Get Published! Writing Fiction for Young Readers

What does it take to get a middle-grade/teen novel published? What are children’s book publishers looking for? Let our panel of experts show you what you need to do to get your manuscript published!

Panelists include industry professionals Vicki Grant, author; Michelle Kadarusman, author; and Patricia Ocampo, Senior Editor, Kids Can Press.

“I attended this seminar and it was a great chance to be surrounded by professionals in the industry and get real answers and insights. The Book Centre is an excellent connector, and the opportunity to get exposure with publishers, editors, and other writers is inspiring.” —Lucy Leiderman, author of the Seven Wanderers Trilogy

WHEN:
Saturday, May 11, 2024
12:00 PM to 1:30 PM EDT

WHERE:
ZOOM

REGISTRATION FEE:
$75

REGISTER NOW at bookcentre.ca/getpub2024

Each participant will also receive a digital copy of the CCBC’s best-selling guide, Get Published! The Writing for Children Kit.

Panelist Bios:

Vicki Grant has been called “a superb storyteller” (The Canadian Children’s Book Centre) and “one of the funniest writers working today” (The Vancouver Sun). She began her career as an advertising copywriter, moved on to writing scripts for Theodore Tugboat, Big Comfy Couch and her own Gemini-winning series Scoop & Doozie before graduating to YA fiction. Her novels have won the Red Maple Award, the Arthur Ellis Award and CBC’s Young Canada Reads, as well as been shortlisted for the Edgar, CLA Children’s Book of the Year and numerous Forest of Reading awards. Her novel, 36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You, has been translated into 17 languages and optioned for film. Publishers’ Weekly called A Green Velvet Secret, her latest middle-grade novel, a ‘winning novel,” with “quirky, full-fleshed characters and a tender third-person narration.” Vicki lives in Halifax, NS.

Michelle Kadarusman is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning children’s author. She grew up in Melbourne, Australia, and has also lived in Indonesia and Canada. Her novels have earned many awards, nominations and honours, including the Governor General’s Literary Awards, Freeman Book Awards, Green Earth Books Awards, USBBY Outstanding International Books and Kirkus Best Middle-Grade Books of the Year. She lives in Toronto, Canada, and Byron Bay, Australia.

Patricia Ocampo is Senior Editor at Kids Can Press and previously worked at HarperCollins, Annick Press, Simon & Schuster, and Transatlantic Agency. Patricia is past president of the Canadian section of the International Board on Books for Young People. She teaches children’s book editing at The Chang School.

Thank you so much to the Bookmark Bunch for including the Spooky Sleuths series in their reading club!

Join me for a two days of writing fun! (for full information, head to Youthwrite)

ONCE UPON A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT…

Are the whispers of a character keeping you up at night? Do you fictional friends wake you early in the morning with scenes and story ideas? DON’T THEY KNOW YOU NEEED TO SLEEP?! Join Natasha and learn the ins and out for creating a story full of cracking characters, dashing dialogue, punchy plots, and wonderful world-building that will keep your readers up until the early hours (and maybe let you get some Zzzzzs!).

For more information and to register, please visit this link.