A Diamond-Studded Success for Sarah Baker!

@bysarahbaker

Huge congratulations are on the cards today for Sarah Baker on signing with Bryony Woods from the Diamond Khan & Woods Agency.

‘Angela’s Ghost’ is Sarah’s first book, a middle-grade time slip tale, which she describes as A Monster Calls meets The Secret Garden; the story of a troubled twelve-year old suffering from survivor’s guilt after the death of her family and how she gets through this with the help of a boy from 1898 France.

Criminally, Sarah says she hasn’t yet had much chance to share her wonderful news. She says, ‘referring to 'my agent' in conversation is still relatively new, shiny and thrilling. I haven’t had much of an opportunity because I'm at home busy editing and in all honesty, the cats aren't that interested.’ So we asked Sarah to share her journey to representation with us at Words&Pictures, the perfect way to celebrate your success, Sarah!



So how did it all begin?

‘I followed a relatively standard submissions path, sending out only to a few agents I'd researched, actually met or been recommended to. Then came the agonising wait in that post-submission-time-vacuum where a week lasts a month and two weeks even longer. Thank goodness for supportive SCBWIs and Book Bounders.'

'It wasn't too long before I had requests for the full manuscript (very exciting) followed by requests for meetings (so exciting I had to revise the perfect 'meet the agent' outfit several times). With dress and shoes sorted, I have to say that there was nothing quite so wonderful as a professional enthusing about my book directly to me. In actual conversation (and not just in my head). I'll never forget it. I may have skipped in the street afterwards'.

'I knew when meeting Bryony Woods (my agent!) that she was the one. We met at the top floor cafe in the newly renovated Foyles on Charing Cross Road. I got there early to browse (and buy) books and check my hair (it was a windy day). She arrived with bags of enthusiasm, plenty of notes and a brilliant plan. She was definitely the one. I told her as much shortly after and she said I'd made her day. With the contracts signed and an announcement on Twitter, I soon received my line edits and a few weeks later I'm tweaking the book into the best shape I can get it. Oh and I'm loving it. Yep, loving the editing and loving having an agent who gets my book, gets my writing and trusts me to get on with it. So that's where I am. Getting on with it (and loving it). *skips*’

Sarah, thank you for sharing your adventure with us. We love the sound of ‘Angela’s Ghost’ and we wish you lots more success on your journey to publication. Come back and tell us all about it!

---

Clare Welsh loves reading and writing picture books. She joined SCBWI in February 2013 and won a Margaret Carey SCBWI British Isles Scholarship for picture book writers and illustrators in November 2013. Most recently she won Silver Medal at The Greenhouse Funny Prize. Clare thinks SCBWI is a remarkable organisation, full of remarkable people and thoroughly enjoys volunteering for The Words&Pictures Celebrations Team, sharing the many SCBWI successes.

Everyone is talking about 'Unspeakable'!

This week the Celebrations Team is delighted to announce that UNSPEAKABLE, the outstanding YA debut by Abbie Todd, is set for publication by ATOM next Spring.







Abbie Todd grew up in a small village near Newmarket, Suffolk and now lives in a village near Newbury, Berkshire. She has a degree in English Literature with Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia, and currently works as an editor at a leading educational publisher in Oxford. While working as a part-time bookseller during her studies, Abbie re-discovered a love of children’s and young adult books and in 2010 she was a winner of SCBWI’s very own Undiscovered Voices competition.

We found out what Abbie had to say about her publishing deal.

“I'm absolutely thrilled to see my dream becoming a reality. There's no way I would be here without SCBWI, so massive thanks to Sara Grant and Sara O'Connor and all the Undiscovered Voices gang for helping to make this happen. When I won Undiscovered Voices in 2010 and signed with my agent, Jodie Hodges, the dystopian novel I'd written was a little too early for the dystopia phase. My second book - also a dystopia - was too late! I'd wanted to write a gay YA love story for a long time, as I think it's a shame to not see more of them from UK writers. I'm delighted that mine and Jodie's hard work, dedication and perseverance has paid off.”

Unspeakable is the story of 15-year-old Megan, who hasn't uttered a word since the death of her best friend, Hana. But everything changes when she falls for Jasmine, who has the potential to unlock Megan's voice and reveal the truth about Hana's death.

Kate Agar, Commissioning Editor of ATOM says:

“When I started to read Unspeakable I was gripped; by the time I had finished I was certain I'd found a fantastic new voice for UK YA. The writing draws you in immediately and difficult topics are handled with ease. Unspeakable is a thriller, certainly, but it's the assured handling of first love and complicated friendships in this debut that will stay with readers long after they've turned the last page. I'm so delighted that Abbie has chosen to make her home with Atom.”  

Please join us in a big round of applause as we celebrate with Abbie! We can’t wait to read ‘Unspeakable’, which is due to be published in March 2015, for ourselves.

---

 

Clare Welsh joined SCBWI in Feburary 2013 after her marriage to her lovely husband James was under threat from constant chunterings, questions and reading aloud over the football. She is thoroughly enjoying all that SCBWI has to offer, including helping Tania celebrating SCBWI successes as part of the Words & Pictures editorial team, and is pleased that her marriage is still firmly intact.

---

A Debut Historical Writer Joins the Literary Scene!

This week we are recognising the achievements of SCBWI member, Paula Warrington, and hear how she is inspiring others to strive for their literary dreams. Paula has written for children on and off for many years and celebrates today as her short story is published in Timelines Anthology.




The brief was to write a short story with an historical setting, suitable for a 10-14-year-old audience. Join us in celebration as we applaud Paula’s short story titled ‘Thicker than Water,’ which was one of 17 stories chosen for the first edition of Timelines Anthology; an historical collection of short stories for young teenagers.

Paula tells us a little more about her story;

“In August 1848 a local newspaper, ‘The Leicester Chronicle’, reported a drunken riot in which policeman Sgt. Frank Tarratt was injured. I knew that Sgt. Tarratt had six children. What if one of them had been caught up in the rioting too? That was the starting point for my story. My protagonist is Charlie Tarratt, a 13-year-old with mixed feelings about growing up as a bobby's son, a knack for getting into trouble, and a hankering to play detective."

The Anthology launched at The Manchester Children’s Book Festival in October 2013, where Paula gave her first book reading in the company of her MA Creative Writing classmates, inspiring others to hold on tight to their dreams. What an experience!

Paula says;

“We were all a little nervous about reading at the launch but the day went well and we really enjoyed hearing one another's stories. The afternoon went by so quickly... I hope we'll get to do it all over again one day soon!”

Paula lives in Leicestershire (as her particular patch of Mercia is now known) and finds inspiration in traces of the past still visible in the towns and countryside around her. As a child she enjoyed Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising series, and would be thrilled if she could convey an equally strong sense of place in her own work. She hopes to have her first full length novel, a tale set in ninth-century Mercia, completed by September 2014.

...so watch this space!

---

Clare Welsh joined SCBWI in Feburary 2013 after her marriage to her lovely husband James was under threat from constant chunterings, questions and reading aloud over the football. She is thoroughly enjoying all that SCBWI has to offer, including helping Tania celebrating SCBWI successes as part of the Words & Pictures editorial team, and is pleased that her marriage is still firmly intact.

Welcome in the New Year with the Margaret Carey Scholarship winners

We get 2014 off to a bang this week, and celebrate with Katrina Charman and Clare Welsh who won the Margaret Carey conference scholarships last year. Katrina is also on the UV longlist and we hear a few words from some of the other UV longlisters who are still biting their nails…

Margaret Carey

The Scholarship was set up in the memory of SCBWI volunteer Margaret Carey, a talented writer and illustrator who was a UV 2008 winner, and who in 2010 won the inaugural SCBWI BI Outstanding Contribution Award. The Scholarship helps to fund a place at the SCBWI BI annual conference for a fiction writer and an illustrator or picturebook author.


We were all fizzing with excitement when Katrina, our lovely Words & Pictures joint features editor, told us she'd won the scholarship. Katrina lives in a small village in South East England with her husband, three daughters and a manic depressive hamster.

@katrina_charman

 She tells us: “I have never been able to make it to a SCBWI writing conference before, so when I saw the call for submissions for the Margaret Carey Scholarship, I thought, why not, I've got nothing to lose. But, to be honest, I never thought I'd have a chance, so I sent off my submission and forgot all about it, until I got the email saying I'd won! I was gobsmacked, and danced around the house for the rest of the week. If it hadn't been for the scholarship, I would never have been able to attend, so I am beyond grateful to the SCBWI BI and all of the conference organisers, for the opportunity. The conference was a blast, from the extremely useful Friday Night Critique, to the closing remarks on Sunday. I came home absolutely exhausted, but bursting with inspiration and motivation, and the main thing that stuck with me, was to never give up on your dreams, and that the world of publishing is rapidly changing, so there are more options than ever out there for writers now.” 

