The Weekly 411 (9/4/20)

Sept. 4, 2020 vol. 36

The Weekly 411 gathers all the links added to Kidlit411 each week. To receive this post by email, sign up for our email updates. Are you on Facebook? Join our Kidlit411 group for conversations & camaraderie. This week's illustration is by Cassandra Federman.

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHTS

We are excited to feature author Aiden Thomas and their highly anticipated YA novel, CEMETERY BOYS (Swoon Reads, September 1, 2020). Enter to win a copy!

We are excited to feature author Lindsay Metcalf and her THREE forthcoming picture books:

BEATRIX POTTER, SCIENTIST, illustrated by Junyi Wu (Albert Whitman 2020)
NO VOICE TOO SMALL: FOURTEEN YOUNG AMERICANS MAKING HISTORY, edited by Lindsay Metcalf, Keila V. Dawson, and Jeanette Bradley, illustrated by Jeanette Bradley (Charlesbridge, Sept. 22, 2020)
FARMERS UNITE! PLANTING A PROTEST FOR FAIR PRICES (Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills & Kane, Nov. 10, 2020)

Be sure to enter to win a copy of two of her books, BEATRICE POTTER, SCIENTIST and NO VOICE TOO SMALL!

PICTURE BOOK GIVEAWAY

We have a special giveaway of the picture book, THIS IS A SEA HORSE by Cassandra Federman (Albert Whitman 2020), which recently received a starred review from SLJ. Be sure to enter to win a copy via the Rafflecopter below!

About the Book: When a child writes a report about a seahorse, the creature himself has a few things to say about the animals he’s compared to. First of all, he is nothing like a land horse. His tail is much more useful than an opossum’s tail. And his snout fits his face perfectly—unlike an anteater’s snout. Delivering fascinating facts along the way, the seahorse sets the record straight about what makes his species so special.

About the Author-Illustrator: Cassandra Federman grew up in Massachusetts, but—unlike a seahorse—she migrated far from her birthplace, all the way to Los Angeles, CA. Cassandra has been many things—a hand model, a wrestler, a manatee rescuer, an actor, a mystic wood elf—but her favorite role so far has been children’s book author/illustrator. She made her author/illustrator debut in 2019 with This Is a Sea Cow. Visit her at www.cassandrafederman.com and @CassFederman on social media.

Buy a copy of the THIS IS A SEAHORSE!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For Writers

Third Person Omniscient vs. Limited vs. Head Jumping

Top 3 Tools for Writing Fast (video with Jesse Q. Sutanto)

Melodramatic vs. Dramatic Writing

Contests & Awards

Oct. 1 -3 Fall Frenzy Writing Contest

What: write a kid lit-aged (board book to YA) story/poem/piece up to 200 words based on a fall-themed photo prompt
Prizes: win critiques, books, and other prizes from authors, agents and editors

Aug 16- Nov. 1 Call for Joy: Short Story Submission Call for Black Male & Black NonBinary Writers

What: submit a short story aimed at the middle grade audience that centers joy and features and centers Black boys <3000 words
Who: Black male/nonbinary author over 18, un-agented, not traditionally published
Award: inclusion in a soon-to-be-announced MG anthology that will center the joy of Black boyhood, edited by Kwame Mbalia

Revisions

So, You Got an Edit Letter. Now What?

Mentor Programs/ Contests & Awards

We Need Diverse Books Mentorship Program

What: apply for one of 15 mentorships with award-winning book creators (12 writers, 3 illustrators)
Who is eligible: anyone who personally identifies with an underrepresented community or working on a book with a diverse protagonist
When to apply: Oct 1-31, 2020

Indie Publishing

How to Get Your Book Uploaded and Self Published

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