Congratulations, Novel Mentorship Winners and Runners-Up!

Congratulations to the winners and runners-up of the SCBWI-MI 2022-23 Novel Mentorship Competition!

(Runners-up are listed in no particular order.)

Patrick Flores-Scott mentorship:
Winner:
Heather Brewer with WE ARE WANDERERS
Runners-Up:
Shanti Thirumalai with ELEPHANT'S CHILD
Lisabeth Posthuma with CHASTITY DIXON IS GOING TO HELL

Kelly J. Baptist mentorship:
Winner:
Joan Donaldson with BROTHERHOOD
Runners-Up:
Pat Trattles with STEPHEN, ME AND THE CAVE
Betsy McKee Williams with FALLING OUT OF TIME

(Song) Writer Spotlight: Kitty Donohoe

Grandmother Woody, playing piano at six years old, 'There Are No Words', Northwood Kids, and Scottish tours: author/singer/songwriter Kitty Donohoe

Charlie Barshaw coordinates our regular Writer Spotlight feature and interviews writers of SCBWI-MI. In this piece, meet world-famous musician and author Kitty Donohoe.

You grew up in Royal Oak, the oldest daughter in a family of eight kids. Your family didn’t have a TV for many years. Do you think that was intentional? It sure seemed to spur your young creativity.

It certainly was intentional on my father's part. He specifically said that his kids were acting like cartoons and he didn't like that, thus the "broken" TV set. It was some years before we had a "working" TV again. 

You used to write stories on your Grandmother Woody’s old typewriter, which now sits on the piano in your home. Do you remember any of your early stories? 

I have no idea of those. We all read a huge amount (see 'no TV' and you'll know why!) and I'm pretty sure they were take-offs on whatever I was reading at the time. Some stories about magic, boy-meets-girl stuff, a bit of adventure...

You started playing piano when you were six years old. You used to watch your Mom play piano, so there’s that. But you must have also shown a love of music. 

Like her, I think I was born with an innate knack for making music, as well as for rhyming, so that creativity has been with me all my life. When I hear people say they don't 'like' music, that baffles me. It's like not enjoying breathing or something. Very foreign to me.

You graduated from high school and moved to Nova Scotia. Were you seeking sea shanties? 

Not at all. That trip was because of a curiosity about Nova Scotia and a love of the sea (even though I hadn't been near one yet and didn't know what a sea shanty was at the time.)

That said, I feel very drawn to Canada now, and my father's mother was born in Ontario and moved to Michigan. So there may be some kind of natural instinct toward that place and those songs. 

You eventually moved back to Detroit, specifically Corktown. What did you find in old Irish Detroit?

I wasn't really there that long. My best friend was living there then and we were both getting into our Irish heritage and Corktown was a great intro to the Irish culture in Michigan. We hung out at the Gaelic League a whole lot (where Irish bands played 6 nights a week) and that alone was a great introduction to all things Irish.  

You may be best known for “There are No Words,” penned after the 9/11 tragedy. Obviously you were moved to write the song. Is songwriting your go-to release?

I've always written songs, for as long as I can remember. Not just as a release but as an expression, for all kinds of things. My song is one of hundreds written on that day (if not more) as it certainly moved so many with the need to express our outrage and sorrow.

A reviewer once wrote that you never in your career showed stage fright. Are you good at hiding the jitters, or is it true, you’re a natural performer? 

I actually don't know anything about that review! Yes, I certainly have had my share of 'jitters', though not so much anymore. And I don't know that I'd say I'm a 'natural performer' but I am a natural creator of music, and performance is the most direct way to bring my music to anyone who wants to hear it. 

You’ve written and published Bunyan and Banjoes: Michigan Songs and Stories, and Henny and Benny Bunyan and the Maple Syrup Adventure. What can you tell us about Gypsie Bird Press?

Gypsie Bird Press is my own little outfit (publishing company with plans for expansion someday) because when I was writing the Henny & Benny story, I discovered that the traditional press world has restrictions that I didn't like.  

In particular, the author rarely gets to pick the illustrator for the book and I had very specific ideas of what I wanted the characters to look like. It's not uncommon to wait a couple of years for your book to come out if it's picked up; and I know many authors who make very small amount of money on the books they sell. That all seemed like a reason to create my own publishing company.

The first book comes with a music CD, so it's part of your brand. But Henny and Benny is a straight-up children's book. What prompted you to write a non-musical story?

At heart I'm a storyteller, first and foremost, so I included the CD to augment the tale but it works just fine without it as well.

A second Northwoods Kids book was in the works at one time. What’s the status? 

I have books 2 and 3 essentially figured out and plan to most likely release them together. Possibly this fall.

How are songwriting and children’s book writing similar? Different? 

Since I have songs for both kids and adults the difference is obviously in the approach. And there can be some crossover between the two but I basically tell tales/write for kids in a simpler way than I do for adults.

You've done hundreds of school visits. How do you keep up the energy necessary to face four tough audiences in one day?

Well, these days I'm not doing quite that same intensity, especially as I've had some health issues in the last year. I loved doing school shows and still plan to promote that part of what I do but with more of an emphasis on being a Visiting Author (who also plays songs) than the high-energy 'everybody sing' efforts in the past. 

It was a glorious bunch of years though, and I STILL hear from adults who heard me as children and can actually remember things like how high and how long the Mackinac Bridge is because of my song about it. It's quite an honor to think my songs will long outlive me.

Tell us about “Lost Voices.” 

Lost Voices was started by my friend Mike Ball, who had a vision about bringing songwriters together with at-risk teens, and he got me on board early on. The program is still going strong, and I know Mike has visions for expanding to other states. 

You’ve offered a musical tour of Ireland most summers for more than a decade. How did the idea of a bus and a B&B and nights full of Irish pub music for 20+ people come about?

I actually joined the Inishfree Tours group in 2015, so not quite a decade. It's a great concept and the tours easily sell out a year ahead of time, although they took a big hit with Covid, obviously.

The company hires performers who have a fan base and can sign up some of those fans to travel around Ireland for 10 days, see the sights and hear traditional Irish music every night. 

Sometimes the music is a pub session, but we've also had private concerts with a solo harpist, a 'sean nos' (Irish traditional Gaelic) singer, a duo who play accordion and guitar and get everyone up and dancing...it's always amazing music and SO much fun! 

And I think one of the best things about the tour is that everyone has become lifelong friends by the end of the trip. With such a small group it lends itself to the intimacy of friendship and I know several folks from my first year still hang outl

In 2022 you’ve begun to offer a second tour to Scotland. Looks like July is going to be exhausting and immersive for you.

We'll see! The health issues I mentioned are having a serious ankle break in October and a very recent hip replacement. Neither of them life- threatening, but they have slowed me down a bit! I'm very much looking forward to getting back into the swing of things.

If anyone is interested in the Ireland and Scotland tours for next year they can contact me at kitty@kittydonohoe.com 

You've always been a "hustler," in the best sense of the word. Did your decision to rely on entertainment as a career force you into this hurly-burly world of road trips and non-stop performances? Or is it a built-in part of you who wants to see and experience the world?

I don't know that I'd call myself a 'hustler,' but in this world of performing you pretty much have to stay on top of things - going for gigs, lining up tours, promoting yourself as a songwriter. 

There are some great organizations out there - Folk Alliance and FARM (the Midwest version of Folk Alliance) that are a tremendous source of information, camaraderie, a chance to learn more about what we do and a non-stop support system.

I highly recommend anyone looking to be in the biz (or who is already there) to check out the above and look around for other resources.

It's rough to be self-employed, and knowing others like you are out there is a huge help. For me, one of the biggest shifts in the past couple of years is the demise of the physical CD and the rise of downloads.

I take great issue with that direction (I won't go into it here) - but it makes supporting live music even more important these days. in particular, I'm developing a platform to get my music - songs and instrumentals - to music buyers for TV, movies, ads. It can be a great source of revenue if you're lucky.

I think when you're doing what you should be doing, you find new ways to get it out there.

Please include any social media platforms you wish to share.

Right now I only have 2 Facebook artist pages and a Youtube page that has some of my songs set to film - tho on my 'list of things to do' before I go to Scotland is to develop more social media presence.

https://www.facebook.com/kitdonohoe

https://www.facebook.com/Kitty-Donohoe-Songwriter-326282462156216

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC798dnlM0ABDgm4l60U7OhQ

 

 

 

 

A Slice of Sales with SCBWI by Cathy Collison

Summer reading fests can really rock – and I was grateful to get word from SCBWI in the spring about the Rockford (sorry on the rocking pun) tent and table the Society was offering to writers – and readers.

Sure, it was a little bit of a trek across the state in June (before the $5 gas), but with the tent and table free, I considered it the perfect way to spend a Saturday to sell my book, co-authored with Janis Campbell, MeetThe Pets: Presidential Animals From A to Z.  It was my second event with SCBWI, the first in December 2021 was in Ann Arbor at an annual holiday art fair that allowed space for authors as well.

