Website Spotlight

Website Spotlight - Podcast

Hi Everyone! We are going to start spotlighting something on the SCBWI website once a month. Thanks to the New Zealand chapter for the idea!

This month we are highlighting the SCBWI podcast. There are currently seven seasons you can access from the SCBWI website. Click on “Publications” then “Podcasts” to see descriptions for each episode as well as links to play them on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Podcasts. Or use this link to go straight to the page.

The SCBWI Podcasts are hosted by archivist Theo Baker. He interviews publishing professionals as well as award-winning writers, illustrators and translators who discuss the ins and outs of the children’s book industry. Find out about the craft and creative process behind young adult novels, picture books, middle-grade fiction, graphic novels and non-fiction. New episodes are released every Thursday during each season.

While learning about others’ work, it may even spark an idea to use in your own work.

Happy creating!

By Margaret Lea

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Kelly Bennett is coming to town!

By Margaret Lea Kelly Bennett credits an elementary school teacher for praising her writing and sticking it on the board. This gave her confidence to write more. And surprisingly, it was Kelly’s unhappy first marriage that also spurred her writing. In 1985, while trying to make this marriage work, she decided to do something solely for herself. She wanted to take a volleyball class at the university near her, but they didn’t offer that. So instead, she took a class on writing and marketing children’s stories. There she fell in love with writing for children. She also met another woman, Ronnie Davidson, who became a writing partner for twenty years. They published their first book together in 1987 and five more over the years. Kelly has now published around 25 books, both by herself and with others. She credits writing friends for keeping her accountable. For example, she and one friend would set a...

Sheila Fernley from Storm Literary Agency

By Margaret Lea Sheila Fernley joined Storm Literary Agency in March 2024 as an Associate Literary Agent, and is an agented picture book author herself, as well as a former editor and special education teacher. If you are reading this before November 2024, and would like to hear her speak, register for our free Zoom meeting . Here are her answers to some of querying authors’ most common questions. 1) Do you prefer a query salutation to be Dear Ms. Fernley, Dear Sheila Fernley, or Dear Sheila? I prefer query letter salutations to be personal – Dear Sheila, or even Hi Sheila. 2) How far do you read of each genre (PB/MG/YA) before you usually know it’s a pass? Do you represent all three categories? I represent authors who write PB, MG, and YA subgenres, requesting a full manuscript for picture books and the first three chapters of a MG or YA. I also represent author/illustrators. I can usually tell by the end of the first page if the project wil...

Wendelin Van Draanen

By Margaret Lea Wendelin Van Draanen, author of over 30 books across all age groups, will be the speaker at the Houston chapter meeting, August 4, 2025. Her 2001 novel FLIPPED was made into the 2010 movie FLIPPED , directed by Rob Reiner. Her presentation for our chapter is going to be “Keeping Hope in the Mail” and will focus on personal strength, commitment to craft, and strategies for not giving up. Below is my interview with Wendelin. 1) Your website says it took ten years for you to get published. How did you find an agent? Have you stayed with your original agent? It did take ten years! But I recommend writers work smarter than I did. I didn’t join SCBWI until after I had my first book deal. I definitely did everything the hard way! Trying to help others who are presently struggling is the main reason I wrote Hope in the Mail —my non-fiction book for writers in pursuit of their publishing dreams—and why my husband Mark a...

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