New info about "Mail"

I sent a poem to Stories for Children Magazine called "Mail" back in September and received a notice saying that I had passed phase one of the submission process. A week or so later, I got another email about phase two. I was asked to do a rewrite of the poem. I needed to sub out 2 lines and change the rhyming pattern a bit. I was very happy that I was given this opportunity! I mean, so many editors would have just said "not what we're looking for" and sent me a great big "Not for us, sorry" email. But not SFC! I was able to complete the rewrite in the same day (lucky for me I had 3 or 4 other versions of that particular poem so it was easy to revise) and got it right back to the managing editor at SFC. I was happy to get a follow-up email from her saying that she LOVED the rewrite! Love is a pretty strong word, and boy was I happy to hear it! I was able to do a formal resubmission to her directly and was moved on to phase 3 of the approval process. I just love the people at SFC. They are kind, helpful, and very knowledgeable. I hope to one day be able to say that I am a writer by trade (meaning that I can actually get paid for it!LOL) but I think I will always write for the good people at SFC, pay or no pay! They have done so much for my confidence as a new writer and have always had a quick acceptance time and great feedback. I recommend them to any writers or illustrators, newbie and pros alike!

In The Mail!

At the Southern Breeze conference I had the pleasure of meeting Andrea Welch of Beach Lane Books. I really loved the titles that she has selected for publication in the past. "Rhyming Dust Bunnies" is one that will be out in the spring that I know I will purchase! I laughed out loud reading that one and thought that it was a great, simple, funny story. Another that she showed during our workshop was "What Will Fat Cat Sit On?" Another laugh out loud kind of story. I have actually ordered this one from Amazon and it should be here in a couple of days. I will be sure to post a review under Favorite Picture Books.

So, with all that said, I think my story "Hot Dog Dog" would be a good fit for Beach Lane. I did some editing, submitted it for critque, editied some more, and mailed it out! I can only hope now that Andrea feels the same that I do. I really feel that their simply, funny, style is right up my alley. Keep your fingers crossed for me! I feel really good about this one :)

Home from the conference!

The SCBWI conference was wonderful! I had an amazing time. I met some wonderful writers and illustrators and I feel like I have learned so much! Each workshop gave me some new information and made me more confident in my knowledge of this industry. I truly have a feeling that good things are coming. I feel more confident about my query letters (which was really bothering me), I met a wonderful editor that I think is perfect for one of my stories (wish me luck), and I believe we will be adding a couple of new members to our critique group (the more the merrier). I really love the feeling of belonging to such a wonderful group of people. Everyone was so helpful and nice. I think it was also nice to be around people who love what I love, children's books! It's great not to be the only adult (that doesnt have a kid present) who has their arms full of picture books at the checkout counter! All-in-all, I believe that this conference did all that I wanted it too! I feel inspired, educated, and ready to take on the world :)

Southern Breeze Conference - SCBWI

I am on my way! Leaving from the good ole town of Canton, Georgia to head to the big city of Birmingham! HA! I am sure I will have a blast! I will be home Saturday night and will blog about all that I have learned! :)

Getting Ready

I will be attending the SCBWI regional conference in Alabama this weekend and I couldn't be more excited! I will be carpooling with my fellow picture group critter, Joy, who I love to death. She has a great personality, she is fun to talk to, and a great writer as well. I am lucky to have her in my life!We are planning on leaving Friday afternoon from Atlanta so we will have time to go to the dessert "meet and greet" that will be going on that evening. It will be so nice to tell people that I am published! I know that many people work for many years in this field and never get to say that, even for a small poem in a children's magazine! It is a great step in the right direction and a huge boost in confidence.Since I do not have to teach today, three cheers for long weekends, I will be going shopping for my trip! Nothing makes me feel better than a new outfit for an important day! I think I will get my hair cut again too. I really want to go in there feeling like a million bucks! You never know, I might rub elbows with the right person :)

"Oodles of Poodles"

Good news graced my inbox yesterday in the form of an acceptance letter! About 5 weeks ago I sent a poem entitled "Oodles of Poodles" to Stories for Children Magazine. I was surprised to receive a email only a couple of days later saying that I had passed phase one of the acceptance process! That alone was enough to make me do a little happy dance around the living room! I expected to wait at least a few more weeks before hearing anything about the second phase, but was suprised again only a couple of days later!! *Happy Dance Happy Dance* Just getting that far was a great boost in confidence. The second email said they could take up to 8 weeks to get back to me to tell me weather or not I had been accepted to the magazine. So I was not even expecting a reply so quickly! Only 3 weeks from the second email, I get this:

Dear Shannon,
Thank you for thinking of us and for being patient to hear back about your manuscript. We are always pleased to see new ideas and have completed our review of your manuscript. I am happy to inform you, Oodles of Poodles will be in our December 2008 issue. We look forward to working with you again in the future.

All the best,
VS Grenier Founder & Editor-in-Chief

I could not be more excited! I know that this is only the beginning for me!