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The Martha Weston Grant was established by the Hairston Family to remember author/illustrator Martha Weston. Martha published over fifty picture books and her first middle grade novel shortly before her death. This grant encourages authors and illustrators to nurture their creativity in a different genre of children’s books.

Deadline: Applications may be submitted from May 1 – June 1

Award: One Grant of $1,500 will be awarded to fund the expenses of attending the SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles

Guidelines:

-You must be a current SCBWI member.

You must be a PAL published author or illustrator trying another genre of children’s books. For example: a picture book illustrator might like to write a middle grade novel or a YA author might like to write a picture book.

You may only submit applications from May 1 – June 1.

Only E-mail submissions will be accepted. No snail mail.

Applicants must e-mail a one-page letter with a brief summary of their publishing career, the new genre they hope to pursue, and why they would find it helpful to attend the SCBWI Annual Conference in Los Angeles.

The winner will be notified June 15 and will be announced in the SCBWI Bulletin, at the Summer Conference, and on SCBWI social networks.

E-mail submissions and questions to:

Martha Weston Grant Coordinator Lissa Rovetch – [email protected]

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

The Tomie dePaola Illustrator Award is given annually to an illustrator of promise chosen by Tomie himself. The award consists full tuition, transportation and accommodations to the New York Winter Conference held in Manhattan. The winning piece of art will be featured at the annual winter conference in New York.

THE GUIDELINES HAVE CHANGED THIS YEAR! TOMIE HAS SET UP A TWO PART CONTEST SO PLEASE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW CLOSELY!

Deadline: June 15th, 2014

Award:

The winner will receive a trip to the 2015 SCBWI New York Conference at the Grand Hyatt in Manhattan, where the award will be presented. As a special addition to the prize this year, the winner will also get to have lunch with Tomie at the conference!

Eligibility:

The Tomie dePaola Award competition is open to all SCBWI members.

BELOW IS THE NEW 2014 PROMPT
FIRST PART

Visual sequence is key to conveying feeling, action, storyline, interest and character, especially in children’s book illustration.

One of the hardest things to do is to know your character so well—what he, she, or it looks like, how they move, how they project emotion, and at the same time to make the character immediately recognizable and consistent —all without resorting to a generic depiction, but making sure your character has charm, individuality and special qualities that make young readers fall in love with them. All of this is the same whether your character is human, animal, and yes, even vegetable! (Maybe inanimate as well)

The task is to create a six-panel sequence that has a beginning, middle and an end that is obvious, featuring a character of your own invention. It can be funny, sad, dramatic or ordinary, but interesting and with lots of invention and finesse.

I understand that there are computer programs that make “sequence” easier than good old-fashioned drawing. But, I don’t know any of them. I leave it to you.

SPECS: 4 to 6 panels – illustrator’s choice

SIZE: 8 ½” x 14” – horizontal or vertical

COLOR: B&W or Full Color – your choice

NO WORDS

DUE DATE: June 15, 2014. This is very important. Ten semi-finalists will be chosen by July 30, 2014, to go on to the next step: A final assignment that will be announced after the first phase of the competition is complete.

PART TWO WILL BE POSTED AFTER JUNE 15TH!

Guidelines:

Read these instructions carefully! Submissions that do not follow these guidelines will be disqualified.

1. Submit your entry by midnight PST on June 15, 2014. No files received after that time will be considered.

2. E-mail a single, high resolution JPEG, titled with your name (firstname_lastname.jpg) to [email protected] with the subject “Tomie”. The image must be an attachment, not a link or showing in the body of the e-mail. No original artwork should be mailed. All submissions must be digital. You will receive a confirmation e-mail within three days.

3. Tomie will select the 10 semi-finalists July 30, 2014.

4. You must be a current SCBWI member to win.

Do you want to be included in the “unofficial” gallery of submissions?

Three years ago, Diandra Mae, Illustrator Coordinator for the SCBWI Houston region, started an “Unofficial Gallery” of submissions to the award. It was such a great success that we’ve made it more official and easier to enter. Any SCBWI member who enters the award is eligible to be included in the gallery. The gallery will not be made public until the winning piece has been chosen and announced.

If you are interested in having your submission included please follow these guidelines that will be posted after round one.

Questions? Email the Grant Coordinator – [email protected]

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Work In Progress Grants

Underwritten by Amazon.com.

The SCBWI Work-In-Progress Grants are designed to assist children’s book writers and illustrators in the completion of a specific project, and are made possible by a generous grant from Amazon.com.

Grants for first place ($2000) and runner-up ($500) are awarded in each one of seven different categories:

• General Work-In-Progress Grant
• Grant for a contemporary novel for young people
• Nonfiction research grant including Anna Cross Giblin Award
• Grant for work by an unpublished author
• Grant for work from a multi-cultural/minority perspective
• Barbara Karlin Grant for unpublished picture book writers.
• Don Freeman Grant for unpublished picture book illustrators.

