Children's book author Valerie Ellis and Agent Annette Bourland will talk about how to balance your artistic vision with critique feedback and market constraints to find courage to rewrite.
Critique and revision are important to any author’s journey. But how do you balance your artistic vision with critique suggestions and market constraints or find the courage to step into the messy rewriting process? Valerie Ellis (author) and Annette Bourland (agent and author with 25 years on the publisher side) will share a bit of their journey together, as well as the author, agent, and publisher perspectives about receiving and integrating feedback. They will wrap up with a Q&A .
Annette Bourland is a C-suite level executive with more than 25 years of media and publishing experience. From books to magazines to digital platforms, Annette has developed long- and short-form content, led teams in creating award-winning publications, and has engaged virtual teams in areas of editorial, marketing, art, design and technology. She currently leads Bourland Strategic Advisors (BSA) as a media consultant, building business strategy and publishing expansion for worldwide publishers and high-caliber authors. Prior to launching her own business, Annette spent 12 years as Group Publisher with HarperCollins Publishing, leading adult nonfiction, curriculum, children’s and teen imprints along with serving on the Executive Leadership Team in driving corporate strategy. Annette earned her MBA at the University of Colorado and has achieved certification in children’s literature and child development. She resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan with her husband and son. For more information, visit bourlandstrategicadvisors.com.
Valerie Ellis is a children’s book author with books designed to serve families at the intersection of faith and fun. Her debut, Share the Joy! A Christmas Lift-the-Flap Book, released from Paraclete Press in 2023, and she has upcoming titles with Tyndale and WaterBrook, an imprint of Penguin Random House. She is also a speaker, certified teacher, and the found of the multi-author online resource Our Everyday Parables, which offers book review and parenting ideas for families pursuing faith and compassion. Valerie is a member of The MomCo (formerly MOPS), SCBWI, and the Texas Library Association. She is also a nonprofit consultant, trainer and grant proposal writer in the Houston area where she lives with her husband, Josh, and their two boys. Valerie would love to connect with you through her website, valerieellis.com or on Instagram at @iamvalerieellis.
Our meetings are free and open to the public. We encourage you to invite members of the Brazos Valley writing community to join us!
Our regional meetings feature guest speakers sharing writing and illustration tips as well as industry news and social time for members to meet and network. Meetings are preceded by a gentle critique (see below). Meetings are streamed via Zoom and available for replay. Login details and replay links are available on each meeting's event page.
Last Wednesday of each month (minus July, Nov & Dec)
11am - 11:30am Gentle manuscript critique
11:30am - 12:30pm Guest speaker/featured activity
12:30pm - social time followed by lunch at a local restaurant (meal not covered by SCBWI)
Zoom and in person at Brazos Valley Arts Council, 4180 Hwy 6 South, College Station, TX 77845
If you’d like to share your work in progress with others and receive or provide feedback, please bring printed copies of up to 5 pages of a manuscript to share. Zoom participants will be allowed to screen share in order to receive feedback. Please see this handy guide on critique etiquette if this will be your first time participating in a critique: https://www.scbwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/2014_LA_Dos-and-Donts.pdf
Passionate about a specific kid-lit related topic? Want to practice your upcoming school visit presentation? We’re always looking for guest speakers for our monthly meetings. Our meetings are cozy and supportive - a great place to get your feet wet as a presenter and get to know your local children's literature creators. Feel free to pitch us! Guests can present in person or via Zoom and receive $50 compensation as well as lunch after our meeting. Presentations take place on the last Wednesday of the month from 11am-12pm and can be in the format of workshops, interviews, slideshows… you name it! Pitch us your ideas at brazosvalley-ra@scbwi.org