SCBWI

Society of
Children's Book Writers
and Illustrators

Michigan

Michigan

  • 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.
  • Our chapter offers a growing number of scholarships described below. We hope you will consider applying for opportunities you feel are a fit for you. Questions? Contact our Scholarship Coordinator, Jacquie Sewell at Mischolarshipcoordinator at gmail.com.  (use the @ symbol in place of 'at') BIPOC Scholarship This scholarship awards a one-year membership to SCBWI for people who would like to become new members and 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. Deadline:  Applications are accepted Sept 1st-Oct. 1st. The awardee will be notified by Oct. 15th. For more information and to apply go to BIPOC Scholarship Application EACH ONE, REACH ONE! We invite you to share this opportunity with someone you know who qualifies, feel free to email or print out this poster! SCBWI BIPOC Scholarship poster Reach out to contacts at schools of education, illustration programs, writing centers, libraries, K-12 schools. Please share! Want to donate to the BIPOC Scholarship fund so more people can be awarded? CLICK HERE   Members For Members Scholarship: Supporting Inclusivity in Children’s Literature This scholarship awards a one-year SCBWI membership to a Michigan writer or illustrator. Qualifications: Must be a Michigan resident actively working toward creating children’s books that resonate with diverse readers. Award: Awardees will receive a year’s membership to SCBWI beginning April 1 if the awardee is a new member. If the awardee is a current member, the membership will be extended for a year. Deadline: Applications are accepted from February 14 through March 14. The winner (s) will be announced on or about April 1 each year. For more information and to apply go to M4M Scholarship Application Interested in making a donation to support our Members For Members Scholarship Fund? You can send your donation via PayPay or by check. By PayPal: donations made through our SCBWI MI PayPal account should read, “M4M Scholarship” Search for address is michigan-ra@scbwi.org By check: make your check payable to SCBWI-MI with a note to read,
  • The SCBWI unequivocally recognizes that the world’s 14.7 million Jewish people (less than 0.018% of the population) have the right to life, safety, and freedom from scapegoating and fear. No person should be at risk because of their heritage, religion, disability, or whom they love. In the last several years, antisemitism has been on the rise globally, and has fueled a 75% increase in hate speech and random violence against Jewish people in the last few weeks alone. Because antisemitism is one of the oldest forms of hatred, it has its own name. It is the example from which many forms of racism and violence are perpetrated. As writers, illustrators, and translators of children’s literature, we are responsible for promoting equity and humanizing people in our work-all children and all families.   Silence is often mistaken for acceptance and results in the perpetration of more hatred and violence against different types of people. As proof, it saddens us that for the 4th time this year we are compelled to invite you to join us in not looking away and in speaking out against all forms of hate, including antisemitism. #StopAntisemitism #StopJewishHate #NeverAgain #UniteAgainstAntisemitism #WeStandAgainstAntisemitism
  • 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 three indie advisors: Melissa Bailey - Picture Book, David Stricklen - Middle Grade, and 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     David Stricklen – SCBWI-MI Indie Coordinator & Middle Grade Author In a former life, David was an 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 three sought-after MG fantasy adventure books: Beneath and Beyond, Through the Eyes of the Beast and The Heart of the Swarm. His new release is a contemporary MG fiction entitled Ripley Robinson and the Worm Charmer, which is reviewer recommended by KIRKUS Review and featured in their monthly magazine. His books and school visits are filled with magic and creativity. David’s reverse perspective painting was a Grand Rapids ArtPrize (largest attended art competition in the world) 3D 2018 popular vote finalist and a post prize Colors of Community 3D & 2D popular vote first place (ArtPrize category). David is on the Michigan Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI-MI) leadership team and is also the Michigan SCBWI indie coordinator, Grand Rapids Shop Talk coordinator and the overall Michigan Shop Talk Administrator.     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!
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  •     THE E & I TEAM CREATES COMMUNITY Welcome to SCBWI- Michigan Equity and Inclusion webpage! We commit to our role in meeting the needs of members through service and opportunities. The E & I Team is energized to create a stronger SCBWI-MI community that includes, engages, and embraces disparate voices. So glad you’re here!   **If you have an idea for how we can better create a safe and productive creative space for all members, please use our Virtual Suggestion Box! Click HERE to add a suggestion.**   MISSION We welcome and celebrate writers, illustrators, and translators who represent a broad spectrum of backgrounds and who seek to create quality literature for young people that reflect the lives of all children.   PURPOSE We understand the power of children seeing themselves represented in books. Such equitable reading experiences lead to empathy, understanding, and respect. We must implement initiatives that will address issues of inclusivity, accessibility, and belonging for our children's literature community that will, in turn, help us write books for all children. As Lin Oliver has stated,
  • Click here to browse our members' beautiful new releases.  Click here to register for the Happy Book Birthday Program 
  • This multi-region conference is designed to give you a large SCBWI NYC or LA conference experience closer to home. Featuring over 35 faculty members sharing content for writers and illustrators that will move your Work In Progress and your career forward. Make industry connections. Get a portfolio review or critique. Have access to acquiring editors, agents, and art directors. Find your people and make lasting relationships. Start your planning now to join in! Much more information to come. Stay tuned.
  •  Whether you are an established author/illustrator or you're releasing your debut book, marketing is essential to your books’ success. This reference was designed for SCBWI members only to provide you with information on how and where you can market your work.   Click here to access our members-only book promotion page. Click here to access a list of indie bookstores in Michigan. Please frequent these great venues often.   Good luck and know that we are very proud of YOU! Slider art credit: M. Cody Wiley
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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

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