Teaching Authors--6 Children's Authors Who Also Teach Writing: Poetry Camp, a CWIM Giveaway, and Lots More!
Poetry Camp, a CWIM Giveaway, and Lots More!
Our Teaching Authors topic for this new series of posts is agents: who has one, who doesn't, and the advantages and disadvantages of submitting with or without an agent.
But before I begin that discussion, I must mention Poetry Camp, an amazing experience organized by Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell, the geniuses behind Pomelo Books and the Poetry Friday anthologies, along with Western Washington University's Sylvia Tag and Nancy Johnson. I was so happy to see our own April there, along with 35 or so other children's poets and a very enthusiastic audience of teachers, librarians, and other poetry people. What fun! Besides meeting, talking with, and learning from all those wonderful poets, we ended the conference with a performance by Jack Prelutsky. In its online Industry News, Publishers Weekly included a photo of our group.
Now back to our scheduled topic. I've never worked with an agent, so I can only discuss the pros and cons of submitting on my own. In a nutshell, I have the freedom to submit to any editor who accepts unagented manuscripts (I also add names to my contact list when I meet editors at conferences), and I bear the responsibility of managing all that submitting and negotiating on my own.
I wrote about submitting directly to editors in an article in the Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market (CWIM) 2017. For "Be Your Own Literary Agent," I interviewed four other children's book authors who also submit their own work. Mary Ann Rodman, Lisa Moser, Janet Halfmann, and Gretchen Woelfle answered questions about networking, finding editors, tracking submissions, and negotiating contracts. To celebrate the article, we're giving away a copy of the CWIM 2017, courtesy of Writer's Digest Books. You can enter below.
Another announcement: Hundreds of new children's books published in 2016, both traditionally and independently published, are celebrated in the SCBWI Book Blast. You can search for specific titles and authors and even buy books. Among other treasures, you'll find Carmela's new edition of Rosa, Sola (in paperback and ebook) with discussion questions for classroom use.
Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter to win your own copy of the Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market 2017. You may enter via 1, 2, or all 3 options. If you choose option 2, you must leave a comment on today's blog post. If your name isn't part of your comment identity, please include it in your comment for verification purposes. If you prefer, you may submit your comment via email to teachingauthors [at] gmail [dot] com. The giveaway ends October 31 and is open to U.S. residents only. Email subscribers, if you received this post via email, you can click on the Rafflecopter link at the end of this message to access the entry form.
Irene Latham has today's Poetry Friday Roundup at Live Your Poem. Enjoy!
Wow -- didn't realize you drove all that way to Poetry Camp! What an amazing event that was -- enjoyed all the posts and pics about it. I need to check out the SCBWI Book Blast. Congrats on your article in the new CWI Market!
Thank you, Jama! You were at Poetry Camp, too--we spread the word about your fabulous blog during our blogging presentation. Yes, the conference was truly amazing!
I have loved all the posts about Poetry Camp, yours, too, JoAnn, but this time I love the idea of that long trip with your husband. It sounds so wonderful. Thanks for the bits of advice here, and the chance to win the latest copy of the new CWIM, with your article, too! Have a good weekend!
What an amazing poetry/camping adventure, JoAnn. Congratulations on your forthcoming article, too!
How wonderful that you were able to combine a road trip with Poetry Camp. I loved your poem, and especially the title. (I'm noticing titles a lot these days after Irene's post and because I struggle with them so!) I'd love the chance to win a copy of the CWIM book.
JoAnn, I love thinking of you in your tiny dome home. :) What an adventure, indeed! So glad to have met you and only wish we'd had more time to get to know one another. Thanks for sharing your experience being your own agent. There are many paths to publication, aren't there? No one right path. Agented or not, we all have to keep walking one step at a time. Thank you!
Fabulous trip. Thanks for telling me about it. And thanks for the chance to win this book.
What an adventure! I don't have good luck camping, but your poem almost inspired me to try it again. Thanks!
You drove over 4,000 miles to and from Poetry Camp?! Holy Cow! That is some serious dedication. But, how wonderful to stop and camp along the way. I love camping....but my hubs doesn't. So, I lingered wistfully over your photo and poem. Every account I have read of Poetry Camp is wonderful. I live in hope that there will be an East Coast Poetry Camp someday soon.
This looks like an awesome blog! Can't wait to read more!
4,685 miles! Wow!! That is a testament to where people will go for poetry, all around the world. Love the dome house photo and the poem, too. I love that you brought Jama with you to Poetry Camp. I went to SCBWI's NE Encore yesterday, and someone recognized me from my blog. Give me a giggle to think about it. Connections are being made all the time, even when we don't realize.
What an amazing journey to make. I think that is a book waiting to be written. Love this post! Thank you for this inspiration.
Having 6 teacher/authors work on this post provides great variety, insight, and inspiration for me, as a teacher who wants to write. Thanks.
JoAnn! I'm waking out of my TeachingAuthors sabbatical slumber to say how wonderful it was to hug my blog buddy in real life--it's been too long.
Loved Poetry Camp and the thought of you camping along the way!
Hello, hello, & belated thanks to all! I'm happy to read all your thoughts about poetry, camping, & Poetry Camp! Now to catch up from the trip!
Congrats on the article, JA! And I love your poem.
JoAnn - you enjoyed a jumpstart on that fabulous-sounding Poetry Camp with your & your hubby's own version, enroute. I love the cozy image of your camp with lit fire. And the poem.
For those of us who didn't attend, it's been fun to identify writing pals in the photos of this creative time you all enjoyed.
Kudos on the 2017 article - I look forward to finding it. Hopefully, in a copy I win, but if not, at the Library or I'll cadge a copy from a writing pal.
I would have loved the road trip as much as the camp! Congrats on your article!
I look forward to reading your article about CWIM. It seems like a pretty daunting task to submit and negotiate on your own, especially these days when so many publishers are closed to unagented submissions. So I'm curious to read how you do it.
I didn't realize you drove all the way to Bellingham. What a marvelous trip. Love the poem.
I want to go to poetry camp! My favorite poet of all is Jack Prelutsky. I'm so happy to have found your site!
Wow, JoAnne, this couldn't be more timely. I'm currently torn between continuing as an unagented writer and focusing on subbing agents instead of publishing houses. Thank you!
JoAnn, I was intrigued that you traveled so far and camped out. My daughter and son-in-law are big campers but I have never tried it. Your poem is delightful and I love the information in all of the Teaching Author blogs. Perhaps, you might like to offer your camping poem and photo as a combined #Imagepoem for my #Autumnventure Gallery for it is a trued autumn adventure.
Very informative and lively website. I appreciate your thoughts on pro's and con's of having an agent or not.
Poetry Camp . . . Sounds intriguing, and what a wonderful rode trip adventure, with bluebirds at the end of the rainbow! I look forward to reading your article in the 2017 CWIM.
I feel so fortunate to have found our blog. What a wealth of information! I look forward to exploring the site and upcoming posts. Thank you!
I'm home again after another trip, this one much shorter--to Green Lake, Wisconsin, for the SCBWI-Wisconsin Fall Conference, where I spoke about Three Routes to Publishing, including a discussion about agents. I'm enjoying reading these different perspectives; aren't you?
Poetry Camp--what fun! And what fun and inspiration any time writers get together, even if it's only online. Thanks for the informative posts on this blog!
JoAnn, besides reading this great post from you on this blog, I heard your fantastic presentation on agent vs. no agent at the conference this weekend at Green Lake. While I stink at poetry, I have shared this post with my poetry writing friends.
Love, love, love your poem - especially the title!
Looking forward to reading your CWIM article -- so glad to have found your blog!
Buying a copy is on my November to-do list- since I'm holing off with fingers crossed that I'll win! This series is so valuable. It's all too easy, even simplistic, to fall into "if only" thinking, especially if that is "if only I had an agent". If/when it happens, it needs to be right time, right market, right goals, and a dollop of magic!
Great post...love the poem. Nature gets those brain cells and writing endorphins pumping, imho!
I'd loe to win the new Children's Writers and Illustrators Market. Such a great resource--and also would love to read JoAnn's article in the book, in which I'm interviewed. Happy Writing to All!
Best of luck to everyone who entered! Two more days till we find out who wins. Maybe it's you!
what an awesome way to travel to a conference! On my bucket list: cross-country camping trip - conference optional. Thanks for your post (and following one) about agents.
Look forward to reading your article on submitting to editors sans agent. Poetry camp sounds like fun!
I am interested in the criteria for selection, pros and cons of being (versus hiring) a literary agent. Thank you!
Your article sounds very informative. I look forward to reading it. Thanks for sharing about the Poetry Camp, too!
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