On Saturday 26 October we came together for the SCBWI ACT Development Day Path to Publication. This was a day for anyone just starting out through to those well into their publication journey. We were welcomed to the day by our SCBWI ACT Coordinator Nicole Godwin and SCBWI Australia Regional Advisor Susanne Gervay.
Diane Evans from Big Sky Publishing provided the keynote address. Big Sky Publishing have only recently moved into children’s publishing and Diane shared what they are looking for. Stories with messages, environmental themes, female protagonists, wellness, history and series. They are also looking for Australian illustrators. Including market research, selling points and a strong biography is an absolute must in your submission.
Diane spent the rest of the day providing manuscript critiques and Tania McCartney provided portfolio critiques. Thank you to both Diane and Tania for your time and thoughtful feedback on our work.
We then had a panel session on New to the Game where we heard from three picture book authors on their journey to publication: Mitch Frost, Krys Saclier and Catherine Meatheringham (that’s me!) The panel was MC’d by the amazing Grace Bryant who is quite possibly one of the best MCs I’ve seen. Mitch’s first book The Ultimate Survival Guide to Monsters Under the Bed was contracted after a pitch to publisher session. Mitch’s top tip is to make the pitch reflect the voice of your story. Krys’ book Super Nova was first written in 2011 and after many years and submissions was published in 2019. Krys’ tip is to keep on revising and submitting. And my story, My Possum Plays the Drums (coming out in March) was the result of a manuscript assessment. My tip is to do as much research as possible to find the right publisher for your story.
Cate Whittle shared her thoughtful ideas on Staying on Track. We need to celebrate what we do. We need to keep going, create in the cracks and let our day jobs fund our creativity. Don’t ever stop learning. Participate in everything that you can, engage and become an active part of the community. We need to connect with others and value our own skills. We need to build and nurture relationships, be informed and finally, but most importantly, be brave. For those who are interested, Cate’s beautiful PowerPoint presentation was designed in canva.com which is a free and easy to use online design tool. It’s also great for creating social media posts.
Lunch was a great opportunity to catch up with old and new friends and browse the bookshop run by Sophie from Harry Hartog Books. It was amazing to see so many SCBWI ACT author and illustrator books on the table on the table.
Sadly, Katy from the ACT Writers Centre couldn’t make our day due to a last-minute emergency. So, Tania McCartney and Grace Bryant ran an impromptu Social media session. You only have to look at their websites and social media to see what gurus they are! Their tips: Twitter is great for older children’s books and Facebook is better for younger children’s books. Facebook should be a separate account to your personal one. Instagram and Pinterst are perfect for illustrators. For anyone wanting some online social media training, they recommended lynda.com. Content should reflect our brand, be regular and we should all have a social media plan.
Our fabulous SCBWI Australia leader, Susanne Gervay shared her insights on the Australian Publishing Industry along with some career advice. We need to have a plan of action for our writing and illustrating career, to always work on our craft and to remember that we need to also focus on marketing and social media. Susanne encouraged us to look at the opportunities on scbwi.org to further our professional development and connections. Susanne encouraged everyone to look at publishers in the Small Press Network and other independent publishers in addition to the major publishers.
At the end of the day we shared our proudest moments for 2019. Wow, what a talented bunch we are. There were books released, contracts signed, competitions entered, competitions shortlisted and won, plays written and performed, connections made and so much more.
The day ended with an announcement that the SCBWI ACT Committee - Nicole Godwin, Shaye Wardrop, Cate Whittle and Grace Bryant are stepping down. They have developed, championed and grown SCBWI ACT over the last three years and have decided it’s time for a new committee to take the reins. The new committee will start in January 2020 and are Shelly Unwin, Mitch Frost, Krys Saclier, Sarah Wallace, Catherine Meatheringham. We are excited about this opportunity and know that we have very big shoes to fill.
Thank you to Nicole, Shaye, Cate and Grace for your dedication, enthusiasm and work over the last 3 years to make SCBWI ACT such a fabulous community. And thank you for organising yet another wonderful event.
Click through the photos below:
