Author Mary Jo Hazard: How to Find, and Write For, a Niche Market

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marketing, Mary Jo Hazard, niche markets, nonfiction, target marketing, writing tips

By Mary Jo Hazard

Peacocks have lived on the Palos Verdes Peninsula since 1924, but no one ever wrote a book about them until I did in 2010. Since then, The Peacocks of Palos Verdes has sold over 4,000 copies — identify a niche market and you can do it too! Read on for my road map on how it worked for me.

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Los Angeles SCBWI Writers Day 2018 Manuscript Contest Winners!

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Alison A. Baker, Brenda Scott Royce, Chelsea Lin Wallace, Colleen Paeff, Debbie Friedman, Heather Schmidt, Jamie Kiffel-Alcheh, Kendra Kurosawa, middle grade, nonfiction, PB Rippey, picture book, Sarah Parker-Lee, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, young adult

Every year, SCBWI Los Angeles opens our Writers Day contest to all members attending the event. This year, our anonymous judges chose 10 honorees in Young Adult, Middle Grade, Picture Book, and Other (which includes poetry and non-fiction). First place winners in each category receive free tuition to next year’s Writers Day, as well as a manuscript critique from one of this year’s faculty members. There were a lot of wonderful entries and a “20% of total entries” guideline was used to determine how many manuscripts were honored in each category. As Contest Coordinator Karol Ruth Silverstein so aptly put it, “Regardless of whether you win or lose, putting your work out there to be judged by entering the contest is a courageous act in itself. So let me first congratulate all of you who entered.”

And now, our 2018 Writers Day winners! (If you’d like to contact any of the winners to request their manuscript or discuss publication, please let us know!)

#KTWriteOn with Editor Melissa Manlove: Non-Fiction Submissions

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Chronicle Books, Katherine Roy, Melissa Manlove, nonfiction, prompt, Roaring Brook / David Macaulay Studio, submissions, writing exercise

Just in time to help power your new year’s writing resolution, we’re introducing the Kite Tales Writing Prompt: #KTWriteOn. Each quarter, we’ll feature a writing challenge crafted by a kid-lit publishing professional. To kick things off, here’s a writing prompt created by Chronicle Books Senior Editor Melissa Manlove. As a bonus, Melissa is inviting submissions related to this exercise. Read on for details.

By Melissa Manlove

This writing prompt is for storytellers. Even those of you not interested in nonfiction—keep reading! We need you!¹

SCBWI Los Angeles at the L.A. Times Festival of Books

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authors, community, illustrator tips, illustrators, middle grade, news, nonfiction, picture book, published, publishing, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, volunteers, writer, YA

How do you get 150,000 dedicated book buyers to consider your book? How do you get 50 authors and/or illustrators together to sell their work to those 150,000 eager buyers? The answer is the Los Angeles SCBWI booth at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

Thérèse Makes a Tapestry, Part 2: Author, Alexandra S. D. Hinrichs

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Alexandra S. D. Hinrichs, Getty, historical fiction, nonfiction, parent, picture book, Two Views, Same Book, writer

Today, we present Part Two of the series featuring the author and illustrator of the historical fiction children’s picture book, Thérèse Makes a Tapestry.

Alexandra S. D. Hinrichs, an SCBWI member, is the author of this beautiful book. Set in the time of King Louis XIV’s reign of France (1643-1715), Thérèse’s father is a painter who travels with the king; their family lives at the Gobelins Manufactory where world-famous tapestries are made (and are still being made today!). Although women and girls are not permitted to weave, Thérèse practices at home. The book reveals how Thérèse surprises those around her.

Alexandra’s background includes historical researcher for American Girl, substitute youth services librarian, and children’s bookseller. She has two young boys. This is her debut children’s picture book.

Thérèse Makes a Tapestry, Part 1: Illustrator, Renée Graef

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Getty, historical fiction, illustrator, local, nonfiction, parent, picture book, Renee Graef, Two Views, Same Book

Today, we present Part One of the series featuring both the illustrator and author of the historical fiction children’s picture book, Thérèse Makes a Tapestry.

Renée Graef, an SCBWI member, is the illustrator of this beautiful book. Set in the time of King Louis XIV’s reign of France (1643-1715), Thérèse’s father is a painter who travels with the king; their family lives at the Gobelins Manufactory where world-famous tapestries are made (and are still being made today!). Although women and girls are not permitted to weave, Thérèse practices at home. The book reveals how Thérèse surprises those around her.