Getting Out There




Welcome to the month of Motivation & Challenge - and you should be after reading Bekki Hill's post on Wednesday. Solid practical advice on how to get your arse in gear - did I just say arse? Yes I did.






For those of us in England and Wales, September is the back-to-school month - do we ever lose new term trepidation? After a dismal couple of weeks submission-wise, I was ready to shred every page I'd ever written and play my ukulele into the sunset but this evening, at the start of term, and after our Southampton SCBWI goal setting supper, I have a plan.

Sometimes for our sanity, we have to wrest back a little control  and if, with a certain project, that means going it alone, so be it. Nick is finding inspirational people who are doing just that. Last week, Julie Day, this week Olivia Kiernan and her vlog are among the brilliant people popping up on the Blog Break.

If you're thinking of going it alone too, picture book writer or not, you would do well to study this week's Ask a Picture Book Editor - KNOW YOUR HOOK - so important it demands upper case.
You can read the whole series of Ask a Picture Book Editor by clicking here or on the link on the left.

Reading Bridget's overview of the French and US magazine market makes me realise that, to a certain extent, everyone goes it alone, whether it's sourcing work for magazines, self publishing, or handling social media. So whether our confidence has been boosted by the affirmation of an agent's offer of representation as Sarah Baker's has recently (Congratulations again Sarah!), or it hasn't, we all need motivation & challenge to get out there. Kate Bush has her son, we have SCBWI!

If you've enjoyed a Words & Pictures post and don't have time to leave a comment could you just click on the tweet button at the end of the post? We really appreciate everyone who helps us get W&P out there  too!

Next week:

  • Hot news at the end of last month was the forthcoming launch of Skylark Literary in November. Still in her capacity as Editorial Director at Orion Children's Books & Indigo, Amber Caraveo is our sixth Ask a Publisher podcast on Monday. Essential listening for anyone thinking of submitting to Skylark when Amber and Joanna are up and running in November.
  • I'm delighted that I've persuaded another Southampton SCBWI onto W&P. On Wednesday Helen Dineen turns the challenge of the 21st century App to the book market on its head…
  • And it's new featured illustrator time! Yay!



Jan Carr





Jan Carr is the editor of Words & Pictures. Her fiction is all over the place, she blogs occasionally and loves to write in magenta. You can contact her at editor@britishscbwi.org.

6 comments:

  1. Thank you Jan, kick up bottom received!

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  2. Thank you for saying I am an inspiration. That is what I intend doing, helping and inspiring others in my writing and marketing journey.

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    Replies
    1. Thank YOU, Julie! You are an inspiration and you've certainly inspired me to action!

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  3. Thanks, Jan - your renewed enthusiasm is infectious!

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