OK, did I sell 30 books at the two events? No, but close! The Ann Arbor venue had many browsers ready to gift family and friends at the holidays.  At Rockford, eight books were purchased, but both opportunities gave me a boost – don’t we all need that these days? —connecting with Suzanne Lipshaw, site coordinator, on a sunny brisk day, and mainly connecting with readers.

The Rockford celebration of reading – with an audience that chose to stop by a book fair before heading to the beach – was as refreshing as a sip of my favorite iced tea (with a splash of lemonade). The same was true for last December’s tent event – a chilly December afternoon, but a warm buzz with authors from metro Detroit connecting, reading aloud and a natural boost.   Writers and illustrators of children’s books naturally often spend time in their own solitary nook – whether a desk at home or just a cozy corner – and often prefer the creativity of writing to the business of book sales. Tips on school visits, shared insights into contests or giveaways – it was all part of the SCBWI Michigan tent.

It was such fun to see what a community of writers can do together. If anything, I suspect we sell more books together at the fests, from Ann Arbor to Rockford, and across the state, because we can reach many more readers at these than a bookstore signing, much as those are appreciated, which are more rare these days.

Hope to see more SCBWI members and thanks, Michigan SCBWI, for subsidizing these tables, giving us more affordable bookselling opportunities, sprinkled with the fun of sharing a day with writing colleagues.

See you at the next fest!

Cathy Collison is a metro Detroit writer and retired Detroit Free Press journalist.  She and co-author Janis Campbell have teamed up on several books, meeting when they both worked at the Free Press’ magazine for young readers and newspaper education program. Both love animals and are history buffs, inspiring them in their latest book, illustrated by Wendy Popko. Her website is www.cathycollison.com.

It Starts with Hello with Kat Higgs-Coulthard

Hello used to be hard for me.

It's one of the reasons I started writing--in the high school cafeteria, bending over a notebook, pen in hand, made me look busy instead of lonely. Creative, not terrified. I wrote words to avoid speaking them.

Until...one day at a bookstore I overheard a group of women analyzing the moves an author had made to build suspense in the book they were reading. After the group dispersed, I approached one woman who remained behind gathering her things and asked the name of the book they'd been discussing.

She introduced herself as Cynthia Furlong Reynolds and shared that her book group was composed of writers who analyze the work of other writers in order to inform their own writing. She shared that she was also a writer. PROFESSIONALLY. Until that moment, that was something I did not think was actually possible. She was kind and friendly and told me I should consider joining SCBWI. She belonged to the Michigan Chapter and because I lived in Michigan, I could too. In fact, I should come with her to the meeting next month.
I was terrified.
But I went.
It was tempting to sit in the back and hide in my notebook. But before I could, Cynthia introduced me to one person, then another. The hellos piled up; conversations began. I couldn't tell you who I met that day or what we talked about, but the message was overwhelming and clear: YOU BELONG.

I'm still afraid to say hello. But every time I do there's a new friend saying hello back. I've met some amazing people through SCBWI and I look forward to meeting even more.

Hello :)

Kat Higgs-Coulthard has been a writer as long as she can remember. She became a teacher out of a desire to help others share their words and has been a teacher for more than 20 years, first as an elementary teacher, then as a teacher educator at Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame. Her latest YA book, Junkyard Dogs, is due out in March 2023 from Peachtree Teen.

Thank you, Kat, for sharing your Hello story marked by these descriptions of authentic emotion. I think many of us can relate to your experiences. From being terrified to looking forward to meeting more amazing people through SCBWI—may our greetings and smiles welcome the new faces we encounter virtually or in person! Pass it on!

Do you have a Hello story you want to share? Send me your submission at ohaginib@gmail.com (300 words or less).

Interview with John Rodriguez, BIPOC Scholarship Awardee and Featured Illustrator

In this third of our series on our BIPOC scholarship awardees, we meet John Rodriguez—an exciting illustrator and multimedia artist. In addition to his interview, John delights our imagination by sharing a few exciting, action-packed illustrations that promise to grab his young readers’ attention! Marvel and enjoy, everyone!

 

Isabel Estrada O’Hagin

SCBWI-MI Outreach Coordinator

 

 

1.    How has the SCBWI membership been useful to you? 

Being a member of SCBWI has enabled me to expand my network of relationships with authors and other illustrators in the state of Michigan. The newsletters have been very informative and there have been opportunities for me to learn about how other professionals are trying to grow their business.  

 

2.    We’d like to get to know you! Tell us about your past creative work in the area of children’s literature or related areas of interest or expertise. You can also tell us about your studio or workspace.

