If you’re an aspiring or early career Latinx author, there’s some new support for you. In partnership with the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), I’ve created a small grant called Volemos: The Meg Medina Grant. We’ll be accepting submissions this month for the first time, so if you’ve got a picture book manuscript or a strong sample of your next novel, hurry and submit. Full submission guidelines are here.
I’ve been a member of SCBWI for most of my writing career. I entered the field before social media was a force (if you can even conceptualize that). Back then, I couldn’t have told you what an agent did or what on earth a query letter was. More important, I didn’t know any other children’s book creators who could guide me or offer me an example of how to do this work. To pursue my passions felt as unlikely as pursuing a trip to Mars.
A lot has changed for me over the years. I’ve found out that publishing is a combination of art, hardcore business skills, and community, all of which I honed with SCBWI’s help. It’s also a business where Latinx voices continue to be woefully underrepresented despite the growing number of new organizations and platforms now available to us.
I’m proud to serve on the Board of Advisors for SCBWI and to partner with them in supporting my literary community. The organization is looking forward as it starts its 50th year in existence, and so am I. The press release for Volemos is here, if you’d like more details.
Please help by spreading the word to SCBWI members in the US and abroad who might benefit. Good luck to all applicants!
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- For more publishing advice from Meg, you might like this post: Breaking into Writing Children’s Books: A Beginner’s Guide Targeted to Latinx authors
- Take a look at Meg’s Latinx Bookshop shelf
- Reserve your seat to catch Meg this weekend at the EJK panel sponsored by Books of Wonder
“Alas de Mexico” in San Antonio, TX, 2019
