? What were the ages of the people? Was there a unique smell? What sounds did you hear? Was your visit like a horror show, a mystery, a comedy? 

• Where was the shop located - a busy street, secluded area, or somewhere else?

Here’s another approach for generating story ideas.

Create a story using items from the following categories:

Setting (choose 1)

Barbershop

Beauty Salon

Character (choose up to 2)

Mouse

Boy

Grandfather

Woman

Family

Object (choose up to 2)

Clippers

Barber Chair

Scissors

Sink

Broom & Dustpan

A YA Novel Becomes a Webtoon: The Transformation of American Road Trip

Today's post is an example of the many different directions our stories can take, and how they continue to evolve and reverberate in the world beyond us. American Road Trip, a 2018 YA novel by author Patrick Flores-Scott, was recently transformed into a Webtoon. What's a Webtoon? Webtoon Producer, Quincy Cho, is here to tell us about the company, their projects, and vision. We'll hear from Patrick about his experience too. Read on!

Here's Quincy:

Please give us a brief overview of Webtoon. 

Webtoon is a platform, and a home, for creator-owned web comics.

What is your job title and what does a typical work day look like?

As a producer, a typical work day involves pitching stories, outlining and writing scripts, getting notes for rewrites, and giving feedback on the artwork.

How does Webtoon find and decide which YA novels to adapt to comics? 

In addition to American Road Trip, we've also adapted The Fever King and The Weight of Our Sky. We first look at story and characters because you need both for an exciting read. Then we look at the message and representation. American Road Trip is about a LatinX-American family doing their best to help a loved one struggling with PTSD and mental health. Similarly, The Weight of Our Sky addresses OCD and the Malaysian race riots in 1969. These adaptations are an opportunity to bring more visibility to underrepresented stories as well as starting dialogue around serious topics that often get swept under the rug.

Who writes and illustrates the comics, and is the original author involved in the process?

For American Road Trip, I had the great pleasure of adapting it to fit the Webtoon format. Patrick has written these incredibly relatable characters that are fresh and unique and in relationships that we don't often see (shout out to Caleb and T's bromance!). Moreover, he explores mental health, PTSD, and the consequences it has on a family in a very real way, so it was very important to me to capture the nuance and tone of the story, especially after he gave me his blessing to adapt the story to how I see fit.

I feel very fortunate to have come across Little Corvus' artwork as they are a wonderfully talented LatinX artist based in Seattle. Because of their shared background with the characters, they not only breathed life into Patrick's work in a remarkably unique way, they brought authenticity and a level of detail to the characters and the world that I'm sure native Seattlians and LatinX readers will appreciate.  

What else would you like us to know about Webtoon, the audience/reach, creators?

Please tune in every Sunday for a new episode of American Road Trip! And if the wait is too much for you, I’d suggest reading the book. I hear it’s a great read~

Here's Patrick:

Tell us about your experience with your novel American Road Trip becoming a Webtoon.

Quincy Cho, a writer/producer at Webtoon reached out saying she liked American Road Trip and that she wanted to adapt it into a comic series. When my editor and agent and I learned what Webtoon is--how big their reach is--we knew this was a terrific opportunity to get the story out to a wider audience. I had no idea how it was going to look, or turn out, but I trusted that Quincy's enthusiasm for the material would lead to something really cool. But I was still nervous about the whole thing. I'm really proud of this story. And I feel such deep affection with the characters. What were these comics people going to do with my baby? 

I wasn't prepared for seeing the first drawings. Like the Avila family in the book, it turned out that Little Corvus, the Webtoon artist, is from the Seattle area. And they perfectly captured the colors and feel of the setting. I was thrilled and I knew this project was in the exact right hands. And the more they shared their progress, the more it was clear that Qunicy and Little Corvus weren't just translating the book, they were making it bigger and deeper and more complex. They created something that stands beautifully on its own of course. But for readers of the novel, I don't think the American Road Trip experience is complete without the comic. And I feel really lucky and grateful that it's out there in the world. 

Thanks to Quincy and Patrick for taking the time to share their experience! Learn more at the links below and experience Webtoons yourself:

Webtoon website: https://www.webtoons.com/

American Road Trip Webtoon: https://www.webtoons.com/en/drama/american-road-trip/

Quincy Cho website: https://www.quincycho.com/

Little Corvus website: https://www.littlecorvusart.com/

Patrick Flores-Scott's website: http://patrickfloresscott.com/index.html

Coming up on the Mitten Blog:

See you next Friday for a post from our SCBWI-MI Equity & Inclusion Team - Books with Barbers: A Fresh Cut for Readers. Until then, you can catch up on any of the previous posts you might have missed from our Equity and Inclusion Corner.

Have a great weekend!

Kristin Lenz

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.