SCBWI

Society of
Children's Book Writers
and Illustrators

Michigan

Michigan

  •   Please join us for our first in-person conference since 2020! Seats are limited, so begin preparations now to register on February 14, 2023! Full event website and registration will be linked HERE soon. Where: VisTaTech Center, Schoolcraft College, Livonia, MI  When: Saturday, April 1, 2023 What: Digging Deeper: Unearthing Your Literary Treasures, a one-day, roll-up-your-sleeves opportunity to focus on your work in progress and move it forward!  Four tracks -- choose one for the day!  Pre-Published Picture Book People Published Picture Book People Novelists Author/Illustrators One faculty member per track and the same group of colleagues will provide a safe space to learn and grow together.   Faculty: Thursday evening keynote inspirational speaker- Andy J. Pizza Pre-published picture book track- Alice B. McGinty Published picture book track- Sue Fliess Author/illustrator track- Laurie Keller Novel track- Jack Cheng and Patrick Flores-Scott Schedule: (subject to unforeseen changes)     Time Segment Start End Light Breakfast 7:30 8:00 Intro (Auditorium) 8:15 9:00 Session 1 9:15 10:15 Session 2 10:30 11:30 Lunch on your own 11:30 1:00 Afternoon Workshop 1:15 3:15 Panel Discussion 3:30 4:30 Conclusion (Auditorium) 4:30 5:00   Fee:  Early Bird SCBWI members $130.00 Regular price SCBWI members $140.00 Early Bird not yet members $160.00 Regular Price not yet members $180.00 Fee includes all conference content and handouts delivered in registrant's track, panel, and group programming, plus a virtual Inspirational Keynote on Thursday (will be recorded for later viewing if necessary), light breakfast on Saturday, AND the opportunity to purchase a critique from faculty members after the event (limited availability). Registration opens February 14, 2023! ***  Covid safety protocols will be adhered to as determined by HQ and the city of Livonia. We will continue to monitor these policies in an effort to follow the most up-to-date practices. More information will be outlined during registration.   We are also offering two scholarships for this conference. The Equity and Inclusion Scholarship To affirm the need for increased representation in the children’s and YA book industry, we are offering a full scholarship to the 2023 SCBWI MI Spring Conference. The scholarship is open to a current SCBWI Michigan member or not yet-member for the cost of tuition to the conference. This scholarship will be awarded to an attendee who identifies as a member of a community that has been traditionally marginalized by the publishing industry, as shown in this description by We Need Diverse Books: Our Definition of Diversity: We recognize all diverse experiences, including (but not limited to) LGBTQIA, Native, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities*, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities.    The First Timer Scholarship SCBWI-MI is thrilled to welcome everyone to our first in-person conference since 2020! We realize that due to the pandemic, many of our newer members have not experienced an IN-PERSON conference hosted by our kidlit community. The First Timer Scholarship offers a full conference registration to a member who has not yet attended an SCBWI-MI in-person conference.    For both scholarships: Application window: February 1, 2023 - February 12th, 2023. Awardees will be notified on or before February 13th by email.  Questions should be directed to SCBWI-MI's Scholarship Coordinator, Arjun Yetukuri at mischolarshipcoordinator@gmail.com * We subscribe to a broad definition of disability, which includes but is not limited to physical, sensory, cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities, chronic conditions, and mental illnesses (this may also include addiction). Furthermore, we subscribe to a social model of disability, which presents disability as created by barriers in the social environment, due to lack of equal access, stereotyping, and other forms of marginalization.
  •   CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE BOOK PROMOTION POSTER OF WINTER 2022/2023 NEW RELEASES Do you have a new book coming out? We would love to share your good news! If you are interested in this promotion opportunity, please complete all the information within this Book Promotion Form. (You will need to be logged into Google to upload your book cover image.) Any questions, please contact Christy Matthes at cmatthes82@gmail.com Book Promotion Poster Schedule Quarter Submission Deadline Posting Date  2023 Spring (March, April, May releases)  January 2, 2023  February 1, 2023  2023 Summer (June, July, August releases)  April 1, 2023  May 1, 2023  2023 Fall (Sept, Oct., Nov. releases)  July 1, 2023  August 1, 2023  2023/2024 Winter (Dec, Jan, Feb releases)  October 1, 2023  November 1, 2023  2024 Spring (March, April, May releases)  January 2, 2024  February 1, 2024  2024 Summer (June, July, Aug. releases)  April 1, 2024  May 1, 2024    
  • CHERRY LAKE PUBLISHING GROUP ANNOUNCES 2023 OWN VOICES, OWN STORIES AWARD SEASON IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EASTERSEALS   Cherry Lake Publishing Group is launching their third season of their Own Voices, Own Stories Award for authors from historically marginalized groups. They are so thrilled to elevate their mission to recognize and amplify new and diverse voices in children’s literature with this award.   For the 2023 award season and in partnership with Easterseals, the Own Voices, Own Stories Award will be eligible to new authors with disabilities. Easterseals is the nation’s leading nonprofit provider of life-changing services and powerful advocacy for people with disabilities throughout their lifespans. It has been leading the way to full equity, inclusion, and access for the one in four Americans with disabilities so they can fully participate in their communities and in society at large for more than 100 years.    Cherry Lake Publishing Group will be accepting submissions from January 1, 2023 through March 31, 2023 with winners notified late summer. Awards include a Grand Prize (publishing contract and cash prize) and Honor Awards (cash prize and consulting session with an editor). Click HERE for additional information on the award. You can also check out the OVOS section of their website (https://cherrylakepublishing.com/ovos) or visit them on social media for more information.  
  •   [caption id=
  • Newsflash! SCBWI Announces New Benefits for Members who are self-publishing! Check it out HERE Do you have indie questions? Depending on the indie path that you are considering, you may contact one of the three advisors below that best fits your direction. 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. In an effort to provide the most current and accurate information for our members we have two indie advisors: Melissa Bailey - Picture Book, Melanie Hooyenga - Young Adult. You should also consider their particular path to publishing. Who may best answer your individual questions?   Meet the SCBWI-MI INDIE ADVISORS     Melanie Hooyenga – Young Adult Author  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. Her award-winning YA sports romance series, the Rules Series, is about girls from Colorado falling in love and learning to stand up on their own. Her YA time travel trilogy, The Flicker Effect, is about a teen who uses sunlight to travel back to yesterday. The first book, FLICKER, won first place for Middle Grade/Young Adult in the Writer’s Digest 2015 Self-Published eBook awards, and the Rules Series has won ten awards, including Finalist for MG/YA in the BookLife Prize. 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.     Melissa Bailey – Picture Book Author/Illustrator Hi! I’m Melissa, but feel free to call me Mo. I’ve been a member of SCBWI since 2013 and have been illustrating children’s books since 2009, including 2 award winners and a feature in Kirkus Review’s 2019 Fall Preview. In 2018, I reached my goal of becoming an author-illustrator with Pug Is Happy (published by a pygmy indie publisher) and have co-authored and illustrated the upcoming picture book Imara’s Tiara (fall 2020). With the help of SCBWI, research, experiences clients have generously shared with me, and my own insatiable curiosity, I’ve worked hard to learn all I can about the ins and outs of the children’s book publishing industry (both traditional and indie) and try my best to keep current with ever-evolving trends and changes. I’m here to help make your publishing journey less confusing and more successful.   Access More Information about the SCBWI-Trailblazers HERE!
  • SCBWI stands firmly against bias, oppression, or unfair treatment of people based on their identity elements. As we feel the pain of what is happening today in America and in the treatment of our Black citizens, we renew our commitment to equity, inclusion, and equal justice for all. To read more about our stand, here is our position statement on equity and inclusion: At SCBWI, we recognize that publicly committing to equity and inclusion is crucial to our membership and the readers we serve. Words, stories, and images are powerful: They define who we are for ourselves and for others. Historically, content creation that reaches a wide audience of children and teens has been intertwined with a legacy of privilege, oppression, bias, and racism. We acknowledge that, as part of the children’s publishing industry, we share in that legacy.   We accept the challenge and responsibility of becoming agents of change by affirming the need for increased representation in every facet of the children’s and YA book industry, including but not limited to race/ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship, and religion. To fulfill our mission of supporting the creation and availability of quality books for every young reader in all regions of the world, we commit to championing equity and inclusion throughout our organization by striving to:   –identify and dismantle inequities within our policies and practices –expand inclusivity in our leadership, membership, and volunteer corps –increase the social consciousness of our members through substantive learning opportunities –continually examine and renew that commitment in our events, programming, online initiatives, publications, awards and grants, community outreach, and education efforts   As creators of books for children and teens, we have both a unique responsibility and a powerful opportunity to help young people create an equitable, inclusive world. We look forward to listening, learning, and leading.
  •   SCBWI-Michigan is pleased to offer these upcoming bookselling and promotional opportunities to our PAL and Full members! Watch your email inbox for more information on each event and click the highlighted Event Link below. Want to become a member? Click HERE DATE EVENT AND LINK TO EVENT # OF TABLES PER DAY # OF CREATIVES PER TABLE TOTAL # of CREATIVES June 4 READING ROCKS IN ROCKFORD Krause Memorial Branch - Kent District Library 140 E Bridge St Rockford, MI   3 10:00- 1:00 2-3  8 July 30 LOCAL AUTHOR BOOK SALE AT STERLINGFEST Sterling Heights Public Library 40255 Dodge Park Rd Sterling Heights, MI   1 per shift Shift 1: 10:00 - 1:00 Shift 2:  1:00 - 4:00 3 6 Sept. 18 KERRYTOWN BOOK FEST Morris Lawrence Bldg at Washtenaw Community College 4800 E. Huron River Dr Ann Arbor, MI   3   4 12 Sept. 23-25 FUNKY FERNDALE Nine Mile Road west of Woodward Ferndale, MI   2 Friday 3:00 - 7:30 Saturday 10:00-7:30 Sunday 11:00 - 6:00 4 24 (8 per day)  November 11 MAME Conference Speed Dating Event Kensington Hotel 3500 S. State St Ann Arbor, MI         TBD     TBD     TBD  Dec. 3-4  ANN ARBOR HOLIDAY FAIR Washtenaw County Fairgrounds 5055 Ann Arbor-Saline Road Ann Arbor, MI  2 Sat. 9:00 - 4:00 Sun 10:00-4:00  4  16 (8 per day) If you want to participate in the event on your own (not as part of SCBWI-MI's opportunity), contact the coordinator for that event. In that case, SCBWI-MI has no responsibility for your table space, book sales, or promotions.
  •   What is E&I up to?  Here's an example:
RA Photo
Welcome!

The strength of SCBWI lies in its individual members. Whether you are a creator, publisher, reviewer, librarian, bookseller, educator, or simply someone with a love of literature and a desire to see the best in the hands of children, we invite you to get to know us better. SCBWI-Michigan is

Read More
EVENTS CALENDAR