Projects – TOOFS – Monica/Andrea & Jennifer/Estelle

TOOFS by J.R.Poulter & Estelle A. Poulter, illustrated by Monica Rondino & Andrea Pucci

Take a peak at what we are doing –
http://www.theartofpuro.com/Toofs.htm
Monica Rondino and Andrea Pucci are creating the images and J.R.Poulter has written the humorous story with rhyming elements, Estelle A. Poulter is the co-author and childcare practice adviser.
What is it about – how to cope with a biting baby!

Children’s Book Festival, Family Day 3rd April 2011 – State Library Victoria & Wheeler Centre

“Books Are Fun”

Children’s Book Festival 2011,  Family Day 3^rd April 2011, 10.00am to 4.00pm

State Library of Victoria and the Wheeler Centre

This free programme of ‘events’ over the Sunday was hugely popular.  It was described as “the biggest celebration of children’s books that Melbourne has ever seen”. Families and children’s book lovers crammed into venues to hear a wonderful assemblage of Australia’s leading authors and illustrators. They queued for meter after meter to meet authors and illustrators and have their load of precious books signed.  They waited for hours to be able to get into workshops, storytelling and performances.

The ‘Family Day’ was the brainchild of the State Library of Victoria and the Wheeler Centre who held, coordinated and promoted  the various sessions.  Authors and illustrators were fully utilised, most doing at least two events on the programme. [http://wheelercentre.com/static/files/assets/087ddc27/CBW_Childrensbooks_A4programme-DR7.pdf ]

Some notes from the day:

 

John Nicholson/Roland Harvey interview with SLV staffer

John Nicholson (architect) – author and illustrator

John started writing fiction. His publisher suggested he write non-fiction.

Working with A&U –  John has an idea and approaches them with it or they have an idea and approach John. At one stage they seemed to take a turn about with this process. He now just develops ‘the ideas I want to’. He prefers to work alone now.

John agreed with Roland, in  creating an authentic “Sense of place” it was important, if at all possible, to do the research for the text and images on location.

Roland Harvey (architect)  author and illustrator

History was something that always fascinated him and which initially led him to writing and illustrating books.

Family activities have inspired  some of his books – “At the Beach” and ‘To the Top End”.  “You need to know, to “feel” the place you are writing about. To research you should “be there to be really successful”. Otherwise ther is the internet but Roland considered this sort of research “much harder” in trying to create a real sense of ‘place’.

He collaborates a lot. His latest book is a collaboration with Mem Fox which was launched at the Family Day. He doesn’t publish any more  and mainly works with Penguin and A&U. He liked the freedom he had  as publisher. He surrounded himself with experts in each area. He found his best books were done “against the advice of others”. It was risky but he LOVED the freedom to do what he was passionate about.

His next project is another picture book based on family travels. He is also avidly exploring Apps and is excited about this development in children’s books.

Terry Denton/Chris Morpeth interview with SLV staffer

Terry Denton  author/illustrator

The place where I like to write/draw:

I have a studio in my backyard. It is quiet, no distractions.

“Gasp” is my favourite of my creations.

Denton and Andy Griffith go away for a week together when working on a new joint project to ‘get it started’.

Chris Morpeth (former teacher) author

The place where I like to write:

In a café over coffee – there are no distractions. At home, I get distracted with Nintendo and Mario. I make my stories up as I go along. I think the more you do the better you get.

Terry & Chris agreed  re book writing/creation, “If it is too organised, it doesn’t work!”

Leigh Hobbs interview with SLV staffer

Leigh Hobbs (former teacher) author/interviewer

His first version of ‘Old Tom’  was rejected. This version had an angrier look and  smoked  a cigar.  The next version, accepted, was more humorous and sly. Leigh draws the pictures for his books first as he has his ‘run of ideas’. Then he ”works“ to finish the book. He felt  he wrote books of the sort he liked a a kid. He loved Enid Blyton, Treasure Island.

A lesson he learnt early, was that children  want “Mums” kept within certain parameters, e.g. Old Tom’s ‘Mum’, Angela Throgmorton.

Leigh Hobbs and Old Tom's evolution

Opportunities – children’s magazines

A great source of ongoing opportunities is Hope Clark’s weekly/fortnightly newsletter: “FFW Small Markets”

The opportunities below, come from her newsletter for 15th April.

HOPSCOTCH MAGAZINE
http://funforkidzmagazines.com/hs_guidelines
—
HOPSCOTCH looks for articles, fiction, nonfiction, and
poetry that deal with timeless topics, such as pets,
nature, hobbies, science, games, sports, careers, simple
cooking, and anything else likely to interest a young girl.
We leave dating, romance, human sexuality, cosmetics, fashion,
and the like to other publications. Each issue revolves
around a theme. HOPSCOTCH is a magazine created for girls
from 6 to 13 years, with girls 8, 9, and 10 the specific
target age. Ideally prefers articles around 500 words.
We will pay a minimum of 5 cents a word for both fiction
and nonfiction, with additional payment given if the piece
is accompanied by appropriate photos or art. We will pay a
minimum of $10 per poem or puzzle, with variable rates
offered for games, crafts, cartoons, and the like.

