TIPS ON GRANTS & ORGANISATIONS

Roving Reporter: Dimity Powell

TIPS ON GRANTS & ORGANISATIONS

 There are numerous organisations available to the unpublished and published author and illustrator to further their careers and / or develop their projects within Australia and NZ.

 ZOE RODRIGUEZ: CAL Payout approx. $120 million per year for members.

Funds fall under the Cultural Fund which was established as a mutual pot of funds to distribute.

 Given out 4 x a year via sub funds like the Creative Careers fund for individual.

They aim to fund things that other people / organisations don’t fund.

 How does this happen?

Via application. They invite you to email or call or follow the formal online application process.

 If you say that you have gained a fund from the Australian Council, don’t expect them to fund you again for the same thing.

 Applications are assessed by your peers – a body of publishers, visual artists and authors.

 EMMA HEYDE: The School is approaching their centennial birthday in 2016. They publish four aged-targeted editions: Countdown, Blast Off, Orbit and Touchdown.

 They take and pay for most styles of writing and illustrations with most short fiction with a WC of 200 to 8-900 Words. Always looking for fresh new voices and play scripts too. Detailed submission guidelines are found onsite.

 JILL EDDINTON: Australia Council have been around 40 odd years. They chief objective is to disperse funds across a number of projects presented to them.

 Changes due to take place Aug / Sept 2014 regarding the New Grants Fund (for writers which used to fall under the Literature Section)

 Now it will still involve a Peer Process Application set up but now applicants have to tell us exactly what you want. No longer a set board of assessing people. Rather based according to the type of project being presented. Projects are assessed by drawing on a pool of talent who judges it.

 Larger organisations other than individuals are also funded e.g. Organisations that support the Literary Industry such as SCBWI and ASA.

 LIBBY GLEESON: Director of the Australian Society of Authors. Urges that no one is standing alone and that everyone should be a member because:

It’s the only organisation that advocates creative writers/illustrators.

Without them there would be no CAL

They offer professional development at all levels.

They look after the business of being a writer

They are national

They offer writing development through manuscripts etc.

They set up awards

They give professional consultation

They are involved with set ups like Authors Unlimited = branding, online presence, E Books and marketing etc.

They give Contract Assessments

They will service our work whether it is to assist you with getting a Literary Agent or if you are ghost writing

Members bet newsletters, magazines, and info on line, discounts and events.

Libby stressed that this organisations protects what you’ve already established; whether you have already published and think you won’t again – you are still protected and assisted.

Unpublished authors may become associate members.

CHRISTOPHER CHENG: SCBWI International Liaison Officer.

Directed us to the main SCBWI site and to scour the Grants page which lists in detail grants and opportunities for published and unpublished authors alike. For example the WIP Grant. Illustrated are considered as well e.g.; Art Pot for submitting artwork for the SCBWI bulletin. Others include Book Launch Awards, Krystal Kite Award etc. PAL members (= published authors) if you are published in the NSW School Magazine, you may apply for PAL membership via SCBWI.

As members, when you are published put you book on the onsite Book Shop – use it! Bologna Book Fair = Biannual Asian Festival of Children's Content.

Conclusion regarding Funding and Grant expectations:

Look at what you want but don’t be unrealistic. Study which fund, grant, award or fellowship will suit you, your needs and your project best and stick to the application guidelines.

SCBWI Art Auction Raises over $1400 for Room to Read

Oh my gosh!!! The SCBWI conference helped raise over $1400 for Room to Read Australia at our art auction with works donated by the AMAZINGLY talented and generous Bruce Whatley and Stephen Axelsen Author/Illustrator.

Not surprising, of course, not with these giants of illustrators. Thank you fellas for being so generous. The money will go to Room to Read's World Change Challenge made possible by the wonderful, Tristan Bancks. 

Up close with Bruce Whatley

Roving reporter and conference photographer, Lesley Vamos, records her impressions of our key-note guest speaker, multi-award-winning writer/illustrator, Bruce Whatley.

Wearied by gruelling advertising deadlines, Bruce Whatley wanted to write and illustrate children's books. So he turned a photograph of a kangaroo, taken whilst he was holidaying, into a character. He had the beginnings of a book idea. However, upon appraisal from publishers he was told that the manuscript needed work.

Instead of simply walking away, Whatley spontaneously pitched a story about his dog. He later went home and quickly conceived of and wrote this story from scratch. Within three days the book dummy for "The Ugliest Dog in The World" was on the editor's desk. Being familiar with quick turn arounds, he finished the book in three weeks. 

Within the next six weeks Whatley also went on to conceptualize and finish “Looking for Crabs” (a story based on his son). These two books are still in print 22 years later.

Whatley continued making books in Australia, alongside his wife Rosie Smith. Then the duo wrote "Quest" and it was picked up in the US. Whatley and family moved to the States for four years to work on upwards of 50 books. Tired of being a "hired wrist" he and his family moved back to Australia to continue the "Smith-Whatley" empire.

When considering illustrating another author's story, Whatley says that it needs to "mean something". He needs to be able to see the book come together as he reads it. 

Once arriving home from the U.S. Whatley realised with dismay that the illustration world had changed while he wasn't looking. It was not only being "played on another field" but artists such as Shaun Tan had taken it to a "different planet".

Dissatisfied with his work and wanting to eliminate the gap between illustrator and artist, Whatley set about bettering his craft. He realised, after tiring out his right hand, that when he switched to illustrating with his left hand he had better access to the right side of his brain. As a consequence he was able to create a deeper sense of expression and emotion. He went on to complete a doctorate on this topic.  

Since this time he has created a few books using only his left hand (including: Flood, Giants of Galapagos), initially attempting to publish them under the alias Maingauche (French for left hand). Whatley continues to pursue different methods of construction and artistry by dabbling in all forms of creative expression - 3D, paint, pencils etc… His latest venture, due for publication in 2016, involves building and lighting his world in the software suite Cinema 4D. Whatley digitally constructs his environment and renders the final illustrations in heightened detail using graphite. This will be his most ambitious book yet consisting of around 100 pages. Whatley says it is a work that contains no compromises.