Tribute to Paul Brett Johnson/Contest/Call for Submissions

This blog is dedicated to a wonderful friend, children’s book author, illustrator, and artist, Paul Brett Johnson. He and I are from Knott County, Kentucky. We both write children’s books and know many of the same people and places, so we had a lot in common. My friend and fellow writer passed away this week due to a sudden and unexpected illness. He’ll be missed.

In one of my earliest conversations with Paul Brett, he told me he had struggled for years trying to get a book contract. At the time of his struggles, he was frustrated with all the rejections, but he kept writing, illustrating, and submitting work. The work paid off as his writing improved and he learned more about the publishing process. By the time his first book, The Cow That Wouldn’t Come Down, was published, he was glad his earlier versions of the story had been rejected because those less-than-polished versions would not have garnered the acclaim the book received. His point was that writers should not get in a hurry with a manuscript. Revise, revise, revise until the story is the best it can be. With a more experienced eye, he looked back at his earlier writing attempts and saw that they were lacking in some way, but after years of practice and know-how, he developed the skills to polish the manuscripts. Another lesson learned: join a critique group so you, too, can have an experienced eye review your manuscripts.

Contest for Adult Writers
SPS Studios announces Its Eighteenth Biannual Poetry Card Contest
1st prize: $300 * 2nd prize: $150 * 3rd prize: $50
In addition, the winning poems will be displayed on our website sps.com. Poems can be rhyming or non-rhyming, although we find that non-rhyming poetry reads better. We suggest that you write about real emotions and feelings and that you have some special person or occasion in mind as you write.
Poems are judged on the basis of originality and uniqueness. All entries must be the original creation of the submitting author.
Deadline: June 30, 2011
Details at http://www.sps.com/poetry/index.html

Call for Submissions for Young Writers
Jack And Jill, P.O. Box 567, Indianapolis, IN 46206. Publishes stories, poems, riddles, and jokes written by students in grades 2-6.