The Society
of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators -- will it be one of the
best things to happen to you or a huge disappointment? The answer may
depend on what you bring to your membership.
Of course,
you're bringing with you excitement and enthusiasm. But are you also
bringing expectations that lie beyond SCBWI's scope? To get the most
out of your membership, it's helpful to know what the organization is
and is not, and what it can and cannot do for you.
SCBWI
is a professional association. In
almost every field, joining a professional association indicates
your readiness to take your work to the next level.SCBWI
is the best known and best respected group of children's writers
and illustrators in the country. It helps present us as a single
voice, looking out for our general interests in such matters as contracts,
copyrights, and so on.
SCBWI
is a means to educate yourself. The
organization offers great how-to articles in its newsletter, as well
as other helpful information in its brochures. It runs national conferences,
while chapters run smaller conferences and workshops. Your chapter
will also help you find a local critique group. All these tools are
the grit and polish that can make your work publishable.
SCBWI
is a competitive edge. Trying to leap out of the slush pile (or,
in this post-anthrax world, just getting into a slush pile),
an SCBWI member has the edge over the person who writes something on
a whim. Editors know that a manuscript from an SCBWI member is usually
correctly formatted, targeted to the right publisher, and competently
written; therefore, an SCBWI manuscript receives serious attention.
Some editors will look at queries and manuscripts from unagented writers only if
they're SCBWI members. Finally, the print and electronic newsletters
provide members with inside market tips long before they become public
knowledge.
SCBWI
is a way to network. As
doors to unagented, unsolicited material close, personal contact
becomes the key to getting published. Meeting editors at conferences
remains one of the best ways to do this in a professional manner.
The SCBWI is a major source of children's writing conferences. Two
national conferences are run each year in Los Angeles and New York,
and most state chapters run at least one major event a year. These
are your best opportunities to meet and talk to editors from top
publishers across the country.
SCBWI
is individualized advice. Have a contract clause you've never
seen before? Correspondence from an editor that confuses you? A question
you can't find answered elsewhere? If the SCBWI doesn't know the answer,
it can refer you to someone who does.
SCBWI
is a source of nationally recognized awards. Okay, so you're not
ready to get the Caldecott or Newbery -- yet. SCBWI offers awards and
grants for writers and illustrators, including those for the unpublished.
SCBWI
is a way to have a great time. People
in the children's literature field are the nicest folks around. You'll
find yourself making friends, having fun, and being helped in all
sorts of ways by people you wouldn't have met otherwise.
Clearly,
your SCBWI membership is one of the best investments you'll ever make
in yourself and your work. But even the SCBWI has its limits:
SCBWI
is not a publisher. It
provides booklets and a newsletter for the exclusive use of its members,
but it does not publish children's books itself.
SCBWI
is not an agent. It
compiles a list of agents who handle children's works, but the organization
itself does not act as an agent for individual members.
SCBWI
cannot get you an agent. The
organization only points the way toward some, although not all, of
the agents who handle children's works. At that point, researching
who handles what type of material, sending queries, and deciding
on the best personality/work-style match are all up to you.
SCBWI
cannot guarantee you publication. No
one can -- unless your favorite uncle owns a publishing company.
Deal cautiously with any person or group that makes such a claim.
While
the SCBWI is not a magic wand, it is a real-life working tool.
The professional career growth is real, the camaraderie is real, and
the resulting books are real. With apologies to Harry Potter, that's
better than magic any day.
Susan Heyboer
O'Keefe is the author of a dozen picture books, including One Hungry
Monster and Love Me, Love You, and the YA novel My Life and Death
by Alexandra Canarsie. This article first appeared in the newsletter Little
Miracles. Article is copyrighted by the author and may not be reprinted
without written permission.