We’re happy to announce that Melissa Miles and Allen Wells are the new Co-Assistant Regional Advisors for the Southern Breeze region!!!

Melissa has been a member of SCBWI since 2015 and she’s been helping out in various volunteer duties through the years. Melissa is also the Local Liason for the Savannah Area. She comes with a ton of experience, and she’s eager to bring her talents to the Website Maintenance and Registration position. Check her out at https://anovelwritingconcept.wordpress.com/

Allen has been a member of SCBWI since 2012. Originally a member of the Midsouth Region, Allen has volunteered at Midsouth and Southern Breeze's Regional conferences. Living in the heart of Atlanta, he is revved up and ready to serve in the Promotion and Social Media position. You can check him at https://www.allenwriteswell.com/

We are looking forward to working with our new Co-ARAs!

Meet SCBWI’s New Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer: April Powers!

After an extensive search and interview process, SCBWI brought April Powers on board in June as its first chief equity and inclusion officer. Recently Southern Breeze caught up with April to talk about herself, her job, and what’s planned for SCBWI. Here's the second part of our Q and A with April:

Q: I noticed SCBWI changed the logo for Pride Month. Is this emblematic of things to come? 

A: Making more use of social media is certainly a high priority. For instance, with the LGBTQ+ community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and others), we’re in contact with some of our members on an ongoing basis to figure out how to provide for people who are writing and providing content to and about LGBTQ+ families. I won’t speak for those members: I want to hear from you and learn your thoughts on where we’re lacking and how we can do better.

We’re also looking at highlighting some of our members’ work in months that are designated to highlight them—so when we update the profile page for you to tell us who you are, check those boxes that apply to you. Some of those months include Asian Heritage month, Hispanic Heritage month, etc.

Q: How are we addressing inclusion for students and members who are disabled? 

A: One step is to make the website and our social media accessible. For instance, if you include a hashtag in a social media post, the first letter of each word should be capitalized for the computer or translator to be able to read it aloud. Another step, which you will have seen if you’ve viewed any of the SCBWI digital workshops this summer, is we’re including an ASL (American Sign Language) translator.

Q: Any final thoughts for our members? 

A: Lin is unapologetically leading an antiracist organization. We support all creatives — every type. We can’t have an environment where any of that creativity is squashed, squandered, or made to feel less than because someone feels their story matters more. Or that their values matter more—a lot of misunderstandings are based on cultural values people misunderstand. I know we’re international, but our staff is small, mighty, and fierce, including our volunteers. I look forward to the time when we can resume in-person events. And I can’t wait to get to know as many of you as possible.

 ****

If you’d like to connect with April on social media:

Twitter 
Facebook 
LinkedIn 

If you’d like to email April directly, she can be reached at aprilpowers (at) scbwi (dot) org.

And special thanks to ARA Lisa Stauffer for this in depth Q and A with April Powers!

Meet SCBWI’s New Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer: April Powers!

“Whether you have children or not, we are all the ancestors of future generations on this planet. Let’s leave something great for them!” —April Powers, Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer, SCBWI

After an extensive search and interview process, SCBWI brought April Powers on board in June as its first chief equity and inclusion officer. She brings fifteen years of experience as the diversity, equity, and inclusion champion for a variety of companies, including such big names as Nestlé and Amgen. Recently Southern Breeze caught up with April to talk about herself, her job, and what’s planned for SCBWI.

Q: Welcome to SCBWI! 

A: Thanks! I’m very excited about this job on both a professional and a personal level. On a professional level, during the several months-long interview process, I found I really liked all the people involved in SCBWI. At this stage of my career, after working for some large companies and nonprofits, I’d worked in some positions where they weren’t committed to the work.

When you have the tone from the top, then it’s easy to say, “This is who we are as an organization.” Lin Oliver sets that tone. We’re all ambassadors for SCBWI all over the world.

On a personal level, I’m “Bluish,” which stands for Black and Jewish. I’ve been writing a kids book with my sons, and they wanted to know why my main character didn’t have golden hair.

I grew up with the angst of being a child who didn’t see herself represented in toys, stories, books, TV, or art. But our home and the media my sons see, I’d hoped, would be different. Their comment simply brought home that our society has a long way to go. I’d already begun researching how to publish a children’s book — and was planning to become an SCBWI member— when I got the job offer.

Q: What’s your top priority for SCBWI right now? 

A: First we’re training the SCBWI staff and regional leadership, since they’re essentially our main ambassadors to all the members as well as the public. As we move forward, I’m working on a way to make training in cultural competence, inclusion, and belonging accessible to all who volunteer in our regions worldwide.

Q: What steps are you taking to build equity and inclusion beyond training? 

A: At SCBWI, we’re pro-kid—we’re here for ALL children. And in the same manner we’re here for ALL of our members—writers, author/illustrators, illustrators, and translators.

So I want to know who you are. I invite members to email me or connect on social media. If you want to be more active in SCBWI in the arena of equity and inclusion, please reach out to me.

Another thing that’s in the works is to add a section to our member profile page, so that you can say who you are if you want to—it will always be optional. We’ll also be doing surveys to gain a better understanding of our membership.

As far as bringing in new members, I’m a recruiter at heart, and definitely think recruiting is a key part of what we’re talking about!

