The KSMO SCBWI Writer Mentorship focus for 2025 is Picture Book with author and local Kansas/Missouri SCBWI PAL member Chelsea Tornetto!
Who is eligible?
Applications open June 1-30, 2024 to any current KSMO SCBWI premium member not published or under contract in PB and who have not won a previous KSMO SCBWI mentorship.
What do you win?
The winner will work with the mentor during the calendar year of 2025 on the manuscript submitted for this program. Following the initial reading, the mentor and mentee will "meet" via phone, ZOOM, and/or email (up to 3 times {at the mentor’s discretion} before the year is over) to discuss questions and revisions.
About the Mentor: Chelsea Tornetto
Chelsea Tornetto is a former teacher turned author. Her first book, Conquering Content Vocabulary, was published by Scholastic in 2018, but now her passion is picture books. She is the author of Gardens Are For Growing (Familius 2022) and God Made You Too (WorthyKids 2022), with more titles on the way. When she isn’t working on her own stories, she helps others follow their dreams of writing for children as a freelance editor and author coach for At Home Author. Chelsea lives in Jackson, Missouri with her husband, Mike, and her two kids, Tessa and Milo. She loves snow days, lattes, and Target. She hates spiders, her sinuses, and laundry. You can find her on X and on her website.
Cost: Free to SCBWI KSMO members
Applications Open: June 1, 2024
Deadline: June 30, 2024
Winner to be announced in August 2024!
How to Apply:
Please submit the following to ksmosubmissions@gmail.com with two Word attachments: one is a full picture book manuscript, double-spaced with 12 point font, and one is your cover letter. (Include things like how long you have been writing, what types of manuscripts you’ve written, why you’d like to work with Chelsea. Think of it as a query letter to Chelsea.)
Please read and follow these guidelines fully in order for your manuscript to receive full consideration:
1. Do not place your name on either the cover letter or manuscript because the mentor will see both. Instead, choose a nonsense word or phrase, and replace your name with that word on both the cover letter and the manuscript.
2. Save your documents with that same nonsense word. For example: Lollyland letter. Lollyland manuscript.
3. Attach both the cover letter and the manuscript to an email. These attachments must be Word documents.
4. In the body of the email only, reveal both your name and your nonsense word or phrase. Anyone who puts her real or pen name anywhere in the attached application materials will be disqualified.