In any given year, an applicant may apply for ONE Work-in-Progress Grant. The Grant for an Unpublished Author may not be applied for — it will be chosen by the judges from all the entries in the other Work-In-Progress categories. If you check “unpublished” on the application form, and your status as such is verified, you will be automatically entered for this additional grant.

Please note: All grants must now be submitted electronically.  Please read the new guidelines below carefully before applying.

Submissions: The Work-in-Progress Grants are going electronic! Only PDFs will be accepted!

Check out the Frequently Asked Questions on how to make and submit your PDF.

Eligibility: The grants are available all current SCBWI members.  Your membership must be current through the date the award is given (September 2013). Go to your member profile and click on “Membership Renewal” to make sure your eligible. The grants are not available for projects on which there are already contracts.

Grant Amounts: Seven Grants of $2,000 will be awarded annually, one in each category. Seven Runner-Up Grants of $500 will also be awarded, one in each category. Authors of other projects cited by the judges as noteworthy will receive a Letter of Merit. In any given year, the SCBWI Grant Committee reserves the right to withhold the grant for that year.

Deadline: Completed application and accompanying materials must be received between March 1 and March 31. The recipients of the grants will be announced in August.

Frequently Asked Questions

Application materials and full guidelines: 2013 Work-in-Progress Guidelines Work-in-Progress Application.doc
2013 Barbara Karlin Guidelines Barbara Karlin Application.doc
2013 Don Freeman Guidelines Don Freeman Application.doc
Read here about the 2012 Winners!
Previous Grant Winners & Runners-Up

If you have any questions, please contact the awards coordinator Chelsea Confalone.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

A while back I asked Leslie Zampetti to write an article that could help writers and illustrators apply for grants.  Today Leslie got the job done.  I am hoping that it will help you tackle the opportunity that grants provide. 

Here’s Leslie:

Many writers are intimidated by the process of applying for a grant or award, but really, it’s not that different from submitting work for publication. Too, while winning an award or grant is fabulous, the process of applying itself can improve your writing and bring it to a new level.

Step 1: Research.

Just like submitting to an agent, editor, or publisher, do your homework. Carefully read the application announcement, and make sure your writing fits the requirements for the grant. Check out previous winners’ work when possible. Add the application deadline to your calendar and see how it fits into your usual schedule. Most importantly, take the risk! Don’t talk yourself out of applying. A good friend pushed me to apply for a scholarship to the Highlights Foundation Children’s Writers Workshop in Chautauqua, NY last year whenI felt that others might be more economically deserving. Well, we were both right. I didn’t win a full scholarship – but I did win a partial grant. And I had an amazing workshop experience that has profoundly affected my writing!

Step 2: Choose your piece.

Nearly all grants require a writing sample. Make sure your piece fits the purposes of the grant and its requirements, such as word count, genre, etc. You may find you need to rework a piece or even write something new. Give yourself plenty of time to get feedback and critiques – both on the sample itself and on the application. As with all writing, revision is the name of the game.

Your critique group is a great place to start to get help. I have a few trusted colleagues and friends that I like to ask, outside of my critique group. Often they have a different viewpoint, being less familiar with my current work. Remember, being eternally grateful for help is good, but returning the favor is even better.

Step 3: Practice makes perfect.

It’s tempting to reuse a biographical note or a writing sample, especially if it’s worked before. But this is a great opportunity to practice those marketing skills: writing a synopsis, creating a pitch, developing your profile. Even if you don’t start from scratch, see if you can surprise yourself. Many applications require you to answer specific questions; you can use those as a starting point just as you would a writing prompt.

Step 4: Follow the directions.

Before you begin filling out an actual application, read the directions. Several times. If you’ve questions, contact the the sponsoring organization and get answers or ask a fellow writer who’s applied for the same grant. Make sure every piece of your application fits the requirements. This is not the time to get creative with fonts, spacing, margins, etc. If submission requirements aren’t specified, format your writing as you would a piece for publication: double-spacing, Times New Roman (preferably 12 point), at least one inch margins.

Make sure that when you put your application together that you’ve followed all instructions correctly, including the order in which items are collated, how many copies to be submitted, whether your name appears on the sample or not. Ask a close friend who’s not already familiar with your application to check it – they’ll be less concerned with the quality of your writing and more likely to notice the tiny details, such as whether your pages are

If you had a book published in 2011 don’t miss out on submitting it for the Golden Kite Award.

DEADLINE: DECEMBER 16th

Presented by the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators the Golden Kite Awards, given annually to recognize excellence in children’s literature, grant cash prizes of $2,500 to author and illustrator winners in four categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Picture Book Text, and Picture Book Illustration. Authors and illustrators will also receive an expense-paid trip to Los Angeles to attend the award ceremony at the Golden Kite Luncheon at SCBWI’s Summer Conference in August and a lifetime membership in SCBWI. A commemorative poster with the winners will be created and distributed to, among others, various schools, libraries and publishers.

In addition to the four Golden Kite Award winners, four honor book recipients will also be named by the panel of judges which consists of children’s book writers and illustrators.