It’s important to reach out to people who are not traditionally in this space. We’ll be hunting in different fields. We know SCBWI is known within certain circles, such as among teachers or librarians. What we could do a lot better is to reach out to underrepresented writers to make sure their stories get told, too, especially BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or People of Color). We’re not taking away anything from anyone. We’re here to support all writers, author/illustrators, illustrators, and translators.

For people who would like to join SCBWI but it’s out of their budget, we have scholarships and are actively looking for some individuals and groups to sponsor really full scholarships. We’re looking into what a full scholarship would look like, beyond the membership or conference fees.

****

Join us next week for more of our Q and A with April Powers, SCBWI's Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer!

The Writing Contest! Our Judges! Show-Mos! Oh, My!

Are you a member of SCBWI? Because we've got lots going on, just for you!

June is only a few weeks away and that means our Southern Breeze Writing Contest will be open for entries. And we have some exciting changes coming to the 2020 writing contest!

In order to help our members best prepare their manuscripts for publishing, the contest entries will now mirror submissions that would be sent to future agents or editors. So although the manuscript requirements are shorter in length, every entry will now also include a query.

The query is such an important part of all submissions, even for those already represented by an agent. To get some great tips on writing your query, please refer to SCBWI THE BOOK which is available online for free to our members.

Along with having query feedback, each manuscript receives a scoring sheet from one to two of our Southern Breeze published authors, depending on the number of submissions to the contest category. The top 15 manuscripts in each category move on to the final round and receive feedback from an editor or agent judge.

And now to announce the judges for our 2020 categories!

Illustrated text (which includes fiction and non-fiction picture books only): ADRIA GOETZ

Adria Goetz is a literary agent with Seattle-based Martin Literary and Media Management, specializing in picture books, middle grade, young adult, and adult fiction, as well as gift books and devotionals. To learn more about Adria and what she is (and isn't) looking for, check out her wish list at adriagoetz.com. She tweets at @adriamgoetz.




Middle Grade novels, including chapter books: LAUREN SPIELLER

Lauren Spieller is a literary agent at TriadaUS. She has a sharp editorial eye, and is passionate about author advocacy. Lauren is seeking middle grade and young adult fiction. Whatever the age category or genre, Lauren is passionate about finding diverse and underrepresented voices.







Young Adult novels: ALEXANDER SLATER

Alexander Slater is a literary agent with the Trident Media Group. He is most interested in stories that blend genres, in characters that have historically been underrepresented, and in voices that enrapture him to the point of missing his subway stop. His list focuses intently on middle grade and young adult fiction and nonfiction, and in particular, graphic novels for all ages. You can follow his infrequent tweets at @abuckslater.





Our judges always rave about the Southern Breeze contest entries (and P.S. Something else new: First Place winners will receive a year's SCBWI membership!) and this year, we're once again sponsoring special programming for our members to get those entries polished up and prize-ready: Show-Mos!

This year, our annual Show-Mo events are moving online! By now, you've heard from Critique Coordinator TK Read about the meetings starting on May 15th. There are 10 Show-Mo events, with five different categories. You can go to as many Show-Mo events as you like, too, and then decide which manuscript is the best to enter into the Southern Breeze Writing Contest.

It's free to enter the contest and it's free to attend any Show-Mo event, as long as you're a member of SCBWI. So take advantage of all that your SCBWI membership offers... and good luck!

Breezers in the (Virtual) Neighborhood: MAY!

Even though some businesses are opening in our region, bookstores, libraries, and other businesses where our Breezers would typically share a book-signing or host a release party remain closed. So we asked you to send news of your virtual events so that we can join you online!

From Jenny L. Cote, author of the series, Epic Order of the Seven:

Every Thursday from 4:30 - 5:30 PM EST, I hold a Facebook Live event at my author page. I've been focusing on a different aspect of writing each week and taking reader questions:

 https://www.facebook.com/Jenny-L-Cote-33032532428/

From Reem Faruqi, author of Laila's Lunchbox:

Join her for an online Storytime with a Q & A on May 9th on Instagram Live at
 https://www.instagram.com/taleswithmimi/?hl=en 





From TeMika Grooms, our Illustrator Coordinator:

Join us for a 3-part series on Children’s Book Illustration designed to give you the basics of visual storytelling in children’s books from start to finish.  This free event, sponsored by Microsoft, Art Is King and SCBWI Southern Breeze, will cover the development of thumbnails and book dummies, book design, character design, and the basics of typography and hand lettering.  

The three-part series will be on Sundays May 17th, 24th and 31st  from 1pm – 3pm EST.

May 17th- Thumbnails, Book Dummies & More 

May 24th – Character Design

May 31st – Typography and Hand Lettering

To learn more go to the Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/Atlanta-Children-s-Book-Writers-Illustrators-Meetup

Join us! Registration is required.

And of course, we're joining in the virtual fun with Zoom Local Liaison meet-ups starting May 7th. And Zoom Show-Mos are coming, too! Look for more details in your members-only newsletter.

There are lots of opportunities for our members to get together during these social-distancing days of spring in Southern Breeze. So see you soon online, Breezers!

What Can SCBWI Southern Breeze Do For You?

The other day, I was having a (cellphone) walk-n-talk with a Southern Breeze member who asked for feedback about a webinar proposal. At the end of the conversation, she thanked me and asked, "And what can I do for you today?"

Such a nice thing to say! And I thought of all our Southern Breeze members because SCBWI is, after all, a support group. What can we do for you?

Of course, it's not possible these days to provide all the in-person programming you've previously enjoyed; even our Breezers in the Neighborhood are staying safe inside. But we are still here for you!

