PAL Mentorship 2024: Call for Proposals
Design Your Own Mentorship – and Help Guide an Aspiring Illustrator or Author/Illustrator to the Next Stage!
We’re looking for SCBWI-L.A. PAL illustrators or author/illustrators to work with an unpublished member for six months, from May 1, 2024 – November 1, 2024. You establish the terms of the mentorship and the contest for mentee selection. Our team supports you throughout the process.
What you receive:
– $500 honorarium
– Contest publicity to include your name, headshot, bio, website links, and/or book sales links
– The gratitude of at least one new fan and friend within the SCBWI-Los Angeles membership
NOTE: Mentors will write a Kite Tales post about their mentorship just before the submission period opens—and may be asked to write subsequent posts to help promote the SCBWI-L.A. mentorship program.
What you need to do:
Submit a two-part proposal by November 29, 2023 to scbwilamentor@gmail.com
Proposal Part 1: The Mentorship
a) Indicate whether the mentorship will be open to illustrators and/or author/illustrators.
b) What are your publishing credits? Why would you be a good mentor? What are your areas of expertise?
c) What skills/techniques are you prepared to help develop in your mentee?
d) How will you communicate with your mentee? By phone, email, Zoom/Skype, in person, etc.? How often?
e) What kind of critiques will you provide? Any limits on number of projects?
f) Other information to support your proposal?
Note: the chosen mentor must not solicit business or monies from the mentee during the course of the mentorship.
Proposal Part 2: The Contest
a) Specify the type of illustration (and/or writing) sample(s) you want to see from applicants. (Up to 10 digital images? Should all images be polished or are sketches okay? If the contest is open to author/illustrators, first 10 pages of a picture book dummy? Etc.)
b) Specify how you would like applicants to share samples of their work (*.pdf or other acceptable file formats).
c) Provide a list of questions that you want the applicants to answer and/or a list of other relevant information you would like to receive to help you make your decision. (Goals? Bio? Etc.)
d) Other?
The SCBWI-L.A. Contest Coordinator will administrate the contest according to your criteria above (announce the contest, collect and qualify submissions, and turn them over to you for judging and selection of the lucky mentee).
Example: Previous winning proposals
Eligibility:
– You must be a PAL illustrator or author/illustrator in good standing with SCBWI-Los Angeles.
– Limited to one entry per person.
Deadlines & Suggested Calendar:
Wednesday, 11/29/23 Mentor proposals due by 11:59pm
Friday, 12/8/23 Mentor selected by SCBWI-L.A. staff
1/28/24 – 3/10/24 Mentee applications collected
3/13/24 – 4/3/24 Mentor reviews applications and selects mentee
Wednesday, 4/17/24 Winning mentee announced in Kite Tales
5/1/24 – 11/1/24 Mentorship
Thank you & good luck!