FROM YOUR EDITORS New Horizons for Words & Pictures

TRUMPET FANFARE! From Sunday 4th June, a brand new Words & Pictures will be coming to your screens. Co-editors Ellie Brough and Claire Watts explain all.

In January this year, Words & Pictures welcomed two new editors, Claire Watts and Ellie Brough, and we came to the magazine bursting with enthusiasm and big and bold ideas. One of those ideas was a new look and feel for Words & Pictures. You have most probably noticed that the magazine has adopted a new style in the last few weeks. Well, now the magazine is adopting a new programme of content and new way of sharing that with you… Here's what you need to know about your new Words & Pictures.

The New Schedule

Rather than publishing a new article every day or two, as Words & Pictures has done in the past, your new look W&P will publish a new edition each Sunday. We’ll remind everyone when a new W&P is coming out via Facebook and Twitter, and if you sign up for our MailChimp newsletter (watch this space, details coming soon!) you’ll also get a reminder email.

The New Look

Words & Pictures new clean look. 

We’ve got the inexhaustible Candy Gourlay to thank for helping us set up the snazzy new format for W&P. Each week’s articles can be seen on the landing page and you will also find them via the headings under the W&P title. Looking for something from our archive? At the moment, you can search through the archive at the bottom or use the search bar, but eventually the entire archive will be searchable through these headings.

The New Content

As well as all your old favourites, you’ll find a wealth of new content in the new-look W&P. We have a lot of ideas but here are a few new features that you can look out for in the coming months:

• KnowHow articles devoted to picture books, middle grade, YA, self-publishing, illustration, editing, series fiction, non-fiction and anything else our readers tell us they need! These articles will answer all of those niggling questions you never knew you had. How long should a picture book manuscript be? Can you write about sex for YA? Can you write a story about a unicorn/squid who has aspirations of world domination and the nerdy toad who must stop her? Find out with our Know Hows!

• The To Be Read Pile featuring the kind of booklists you put together with writer and illustrator friends when someone says, “Can anyone think of any books that feature…” Want to know if there are any books that mention periods in YA? We’ll find out and get you that list. Want to read a book about a adventurous, suave LGBT character? We’ll go on the hunt. We’ll recommend books on themes and tastes and you can let us know what you want to see via social media. This feature is all about spreading the word on good books. 

• Reviews of books, podcasts, tools, computer programmes – anything that’s vital to our craft. Are you stuck for ideas? Have you heard the same advice time and time again and it’s just not working anymore? In these features, we’ll find and share those hidden gems that can help you with craft your skills and polish your manuscript. And, of course, if you’ve found any nuggets of golden advice out there, share it please!

That’s just for starters! Over time there will be loads more new features which we hope will provide something for all SCBWI-BI members. We’re always on the lookout for new ideas, so if you think you have something to offer, contact us at editor@britishscbwi.org