On 26th September, SCBWI South Australia hosted their annual Professional Day. SCBWI regional advisor and author Susanne Gervay, joined us via zoom to present ‘Is publishing a Blood Sport?’ Filled with hope, heart and lots of humour, Susanne spoke of the joys and pains of becoming a published writer and provided some great advice to help writers and illustrators negotiate the publishing world.
We were delighted to welcome Phil Cummings who shared anecdotes from his 32 years in the writing industry. We gained an insight into Phil’s writing process from gathering material to drafting stories and his passion to write, which has been the motivation behind his long and successful career.
Mandy Foot spoke about ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ of the publishing industry. Mandy shared some tips on the ‘business side’ of being an illustrator and talked about ways creators, especially illustrators, can generate other sources of income to support their craft.
During lunch, attendees were invited to peruse the Illustrators’ Marketplace. Six members displayed their work, which included original artwork, gift cards, magnets, and even a digital storybook demonstration. Anyone making a purchase entered a draw to win an original Mandy Foot painting (congratulations to winner Robin Tatlow-Lord). The marketplace proved a tremendous success, and we hope to run a similar showcase at future events.
After lunch, CBCA SA director, Jane Moore and CBCA SA acting president, Kathryn Beilby joined us to talk about the CBCA and the differences between the national board and local branches. Jane and Kathryn discussed the CBCA awards and gave us an insight into the judging process. We learned about a new method of shadow judging being trialled, which involves children in the judging. We also had a sneak peek into next years Book Week theme and the stunning accompanying artwork.
Mike and Becky Lucas (owners of Shakespeare’s Bookshop) provided a glimpse into publishing from a bookshop’s point of view. Mike talked about his journey from self-published children’s poet to bookshop owner (and we were especially intrigued by his lion-taming family history). Mike and Becky discussed how bookshops source books and the do’s and don’ts of independently approaching a bookshop to sell your book.
The day concluded with our Page One Panel hosted by Lauren Mullinder. We welcomed award-winning writers Janeen Brian, Adam Cece, Susanne Gervay and Vikki Wakefield who provided valuable feedback and advice to first pages pre-submitted anonymously by the audience.
Finally, we said a sad farewell Kelly Hibbert who is retiring from her role as SA coordinator. The committee and everyone at SCBWI SA thank Kelly for her dedication and hard work over the last four years. We welcome illustrator Lauren Mullinder as coordinator and wish her well in her new role.
SCBWI SA would like to thank all the presenters and panel members who joined us for this insightful and information-packed day. Our next event is the Assessment Fest on 23rd October via zoom. Good luck to all those who have submitted a manuscript for critique or have booked a pitch with an agent or publisher.
