Rose Bartush
		May 17: Open Critique Barnes and Noble Westlake A totally open critique. Anyone can bring five pages of their work-in-progress for the rest of the group to comment and make suggestions on. Please bring six copies. This critique group will meet at the Westlake Barnes & Noble in the event area before the regular chapter meeting begins. Following the chapter meeting, artists can remain and reconvene in the children's area for a life drawing session. May 17: Monthly Meeting - The Great Agent Hunt Location: Barnes and Noble Westlake 10:30 - Noon Speaker - Jo Whittemore Your manuscript is polished and perfected. Your confidence is growing, and you're ready to share your work with the rest of the world. What's the next step? For many, it's finding an agent, a task that can be intimidating and overwhelming. Armed with the right knowledge, however, any writer can get agents requesting, reading and representing. Join YA author Jo Whittemore on The Great Agent Hunt, where she'll critique and discuss query letters, the submission process and what to do when you finally get that agent offer. She will also be a featured author in the Critique Clinique at the April 26th conference. Reserve your spot now for a Jo Whittemore critique.

WRITE IN THE HEART OF TEXAS SPRING CONFERENCE

SOLD OUT - April 26, 2008

Location: The University of Texas Club
2108 Robert Dedman Drive
Austin, Texas 78712

Welcome to the website for the Austin chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). SCBWI is an international organization offering a variety of services to people who write, illustrate, or share the passion for children's literature. The SCBWI acts as a network for the exchange of knowledge between writers, illustrators, editors, publishers, agents, librarians, educators and booksellers.

During the months that we do not have a formal event, we host a monthly meeting at Barnes and Noble Westlake with special guest speakers. See Calendar of Events for details. Meetings are open to the public.

We offer assistance to members in finding a critique group. Please visit the Critique Group section to find out more. Critique groups are a great way to receive quality feedback from your peers on your writing manuscripts and/or illustrations.

We are proud of our members and their successes. Please see the Member Directory section as we would like to show you what our individual members have been up to.

Community outreach includes book signings and readings at local bookstores such as BookPeople, Hastings, and Barnes and Noble, work with the public libraries and schools, a booth at the Texas Book Festival, and we continue to judge writing contests for the adult writing community as well as schools in the Austin area.

Membership is via the international organization -- please visit www.scbwi.org to find out more. Subscription for the local quarterly newsletter is handled via this website -- please visit the How Do I Join? section to find out more.

We are fortunate to have so many creative folks in Austin willing to share their industry experience and knowledge. I want to give a special thanks to our many volunteers that make this local chapter possible: Lyn Seippel (Asst. Regional Advisor), Christy Stallop (Illustrator Coordinator), Erik Kuntz (Webmaster), Meg Shoemaker (Critique Group Coordinator), Betty Davis and Mary Durham (Contest Coordinators), Carmen Oliver (Public Relations Coordinator), Donna Bratton (Special Projects Coordinator), Julie Lake (Coordinator for Published Authors' Visionary Committee) and Meredith Davis, Anne Sparks, Nancy Jean Okunami, Debbie Dunn, and Julie Lake (former Regional Advisors).

Writing and Illustrating for children is a creative process and a rewarding journey; we hope to see you at an Austin event.

All my best,

Tim Crow
Austin SCBWI Regional Advisor