SCBWI

Society of
Children's Book Writers
and Illustrators

Wisconsin

Wisconsin

  •   Save the Date for the 2022 Marvelous Midwest SCBWI Conference - happening April 1- 3, 2022, in Davenport, Iowa! This six-region, Midwest mega-conference is designed to give you a large SCBWI NYC or LA conference experience closer to home. Featuring more than 35 faculty members sharing content for writers and illustrators that will move your Works In Progress -- and your career -- forward. Make industry connections. Get a portfolio review or critique. Gain access to acquiring editors, agents, and art directors. Find your people and make lasting relationships.  Start your planning now to join in! Much more info to come. Stay tuned.
  • Congrats to all the SCBWI-Wisconsin authors and illustrators who are releasing these beautiful books in March 2021!   Click the image to open a larger version in a new window. And please feel free to share in your network and on social media.
  •   Congrats to SCBWI-WI member Anuradha Rajurkar, whose debut novel, AMERICAN BETIYA, was chosen as SCBWI's April book club pick! Don't miss her Instagram Live chat on April 30 at 11am.   Here's more from Avery Silverberg at SCBWI headquarters: Introducing our April book club pick: AMERICAN BETIYA by Anuradha Rajurkar. You may remember this title from last month’s edition of Insight—if you missed our SCBWI Success Story with Anuradha, click here. From winning the SCBWI Emerging Voices Award in 2017 to being an April Equity & Inclusion Book Club pick, AMERICAN BETIYA has a special place in our hearts, and we know you will all love it, too. There is so much to discuss when it comes to this book— “cultural conflicts, betrayal, the triggering of generational trauma, and the powerful emergence of one’s identity,” as Anuradha says. It’s a good thing we’ll have the chance to chat with Anuradha one-on-one via Instagram Live: Friday, April 30 at 11am PST.  Our guest interviewer this month will be YA Fantasy author of Wings of Ebony: J. Elle. We hope to see all of you in the chat, asking questions. And don’t forget to snag a copy of the book in our SCBWI Bookshop.org shop—click here! I asked Anuradha to share with SCBWI members a few words before we all read AMERICAN BETIYA all together: She says, “Though American Betiya is a work of fiction, its themes are ones I closely relate to as a South Asian American woman born and raised in Evanston. In creating Rani’s world, I learned what can happen when cultures collide in one feverish first love, why we sometimes feel the need to distance ourselves from our cultures, and how the longing to be loved and seen might overshadow our most basic instincts. Writing this book helped me understand how we may uphold our cultural identities despite the stereotypes and emotional violence that come with routinely being seen and treated as “other” — even by the ones we love. American Betiya is the raw, evocative, swoony, soulful, empowering book of my heart, and I’m thrilled to finally get to share it with you!”
  • SCBWI offers webinars across all regions in the US and abroad [caption id=
  • Congrats to the SCBWI-Wisconsin authors and illustrators who are releasing these beautiful books in spring 2021! Click HERE for a downloadable and highly shareable PDF. Or see the JPEG image below on your device. Enjoy.
  • Welcome! We’re so glad you’ve joined us. We hope this guide will help you navigate the many resources and opportunities available to members at both a regional and international level. We hope to meet you (virtually or in person) soon!   RESOURCES TO EXPLORE   Read The Book: The Essential Guide to Publishing for Children. This must-read resource kicks off your publication journey and is regularly updated to provide you the latest news, a survey of the current children’s book market, publishers and agency directories, and more. Access the latest edition at https://www.scbwi.org/online-resources/the-book. (To access The Book, log in to scbwi.org and click on the stripes at the top right of the page to find Publications. The Book is there for download. It is a fantastic perk of membership that’s not to be missed.)   Get the FAQs. If you’re new to the world of children’s literature and publishing, you probably have a LOT of questions about how it all works. SCBWI has you covered with this excellent FAQs page: https://www.scbwi.org/online-resources/frequently-asked-questions/.   Visit our regional website. Visit SCBWI-WI’s home on the web at https://wisconsin.scbwi.org for event listings and other regional opportunities, member news, and lots of great educational resources.   Visit the international (headquarters) website. Visit scbwi.org for industry news, exclusive member opportunities, grants/scholarships, and tons of ways to connect with members around the globe. A great place to start is the “Membership Benefits” page at https://www.scbwi.org/membership-benefits-new.   Sign up for the SCBWI-WI listserv. Receive emails about ongoing events, regional updates, and member news. To join the listserv, go to https://wisconsin.scbwi.org and look for our list of regional volunteers on the left side of the page. Click the link to contact our current Listserv Coordinator via email, and ask to be added to the list.   Join a critique group. SCBWI-WI can connect you with other kidlit creators in Wisconsin by helping you join a critique group. This is by far the best way to get feedback on your work! To get started, go to https://wisconsin.scbwi.org and look for our list of regional volunteers on the left side of the page. Click the link to contact our current Critique Group Coordinator. In your message, be sure to indicate the format and genre you work in (author or illustrator, picture books, YA, traditional art, digital art, etc). If you’re interested in joining a critique group, we also recommend reading this helpful handout.    Attend a FREE digital workshop. During the pandemic, SCBWI Headquarters has offered—and continues to offer—several excellent series of digital workshops, which are free to members (but require advance registration). Find information on these events by going to  https://www.scbwi.org and exploring the subpages under the “SCBWI Digital” tab. (Recordings of past workshops are only available for a limited time, so be sure to keep an eye on those dates!)   Find a regional webinar that strikes your fancy. SCBWI chapters around the world have opened up their regional webinars to all members. Search for a webinar topic that interests you at https://www.scbwi.org/regional-webinars. Keep in mind that space is limited, since members of the host region are often given first priority during registration.   Attend a statewide event or a local get-together. We offer several high-interest state-wide events a year, and our area reps offer many smaller, oftentimes free, meet-ups in the four quadrants of the state. During the pandemic, we’re only hosting virtual events. View all upcoming events here: https://wisconsin.scbwi.org/events.   Dive into our blog and newsletter. The SCBWI-WI blog features many interviews with kidlit professionals as well as other great information and advice. Check it out at https://wisconsinscbwi.wordpress.com/. Creative Tap is our regional newsletter, which features essays by SCBWI-WI members, event information, and more. Access every issue at https://wisconsin.scbwi.org/creative-tap-archive/.   Join us on social media. Catch event listings, member news, and other chapter announcements by following us on social media: Twitter @SCBWIWisconsin Facebook: SCBWIWisconsin Instagram: SCBWIWisconsin   Review our Equity & Inclusion Resources. Don’t miss our Equity and Inclusion Resources page at https://wisconsin.scbwi.org/equity-inclusion-resources/. This page includes educational resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as a collection of events, contests, book lists, and awards.   Win an award! SCBWI has many grants and awards for writers and illustrators across several categories and genres. Most are awarded annually, so review the list and find out how and when to apply here: https://www.scbwi.org/awards-and-grants-new.  
  •   SCBWI stands firmly against bias, oppression, or unfair treatment of people based on their identity elements. We also extend our condolences to the Floyd family at this hurtful time. As we feel the pain of what is happening today in America and in the treatment of our Black citizens, we renew our commitment to equity, inclusion, and equal justice for all. To read more about our stand, here is our position statement on equity and inclusion: https://www.scbwi.org/scbwi-statement-of-intent-on-equity-and-inclusion/
  • Congrats to all the SCBWI-Wisconsin authors and illustrators who are releasing these beautiful books in April 2021! Click the image to open a larger version in a new window. And please feel free to share in your network and on social media.  
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Region About

SCBWI is the society for writers and illustrators of children’s literature. It’s also an easy place to find speakers for your bookstore, school, or library. Find Wisconsin creators here and learn more about SCBWI by watching this video. Please settle in and get to know us. 🙂

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