I am working on growing as an illustrator of children’s literature. My recent interest started to develop after having children and spending time helping them to grow their imaginations. One of my children began to show interest in storytelling. So, we began to work on sketches toward a book production. After working with him on this project, I realized that I had a lot to learn in this growing industry. 

It is important to me to work on projects that showcase Black children. For a short time, I worked on putting together comic strips and illustrations featuring a young Black boy. This helped to further the conversation about what life can be like for Black boys. It is fun and filled with love and family.

 

I primarily work at home. I use a variety of media to create my pieces. This includes traditional mediums such as watercolor, acrylics, and oil paints. Most recently, much of my work has been on my iPad using the Procreate app with an Apple Pencil. Using this tool allows me to produce work at a faster pace and doesn’t have any significant prep time or clean-up. You still have to be able to illustrate and understand color theory to produce artwork. It allows me to work anywhere I enjoy.

3.    What in your childhood or youth piqued your interest in writing or illustrating? What were some of the major influences that led you to this road? 

 Drawing was always accessible. Since paper and pencils were readily available, it was an easy way to engage in something productive while waiting for time to pass or keeping myself occupied when being a noisy child wasn’t an option. I was very much inspired by early 80s cartoons such as Thundercats, Transformers, He-Man, Teenage-Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the like. I wanted to be able to draw these characters and tell my own stories. I am happy to say that I still engage with cartoons and continue to enjoy animation and the visual arts. 

 

4.    Please share anything about your current projects or what’s ahead in your creative work. We’d love to hear about it! 

I am currently working on a project with the Ann Arbor District Library where I am creating a visual piece that represents Michigan culture. Most recently, I designed the artwork for Ann Arbor’s 2022 Juneteenth Celebration.  Since I am a multimedia artist, I do a variety of work including photography and video production, as well as illustration. 

Other samples of my work can be found at:

johnrod.myportfolio.com

Instagram: @bruinprophet

Facebook: @jrartsite 

John Rodriguez is a marketing and communications professional at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. John holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). John is of Afro-Caribbean descent, having been born in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He is a husband and father of two young boys. His work as a visual artist explores the dynamics of culture and emotions through portraiture and storytelling that build community awareness and challenge stereotypical narratives.

BIPOC Scholarship

This scholarship awards a one-year membership to SCBWI for new members who identify as BIPOC kidlit creators.

Qualifications: Must be a Michigan resident, at least 18 years of age, who identifies as BIPOC and is a writer and/or illustrator of children’s literature.

Award: A one-year membership to SCBWI.

Applications Accepted: September 1st – October 1st (via a link that will be posted here).   Awardees will be notified on or before Oct. 15th.

To donate to this scholarship, click or tap HERE.

Ask the Editor with Katherine Gibson Easter

Hello everyone! BIG thanks to all the people who sent me their questions! I’ve answered them to the best of my abilities, and I hope you find this post helpful and informative.

As with my previous Ask the Editor posts, I humbly ask that you take my comments in the spirit in which they’re intended. The advice here is meant to be friendly and helpful; I sincerely hope that no one finishes reading this post feeling vulnerable or discouraged.

I’d also like to add a general disclaimer that my thoughts are my own; I do not speak on behalf of my publisher or the publishing industry in general. I would not be at all surprised to learn that you’ve heard an editor or agent say something that directly conflicts with my perspective. Everyone in publishing has their own opinions and preferences, and I can only be honest about my own.

If you have any questions about writing, editing, querying, or publishing that aren’t addressed here, please reach out to me anytime. I’m always happy to gather questions for my next post!

Thanks, and happy reading!

How pushy is too pushy when it comes to nudging an editor to respond? For example, if I put a timeframe on a languishing proposal—my submission will remain exclusive for the next 4 weeks, after which time I will share it with other publishing houses—is that good form? Where's the line between being assertive and being demanding?

Excellent question! I’ll address the specific example in a moment, but I thought I’d also talk about this more broadly since I think a lot of writers have this question. You send your project out, time passes, and…crickets. What do you do? Do you follow up? If so, how long do you wait? 

There aren’t any hard or fast rules for this, unfortunately, but speaking for myself, I try to respond to projects (both the yays and the nays) within 6-8 weeks. That probably sounds like a long time, but there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes during that time—researching the author/project/market, pitching it to the team, getting the necessary approvals, etc. Based purely on my own experience, I’d recommend waiting at least a month before checking in on a submission, unless you’ve received an offer from someone else and need to follow up. 