Individuals: http://www.scbwi.org/Pages.aspx/Submission-Guidelines–Individuals

Publishers: http://www.scbwi.org/Pages.aspx/Submission-Guidelines–Publishers

Important dates for the 2012 Crystal Kites Members Choice Awards.

• Tuesday, January 31st – Last day to make sure your book is posted in your profile.
• Wednesday, February 1st – Round 1 Voting Begins.
• Wednesday, February 29th – Round 1 Voting Ends.
• Friday, March 2nd – Round 2 Voting Begins.
• Friday, March 16th – Round 2 Voting Ends.
• Monday, April 30 - 2012 Winners announced.

Eligibility

ARTSPIRE – FISCAL SPONSORSHIP

http://www.artspire.org/artists.aspx

Want to spend more time creating and less time dealing with fund raising? Apply now for Artspire’s Fiscal Sponsorship program. Gain access to funding opportunities from foundations or corporate funders that are usually restricted to 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations. You will gain the ability to offer individual donors the tax-deductibility incentives of making a charitable donation.  Receive access to NYFA’s wide range of services and resources, such as our educational workshops that are only offered to fiscally sponsored projects and organizations.  Unlimited phone calls, emails, and review of grant proposals.  Gain profile on Artspire.org and visual connection with Artspire and NYFA. Gain the ability to collect online donations.

Application is free.

Artspire fiscal sponsorship is open to artists with a US social security number – no matter where they live. Artists can also live in the US but work overseas.

Deadlines to apply: June 30, September 30, December 31, and March 31, 2011. Application includes: Project description, budget, resume and work samples (if applicable).

Are you a teacher or school librarian in need of money to support to provide books and writing programs? Even if you aren’t, you can spread the word to a school who could use help by letting them know about the Culturatti Wish List Grant Program.

Culturatti Kids provides students and public schools in need with resources that our schools often lack; namely books and writing programs. Teachers and school librarians submit our grant application, called a Wish List, to Culturatti Kids. Wish Lists are accepted through September 15th. Grants are awarded once annually on October 31st.

Members of the Teachers for Literacy group may submit Wish Lists at any time for special consideration.

That’s it! No strings attached. It couldn’t be easier. We only ask that you send a letter detailing exactly how funds were used and the impact it made to your students, school or classroom. We especially like to provide funding to teachers who come up with innovative ideas to get kids inspired to write.

http://www.culturattikids.net/page/literary-grants

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

I was very happy to find out yesterday that my Assistant, Laurie Wallmark was chosen as the runner-up for the SCBWI Work-In Progress Grant for a non-fiction book.  The award is $500.  This is the second  year in a row that laurie was runner-up. Congratulations! Laurie.

At least a couple of times a week, I get an e-mail from a member where in the course of the e-mail they mention something very casually about some success they have had.  Please let me know your successes, so I can help tout them for you.  No one is going to think you are showing off and even small successes should be celebrated. 

We put success stories in Sprouts and as you can see, I like to brag about you.  Remember you are the one that has to make things happen and keeping things to yourself is the wrong strategy.  Please share your successes.

Here is the information for the WIP Grant.  Deadline for the next year is February 15th.

The SCBWI Work-In-Progress Grants are designed to assist children’s book writers in the completion of a specific project, and are made possible by a generous grant from Amazon.com.

Grants for first place ($2000) and runner up ($500) are awarded in each one of seven different categories:

• General Work-In-Progress grant
• Grant for a contemporary novel for young people
• Nonfiction research grant
• Grant for work by an unpublished author
• Grant for work from a multi-cultural/minority perspective
• Barbara Karlin Grant for unpublished picture book writers.
• Don Freeman Grant for unpublished picture book illustrators.

In any given year, an applicant may apply for: the General Work-In-Progress Grant OR the Work-In-Progress Grant for a Contemporary Novel for Young People OR the Work-In-Progress Nonfiction Research Grant. The Grant for a Work Whose Author has Never Had a Book Published may not be applied for — it will be chosen from all the entries in the other Work-In-Progress categories.

Eligibility: The Grants are available to both full and associate members of the SCBWI. They are not available for projects on which there are already contracts. Please note: members can apply for only one SCBWI grant per calendar year.

Grant Amounts: Seven Grants of $2,000 will be awarded annually, one in each category. Seven Runner-Up Grants of $500 will also be awarded, one in each category. Authors of other projects cited by the judges as noteworthy will receive a Letter of Merit. In any given year, the SCBWI Grant Committee reserves the right to withhold the grant for that year.

Deadline: Completed application and accompanying materials must be postmarked no earlier than February 15th and must be RECEIVED BY March 15th. Receipt of your application will be acknowledged only if a stamped self-addressed post card is enclosed. The recipients of the grants will be announced in September.

Instructions for completing and submitting application materials:

• Work-In-Progress Grant Application & Procedures (PDF)
• Work-In-Progress Grant Tip Sheet (PDF)
• 6 Comments on Kudos For New Jersey’s ARA – Laurie Wallmark, last added: 6/3/2011