Children’s Literary Salon at the New York City Public Library
Vicki, Pat Cummings, Susanna Reich, and Elizabeth Bird at the New York Public Library
This afternoon I spoke at Elizabeth Bird’s Children’s Literary Salonat the main branch of the New York City Public Library. The program was entitled Children’s Literary Salon – Getting Organized: A Conversation With PEN, SCBWI, And The Authors Guild. Elizabeth is a librarian in the Children’s Room and blogs at Fuse #8 Production, which is hosted by the School Library Journal.
Joining me on a panel were two award-winning children’s authors,Pat Cummings and Susanna Reich. The talk focused on the three main organizations for children’s writers — the Society for Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI), The Author’s Guild, and the PEN American Center — and how these organizations support published and unpublished writers.
Speaking on behalf of the SCBWI, I discussed the organization’s extensive website, chock-full of publications and on-line forums that answer virtually every question a new or published writer or illustrator might have about writing and illustration techniques and tips, critique groups, contracts, marketing and publicity, agents, school visits and more. I also encouraged unpublished and published writers to take advantage of the SCBWI’s Work-in-Progress grants. The SCBWI is huge, and membership is open to all writers, whether published or unpublished! There are over 22,000 members around the world, with 70 chapters.
As a member of the Steering Committee for the Metro New York Chapter, I help coordinate the Professional Series. These events occur monthly from October – June, on Tuesday evenings at 7:30pm (usually on the second Tuesday of the month), at the Anthroposophical Society, New York Branch, 138 West 15th Street (between 6th Avenue & 7th Avenue). This coming Tuesday, October 12, Cheryl Klein, Senior Editor at Arthur Levine Books, will speak about the 25 techniques that writers can use to revise.
Check the Metro New York Chapter website to read our newsletter, and to learn about upcoming events and happenings in the New York City area!
Pat Cummings spoke about the wonderful services provided to published authors by The Authors Guild, particularly the Guild’s legal support for author contracts. The Guild has also played a lead role in supporting author’s rights to royalties for e-books and other electronic matter. All Author’s Guild members are published authors.
Susanna Reich shed light on the important role PEN provides to authors world-wide in protecting free expression and human rights. Susanna shared the news that Independent Chinese PEN Center co-founder Liu Xiaobo, who is serving an 11-year sentence, won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize. To join PEN you must be an author of at least two books or several articles in a series.
Questions by the audience provoked an interesting discussion on how these organizations can support children’s writers. Thank you, Betsy, for continuing to host these informative Children’s Literary Salons!