Here's a look at what we have going on in Southern Breeze and beyond for both members and for those wondering if children's writing or illustrating is for you:

wik'20 2.0: There are still spots left and registration is open for both fee and free sessions. Don't worry if you can't attend the session at the date and time; we'll send you the recording and it's available for seven days to watch over and over (and over) again.

Regional webinars: SCBWI offers webinars across the regions in the U.S. and abroad. And webinars are reasonably priced so that you all can attend. Check out the list HERE and find exactly what you need to get your writing and/or illustrating to the next level.

*Speakers Bureau: Virtual school visits and speaker events are always popular, but right now, parents and libraries are looking for engaging authors and illustrators to share their expertise with all the kids stuck at home! So if you haven't added yourself to our Southern Breeze bureau, take a few moments to add your name and the kinds of presentations you offer to your profile. *Must be an SCBWI Member.

*Contests: We have both writing and illustration contests and even now, we're busy finding industry judges for our Writing Contest and fine-tuning changes. Keep an eye on our website for updates to this year's contest and as always, these contests are offered to you for FREE! *Must be an SCBWI member (but the prizes are totally worth it!)

SCBWI: Now's the time to take a tour around the SCBWI website because SO much has been added during these challenging days.


So if you haven't joined us in SCBWI yet, now is a great time to come aboard! And if you're a member and you have ideas, SCBWI Southern Breeze wants to hear about 'em! Stay safe, y'all, keep well, and tell me...

What can we do for you today?

~Cathy C. Hall, ARA
SCBWI Southern Breeze

Bringing Community to a Conference

There's something special about a conference, isn't there?

The speakers, the intensives, the portfolio critiques! Not to mention all those sessions, the one-on-one consults with agents, the Pitch Party! All designed to help you improve your craft, to bring your career into focus.

And then there's the community of a conference, the friends and professionals who understand the struggles of the creative life and are there for you with generous support, the gift of inspiration, and sometimes even a bit of courage.

When Southern Breeze started working to make wik'20 an online conference, we knew we could bring the craft and career focus; we were a bit more challenged with bringing the community.

But Zoom is an amazing platform! We were able to find a way to bring Informal Critiques (and you can still sign up for 'em--they're free!) and the Mentorship Review for illustrators (also free but only a day left for signup!) so that you can get that interactive support that's so much a part of community-building.

Oh, but the inspiration. You can't beat the book launchers for inspiration! When I think back to my earliest conferences, I sometimes remember a keynote speaker but I always remember a book launcher or two. Whether it's the passion they bring as they tell their journey to publication or the grit and determination they share, it's so inspiring! We had to have the book launchers, and we had to have the launchers from wik'20 who'd worked so hard preparing their three minutes of inspiration. But getting 15 people together at one time for a live book launch?

That's extra-challenging. But it was Zoom to the rescue again! Thanks to PAL Coordinator, Heather Montgomery, the launchers were recorded. And rather than having their presentation at a certain time and available only for a week, we've given them a prime spot on the Southern Breeze website HERE.

Throughout the next six weeks or so, for as long as wik'20 2.0 lasts, we'll keep the Book launchers presentation there for you, and all the information about their books, too. All you have to do is copy and paste the Zoom link to the recording into your browser to bring their smiling faces up on your screen. Or you can click directly on the links here:

https://zoom.us/rec/share/wNJcKIvZzmZOcrPMtRrfcKp6McPDT6a80CUc8_sLnx1qahxF6lRkH6mO4uX-C5Ip 

https://zoom.us/rec/share/4dZ6d57900FJSKvU7UTbY4QfRIr3aaa823Id-6ZYy00NoHKJv-5b3OgMaTypBD0t


'Cause we all need a little inspiration now and then, right?

Stay safe, stay inside, and join us for wik'20 2.0. Register HERE!

But What About the Books?

When we had to cancel our wik'20 conference in Birmingham, there was disappointment all around. But there was so much to do to get all of our speakers ready with the online format that we didn't have a lot of time to think about all the extra events that go along with a conference. Events like the Book Signing and Portfolio Show, which was also unfortunately cancelled.





But then I heard our Membership Coordinator, Paula Puckett, talking about the books she'd ordered from the conference. What a great idea, I thought. So I asked her to share her book-buying info:




There are SO many favorite things about attending an SCBWI Southern Breeze conference, and seeing books by some of our SB authors/speakers is right up there at the TOP of my list! I love, love, LOVE the chance to catch up with a few long-time friends, make NEW friends, buy their books, and have them sign my very own copy.

Things changed up just a bit for this year, and the Conference Team has been busy putting together our conference in an online format. Now is the time to sign up, if you haven't already done so. But what about the books? you might be asking. How can you get the books? 

Little Professor Book Center in Homewood, AL is Birmingham's Oldest Independent Bookstore. They are also the wonderful folks who were going to be at the conference, selling us all of those books.

And here is what they are saying:

"We would be happy to handle book sales for the people interested in books from the conference. In fact we have already handled a few orders. Please give anyone interested in purchasing books our contact information."

Orders can be sent to any of the following:

Email - lphomewood@gmail.com

Phone - (205) 870-7461 T

Text message - (205) 526-3332

"We also have begun offering a local delivery service. Free for addresses within 10 miles of the store and $5.00 for the rest of the Birmingham area."