 Less than a month later there was more amazing news for Katrina…

“I found out that I had made it onto the longlist for Undiscovered Voices. Again, I was in complete shock! I had to keep re-reading the email to make sure I hadn't misread it! I am still a bit in shock to be honest to be in such amazing company, so fingers crossed for everyone on the longlist. I wish we could all make it into the anthology!!"

---

Now let's drink a toast for Clare Welsh whose picture book impressed the judges of the Scholarship. And since attending the conference led to Clare joining the Words & Pictures team, we are extra excited she won! 

Clare would love to say that becoming a writer has been a life-long ambition. Although the words of her infant school teacher, Mrs Marshall, "Never stop writing stories", have permeated her thoughts every now and again, her ambition, in fact, was to become an early years teacher, in which she succeeded in 2008. In February 2013 she became a member of SCBWI.

Clare Welsh

Clare says: “As well as offering support, guidance and allowing me to network with other aspiring authors and illustrators, both locally and on-line, I was eager to attend the 2013 Winchester Conference. But unfortunately working part-time, with two three year olds meant that I simply could not afford to go. Coupled with this was a lot of self doubt. Whilst a kind teacher must have seen it in me 25 years ago, I found myself wondering, did I really have the talent? So I decided to write a picture book story that had been on the backburner of my brain about a thief who is terrible at stealing and wants to be burglar of the year. I entered it to the Margaret Carey Conference Scholarship. And then I forgot all about it”. When she received the email, she says: "I could literally be found screaming to myself every few hours! ...for days!” And the excitement didn’t falter. Encouraged that someone somewhere had seen something in her writing, Clare was determined to make the most of this opportunity, gaining industry contacts and interest in her picture book at the conference... and has also joined Words & Pictures to give something back to SCBWI.

---

 Good luck to everyone on the UV longlist!

A little bird told me the results are out next week... And here are a few words from some of the excited UV longlisters… 

@CathJacobNews

Catherine Jacob juggles writing with being a mum to two little girls and her work as a now-freelance television correspondent. She says: "I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to be on the UV 2014 longlist. Even now, I have to keep reminding myself that it really has happened (and occasionally I sneak a look at the email telling me the news, just to make sure it's all real!) Whatever happens next, I've had a wonderful few weeks up on cloud nine, and am immensely grateful to the judges at SCBWI for deeming my extract good enough to be on such a prestigious list. Thank you!" 

@rosedeniz

Rose Deniz is a farm-girl turned expat, and writes from a neighborhood full of roses in Turkey. She holds an MFA in painting and says she carries a fistful of paintbrushes in one hand and a pen in the other. Rose says about being on the UV longlist: “It feels incredible. The news made my day, year, life! Seriously, I am thrilled, and totally honored. After years of plugging away, I feel one step closer to seeing my book published. I love being a part of SCBWI and its incredibly supportive community. I’d like to say a big thank you to the team who run the competition.” 

@FarinaAckerman

Farina Ackerman teaches and writes for young people in Oxford, where she prowls the same streets as many of her favourite literary characters. She says: ”I am absolutely stunned and thrilled to have been selected for the Undiscovered Voices longlist. The characters are very close to my heart so I am glad that others have enjoyed a little snippet of them. I shall now try not to chew my nails away completely over Christmas while we wait to hear who has made the shortlist. I wish everyone the best of luck and would like to say a big thank you to the team who run the competition.” 

Olivia Palmer

On the illustrator longlist is Olivia Palmer who says: "I’ve been drawing and painting for most of my life. I was amazed and thrilled to find out I was on the Undiscovered Voices longlist! I so enjoyed creating my entry, and felt very happy to have a new piece for my portfolio, but never expected to get this far! Thank you to SCBWI for organising this competition and all the other fantastic events and services you provide!” 



Please join me in saying a huge congratulations to Katrina and Clare and all those on the UV longlist... fingers crossed everyone and we’ll definitely be cracking open more bubbly next week!

---

Tania Tay is an ex-advertising copywriter and has been published in Sable LitMag. She is currently writing a YA romantic thriller, and is on the editorial team at Words & Pictures.