I just won a scholarship to the Craft and Business of Writing Children's Picture Books class through the Children's Book Academy. I've been happy dancing since I heard the great news! The class is taught by Random House editor Kelly Delaney and Mira Reisberg, and includes 25+ guest experts, worksheets and templates, and critiquing webinars. Plus, there will be Golden Ticket opportunities to submit directly to an agent or editor and bypass the slush pile or closed house submission policy. I can't wait to start this class at the end of the month!
I shared my news on Facebook and loved celebrating with everyone—then realized that it would be great to keep the celebration going by paying my good luck forward and helping someone else. I’m so grateful for this opportunity, and decided to give away a free picture book critique (or up to 5 pages of an MG or YA). When I asked Mira, she loved the idea, and then generously offered to give away a picture book critique. So click on the Rafflecopter widget below and enter for your chance to win a critique with Mira or me.
If you attend Mira’s free webinar on Friday night, June 19, at 8:30 pm EST, you’ll have the chance to win a picture book critique with Random House editor Kelly Delaney. I’m definitely going to be there. It’s called: Finding Your Writer's Voice, Finding Your Characters' Voices. It’ll help you learn what a writer’s voice is and how to develop yours and see how characters' voices are a part of your writer's voice. Plus, you’ll have the chance to connect with a Random House editor who is actively looking to acquire great picture books.
This scholarship came at the perfect time for me. I'm usually a very prolific writer (I actually wrote the first draft of one of my novels in 11 days during NaNoWriMo and wrote the first draft of nine picture books during the seven days of NaPiBoWriWee one year)...but because of health issues with my daughters, I haven't been as productive as usual. I also tend to give my novels more attention and my picture books have been begging me to do something like this for a while. I've had some interest in my picture books, but something always seems to hold them back from getting that magical yes. I'm hopeful that this awesome interactive online class will help me make my picture books sparkle enough to dazzle editors, agents, and future readers.
I've seen so many raves about this class. Some online friends have said that it's 'life-changing, the equivalent of 20 conferences, and better than complete MFA programs'. Thank you so much for giving me a scholarship, Mira! I don't often talk about my disability, but I've had about 70% hearing loss in both ears since I was 35 and have had to wear hearing aids since then. I'd love the chance to make all of my picture books shine, and would especially love to get my PB, Sound Detective, published one day. I’ll never forget what it felt like to realize how bad my hearing had gotten, and that I’d have to wear hearing aids for the rest of my life. I was horrified at first, but quickly changed my mind when I realized all the amazing sounds I had been missing, and how much easier it is to interact with people with my hearing aids in. I was surprised to see that there aren’t many books for children that have a character with hearing loss, and I’d love to use my experience to help children going through something similar—and also help raise more awareness in others.
Good luck to everyone entering for a free critique! I’ll announce the winners on Friday. LiveJournal often doesn't show the Rafflecopter widget, so if you don't see it below, click here to enter!
**Thank you all for entering. Rafflecopter has selected the winners, and they are:
A picture book critique (or 5 pages of an MG/YA) from Mindy Alyse Weiss:
Jill Dana Siegel
A picture book critique from Mira Reisberg:
Jennifer DuBose
Huge congrats to the winners! Mira and I will be in touch with you soon. :)
Don’t forget about the #PBPitch Twitter party on Wednesday, June 24th. It’s a great opportunity to pitch your completed and polished picture books online to agents and editors. Definitely check out their website—in addition to info about the fun pitch contest, they have a list of 100+ agents who rep picture books!
- Current Mood:
excited
Profile
mindyalyse- Mindy Alyse Weiss
Page Summary
- (Anonymous) : Free critique [+1]
Rosie Pova : Sounds Great! [+1] - (Anonymous) : Thanks, Mindy! [+1]
- deenaml : (no subject) [+1]
- (Anonymous) : Congrats!! [+1]
- (Anonymous) : YOU [+1]
- (Anonymous) : Keep up the great work ;) [+1]
- saputnam : (no subject) [+1]
- (Anonymous) : from Marcia Nass [+0]
- (Anonymous) : (no subject) [+0]
Beth Gallagher : Too late.... :( [+0]
Comments
I have written a story about a young girl who lost the ability to walk at the age of seven. There is an added emotional level writing about disabilities but they are worth doing.