And what a stellar line up of books from WIK speakers they have available for us! Just take a look at this list: 

Answering the Cry for Freedom by Gretchen Woelfle and R. Gregory Christie (illustrator)
Bugs Don’t Hug: Six-Legged Parents and their Kids by Heather Montgomery and Stephen Stone (illustrator)
Counting Birds by Heidi E.Y. Stemple and Clover Robin (illustrator)
Cowhide-and-Seek by Sheri Dillard and Jess Pauwels (illustrator)
Dictionary for a Better World by Irene Latham, Charles Waters, and Mehrdokht Amini (illustrator) Eek You Reek!: Poems about Animals that Stink, Stank, Stunk by Jane Yolen, Heidi E.Y. Stemple, and Eugenia Nobati (illustrator)
Emily Writes by Jane Yolen and Christine Davenier (illustrator)
The Falling Between Us by Ash Parsons
FireTruck vs. Dragon by Chris Barton and Shanda McCloskey (illustrator)
Fly With Me by Jane Yolen, Heidi E.Y. Stemple, Adam Stemple, and Jason Stemple
Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford and R. Gregory Christie (illustrator)
Girls Like Us by Randi Pink
Grandma’s Purse by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
The House on Dirty-Third Street by Jo S. Kittinger and Thomas Gonzalez (illustrator)
Into White by Randi Pink
Just Like Me by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
A Kite for Moon by Jane Yolen, Heidi E.Y. Stemple, and Matt Phelan (illustrator)
Love, Agnes: Postcards from an Octopus by Irene Latham and Thea Baker (illustrator)
Mama’s Work Shoes by Caron Levis and Vanessa Brantley-Newton (illustrator)
Maple by Lori Nichols
Mapping the Bones by Jane Yolen 
Meet Miss Fancy by Irene Latham and John Holyfield (illustrator)
Miriam at the River by Jane Yolen and Khoa Le (illustrator) 
Mousetropolis by R. Gregory Christie
Octopus Escapes! by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer and Frank W. Dormer (illustrator) 
Oliver: The Second-Largest Living Thing on Earth by Josh Crute and John Taesoo Kim (illustrator) Owl Moon by Jane Yolen and John Schoenherr (illustrator)
Rosa’s Bus: The Ride to Civil Rights by Jo S. Kittinger and Steven Walker (illustrator)
The Shifter by Janice Hardy
The Singing Rock & Other Brand-New Fairy Tales by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer and Simini Blocker (illustrator)
Something Rotten: A Fresh Look at Roadkill by Heather Montgomery and Kevin O’Malley (illustrator)
T-Bone the Drone by Shanda McCloskey
Two By Two by Lisa Lowe Stauffer and Angelika Scudamore (illustrator)
Until I Break by Kara M. Bietz
You Nest Here with Me by Jane Yolen, Heidi E.Y. Stemple, and Melissa Sweet (illustrator)

Thank You, Thank You, Thank Yous all around. To Little Professor and their Team for bringing us BOOKS! To all of the Volunteers and Conference Team for working to bring us a conference in (yes) another format. Thank Yous to our Faculty and Speakers, for what you have done and are yet to do.

 All my best,
 Paula Puckett
SB Membership Coordinator

If You Give Children's Writers and Illustrators An Online Conference...

They're going to want to come!

Our first wik'20 2.0 sessions start today and our Zoom rooms are filling up! So we thought you might want a bit more information about how our online conference will work:

First, you must be registered for the event and/or session you wish to attend, even if it's free. You can register for an event up till 10:00 AM Eastern (9:00 AM Central) the day of the session/event. And if you've already registered and want to add to your registration, you can do that, too, as long as it's before the deadline of the session/event. Email Southern-Breeze@scbwi.org.

On or the day before the event, you will receive an email from one of our Regional Team members. We'll be your moderators during the online conference. This email will provide you with the Zoom link and password you'll need to attend the session. If there are any instructions from a speaker, we'll give you that information, too. We'll also throw in a couple of tips to help you get the most from your session.

If you cannot attend the event at the live date/time, don't worry! After the session, you'll receive another email from your moderator that will include the link to the recording. You will have seven days from the time of the live event to watch this recording. And you can watch it once or watch it ten times or not watch it at all. But once the seven days are up, so is the recording. Plus, if your session was presented by one of our acquiring faculty, you'll receive the "After the Conference" information so that you can submit.

Get to know Zoom, the online platform we'll be using for the conference. We've already had our training session but you'll find plenty of Zoom training videos on the Zoom website HERE. And if you still need help, then send us an email. Our RT is available to answer questions or walk you through Zoom so you can access your sessions.


An online conference is not quite the same as being there in person, but we'll try to be there for our attendees as much as possible. Online communication is a new adventure for many of us, including our faculty, but...

If you give an online conference for the very first time, there are going to be glitches. Send us an email if you have a problem and keep an eye on your inboxes as we send your information. Stay safe, stay inside, and someday soon, may we all meet for cookies and milk and a Southern Breeze hug or two!

Illustrator's Day 2.0!

We have been diligently planning our online offering of Illustrator’s Day and wik’20 2.0, Southern Breeze’s inaugural online conference! We won’t be able to be together in person, but with today’s technology we are able to share, connect and thrive online.

AN OVERVIEW 

The next six weeks will include offerings from the faculty and PAL speakers who were to present at our in-person conference in Birmingham. Illustrator’s Day will still include some of the same key features we always look forward to: Art Director, Illustrator and Agent presentations, the Mentorship Review and the Quick Fire Portfolio Review. We hope you will attend any and all of these at our online pricing. If you had your heart set on a critique with Saho Fujii you are in luck! She has opened her schedule for one-on-one portfolio critiques. Here’s how you can join us online for Illustrator’s Day 2.0.

Illustrator’s Sessions 

There are many great sessions you can join in a la carte throughout the next 6 weeks. Please don’t feel limited to just illustrator’s sessions. But if you are an illustrator and that is your focus, I’ve put the sessions and dates that may be of interest to you below:


But first, how do I register for the sessions? Click on the registration page HERE!

The Illustration Mentorship Review and Cover Art Session
 March 28th, 9 am - 11am

Saho Fujii, Art Director for Little Brown Books for Young Readers (https://www.lbyr.com/) met with the participants of the mentorship program to develop Book Covers based on classic fables. The Mentees have done a fabulous job at bringing the work from concept, sketch and final art. Saho will provide an online review of the final art LIVE on March 28th at 10am! This session will be valuable to anyone who is interested in children’s book illustration. The live feedback will let you see the process and the final art through the eyes of an art director. We suggest participating in the Cover Art session on March 28th at 9 am to receive the full benefit.

Here’s what you will learn:

● Understand the process of developing a concept based on text
● Sketch development process
● Book cover layout
● Usage of Text in the Art
● Usage of color in final design
● Communication with art directors
● Rendering and delivering final art

Informal Group Portfolio Critiques 
April 3rd, 7pm (Submit by April 2nd) - open to first 10 to sign up

The Informal Group Portfolio Critiques are a free option to be reviewed by your peers. You will need to submit a pdf with a maximum of 10 single page images of your strongest illustrations for review. The Zoom will be moderated by an SCBWI volunteer, but you will receive valuable feedback from the group.

Want to submit for the Informal Portfolio Critique? 

Informal Portfolio Critique Participants

Please send 1 pdf with up to 10 images (one image per page) for your portfolio review for the onscreen peer review to southern-breeze-ic@scbwi.org with the subject line: 2020 Informal Portfolio Critique.


Quick Fire Portfolio Review 

April 6th, 7pm (Submit by April 2nd) - open to first 10 to sign up

The Quick Fire Portfolio review is a fabulous opportunity to have you work viewed by the conference faculty at an affordable price. You will need to submit a pdf with a maximum of 10 single page images of your strongest illustrations for review. The faculty members will spend time with your submitted pdf and provide quick feedback (typically 2-minutes) on the work.

Here’s what you will learn:

● What is working and not working in your portfolio presentation
● Real-time feedback from industry professionals
● Participants and viewers will learn what catches the eye of an agent and art director - present your strongest work and catch their attention fast!

Want to submit for the Quick Fire Portfolio Review? 

Quick Fire Portfolio Review Participants

Please send 1 pdf with up to 10 images (one image per page) for your portfolio review for the onscreen faculty review to southern-breeze-ic@scbwi.org with the subject line: 2020 Quick Fire Portfolio Review

One-on-One Critiques with Saho Fujii
 April 18th (submit by April 15th)

Do you need more than a quick portfolio review? Do you need advice on your illustration career? Saho Fujii has opened a few more slots for her one-on-one critiques. Sign up and submit your portfolio for review.

One-on-One Critiques with Saho Fujii Consultations 
via Zoom on April 18th. 

Your consultation time will be emailed to you. Please create a single pdf with up to 10 images (one on each page) and email it to for review to southern-breeze-ic@scbwi.org using the subject line: WIK20 Portfolio Critique – Saho Fujii.

Online Conferencing through Zoom 

New to Zoom? Registration & Confirmation

All presentations and critiques will be conducted on the Zoom platform, an easy and accessible means of video communication. New to Zoom? Here’s how we can help:

● A link to Zoom training will be provided when you receive registration confirmation for any session.
● Zoom meeting reminders will be sent when you sign up
● Zoom Room access opens ten minutes before the session starts so you can ask your moderator questions. We’ll make sure you’re ready to Zoom!

Most of our sessions, though big on information, are small on price! We’ll even have a few “freebies” on Fridays—but you must register, even if you’re attending only the free events/sessions. That’s how you’ll get the email with the Zoom link.

Recorded Sessions are Available for 7 Days only!

Sessions will be presented live and in real-time! Each session will be recorded and available for viewing within a couple hours. They will only be accessible for 7 days from the live date. If you can’t make the live presentation, watch whenever you want (during the time period that it’s available).

Glitches could happen. Please be patient as we all navigate this new territory. If we need to reschedule an event, we will do so and notify you of the rescheduled date. If we need to cancel the session, you will receive a refund. (Be aware of the schedule...this does not apply if you don’t watch the session in the 7 day watch period)

Register Soon! 

Our Zoom account allows a limited number of attendees, so please don’t delay your registration. We are sorry we won’t be able to be with you in person, but we are grateful for the community of children’s book creators we have built over the years in SCBWI Southern Breeze. The in-person connections cannot be replaced, but for now, technology will keep us stitched together and moving forward as we create books for the next generation. So keep creating and join us for the sessions of your choice at Illustrator's Day and wik’20 2.0 online!

Wik'20 2.0 Opens!

 

*'20 2.0

As promised, we’re rolling out wik’20 2.0, Southern Breeze’s inaugural online conference! And though we can’t bring that special camaraderie that comes with the in-person togetherness of our writer and/or illustrator community, we can bring you almost all of the content of wik’20.

