Welcome Writers!
SoCal welcomes you to join our monthly critique groups to give and get feedback on Picture Book, Middle Grade and Young Adult pages. We meet from 2:00 to roughly 4:00 over zoom using the same zoom link as the monthly meet-up. We generally meet the fourth Sunday afternoon of the month. Submissions are due ten days before our meeting. Please follow the submission guidelines below. If you don't submit pages, you are welcome to observe critique groups, get to know local writers, and inspire yourself to submit next time!
WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, Submissions due: Friday, 1/17
We break into subgroups by type of writing–picture book, mid-grade, young adult–then read the submissions aloud to one another and then provide feedback. We ask that if you would like to receive a critique, please participate by providing critiques to others. Please be sure that all submissions are in Word format and that you’ve familiarized yourself with the “Track Changes” feature of Word. To learn more, click here.
Submission Guidelines:
Picture Book (PB)
Submit to Submit to Judy Campbell Smith at: info@judycampbellsmith.com
In the email subject line, write “PB Manuscript, (date of meeting).”
Submission deadline the Friday midnight a week before the meeting. NO EXCEPTIONS. If you miss the deadline, you can re-submit for the following monthly meeting.
Submission length - Send in one manuscript. 1,000 words or less.
Document type - Word document (NOT Pages or PDF.)
Document name - GENRE (PB), LAST NAME, FIRST, TITLE
Document formatting - Size 12 font, Times New Roman. Double spaced. 1 inch margin on all sides.
Document header - Title/author last name (on the far left) and page numbers (on the far right)
Example document -Click here to download PB formatting guidelines
Middle Grade (MG) / Young Adult (YA)
Submit to Christine Henderson at: cmhwrites@aol.com
In the subject line, write “MG or YA manuscript (date of meeting)”
Submission deadline is the Friday midnight a week before the meeting. NO EXCEPTIONS. If you miss the deadline, you can re-submit for the following monthly meeting.
Submission length - Send in five pages (double spaced)
Document type - Word document (NOT Pages or PDF.)
Document name - GENRE (MG/YA), LAST NAME, FIRST, TITLE
Document formatting - Size 12 font, Times New Roman. Double spaced. 1 inch margin on all sides.
Document header - Title/author last name (on the far left) and page numbers (on the far right)
MG/YA writers: If you are submitting a chapter that is later in the novel (not chapter 1), it is helpful to provide a “here’s what has happened so far” summary. It is also helpful to the critiquer if you include a complete synopsis of the novel so they can judge the excerpt within the entire context of the novel. These are merely suggestions, not requirements, to help you maximize the quality of the feedback from your group. First-time submissions: It is highly recommended you attend a meeting once before participating in a critique group. That way, you will know the process we follow. It is important you know the process as this is a moment of vulnerability for members of the group. We want to guide and inspire, not crush our aspiring writers.
WHERE:
Zoom meeting link will be provided via email prior to the event. If you’d like to be added to our list, please email Bev Plass at socal-ra@scbwi.org
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Future meeting dates:
December 2024 - No Meeting
January 26, 2025 Henry Lien - SceneCraft
Feb 23, 2025 (- NO MEETING due to SCBWI Winter Conference
April 27, 2025- Lee Wardlaw, author- Poetry
May 18, 2025 - Rex Ogle, author- Fantasy and Supernatural
June 22, 2025- Ariel Richardson-editor, Chronicle- Pep, Prod, Pause writer’s emotional journey
July 27, 2025 (pending SCBWI Nationals summer conference dates)
Aug 24, 2025
Sept 28, 2025
Oct 26, 2025
Nov 23, 2025