=====

FUN FOR KIDZ
http://funforkidzmagazines.com/ffk_guidelines
—
Fun For Kidz is a magazine created for boys and girls from
6 to 13 years, with youngsters 8, 9, and 10 the specific
target age. The magazine is designed as an activity
publication to be enjoyed by both boys and girls on the
alternate months of Hopscotch and Boys’ Quest magazines.
We are looking for lively writing that involves an activity
that is both wholesome and unusual. We are looking for articles
around 500 words as well as puzzles, poems, cooking, carpentry
projects, jokes, riddles, crafts, and other activities that
complement the theme. Articles that are accompanied by good
photos are far more likely to be accepted than those that need
illustrations. We pay a minimum of five cents a word for both
fiction and nonfiction, with additional payment given if the
piece is accompanied by appropriate photos or art. We pay a
minimum of $10 per poem or puzzle, with variable rates offered
for games, carpentry projects, etc.

=====

CAT FANCY
http://www.catchannel.com/magazines/catfancy/writers_guidelines.aspx
—
CAT FANCY, the most widely read consumer magazine dedicated to
the love of cats. Length: 100-1,000 words. Query first.
Several columns to include profiles of people who champion cats
and rescue stories. 500 words for columns.

=====

YOUR CAT MAGAZINE
http://www.bournepublishinggroup.com/mag_yourcat.html
http://www.yourcat.co.uk/Contact-us/Your-Cat-contacts/
—
The magazine for caring cat owners, covering health and behaviour
issues, general care advice, breed information, and other practical
issues. Your Cat is also about the emotional pleasures of owning a
cat, with plenty of fantastic photographs of cats, readers’
letters and true cat tales.

=====

COLUMBIA KIDS
http://columbia.washingtonhistory.org/kids/fall2009/guidelines.aspx
—
COLUMBIAKids is a free online magazine that features
exciting, interesting, and informative articles and
stories based in Pacific Northwest history. Our target
readers are children up to age 14 who live in the states
of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska, but we also
welcome subscribers from all over the world. Features
are 800-1,200 words and pays $200. Departments are 200-800
words and pay $100. NW HotSpot pays $100-$500 – This is an
illustration or photograph of a place or “thing” from the
Pacific Northwest. The illustration must include
approximately five “hotspots” (clickable areas) that
allow deeper investigation into the past of the subject.
For each hotspot, short explanations and historical sources
will be revealed, bringing up a magnified image of an
object, piece of ephemera, animal, plant, dialogue bubble,
photograph, etc., to help kids learn to look closer and
dig deeper when investigating images as “evidence.” Best
to query first.

Agent search?

If you are searching for an agent, there is a very helpful blog by Casey McCormick which features “Agent Spotlights.”

She posts information about a wide variety of agents who represent children’s and young adult fiction.

http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/

The other essential to join is Query Tracker  – http://www.querytracker.com – this very comprehensive site offers advice re  query letters, publisher updates, agent info and much more!

JAPAN – New Rising Sun anthology – to be an e-book – Poets, writers, artists

This  fundraising anthology is to be an e-book – poets writers, artists, please give of your talents to help the Japanese peope in their hour of need!

The link : http://booksthathelp.org/

New Sun Rising

booksthathelp.org 

Stories for Japan

JAPAN – fundraising print anthology – WE ARE ALL JAPAN

HELP NEEDED for WE ARE ALL JAPAN anthology

Calling all poets, lyricists, bards and poesyists –  support this effort to publish an anthology for Japan. Please help too, if you can. Thanks folks! 🙂
Details: 

An OPEN CALL for submission to WE ARE ALL JAPAN

We at WE ARE ALL JAPAN are assembling an anthology of all types of poetry and haibun – We Are All Japan. The purpose of the anthology is to display to Japan our feelings of love and concern for the hell they have and are currently enduring.

All proceeds from the anthology will be donated to the the Salvation Army or the Red Cross in Japan.

http://wearealljapan.blogspot.com/

ANTHOLOGY “WE ARE ALL JAPAN”

Please submit any kind of poetry as well as haibun (stating your name, city and country) to svtojapan@gmail.com.

We also need a photo or artwork for the cover. Please send your original work to the same email.

Deadline: May 15, 2011.

Robert D. Wilson and Sasa Vazic

Opportunities for writers, artists, poets –

NEW Opportunities!

http://nightwolfpress.yolasite.com/submissions.php

Novel competition and an anthology going. Submission guidelines for ms submission.

