NEED SOME CRAFT-FOCUSED MOTIVATION?

I know I do!

I am fretting over the fact that I haven’t written creatively in several months. While I haven’t abandoned my writing career, I’ve been concentrating my efforts on marketing my completed YA novel. Waiting for responses to my queries is not nearly as much fun as writing! So, I decided that I needed something to stimulate my creative side as the slower summer months droll on and wondered if you might, too.

Here are some upcoming opportunities that caught my eye…

JULY 20 – AUGUST 2^nd
Inkers con 2024 : a 10-day online conference crafted for independent fiction authors who are motivated to advance their careers. FREE.
Check it out here: https://inkerscon.com/2024-digital-conference/

Here’s a snapshot of what it includes:
24 classes on Craft, Business, Marketing, and Advertising your brand.
20 author roundtables, networking events, 8 best-selling author Q&A sessions, and 8 Co-Writing
Sprints.

I’ve never participated before and this is NOT specific to kid-lit. But even if you pick only one session, you’ll be advancing your writing. In my opinion, several of the offerings look very worthwhile.

JULY 25^th
#SmallPitch is the first pitch event to focus on small/indie presses. The goal is to help unagented authors (previously published or not) find a small/indie home for their work and to promote small/indie presses as an important actor of the publishing industry. It appears to be run like other pitch parties we are familiar with and will be hosted on X/Twitter and Threads. You’ll find all the details at https://millieabecassis.com/small-pitch/

I’m really curious about this! While this is technically marketing, writing a pitch is a huge challenge to my creativity. Kudos to its creator and host, Millie Abecassis, a French-American author of speculative fiction.

AUGUST 1-4 (Of course, I can’t overlook the BIG Kidlit event of the summer)
THE SCBWI VIRTUAL SUMMER CONFERENCE. This is NOT a free conference, but if you frequent this BLOG, you know we are WILD about SCBWI! And this conference is for writers and illustrators of kidlit.

This is a children’s book writing conference spectacular! Join in a vibrant digital environment that will uplift, inspire, and support you in writing and illustrating impactful children’s books. Pitch your book to acquiring agents and editors. Get your art in front of industry pros. Explore all aspects of children’s book creation: writing, illustrating, translating, and marketing. Immerse yourself in sessions specifically for illustrators, traditionally published & self-published authors, nonfiction writers, graphic novel creators, picture book writers and more! Every attendee has access to the content of all 50 sessions for up to one month after the conference concludes. Find all the details at  https://www.scbwi.org/events/virtual-summer-conference-2024 

WAIT-LIST OPPORTUNITY
GetaBookDeal101.com: The group, run by Kathy Ver Eecke, is currently closed, but there is a wait list sign up at https://writers.getabookdeal101.com/ (click on “not a client”).

Two months ago, I participated in a free 10-day session. I vowed throughout the very intense but very focused 10 days that I would not spend a dime, yet ended up joining Kathy’s Pitch 2 Publish family. It’s a Facebook-based private group, and the sessions are fantastic. I learn something every time I attend one. And have committed to attending at least one each week. This is not about craft (although there are splinter groups that meet online) but about how to market your work, which is important to me at this point in my unagented career. I recommend checking it out if your query letters are not getting any attention. You don’t have to subscribe to the program; even the free 10-day session was enlightening.

SOMETHING TO DO NOW... and the primary point of this entire post…

Originally, my intention here was to create a calendar of upcoming events for kidlit writers and illustrators. Instead, I found Carolyn B. Fraiser’s blog:  https://carolynbfraiser.com/kidlit/

It’s a comprehensive list of Webinars, Classes, Conferences, and Contests for Kidlit Writers and Illustrators. It’s how I found out about #Small Pitch. That link, along with fellow Writers’ Rumpus blogger Marianne Knowles’ monthly Picture Book Opportunities posts, are sure to contain something that will catch your eye. Click here to be brought to Marianne’s July PB Opportunities post.

Check out one of these sites, choose an activity to spark your creativity, and get your butt in the proverbial chair! Happy writing.

Any other events or programs we should know about? Please share.