FROM YOUR EDITORS Farewell
It's all change here at Words & Pictures! This is the last issue your current editorial team is responsible for. So it's goodbye from us and thanks for all your contributions and enthusiasm for the magazine.
Claire WattsWords & Pictures Editor
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| Photo credit: Andrew Perry |
It took me a while to decide to step down from my position as Editor of Words & Pictures. I can tell you why. It’s because I’m so proud of what we’re doing here. Every week, our fantastic team of volunteers produces a range of brilliant features covering everything a SCBWI member could possibly be interested in. In the month before I sat down to write this, Words & Pictures had 113,000 views! Who wouldn’t want to be editor of that? But after five years of being Editor, the time has come for me to step back and give someone else a chance to take the helm. I can’t wait to see what new ideas the new W&P editorial team will bring to the magazine.
A M DassuWords & Pictures Deputy Editor
It has been an absolute honour to work with the Words & Pictures team for so many years and I'm so proud of what we've achieved together!
Claire and I had discussed stepping back from our weekly committments several times but just couldn't do it! It's been a real joy to be a part of such a warm, generous and kind community, and have the opportunity to commission authors and think up exciting features. We’re very excited that the new team will take over the magazine with as much energy and enthusiasm as we once did.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed and worked with us over the last five years. We can’t wait to see where Words & Pictures goes from here and are looking forward to continuing to work with the team on the overall strategy for the magazine.
John ShelleyIllustration Features Editor
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| Photo credit: Seren |
My, has it really been nine years? The memories all come flooding back!
SCBWI’s old print newsletter was on hiatus when I returned to the UK, so from 2010 I’d been running a group blog for illustrators with member contributors. This was eventually incorporated into the development of a new Words & Pictures online, designed by the wonderful Candy Gourlay. I well remember our first meeting with original chief editor, the lovely, enthusiastic Jan Carr. The plan was to expand the old illustrator’s blog with interviews and tutorials, plus Featured Illustrator, brought over from the SCBWI website, and a comic strip. Of course, it would all depend on members contributing material, so the call for submissions was out!
The first issue of our new web-format Words & Pictures went live in March 2013. My role was to present one post per week aimed specifically at illustrators (though naturally, hoping to appeal to everyone!).
Since then it’s been amazing to see the growth of the magazine. It’s been my pleasure to oversee 393 of the more than 400 items for illustrators we’ve delivered in Words & Pictures, ranging from monthly Featured Illustrators, seasonal Open Sketchbooks, Knowhows, bookshelf choices, comics, event reports and stand-alone features. It’s been an education for me, and fascinating to work with other editors to showcase the insight and talents of our members. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without support of the illustration committee, so much kudos to all the team! Since taking over as overall editors, Claire and Az have been especially wonderful at the helm, enhancing the standing of the magazine and keeping all sections together.
I can’t honestly say which has been my favourite thing to edit, it’s been a privilege to showcase our published talent for Featured Illustrators, also selecting submissions for Open Sketchbooks. There have been some marvellous stand-alone articles too (do check the archives!). For every one of these, I’m immensely grateful for the hard work submitted by contributors.
Now, with the change of chief-editors, I feel it’s a good time for me to likewise make way for a fresh team. However, though I’m standing down from editing, I’ll have more time to write and submit material, so will continue to contribute.
Many thanks everyone for the support, especially the illustrators who have made the posts such a visual feast!
Header image: John Shelley
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