• Home
  • About
  • #KT250 Contest Info
  • #KTIllustrates
  • #KTChat Event Info
  • Submissions

Kite Tales

Kite Tales

Tag Archives: YA

#KT250 Winning Entries, 1st Quarter 2020

21 Friday Feb 2020

Posted by Sarah Parker-Lee in #KT250, Contests & Grants

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

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drama, literary fiction, publishers, SCBWI members, seeking publisher, seeking representation, The Last Bookstore, unpublished, YA, young adult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 We’re proud to announce this quarter’s winners and share the first 250 words of their unpublished manuscripts.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: Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

#KT250 Winning Entries, 3rd Quarter 2019

31 Wednesday Jul 2019

Posted by Sarah Parker-Lee in #KT250, Contests & Grants

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

agents, contest winners, contests, fantasy, middle grade, nonfiction, picture book, publishers, SCBWI members, seeking publisher, seeking representation, The Last Bookstore, unpublished, YA, young adult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 We’re proud to announce this quarter’s winners and share the first 250 words of their unpublished manuscripts.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: Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

#KT250 Winning Entries, 1st Quarter 2019

01 Friday Feb 2019

Posted by Sarah Parker-Lee in #KT250, Contests & Grants

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

agents, contemporary fiction, contest winners, contests, literary fiction, middle grade, publishers, SCBWI members, science fiction, seeking publisher, seeking representation, The Last Bookstore, unpublished, YA, young adult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 We’re proud to announce this quarter’s winners and share the first 250 words of their unpublished manuscripts.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: Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

#KT250 Winning Entries, 3rd Quarter 2018

27 Friday Jul 2018

Posted by Sarah Parker-Lee in #KT250, Contests & Grants

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

agents, contest winners, contests, fantasy, literary fiction, middle grade, mystery, 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: Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

#KT250 Winning Entries, 2nd Quarter 2018

27 Friday Apr 2018

Posted by Sarah Parker-Lee in #KT250, Contests & Grants

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

agents, contemporary fiction, contest winners, contests, Fiction Autobiography/Biography, horror, middle grade, mystery, 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: Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

#KT250 Winning Entries: 1st Quarter 2018

26 Friday Jan 2018

Posted by Sarah Parker-Lee in #KT250

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

agents, contests, fantasy, literary fiction, middle grade, mystery, publishers, SCBWI members, seeking publisher, seeking representation, The Last Bookstore, unpublished, YA, young adult

#KT250 is our first 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 winners whom 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: Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

HarperCollins Editor Karen Chaplin on Defining Voice, Trends, & Time Management

27 Wednesday Dec 2017

Posted by Sarah Parker-Lee in Editor's Perspective

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Guardian Herd, Karen Chaplin, middle grade, picture books, trends, voice, writing tips, YA

Karen Chaplin began her publishing career at Scholastic. She was an editor at Puffin Books/Penguin Young Readers Group for six years before she moved to HarperCollins Children’s Books, where she is currently a senior editor of picture book, middle grade, and young adult fiction and nonfiction. Karen received her undergraduate degree in English from the University of Delaware, and her MA in English from Simmons College. When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, finding DIY projects to do, and dabbling in photography. She also has graciously offered to do a Q&A with us!

Sarah Parker-Lee: As an editor, it’s your job to take a writer’s labor of love and not just fine-tune it but take it to the next level. What are you looking for when you first begin this process?

Karen Chaplin: One of the first things I look for in a manuscript is voice. The voice of the story, of the main character, of all the characters, really needs to draw me in from the first few pages, and if that happens, then the author has got me hooked. Plot points, character issues, the ending—all of that can be modified. But the voice is difficult to accomplish, and if an author nails that, it’s a fantastic start.

SPL: Any advice for writers working with an editor, whether they are first-timers or old pros? Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

The LitMingle Minute: San Fernando Valley LitMingle Picks the Brains of YA Readers

08 Wednesday Nov 2017

Posted by Sarah Parker-Lee in LitMingles!, Tips and Tools

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Author Tips, SCBWI community, SCBWI members, YA, young adult

By Karen Sampson (SFV LitMingle Coordinator) & Jennifer S. Pitts (former SFV LitMingle Coordinator, current LitMingle Meister) 

Have you ever wanted to pick the brain of today’s Young Adult reader? The Minglers at the San Fernando Valley LitMingle did, which is why we invited five voracious teen readers to our June LitMingle to share what they read and why. As to be expected, their answers were as diverse as their backgrounds, but listening to them was extremely insightful. It would be impossible to summarize all the insight given by these bright young readers, but here are a few highlights*:

Social Media and Web

  • Teens have Facebook accounts but prefer Instagram, YouTube, and Snap Chat.
  • Adult discussions (rants) about politics and current events are of no interest to them.
  • Popular YA websites include IndieBound (Kids Next), Epic Reads, and others that cater specifically to teen readers

What Draws Them to Particular Books?

Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

Author Catherine Linka on Community for Introverts, Critique Tips, What Sells, & Balancing Romance with Wonder Woman

05 Wednesday Jul 2017

Posted by Sarah Parker-Lee in Author's Perspective, Tips and Tools, Writers' Retreat

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

A Girl Called Fearless, A Girl Undone, Author Tips, Catherine Linka, community, romance, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, Wonder Woman, writing tips, YA

Catherine Linka, author of the A Girl Called Fearless series, joins this year’s LA SCBWI Working Writer’s Retreat faculty. She is a world traveler, former buyer for an independent book store, and was almost thrown out of boarding school for being “too verbal.” She spoke with me about her work, your work, Wonder Woman, and the kid lit community’s place in the world.

Linka first became involved in SCBWI “forever ago.” It was the first time she’d found people interested in the same kid lit things as her. Later, she added her Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA community and then the debut author community. “Everyone was so generous and warm and inclusive.” That’s why she believes it’s so important to give back. “It costs me nothing but time to help someone else out, really, so why not?”

True to that ideal, Linka is a huge supporter of SCBWI and an active SCBWI mentor and member. She knows every writer needs a supportive community. “It can take years to develop your craft, and you need people to cheer you on, point out opportunities, open doors, celebrate successes and mourn defeats. We really can’t do this alone, and it is so much more fun and satisfying to do it together.”

Linka acknowledges that writers who are often introverted, herself included, may feel overwhelmed in social situations, even when taking advantage of SCBWI’s group activities and professional development opportunities. This can also make it harder when we eventually have to do our own marketing. Her biggest advice: Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

Pam Gruber: Editor’s Perspective, Writers & Illustrators Day Faculty

24 Friday Feb 2017

Posted by Sarah Parker-Lee in Editor's Perspective, Writers Days

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

authors, Cecilia Vinesse, Claudia Gray, Emily Lloyd-Jones, Jen Calonita, Josh Sundquist, Pam Gruber, publishers, publishing, YA, young adult

headshot_gruberPam Gruber is a Senior Editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers where she has worked on everything from novelty and picture books to novels. She primarily acquires middle grade and young adult fiction and nonfiction. She loves alternate histories, off-beat teen romances, witty voices that can make her laugh and cry simultaneously, and stories of characters being asked to see their world in a different way. She is also on the faculty for this year’s Los Angeles SCBWI Writers and Illustrators Day (Feb. 25th) where she will deliver a keynote and lead a breakout session on immersive world-building. For a great preview and insights from an editor-extraordinaire (and cute cat photos!), read on:

SARAH PARKER-LEE: Your list includes a hybrid graphic-novel series, VIP by Jen Calonita, Claudia Gray’s new space opera, Defy the Stars, and YouTuber Josh Sundquist’s debut novel, Love and First Sight. You certainly don’t dwell in traditional spaces for content or creator! What makes you want to take a risk on non-traditional projects? What’s the difference between non-traditional and straight-up gimmicky? Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...
← Older posts

Search This Blog!

  • View scbwilosangeles’s profile on Facebook
  • View SCBWISOCALLA’s profile on Twitter
  • View scbwila’s profile on Instagram

Enter your email to have new posts sent to your inbox!

Join 2,955 other followers

Resources, News, SCBWI Membership

SCBWI Membership


SCBWI-L.A. Events


SCBWI-CenCal


SCBWI-SoCal


LitMingle Calendar


Webinars


Critique Exchange


PAL Members

Blog Contents

My Tweets

What is SCBWI?

Founded in 1971 by a group of Los Angeles-based children's writers, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators is a non-profit, 501 (c)3 organization. There are currently more than 22,000 members worldwide, in over 70 regional chapters writing and illustrating in all genres for young readers, making it the largest children's writing organization in the world.

Member Benefits

Members of SCBWI receive exclusive access to tools, information, and industry professionals as well conferences, workshops, and critiques. Click HERE to find out more. Join us and take your writing to the next level!

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
%d bloggers like this: