SCBWI CenCal Writers’ Contest Winners 2022!

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Anita Perez Ferguson, CenCal Writer's Day, contest winners, Eloise Freeman, Judith Torres, middle grade, nonfiction picture book, picture book, Rachel Waterstone, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, young adult

By Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison

The SCBWI Central-Coastal Region held its Writers’ Day webinar, Perfect Your Pitch, on Sunday, July 10. Lynn Becker, author of Monsters in the Briny, and Lisa Kerr, author of Wake, Sleepy One: California Poppies and the Super Bloom, were our Spotlight Speakers, sharing their paths to publication. Agent Joyce Sweeney from The Seymour Agency offered advice on composing pitches and gave live feedback on a handful of pre-selected pitches.

A highlight of the event was the announcement of the winners of the writing contest.

#KTIllustrates 2nd Annual Contest: Announcing the Winner and Runners Up!

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contest winners, illustrators, SCBWI members

This year we had a tremendous amount of participation in our #KTIllustrates Contest, with entries inspired by the prompt: “Here you will find the dragon’s secret.” The contest was open to any form (spot, spread or cover design) and in any medium, so long as it kept the interpretation of the prompt as it would apply to children’s books.

The winner is set to receive a gift certificate to ArtSupply Warehouse and will have a feature interview article for Kite Tales coming soon. So let’s give a hand to our winner and two runners up!

SCBWI CenCal Writers’ Day 2021: The Winners Are…!

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CenCal Writer's Day, contest winners, SCBWI events, SCBWI members

By Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison

This year’s SCBWI CenCal Writers’ Day Creating with Hope! was a hybrid event. Saturday, October 30, was an in-person event with several author speakers. Day two, Sunday, November 7, was a webinar featuring Megan Ilnitzki, editor at HarperCollins Children’s Books, and an illustrator’s gallery. Our fabulous writing contest winners were announced at Sunday’s event.

Congratulations to all our contest participants, including our winners!

Announcing the Winner of the 2021 Sue Alexander Grant!

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authors, contest winners, middle grade, nonfiction picture book, SAG award, SCBWI members

by Brenda Scott Royce, SCBWI-L.A. Contest Coordinator

Christine Van Zandt, 2021 Sue Alexander Grant winner

We’re thrilled to announce this year’s Sue Alexander Grant winner—Christine Van Zandt—for her nonfiction picture book, Butterfly Dreams. The book’s inspiration came in May 2020, when Van Zandt and her daughter bought their first milkweed plant, “unaware that a mother monarch had sent us home with a surprise—actually 26 surprises,” she says. “Soon, our plant was covered in adorable caterpillars. We excitedly watched them grow, . . . until all perished.”

The sad turn of events led Van Zandt to research monarch declines, plant milkweed, and educate others by writing this lyrical story. 

Here’s what our judges had to say about her manuscript: 

Interview with Hannah Shafiroff, Winner of 2021 Twitter Banner Contest

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contest winners, Hannah Shafiroff, illustrators, SCBWI members

In SCBWI-L.A.’s latest Twitter Banner Contest, illustrators were asked to submit their most creative response to our prompt: NIGHT FLIGHT. The winning contestant’s artwork is featured on the Los Angeles Region SCBWI Twitter profile until the next contest, with a feature article published here on Kite Tales. Illustrator Hannah Shafiroff won this year’s contest!

Read on to learn more about Hannah, her tips and tools, and what has kept her inspired through the pandemic.

A recent graduate of Cal State Long Beach, Hannah Shafiroff lives in the South Bay and can often be seen with a sketchbook in tow. Her heartwarming and magical illustrations can be found at HannahShafiroff.com and on Instagram @ThatGalWhoDraws. 

SCBWI-L.A. Writers Day Contest: And the Winners Are…

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contest winners, middle grade, nonfiction picture book, picture books, SCBWI events, Writers Day 2021, young adult

By Brenda Scott Royce, Contest Coordinator

The event was virtual, but the excitement was still palpable as the winners for the 2021 Writers Day Contest were announced at the end of Writers Day on Saturday, June 12. First place winners in each category (Picture Book, Young Adult, Middle Grade, and Nonfiction/Other) will receive free tuition to next year’s Writer’s Day, as well as a manuscript critique from one of this year’s faculty members. Excerpts from the judges’ comments are included in the list of honorees below. If you’d like to contact any of the winners to request their manuscript or discuss publication, please let us know!

SCBWI CenCal Writers’ Day 2020: The Winners Are…!

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CenCal Writer's Day, contest winners, Erin Siu, middle grade, picture book, young adult

by Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison

This year’s Writers’ Day consisted of three separate webinars. On Saturday, September 26, after a fabulous presentation by Erin Siu, associate editor at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group’s imprints, Square Fish, and Feiwel & Friends, the winners of our writing contest were announced.

Thank you to all our anonymous judges, who were chosen from outside our region. The judges’ comments are included in the list of honorees below. Most Promising will receive free entry to next year’s CenCal Writers’ Day. Special Mention will receive half-off Writers’ Day admission.

Congratulations to all our contest participants, including our winners!

The 2020 Sue Alexander Grant Winner Has Been Selected!

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contest winners, contests, SAG, Sue Alexander Grant, writing contest

By Karol Ruth Silverstein, SCBWI-L.A. Contest Coordinator

Though the SCBWI-Los Angeles isn’t able to schedule any in-person events for the remainder of 2020 due to the pandemic, the Sue Alexander Grant competition is a constant we felt was important to keep in place. 

Though The Show Mustn’t Go On—The Contest Still Can: Announcing The 2020 Writer’s Day Contest Winners!

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contest winners, middle grade, news, nonfiction, picture book, poetry, verse, Writers Day 2020, young adult

by Karol Ruth Silverstein, SCBWI-L.A. Contest Coordinator

The SCBWI-L.A. is thrilled to be able to bring good news to some of our members at a time that’s been so difficult for all of us. 

Let us begin by expressing a hearty thank you to our anonymous judges for selecting the 2020 honorees. As usual, manuscripts were submitted in four categories: Young Adult, Middle Grade, Picture Book, and Other (which includes poetry and non-fiction). If you’d like to contact any of the winners to request their manuscript or discuss publication, please let us know in the comments below!

This year, the first-place winners in each category will receive a manuscript critique from one of our faculty members plus free tuition to either the rescheduled 2020 Writers Day event or to next year’s Writer’s Day.

Here are the 2020 honorees:

#KT250 Winning Entries, 1st Quarter 2020

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agents, contest winners, contests, drama, literary fiction, publishers, SCBWI members, seeking publisher, seeking representation, The Last Bookstore, unpublished, YA, young adult

#KT250 is a Kite Tales quarterly community contest! We’re proud to announce this quarter’s winners and share the first 250 words of their unpublished manuscripts. We encourage agents, publishers, and mentors to reach out to any they find intriguing!

To find out how YOU can enter for next quarter, check out contest info here. Entries are now being accepted for next quarter!

GRAND PRIZE WINNER: