February 2024

HELLO!

Notes from your Houston SCBWI Illustrator Coordinator

Hello Creatives!

Happy Lunar New Year! 2024 is the year of the Dragon and according to Chinese culture, the dragon will usher in an especially auspicious and exciting year for us all! I hope you harness those creative energies and channel them into your illustrations and writing!

To help jump start those lucky vibes, your friendly Houston SCBWI team has quite a few exciting things to share:

We have a brand new PAL coordinator, Sydney Dunlap! Sydney will help us plan and produce programming tailored just for our published members.
Get your query letters and first pages ready in time for our February meeting with local agent, Morgan Hughes!
Talk shop and get crafty with fellow creatives at our Illustrator Sketch Sesh in the Woodlands!
Start polishing those manuscripts and prepping your portfolios because March's monthly meeting will be a hands-on session to get us all conference ready!

With the new year comes new energy and I'm feeling ready to tackle those abandoned manuscripts and tricky compositions. I might even try drawing a horse riding a bike (illustrator joke!).

Wishing you breakthroughs and aha moments!

Lisa Chow

Illustrator Coordinator

Houston SCBWI

HOUSTON CHAPTER EVENTS

We encourage you to register for all events via our website. Click the register button below each event.

February's Meeting

Learn how to hone your query letter and first pages to catch an agent's attention with agent Morgan Hughes!

Space City Scribes

Our Kidlit correspondent, Renee Nolte, interviewed Morgan Hughes, Agent at FinePrint Literary Management. A lot of us have already read this article in preparation of sending her our queries in preparation for our Feb 5th meeting, but if you have not read it, and would love some insight on how to rise to the top of her list (aside from writing an un-put-downable-manuscript), then check out this blog post. Remember, all attendees of our Feb 5th meeting will be given access to query Morgan!

Click to read the blog

Fuel Your Craft

Houston Chapter Critique Group

Where: Online

When: Feb 5th, 2024

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM CST

What: An informal critique group to meet before most of our chapter meetings.

Details: All written and illustrated works-in-progress intended for the children’s market are welcome.

Please view the group's guidelines prior to attending. Free to all.

Illustrator Sketch Sesh

Where: Third Gen Coffee, 25136 Grogans Park Dr., The Woodlands, TX 77380

When: February 10, 2024

10:30 AM – 12 PM CST

What: Join us for our monthly illustrator sketch sesh! Open to illustrators, writers, and all kidlit creatives.

More Info

February Meet & Greet

Where: Brace Tacks Cafe, 612 Live Oak street, Houston, TX 77003

When: February 24, 2024

9:00 AM – 11:30 AM CST

What: Please join us for our monthly social! Hang out with other Kidlit creatives where we can talk about craft, kids, or coffee. Please RVSP so we can save you a seat at the restaurant. See you there!

RSVP Today!

March's Meeting

We're getting ready for the Texas-wide conference! Authors will be helping each other tighten their first paragraphs (the one that has to hook the agent), and illustrators will be guiding each other with their portfolios. An agented author and illustrator will be checking in with our groups. (You don't have to be attending the conference to join; you only need a first paragraph or portfolio that you would like to test out.)

Have News? Share It With Us For Our Members Corner Newsletter! (published the 10th of each month)

Submit author & illustrator news for the next newsletter by the 5th of each month via this form. Event submissions for member book launches and signings can be added to our regional calendar! Please be sure to include the date, time, and location.

Get to know Sydney through her webpage or SCBWI page.

We now have a PAL coordinator!

Thank you to Sydney Dunlap, author of

IT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY, for stepping up as our PAL. She intends to be a strong voice for our published and listed authors. If you are published and listed, check your email; she'll be reaching out soon.

Or, if you want to touch bases right away, reach out via email.

BEYOND HOUSTON

CONFERENCES, WEBINARS, AND WORKSHOPS

Find many more Regional Virtual Events from the SCBWI website.

SAVE THE DATE!

Rope in your pens and paints and projects, 'cause this year we’re holdin’ a conference as big as Texas!

That’s right, for the first time ever, we’ll be holdin’ one conference for all Texas writers and illustrators down in the center of Texas. We’ll have opportunities for you to hone your craft and also pitch and network with agents and editors from any number of houses. Maybe even ones from New York City.

So polish those pitches.

Pore over your portfolios.

And save May 4-5, 2024 on your calendars!

For more information, check out our webpage.

We’ll keep a spot open for ya!

SCBWI Awards & Grants

Draw This Award!

A monthly art prompt, part of the SCBWI publication Insight.

All submissions shown on the online gallery, and two winners featured in Insight, the website, and social media.

Check for submission guidelines.

Click for More Info

Ann Whitford Paul Writer’s Digest Manuscript Award

An annual award given to a Most Promising Picture Book manuscript.

Winners will be selected in two categories: Fiction and Nonfiction. The two winners will each receive a $1,000 grant to encourage the development of an excellent picture book manuscript.

Submissions open April 1, 2024.

Click for More Info

Don Freeman Grant

This award enables picture book illustrators to further their understanding, training, and work in the picture book genre.

Two grants of $1,000 each will be awarded annually. One grant to a published illustrator and one to a pre-published illustrator. The money may be used in any way to help you complete your project.

Submissions open March 1, 2024.

Click for More Info

Hearts

We been together since my beginning.

A family sharing hearts.

Baby hugs to grown up ones.

Happiness off the charts.

Tough times come and go.

Good times together spending.

Fond memories hold us tightly.

The love is never ending.

There is a day we set aside.

Sending hearts and pretty flowers.

Writing sweet things to someone.

This love has special powers.

So, every chance you can take.

Be sure to give a sign.

A hug, a kiss, a loving card.

A Happy Valentine!

“Know in your heart, You are in mine forever.”

Our Volunteers

Regional Team

Co-Regional Advisor:

Kaye Marc-Charles

Co-Regional Advisor:

Annie Roi Harmon

Asst. Regional Advisor:

Lynne Kelly

Illustrators Coordinator:

Lisa Chow

Regional Advisor Emeritus:

Vicki Sansum

Chapter Volunteers

Newsletter Editor

OPEN!

Critique Group Coordinator:

Nancy Blair

Newsletter Column Writer:

Jim Smolski

Kidlit Correspondent:

Renee Nolte

New Membership Coordinator

OPEN!

Programming Chair & Evite List:

Cheryl McCosh

Social Event Coordinator

Christine Wengler

PAL Coordinator

Sydney Dunlap

Social Media Crew

OPEN!

OPEN Volunteer Positions

We want to create a chapter that is more involved, engaged, and active, and we need your help to do it!

Click here to apply.

Stay on top of the latest SCBWI News!

Join the conversation at Groups.io! Sign up here!

Newsletter Tip: Be aware of message clipping! To make sure you're getting the full newsletter, by looking for this message at the bottom of the email:

"[Message clipped] View entire message"

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Chapter Logo and Header Design by Marissa Valdez

News and other information may be passed on without attribution; original artwork and writing are the property of their creators and may be reproduced only with written permission.

newsletter.scbwihou@gmail.com.

HELLO!

HOUSTON CHAPTER EVENTS

February's Meeting

Space City Scribes

Fuel Your Craft

Houston Chapter Critique Group

Illustrator Sketch Sesh

February Meet & Greet

March's Meeting

We now have a PAL coordinator!

Ann Whitford Paul Writer’s Digest Manuscript Award

Don Freeman Grant

FOLK WISDOM & OTHER THOUGHTS

Our Volunteers

Regional Team

Chapter Volunteers

OPEN Volunteer Positions

Stay on top of the latest SCBWI News!

Suggestion Box