Throughout the next six weeks, our faculty and PAL speakers will be presenting many of the same sessions attendees would have experienced in Birmingham. So if you had your heart set on that agent talk about successful queries, or that digging-deep-into-craft session, you can still get ‘em. However, we’re not able to bring Jane Yolen and Heidi Stemple’s picture book intensive—yet.

Don’t worry, Jane and Heidi are fine; they’re just not available for the conference. We’re already making plans to bring their workshop in the fall, so keep checking back with Southern Breeze. For now, take a look at the registration page and what we can offer you HERE. 

We’re using Zoom, an easy and accessible means of video communication. We’ve used it already in our region for video meetings and critique conferencing. But if you haven’t tried Zoom yet, you have several options to get up to speed. We’ll have a link to Zoom training at our registration site and when you receive registration confirmation for any session, you’ll also get that reminder to practice with Zoom beforehand. And we’ll even give you access to your Zoom Room ten minutes before the session starts so you can ask your moderator questions. We’ll make sure you’re ready to Zoom!

Most of our sessions, though big on information, are small on price! We have sessions with the perks you love (Like submission opportunities for agents and/or editors!) and we even have a few “freebies” on Fridays—but you must register, even if you’re attending only the free events/sessions. That’s how you’ll get the email with the Zoom link.

About these sessions…we’ll be presenting live. That means when you join the session, the speaker will be presenting in real time. But we’ll be recording every session, and each event/session will be available for viewing for up to seven days from the live date. So if you can’t make your session when it goes live, a few hours after it ends, every registered attendee will receive the link to the recorded session. You can watch whenever you like, for as many times as you like, during the seven days following the original air date.

But just as you may have an emergency and be unable to watch the live program, speakers may have last minute glitches, too. We’ll make every effort to reschedule if that should happen, but if for some reason an event and/or session is cancelled, you’ll get a refund. (However, you won’t get a refund if you don’t watch your session in time, so please stay on top of the schedule!)

There are limits on the number of attendees we can accommodate with Zoom, and remember, members beyond Southern Breeze will have access to wik’20 2.0, too, so please don’t delay your registration! GO TO THE REGISTRATION PAGE HERE AND SIGN UP NOW!

We’re sorry we can’t be with you in person this year and we hope you’ll all stay safe and stay in! But while you’re staying in, we can give you an online conference that’s a little like a cafeteria line: pick what looks good and fill up on some of the best children’s writing and illustration content ever!

And next, here's Illustrator Coordinator, TeMika Grooms, who’ll be sharing more about what we’re offering for Illustrator’s Day 2.0!

WIK20 Cancelled

After the recent updates from the Center for Disease Control re: COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus), SCBWI Southern Breeze has made the decision to cancel wik'20 this weekend in Birmingham.

Though we are making plans to bring many of our sessions to our attendees, here is the information you need now:

If your travel plans include hotel arrangements, please cancel immediately! We'll be sending information to all attendees with instructions re: cancelling at the Aloft. You cannot cancel online; you must call to cancel.

SCBWI  Southern Breeze will refund registration fees (including meals). However, if you have a manuscript critique or a consult, these are still in place and we'll be sending instructions for how these will work. Those fees will not be refunded.

Other plans are on-going and we're working as quickly as possible to figure everything out with our faculty and for our attendees in order to offer webinars of sessions. We know it's not exactly what we had planned but our first priority is to keep everyone safe in our region and beyond!

Stay tuned, you'll hear more from us soon!


Claudia, Sharon, TeMika, Cathy, and Lisa

Breezers in Your Neighborhood--MARCH!

All kinds of events going on all over the Southern Breeze region so take a look and come out and join us!


Sunday, March 8th

Both author Jennifer Swanson and illustrator TeMika Grooms will be at Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, Georgia as part of the Atlanta Science Festival. Come out for this free event and book-signing and find out if you have what it takes to be a human crash test dummy!

When: 2:00 to 3:00 PM

Where: Little Shop of Stories Bookstore
             133A East Court Square
             Decatur, GA





Monday, March 9

From LL Suzanne Purvis in the Florida Panhandle:

When: 10:30 AM

Where: Santa Rosa Mall Food Court
             Fort Walton Beach, FL

What: Bring a craft tip to share and up to 500 words for critique or positivity pass OR up to three illustration spreads for critique or positivity pass.


Friday, March 13- Saturday, March 14

Join us in the Birmingham area for Illustrators' Day, Writer's Intensives, and wik'20! It's all happening at the Homewood Public Library and the Aloft Hotel and there are still a few spots left. Get all the information and register HERE today!


Saturday, March 21

Author Randi Sonenshine has busy times ahead with the launch of her debut picture book, The Nest That Wren Built! She'll have fun bird crafts and an interactive presentation of her story at this free event, though there may be limited copies of the book available. (Books are available for pre-order and should arrive in time for signing.)



When: 10 AM

Where: Cartersville Library
             429 W. Main Street
             Cartersville, GA


Sunday, March 22

Join Randi for a Storytime!

When: 2:00 PM

Where:  Little Shop of Stories Bookstore
             133A East Court Square
             Decatur, GA

On April 4th, Randi will have another book-signing and storytime at Avid Bookshop in Athens, GA. Find more details in Breezers in Your Neighborhood in April. And if you have news, let us know! We'd love to join you at your next event!

