In this one-hour workshop, editor Erin Alladin digs deeper into ways to give your manuscript a professional polish prior to submission. This workshop is part of the SCBWI Canada East Digging Deeper workshop series.
That Professional Polish: Self-Editing for Submission
Go beyond the basics of self-editing to approach your submission with the eyes of an acquisitions editor. This presentation covers the nuts and bolts of formatting and proofreading along with a frank conversation about where you should really put your energy and resources. We’ll wrap up with the questions publishing professionals will be asking when they review your query and text together. For beginner and intermediate authors of all kidlit and YA categories.
About the Presenter
Erin Alladin spent eleven years living and breathing Canadian kidlit at Pajama Press before breaking out as a freelance editor. She’s the author of the picture books OUTSIDE, YOU NOTICE and WAIT LIKE A SEED under her own name, and many others under the pen name Victoria Allenby. Her informative blog and newsletter for writers can be found at www.erin-alladin.com.
Workshop Details
WHEN AND WHERE
Saturday, September 20, 2025. 1:00-2:00 pm ET
This is a virtual event. After registering, you will find your registration confirmation under My Events on your Member Home. The Zoom link for the event will be found under the green Meeting Info button.
COST
- $10 USD for Premium Members.
- $25 USD for Preview Members.
** Note: SCBWI is a U.S.-based organization, therefore all payments collected for SCBWI events via the website are in USD.
CRITIQUES
A limited number of manuscript critiques are available at an additional cost (scroll down for full details).
RECORDING
The workshop will be recorded, and the recording will be available for one month following the event. Attendees will receive a link and a password by email the week following the event.
REGISTRATION CONFIRMATIONS
Upon completion of payment, you will receive a payment confirmation by email. You will also find a registration confirmation on the website that will include event-specific details. Go to your Member Home and click on My Events under the black bar at the top of the page. All events you have registered will be displayed on this page. If there are additional meeting details (i.e. Zoom links for virtual events or materials required for the event), this information will be found under the green Meeting Info button.
Questions about this event? Contact Michelle Jodoin, Regional Advisor, SCBWI Canada East
Manuscript Critiques
CRITIQUE DETAILS
A limited number of manuscript critiques are available for an additional cost. These critiques are available to Premium members only. Submissions will be accepted after the workshop in order to allow participants time to apply what they've learned from the workshop before submitting their manuscript.
COST
- $55 USD for written-only critique (Premium members only)
- $70 USD for written feedback, plus a 10-minute Zoom critique (Premium members only)
SUBMISSION DEADLINE
Midnight ET on October 3, 2025.
SUBMISSION DETAILS
What to submit
- For Picture Book (PB): Please send entire manuscript or dummy and a 1- to 2-sentence pitch (in the same document). Translator submissions should include a brief note about the source work (also in the same document).
- For Chapter Book/Middle Grade (CB/MG): Please send up to 10 pages of your fiction manuscript OR nonfiction proposal AND a one-page, single-spaced synopsis (in the same document). Translator submissions should include a brief note about the source work (also in the same document).
How to format your submission
- Include all materials in the same document; please don’t send two documents.
- Format your work in 12-point font, with one-inch margins, and double spacing. (US Letter paper size.)
- Include first & last name, email address, title, genre on your cover page.
- Include your name and manuscript title on every page of your work as a header or a footer.
- Save your file as Your Last Name_TITLE OF MANUSCRIPT as a Word (.docx) document (eg. Michelle_Jodoin_ON_THE_TRAIL).
Where to submit
- Send your file to Elena Dee at [email protected]. The subject should read: Your Last Name_TITLE OF MANUSCRIPT (same as saved file name).
CRITQUE RESPONSES AND ZOOM MEETINGS
Written critiques will be sent by email by October 18, 2025.
Zoom meetings for those who have selected to have written feedback plus a 10-minute Zoom critique will take place on October 18, 2025, between 1:00 pm and 2:30 pm ET. You will receive your specific time-slot a day or two before the meeting.
