Online Critique Update

SUCCESS

I am pleased to report that we now have seven active Online Critique Groups successfully up and running, covering all genres from Picture Books to Young Adult. Thank you to everyone who has been in touch to tell me how much they are enjoying their Online Critique Groups and how valuable the feedback has been to them.

NEW PLACES AVAILABLE FOR MEMBERS

We also have members on the waiting list for all genres. To form well-balanced new groups we need more applications for PB, JF and especially PB (illustrators only) and YA. So we would welcome more members.

PUBLISHED WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS

We have successful experienced published writers and illustrators in the groups as well as talented ‘keen to be published’ new writers and illustrators. As groups work best for all members when they are well balanced we are extremely keen to encourage more emerging and experienced published writers and illustrators to join in the critique groups.

It is interesting to note that many successful SCBWI members today started out their careers in Critique Groups made up of talented, keen, unpublished writers and illustrators. So I would like to encourage everyone to get involved, participate, widen your network and have fun.

Margaret Roc

SCBWI Success Story Aura Parker

Path to Publication: My first picture book contract - words & pictures

In early 2015 I was offered my first picture book contract as writer and illustrator. The idea grew out my 4 year old son’s obsession with insects. Last year, we went on meandering bush walks together, searching for stick insects and inspecting spider webs. Seeing the insect world through a child’s eyes helped my idea for a bug book and sprouted a lot of noisy characters that couldn’t be ignored. Once I started drawing them I couldn’t stop!

I signed up for the Illustrator Portfolio Showcase at the SCBWI Conference in Sydney in July 2014. I never knew such a thing existed or I would have done it sooner, as it’s a great way to have work seen by the industry. They have a room set up with illustrators' portfolios on tables and invite publishers and art directors to view. The illustrators don’t go in while all this happens. I was new to the industry and things opened up to me dramatically around the time of the conference. I’d been making a lot of new work and joined in with the 52 Week Illustration Challenge and shared lots of work online too. Along the way, I discovered that writing a book is like pouring a whole lot of time into some uncertain cup in the sky, really exciting and really hard. 

At the SCBWI conference I took up the opportunity to book a portfolio critique with crazy talented Bruce Whatley. Showing my pictures to an illustrator who has worked on so many books was most inspiring and a piece of advice that sticks in my mind is, “Make it how you want it and not how you think it should be”. It’s really valuable when you’ve moved away from client-led design work to your own creative projects. Bruce suggested I get in touch with Scholastic and recommended I find Rebecca Young. She’s a picture book author and has written some beautiful books. She didn’t attend the Illustrator showcase but asked Andrew Berkhut, Head of Publishing at Scholastic to scout anyone she might like and he came back with a postcard of one of my illustrations. I got in touch via email and my little postcard paved the way. Go little postcard!

My first picture book, with lots and lots of bugs, will be published in July 2016 with Scholastic Press and it’s wonderful news that it’ll make it into the hands of little readers. So, keep up the drawing and word wrangling because you never know what opportunity might be around the corner. Since then, I’m working on the illustrations for another picture book too, out next year with New Frontier. 

New Member Winter Meet-up, Sydney

Dear new SCBWI Australia East & NZ members,

There will be a Winter meet-up on Sunday 27th September at 2pm at The Hughenden Boutique Hotel. If you would like to catch up over coffee and meet other new members please RSVP to Ramona Davey via email: ramonadavey@gmail.com

If you have spare time why not take advantage of the great event Writers In The Park, that is taking place across the road at the Centennial Park.

We look forward to seeing you!