Bring Your Career into Sharper Focus with WIK'20 and Meeting Members!

Look for this display at wik'20!

Whether you’re a newcomer or a long time conference attendee, you’re sure to find folks to help you along your creative journey at WIK'20!  Of course, the faculty have lots to share but Membership Coordinator, Paula Puckett hopes you'll mix and mingle with all the members; think about the benefits of expanding your network of writers and illustrators! Though yes, sometimes it’s hard to be a new person in a situation where it might seem like everybody knows everybody else.

So we began something a few conferences ago with a Membership Display and are continuing with this because it seemed to be helpful. Here’s how this will work:

Each area in our region has been divided and posted on the Membership Display.  Look for the largest major city which is closest to where you live, select the corresponding color slip of paper and put it in your name tag.  Then go out there and introduce yourself, especially to those who have the same colored tab in their name tag. Chances are good that they could live somewhere in your area.

If there is not an active Local Liaison close to where you live, consider becoming one yourself. The names and email addresses of Local Liaisons are on the SB webpage. Local Liaisons are volunteers who hold Local Events from time to time. Ask the Regional Advisors, Assistant Regional Advisors or Membership Coordinator to send you information and guidelines about becoming a Local Liaison if you think you would like to participate in this volunteer position.

Some LLs choose to belong to critique groups too, but their main function is to provide opportunities for local members to get together and pass along information about SCBWI Southern Breeze. It’s a bit of work, but it’s the FUN kind of work. 

See how this works?  And anyway you look at it, you will soon begin to develop and expand both your knowledge base of the art and craft of writing/illustrating, along with your network of creatives.  Win, win, win!

All my best,

Paula Puckett

Membership Coordinator

Paula B. Puckett spins stories and yarn. She grows vegetables, frequents flea markets, and makes stuff. She is a retired elementary art educator and a 20+ year member of SCBWI. Follow her on Twitter with @Runswithalpaca or

paulabpuckett.wordpress.com.

Still time to register for wik'20! Click here and register TODAY!

Is Mentorship For You?

Jo starts her mentoring early!

The Southern Breeze region is gearing up for the opening of our mentorship program on February 15th and here's Jo S. Kittinger, Mentorship Coordinator, with the latest news:

You've been writing for years, but now feel stalled. A published author's insights can help move you forward.

Last year, one writer found success with selling not one, but two magazine articles in the course of her mentorship! (If you have been struggling to sell a book manuscript, you might consider trying magazine writing. The demand for material is greater and the competition is less.) And while this program does not promise publication, it can help you polish your craft.

The following mentors are available for 2020:

Kara Bietz, Young Adult

Claire Datnow, Nonfiction Middle Grade

Nancy Raines Day, Picture Books

Jamie Dodson, Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, NF

Avery Hurt, Nonfiction magazine articles

Jo S. Kittinger, Picture Books, Easy Readers, fiction or nonfiction

Heather L. Montgomery, Nonfiction, books and magazines, grant writing

Johnna Stein, Magazine articles

Tracey M. Cox, Picture Books (non-rhyming)

Learn more on the Southern Breeze website and remember, spaces are limited so not everyone who applies can be matched with a mentor, but every applicant will receive a critique of the work submitted. The application window is short--February 15 to March 20--so don't delay!

If you have any questions about our mentorship program, please contact Jo Kittinger. Remember, you'll find lots of information and the application on the website! Good luck!

Bring Your Career into Sharper Focus with WIK20 and INFORMAL CRITIQUES

If you've taken a look at the SCBWI Southern Breeze Facebook page recently--you do know there is an SCBWI Southern Breeze Facebook page, right? You'll also know that the SCBWI Southern Breeze Facebook page is a great place to check in daily and see what's happening around our region. And when you check in, you're going to see this:

This is why we go to conferences: community, craft, career. It's also what you'll get with the informal critiques that we offer at every conference.

The informal critiques are free, and they're an excellent opportunity to meet with other writers and writer/illustrators who write exactly what you write (or illustrate).

Looking for picture book writers who can give you feedback? We've got that, and author-illustrators, too. Non-fiction, only, please? Sure, we've got that as well. But what about novels, you ask. We'll put you in a group with Middle Grade or Young Adult. We have your community, but it doesn't end at wik20. There's no reason why you can't continue to critique with friends you meet at a conference.

Your group might be a couple of new writers but you'll also have a facilitator who has a bit of experience. And before you think that writer sitting next to you who's never attended a conference won't be much help, you might be surprised to know that he or she won the writing contest the year before. So the level of craft in your informal group might be varied but it will be mighty--and you will learn plenty!

Finally, we know it's not always easy to put your work out there, whether it's a professional manuscript critique or an informal critique. But SCBWI Southern Breeze is rooting for you, so take a deep breath and share, knowing that we all started at the beginning and we all know exactly how you feel. We promise to give your work the same thoughtful and thorough consideration that we'd want. Then keep putting the work in and the day will come when your career will take off.

See this great post from our Critique Coordinator, T.K.Read for more information about how the informal critiques work. We'll be meeting in the Aloft Hotel this year for critique, sure, but what we're really after is community and craft and career! See y'all there!

Click here and register today for wik20 and bring your career into sharper focus!

Breezers in Your Neighborhood: FEBRUARY!

Breezers meeting all over the region in February, so come join us!


