PB Mistakes Plague the Slush Pile
Tracy Marchini (http://www.tracymarchini.com/) has worked as a literary agent’s assistant at Curtis Brown, Ltd. (http://curtisbrown.com) for over two years, and has spent a significant amount of time answering Laura Manivong’s newbie questions (thanks, Tracy!). Before joining Curtis Brown, she worked as a freelance children’s book reviewer for BookPage and as a correspondent for the Taconic Press. She’s also well-known for being the only second grader in her class to write a book report on a book she penned herself. So Tracy understands both the authoring side of books, as well as the literary agency side. Without further ado, here’s Tracy Marchini…
ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BOX: THE FIRST PICTURE BOOK
I’ll be honest — when my desk is covered with paper, and I feel the need to throw out massive amounts of something in one fell swoop — the answer is unpleasant, but obvious.
It’s time to go through the slush pile.
Pistorius, Nancy
Nancy Pistorius of Lawrence, Kansas, has published award-winning fiction, poetry, essays, and feature articles in more than seventy-five different literary and mass-market publications, including WOMAN’S DAY, COSMOPOLITAN, and CHICAGO TRIBUNE. She has an MA in English/Literature from the University of Illinois and also attended schools in England (London) and Florida. Her most recent honor was the 2009 Langston Hughes Creative Writing Award (Fiction). She is currently working on a Middle-Grade novel.
You can find her in various places on the Web, including:
http://www.examiner.com/x-2800-Kansas-City-Getaways-Examiner
http://nancypistorius.wordpress.com/
http://lyriclemon.livejournal.com/
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Nancy-Pistorius/119289758108843?ref=sgm
Stromberg, Ronica
Ronica Stromberg is the author of five children’s books: two published and three under contract. The Time-for-bed Angel, a picture book, came out in 2008, published by Lion-Hudson of England. The book follows the humorous adventures of a guardian angel watching over a rambunctious, bedtime-avoiding boy. Ronica reads the story in day cares, preschools, and early education classrooms during story time or before naps. Her mystery for 10- to 14-year-olds, The Glass Inheritance, came out in 2001, published by Royal Fireworks Press of New York. (Royal Fireworks has also contracted for three teen novels.) The mystery reinforces fifth-grade history curricula with a plot that involves the Great Depression, World War II, and Depression-era glassware. Ronica’s stories appear in 18 anthologies, such as Chicken Soup for the Teen Soul on Love and Friendship, and in numerous magazines and newspapers.
(Read more…)
Peek, Kimberly
Kimberly Peek is the assistant regional advisor for the Kansas SCBWI. Her work has appeared in Dance Teacher magazine and several advertising trade publications. She teaches kids to write at Cooking Up Stories and is the moderator of Kidlit Central News, a blog highlighting children’s literature created in the Midwest.
Manivong, Laura
Laura Manivong is the author of ESCAPING THE TIGER (HarperCollinsChidren’s Books), a middle grade novel about a Lao boy trying to survive in a Thai refugee camp. Her other children’s publishing credits include ONE SMART FISH (Scholastic / Children’s Press, 2006); Skipping Stones Magazine (2001); and Highlights Magazine (TBA).
Laura has also worked as a television writer/producer in creative services since 1992, earning various industry accolades including an Emmy for individual achievement in writing.
(Read more…)
Ingalls, Ann
Ann Ingalls has worked as a freelance writer since January of 2002. In that time, she sold LITTLE PIANO GIRL (2009) to Houghton Mifflin, a book she co-authored with her sister, Maryann Macdonald. Highlights High Five, The Kansas City Star, Learning Express LLC, Primary Treasure, Reiman Publications, Babytalk, Adams Media, Way of St. Francis and many other publishers have used work of hers. She has written curricula for early childhood, elementary and special education in Michigan and Missouri, Praxis II (competency) exams for early childhood educators and ACT Prep tests.
Professional memberships include: JWKC Classic, SCBWI, Missouri Writer’s Guild, Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors, the Liberty Arts Commission and Reach Out and Read, Kansas City.
Please contact Ann for information about programs on jazz, the Underground Railroad and writing in general.
(Read more…)
Hyde, Judy
Judy Hyde has published three books with Scholastic: ROOKIE READER: RAINY DAY MUSIC and ROOKIE READ ABOUT GEOGRAPHIES: LOUSIANA and INDIANA. She is the current moderator of the Wednesday critique group and has been attending since 1985.
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Dillingham, Sandi
Sandi Dillingham is a member of SCBWI. She has a BA in elementary education and a MA in behavior disorders. A former elementary school teacher-turned mother, she has many stories that need to be told.
Sandi is currently working on a picture book, some early readers, and has started a middle grade fiction story.
Dienhart, Carrie
Carrie Dienhart is polishing several picture book manuscripts and hopes to dive into the world of submissions soon. She has a masters degree in elementary education and studies her intended readership closely as a full-time first grade teacher’s assistant. She blogs about children’s books at www.carriethebookfairy.wordpress.com