Cover to work to....

Triangulaton

Short Story Anthology – theme ‘Last Contact’ – flash up to 5,000 words, 31 March deadline. See website:

http://parsecink.org/staticpages/index.php/triangulation_11_guidelines

OPPORTUNITIES

1. Notes from the Gean (March 2011) featuring haiku, tanka, haiga, haibun, renga/renku. Writers are invited to submit their work for the June issue.

http://www.geantree.com/indexcover.html

2. Haibun Today (March 2011) featuring Haibun and Tanka Prose and the largest online collection of literary criticism of the haibun and tanka prose forms. Writers are now invited to submit haibun, tanka prose and articles for consideration in the June 2011 issue.

http://www.facebook.com/l/31a98MHsMap6v9MR4qVq06_Hw2w/haibuntoday.com

AND

Romance under a Waning Moon: Call for submissions. This is a poetry and image website focused on the ups and downs of later-in-life romance. This project has just been started and writers are invited to submit already published poems (preferable) or new work to Editor Ray Rasmussen.

http://raysweb.net/fallromance/index_introduction.html

WIN A VIDEO MONTAGE, closes 6th March

Sandie Muncaster is hosting a giveaway on her site:

Video Montage GIVEAWAY

Want more exposure for your blog, book or a service you offer? Perhaps you’re looking for a fun, family adventure captured to video? TattleTott Productions can help by making a video montage.

Montages are professionally done and posted on YouTube where it may be seen by hundreds, thousands or even millions of people. Once its uploaded onto YouTube, embed codes are available to use on your own blogs, social networks, newsletters or even emails. Think about how much more exposure that will create, plus it’s FUN to watch.

Montages may include any information, pictures and link backs you want – music is included.

TattleTott Productions normally charges $45.00 for a video montage, but you can win one FREE. How? Just leave a comment (and contact info) at; http://sandie-lee.blogspot.com

Giveaway ends March 6th and will be done by random drawing.

Enter today. Good Luck!

You can check out my work at; http://www.youtube.com/my_videos?feature=mhumWriters:

OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS:

Basics of Life anthology open till 28th Feb – Austlit http://auslit.net/2010/11/27/australian-literature-anthology-basics-of-life/

Artists/Illustrators/Poets, Short story writers ++ :

Going Down Swinging taking submissions till 28th February – http://goingdownswinging.org.au/submissions/

Poets, Artists and Illustrators:

Haijinx still open for submissions till 1st March! Haiku, haiga, renku, sumi-e and haibun – http://www.haijinx.com/I-1/

Writers:

Peter Cowan 600 Short Story Competition open -http://www.pcwc.org.au/index.php?p=1_10  Closes 1st May 2011.

Opportunity for writers

CHILDREN AND WAR ANTHOLOGY
http://jlpowers.net/?page_id=1438
—
This anthology, to be published by Cinco Puntos Press in
2011 or 2012, will explore all angles of children’s and
teenagers’ experiences in war. The core of the book will
be personal essays, memoirs, journalistic accounts, and
historical narratives, both previously published and
original pieces. It may also include photos, artwork,
posters, and other debris that depicts the effects of war
on children and teens. Though the book will be primarily
non-fiction, we may include some fiction, and we are willing
to consider pieces about both current and past wars. “War”
is defined liberally to include both “official” declared
wars as well as secret, unofficial wars, such as those carried
out by governments on civilians in places like Chile, Argentina,
and Zimbabwe. All submissions, queries, and suggestions should
be sent to J.L. Powers at jlpowers@evaporites.com by June
1, 2011.

NOTE: While the guidelines do not state the payment rate, I
spoke with Jessica Powers, editor of the anthology, and the
payment is $200 per story accepted.

Links for Writers – a growing resource

This series of links were included as part of an article I wrote for WQ Magazine,”Markets – from woe to go and getting a foot in overseas! ” [March issue 2011] . Sadly, the actual links had to be removed due to space restrictions so I have placed most of them here.

This list of resources, sources and publishing opportunities on the internet and elsewhere is far from exhaustive. Please do contact me if you have or know of a resource that can be included!

Review Blogs and sites

Book Review blogs

• Terry Doherty – Reading Tub and Jen Robinson – Reading Tub Blog
• Dr. Virginia Lowe – Create a Kid’s Book
• Debra Sloan – The Picnic Basket http://www.thepicnic-basket.com/
• Carol Denbow – A Book Inside http://abookinside.blogspot.com/
• Magdalena Ball – Compulsive Reader http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/
• Susan Whitfield http://susanwhitfield.blogspot.com/
• Jo Linsdell – Writers and Authors http://writersandauthors.blogspot.com
• Betty Dravis & co-bloggers  – Dames of Dialogue http://damesofdialogue.wordpress.com/
• New Zealand Writer – http://new-zealand-writer.blogspot.com
• Sarah Chavez-Detka        http://minorreads.blogspot.com/
• Kerry Neary  http://kerryneary.blogspot.com/
• Catherine Johnson www.kangaroobee.wordpress.com
• Sandie Lee Muncaster http://imaginationcafeblog.blogspot.com/

Review Sites

All genres:

Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/

Children’s Literature:

The Reading Tub

Terry Doherty Reading Tub http://www.thereadingtub.com/

Reading Tub Blog http://readingtub.wordpress.com/

Marketing & Promotional Aids

• BookBuzzr  www.BookBuzzr.com World’s No. 1, Free Online Book-Marketing Technology for Authors
• Freado  www.fReado.com World’s Biggest Book-Winning Site
• Free Press Relese DIY site – http://www.prlog.org/submit-free-press-release.html

Magazines that publish short stories and poetry

[I have submitted a list of online journals most on Facebook, some with links – http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150093435850908 and growing.] New additions

Leaf Garden Press http://leafgardenpress.blogspot.com/

http://leafgardenpress.blogspot.com/2009/01/submissions-open.html

Dash Literary Journal

Rose and Thorn http://www.roseandthornjournal.com/Home_Page.html

Cross genre:

Good Reading – http://www.goodreadingmagazine.com.au/

Children’s Writers & Illustrators:

Dream Chaser promotes children’s writers and illustrators globally. http://www.dreamchasersmagazine.webs.com/

Poetry Sites and Blogs:

• QPF – http://www.queenslandpoetryfestival.info/?page_id=11
• Graham Nunn – Another Lost Shark http://anotherlostshark.com/
• Graham gives an excellent list of inks to other poet’s blogs.
• Jessica Bell http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogspot.com/2011
• Poetry UK http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/
• My own, under J.R.McRae : http://jrmcrae.blogspot.com/ – note review of John Knight’s “Letters from the Asylum”

Children’s Poetry

Publishers

• Salt Publishing http://saltpublishing.com/kids/
• List UK http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/publishers/children/
• USA Children’s Poetry Publisher http://www.boydsmillspress.com/reviews/wordsong
• http://www.boydsmillspress.com/writers-and-illustrators-guidelines
• http://www.cupcakepoetry.com/?tag=wordsong-boyds-mills-press-childrens-poetry-kids-publisher-publishing

Magazines

Interview with RebeccaNewman of “Alphabet Soup” and with Meredith Costain of  “Comet”, “Explore”, “Challenge “(Pearson education)

http://monthofpoetry.wordpress.com/2011/01/30/poetic-aside-publishing-poetry/

CHILDREN’S POETRY Blogs

Julie Larios – The Drift record http://julielarios.blogspot.com/

Children’s Writers’ Blogs :

• Jackie Hoskings http://www.writing4successclub.com/public/department63.cfm
• Kat Apel: http://katswhiskers.wordpress.com/
• Tara Lazar http://taralazar.wordpress.com/
• Susanne Gervay http://www.sgervay.com/blog/ [YA]
• I am endeavouring to add regular tips, tricks and resource links to my own blog, so keep posted…

Publisher’s blogs:

• Sharon Creech – http://sharonkaycreech.blogspot.com/2011/01/book-design.html#comment-form
• Tate Publishing – Curtis Winkle, Senior Editor
tatepublishingeditors.blogspot.com
• Tate Publishing – Melanie Hughes, Director of Production 
melanieharrhughes.blogspot.com

Writers blogs – tips n tricks

Jayme Ian Woode http://jaymesianwoode.wordpress.com/

Writers’ Organisations:

Writing cross genre:

• Fellowship of Australia Writers [FAW] http://www.writers.asn.au/
• Australian Society of Authors [ASA] http://www.asauthors.org/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=ASP0016/ccms.r
• State of Writing [free] – http://astateofwriting.org.au/

Children’s/YA writing Organisations:

• CBCA http://cbca.org.au/
• SCBWI Australia and New Zealand also provides updates for members via an emailed newsletter: http://www.scbwiaustralia.org/
• QWC http://www.qwc.asn.au/
• Book Links http://www.booklinks.org.au/

“You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby, Contest/Blogfest.”

Christine Hardy, poet, fantasy novelist,  has been blogging a hardy 4 years and wants us to share the journey – share some of our own ups, downs and detours along the way. Prizes accrue – I heard chocolate mentioned and that other deadly writer/poet indulgence – coffee! 🙂

Go to – http://thewritershole.blogspot.com/2011/01/youve-come-long-way-baby.html  to find out more and win! 🙂

Good luck and happy blogging everyone!

Christine Hardy