Friday, February 7th

When: 3 - 6 PM

Where: Skyland Shopping Center
             US Highway 90
             Mobile, AL

What: Breezers Joyce Scarbrough, Candice Conner, Christa Stanley, and Lady Lester will be some of the contributing authors signing copies of Valentine's Day Pieces at Mobile Bookseller. This is the third edition of the Pieces anthology series sponsored by the Mobile Writers Guild.

Monday, February 10th

When: 10:30 AM

Where: Santa Rosa Mall Food Court
             Fort Walton Beach, FL

What: Bring a craft tip to share and up to 500 words for critique or positivity pass OR up to three illustration spreads for critique or positivity pass.

Also from Suzanne Purvis, Local Liaison in the Florida Panhandle:

Each Tuesday, we are holding a Write-in at Niceville Library. Writers will say hello and then spread out to write. We can get together around lunch and go out to eat or not. Then write again in the afternoon. This is completely flexible, so come for half a day or the full day or an hour. No RSVP is necessary, just show up and write. And if you're the only one, it's fine. Write and accomplish!



Saturday, February 29

When: 10 AM to Noon

Where: East Cobb Library
             4880 Lower Roswell Road
             Suite 510 B
             Marietta, GA  30068

What: From Kara Bietz, the new Local Liaison of the Cobb County are...

"It's a Meet and Greet! Come mingle with your fellow Cobb County Southern Breezers for a morning of discussion and idea sharing. What kinds of programming would you like to see in Cobb? We'll also discuss the upcoming WIK conference and answer any burning questions you may have about getting the most out of your conference experience. We will finish off the morning with a First Pages Panel! Polish the first 100-200 words of your manuscript for a quick critique from our panel of experts. This will be an anonymous activity, so leave your names off of your work, please!" 

Love is in the air in February and we love spreading the word about your FREE events! If you have an event coming up, let us know! Contact Cathy Hall (southern-breeze-ara2@scbwi.org) with all the details before the first of the month in which your event will occur.

On Board at the Smithsonian: Breezer Carmen Agra Deedy!

We just got big news about our own Southern Breezer, Carmen Agra Deedy!

Deedy moved with her family from Havana to Decatur, Georgia during the Cuban Revolution, and now she's a celebrated author of children's books, published in both English and Spanish. And what a storyteller! She's enthralled audiences for years, including Southern Breezers when she gave a keynote at one of our Springmingle conferences. But really, there's SO much more to this Breezer, so on to the news!

The Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents voted Oct. 21 to appoint Carmen Agra Deedy and Brandon Neal to the Smithsonian Libraries Advisory Board in January 2020. They will join 17 community and business leaders dedicated to building the Libraries’ collections, increasing digital initiatives, advancing education, creating high-quality exhibitions and programs and securing a financial legacy. “I am pleased to welcome Carmen Agra Deedy and Brandon Neal to our Board,” said Scott Miller, Deputy Under Secretary for Collections and Interdisciplinary Support and Interim Director, Smithsonian Libraries. “They bring with them decades of extraordinary leadership and expertise in key areas. Their outstanding work has enhanced communities around the country—Deedy through storytelling and literacy and Neal through advocacy and fundraising.”

“It is an honor to serve the Smithsonian Libraries, an organization with a venerable and storied past. As an immigrant, this appointment is especially poignant; during my formative years America’s libraries were both university and sanctuary,” said Carmen Agra Deedy. “I am elated to work with this exceptional Board, whose collective vision and quiet diligence is ensuring that the Libraries’ second century will be as celebrated as its first.”

The Smithsonian Libraries Advisory Board consists of members from across the United States. The mission of the board is to help the Libraries to provide authoritative information and create innovative services and programs for Smithsonian researchers, scholars, scientists, curators, historians and other staff, as well as the public at large.

About the Smithsonian Libraries

The Smithsonian Libraries maintains a collection of more than 2 million volumes and serves as an educational resource for the Smithsonian Institution, the global research community and the public. The Libraries are located in Washington, D.C.; Edgewater, Md.; Chantilly, Va.; New York City; and the Republic of Panama. 

There are lots of ways to connect with the libraries but here's a good starting place: library.si.edu. 

About Carmen Agra Deedy 

Deedy is the author of eleven books for children, including The Library Dragon, The Cheshire Cheese Cat, Martina the Beautiful Cockroach and 14 Cows for America, a New York Times bestseller. Her personal stories first appeared on NPR’s All Things Considered. 

She is host of the four-time Emmy-winning children’s program, Love That Book! An award-winning author and storyteller, Deedy is also an accomplished lecturer, having been a guest speaker for both the TED and TEDx Conferences, the Library of Congress, Columbia University, the National Book Festival, and the Kennedy Center, among other distinguished venues. 

Deedy’s dedication to libraries and librarians has been life-long. She served on the Dekalb Public Libraries Board of Trustees, in her home state of Georgia, as an Author Library Advocate for the American Library Association. A life-long supporter of the Smithsonian, she opened the 2016 Art of the Book Lecture Series for the Libraries. Deedy’s newest picture book, Rita and Ralph’s Rotten Day (Scholastic Press), illustrated by Pete Oswald, will be released on March 3, 2020.

Oh, the places you'll go when you join SCBWI! Big congrats to Southern Breezer, Carmen Agra Deedy! (And P.S. If you've never explored the Smithsonian Libraries, take a look! It's a treasure trove for readers and researchers: free images, educator resources, and all kinds of online digital delights--all there, just for you! And thank you to Carmen Agra Deedy for helping with the mission of this amazing library system!)