Congrats on your own wins!
Beth
What a wonderful way to celebrate and share the joy with us. It's such a bummer that I missed the deadline to apply, but next year I hope to be able to.
Thanks for offering the critique giveaway :)
Rosie
This is the best way to celebrate good news. :) Good luck with the giveaway!
Enjoy!
Jen DuBose
You're welcome for the heads up and prompts to follow Mira. I signed up for her newsletter a while back, and that's how I knew about the scholarship deadline.
I can't wait to revise Sound Detective during and after the class, and would love to have it 100% ready to submit sometime this year.
I also wanted to thank you for sharing about your hearing loss. I am actually a teacher who works with young children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. The children I teach wear hearing aids and cochlear implants. I absolutely love my job and feel such joy at seeing the progress these children make in developing their listening and spoken language skills. I also have aspirations to write a pb with my main character as a child with hearing loss and have a few ideas brewing. There is definitely a need for pb books on this issue! Would love to read your Sound Detective story if you would like to share or if you would like the perspective of someone who teaches this population.
I'm on the Blueboards as well (murphy44)😊
You have such a wonderful job. Those kids are lucky to have you! Definitely work on one of your new PB ideas. There really is a huge need for them.
Thanks for the offer to read Sound Detective. I still have some work to do on it, but would love to swap PBs in the future. :)
Mazel tov on earning a scholarship to the class. I am thrilled for you.
I will be at the Mira 8:30 pm workshop Friday night. See you there, lovey.
I must add here I had -no- idea about the hearing loss.
Thank you for sharing this story.i
I will ask you more about this in another place and time. I have been informed I am on the borderline of hearing loss. That doctor recommended hearing aids to maintain my levels.
I haven't followed up yet but I'm sure I will someday soon.
My father let it go and he cannot hear a thing.
I don't want to go there.
(())
Congratulations, sweet Mindy. See you Friday night!
I usually don't run around talking about my hearing aids, but haven't tried to hide them in a long time. They were in during our late night talk at the Poconos Retreat, when we were surrounded by tons of giant ladybugs. Definitely ask me any questions you have. Knock on wood, using my hearing aids almost all the time for over 10 years seems to have stopped my hearing from getting much worse. They have such great technology for hearing aids now--I love being able to send the sound from my iPhone, TV, and iPad straight to my hearing aids!
Thanks for stopping by my blog, Pamela. I've missed chatting with you! I'll see you at the webinar tomorrow. (((Hugs)))
Thanks for creating a contest for a critique. Will enter.
Congrats on the scholarship!
I hope you continue working on 'Sound Detective'!!! :)
(P.S. I wanted to post via Google, but Live Journal wanted a bunch of info., so I chose Anonymous. But, this is Jill D.S.)
I'll definitely continue working on Sound Detective. I hope to have it ready to sub soon after this class ends.
I'm sorry that LJ can be a pain to post on. I wonder if it's easier to post via Facebook or Twitter on here, instead of Google. One of these days I'll switch over to Wordpress, which seems easier for everyone to post on, plus it supports the Rafflecopter widget instead of just giving a link like LJ does.
I applaud you for sharing about your hearing loss with us... it's never easy to speak about the struggles that you're going through, or have gone through. Someday I may write about mine. I can't wait to read "Sound Detective"... I just know it will be picked up!
Edited at 2015-06-18 04:38 pm (UTC)
And thanks--I talk about it privately (especially if I need someone to speak up during a noisy conference), but it really felt good to share with everyone here.
I hope everything is going great with you and your writing!