For this particular example, it’s a bit different. I think most publishing houses assume that any submission they get is a simultaneous one, unless it’s specifically noted that it’s exclusive. So I do think it’s fair to put a timeframe on the exclusivity if that’s something you’re offering them (I’m assuming this isn’t a contractual first-option kind of situation). 

If you’re ever worried that you may be coming across as demanding or aggressive, I would say that as long as you’re keeping your correspondences friendly and professional, you’re probably fine. To put it another way, it’s less about whether or not you follow up on a project and more about how you go about it. Remember the end goal: ideally, you want to be working with this person, so show them how great you are to work with by being kind and courteous in your responses.

What is the reasonable rate for agents to charge a writer? Is there a range?

 

Typically, a literary agent gets 15% of their authors’ earnings (that includes flat fees, advances, royalties, etc.). So for easy math, if your agent secures you a book deal with a $10,000 advance, your take-home amount would be $8,500, and the agent would get $1,500. Maybe surprisingly, it tends to be 15% across the board for literary agents; I’m sure there are some exceptions out there, but I’d say 15% is definitely the industry standard. 

I’ve heard that Mondays and Tuesdays are days that editors concentrate on their new releases. Friday, of course, is pretty much the weekend. So that leaves Wednesday and Thursday to submit your manuscript to the editor. Does it really make a difference which day the manuscript arrives on the editor's desk? Certainly, time of year can have an impact, as summer and December seem to be dead zones. But day of the week?

I can only speak for myself here, but the day of the week I receive a manuscript really doesn’t make a substantial difference. If pressed, I’d say for my own personal schedule, I actually prefer to receive submissions on a Friday or a Monday—by Friday, I’ve usually tackled the big items for the week and have more time to dig into new projects, and on Mondays I build my schedule for the week, so I can easily slot in time to review submissions. But I could very easily see Wednesdays or Thursdays being ideal for other editors, so I’d say there’s really no “good” or “bad” day of the week to send in your manuscript. 

That said, you do bring up a good point: there are some times of the year when I’m slower to respond to projects, usually because it’s a high vacation season (as you mention, December and summer) or because I’m swamped with current projects (which could honestly be anytime. If anyone comes up with a way of predicting when a busy season will hit, I will pay top dollar for the technology!). But honestly, one of the most common reasons I turn down a good project is because I just recently signed something similar, so I do think there’s something to be said for just sending out your manuscript as soon as it’s ready, rather than trying to “time” the submission process. But in the end, you have to decide what feels right to you. Good luck!

Katherine Gibson Easter is an editor for Zonderkidz, having previously worked for Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. She graduated from the University of Denver Publishing Institute in 2013 and has spent the last eight years editing and publishing award-winning children’s books, including Sibert Medal and Caldecott Honor book The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus and Plume, which was a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book.

Thank you, Katherine!

To submit a publishing question, email Mitten blog editor Sarah LoCascio with "Ask the Editor" in the subject line, and she'll forward your question to Katherine. Or, stay tuned on the SCBWI-MI MichKids listserv – Katherine will ask for questions a few weeks before her next post.

If you missed any of Katherine's previous Ask the Editor posts, go HERE to browse through all the questions and answers.

On the Shelf by Tara Michener: Say It Out Loud by Allison Varnes

Speak up. Use your words. Express yourself. 

These suggestions might sound easier than they are. This is especially true if you are a middle school student who has been bullied because the bullies believe that you told on them. This might be even harder if you try your best not to use your words very often because you stutter. 

Allison Varnes does a delightful job of taking us on a journey of a young girl, giving readers an inside look at what it is like when speech does not come easy. 

When we talk about the concept of windows and mirrors, we don’t always talk about talk. Talking is sometimes a privilege that is assumed. This book gives a really good glimpse of the pressure that a student can face when they are caught off guard and expected to speak or the shame that can threaten when there is a need for a teacher to assist. 

Say It Out Loud (Random House, 2021) covers the value in speaking up for others as well as understanding that we don’t all speak the same, but our words make the biggest difference. I implore you to not only get it for a person who loves middle grade lit but also for an educator who works with children. 

Tara Michener is the author of six children's books that focus on self-esteem, diversity and anti-bullying. She is a TEDx speaker, therapist and owns her own private practice in Novi, MI. Tara has been recognized in publications such as Prevention Magazine, Essence Magazine, FREEP and more! She is the Committee Chair of E&I at SCBWI-MI. Her favorite days usually include spending time with her hubistrator, Jason, her son Cannon and her favorite snack Twizzlers and Diet Coke. You can follow her on Twitter @Taramichener.