Category Archives: Publishing

Be A Maker

Posted on March 12, 2019 by Jennifer Kay

Engineer Jennifer has always been a builder. LEGOs were a right of passage for me – probably for most kids headed for a career in Civil Engineering. Among my peers, there were two schools of thought regarding those LEGO kit … Continue reading →

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Social Media for Middle Graders

Posted on February 26, 2019 by Jennifer Kay

Recently I’ve noticed an increasing number of authors on Facebook asking what social media 12-year-olds use. Writer Jennifer understands the question. These authors want to keep their writing relevant to modern kids by incorporating the methods of communication being used … Continue reading →

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Working As A Reader To Improve My Writing

Posted on February 12, 2019 by Jennifer Kay

For the past four months I’ve been sneaking a peak behind the scenes of a New York literary agency. Yes, I was snowed in at my Midwest writing office most of that time. I’ve been working remotely as a middle … Continue reading →

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KidLit Nonfiction Beyond Picture Book Biographies

Posted on January 29, 2019 by Jennifer Kay

Earlier this month, I hosted an SCBWI Rockford Network guest speaker who really resonated with me. Michael Leali, the Children’s Department Manager for Anderson’s Bookshop in La Grange, presented Beginning at the End: Informing Today’s Writing By Considering the Future … Continue reading →

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New Year! Same Goals!

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Jennifer Kay

This weekend I’ll be packing my bags to return to VCFA, also known as Hogwarts. Can’t wait to be reunited with this group of amazing and talented writers. Really excited for my first Focus Workshop: Writing the Other taught by … Continue reading →

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Super Hero Writers

Posted on November 13, 2016 by Jennifer Kay

Last weekend Super Heros flew to Chicago to gather for SCBWI Prairie Writers & Illustrators Day. This year my conference posse grew from two writers to four, including one of my VCFA classmates. We happened to sit in the Maw-ha-ha section … Continue reading →

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Wild, Wild Midwest

Posted on May 5, 2016 by Jennifer Kay

Last weekend 500 Wild, Wild Midwest children’s authors and illustrators gathered in Chicago for the SCBWI regional conference. The faculty list was a who’s who of awesome children’s authors, featuring keynote speeches by Lisa Cron, Sarah Aronson, Linda Sue Park, … Continue reading →

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Sample Illustrations

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Jennifer Kay

Where has Jennifer been for the past two months? Attached to my new digital drawing pad. It’s become a third limb. After only three hours of online webinars on how to use Manga Studio 5, I’ve reached below average functionality … Continue reading →

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Writing Characters Who Don’t Look Like You

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Jennifer Kay

Last weekend my critique partner and I journeyed into Chicago for SCBWI Prairie Writer’s Day. Once again it was an event filled with awesome people in the publishing industry (or aspiring to be), invaluable knowledge, and heaps of inspiration. This … Continue reading →

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The Heart of the Story

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Jennifer Kay

This week Jennifer Lynn Barnes published The Fixer, hyped as a YA version of Scandal. As a fan girl of both Jennifer’s books and all political thriller TV shows, I immediately pre-ordered my copy. I’m probably curled up in my … Continue reading →

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