CHAPTER 19

Grants and Awards

Throughout this book, you've read over and over how difficult writing and getting published can be. Well, now it's time to put the difficulties aside and focus on what that hard work can do for you. This chapter will introduce you to the awards and recognition you may receive as a children's writer, as well as let you in on the joys of grant money.

Financial Aid

Did you know that there are grants available to help you establish a writing career? We're not talking about the royalties or flat fees your publisher is contracted to pay you upon publication. Private estates and corporations, as well as many state and federal arts councils, set aside a certain amount of money each year for writers' grants. This money is given out to individuals or groups for aid in working toward a specific purpose, in this case children's literature. Grants must be applied for, which can sometimes be a grueling process, but once awarded, grant money does not have to be paid back.

There are many different types of grants available for both emerging and established writers. Some are available only for specific genres, while others are open to all genres. Some offer a few hundred dollars and some offer several thousand. Some cover only specific expenses, such as books or writing supplies, and others can be used for any expense related to your writing needs, from child-care to rent.

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In addition to applying for grants, you can also submit your work to contests. Hundreds of contests are conducted every year, covering all genres. Normally, there is a monetary award given to the winners and runners-up. However, you should beware of scams. Do an Internet search with the words “writing contest scams” to learn the signs.

You are likely to find one or several grants that you are qualified for and that suit your writing needs, but pursuing them is a task unto itself. All too often, writers are either unaware of grant opportunities, fail to do the research needed to find the right grants, or assume they won't get the grant and simply don't try for it. Because of this, a lot of money is out there for the taking and only a small pool of enterprising writers are being considered for it. Never be afraid to apply. Even if you don't get the grant, you will learn from the process, and at the next opportunity you will be less afraid to take action.

Where to Look

If you are interested in researching grants, you can begin with checking the websites of the writers' organizations you belong to. For instance, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators offers a number of grants to members, including $2,000 Work-in-Progress grants for distinct categories, such as unpublished novelists or nonfiction writers, or those whose writing features minority perspectives. Numerous writers' organizations out there offer grants to a wide spectrum of entrants; in most cases, everything you need to know about locating and applying for these grants is detailed on the organizations' websites. After researching groups of which you are a member, move on to consider others. Even if you don't secure grant money from one of these organizations, you may happen upon a group you hadn't heard of before and choose to become a member, which could lead to any number of opportunities down the road.

Your next stop should be an online search focused on locating grant money for writers. The Internet is a huge, constantly evolving, minimally regulated place, and as such it contains a lot of worthwhile information and a lot of trash. Be skeptical of sites offering to apply for grants on your behalf for a (large) fee, or those advertising grants that are expensive to apply for. Sign up for the e-mail newsletter put out by Funds for Writers (www.fundsforwriters.com), which scans the web for new grants and updates regularly.

Next, try your local library. Search its database for books offering grants for children's writing, but don't stop there. You may also be qualified for grants outside the specifics of children's writing. For instance, you could be eligible for grants awarded to West Coast writers or those working within a specific area, such as AIDS awareness. If you have the time and energy, look through all books on grants that the library has to offer.

How to Apply

Applying for grants is a tedious undertaking. You will need to contact the organization sponsoring the grant for qualifications, guidelines, and application forms. You will usually need to prepare samples of your work to include in the submission. Though it may not sound too difficult (you fill out applications and forms all the time, right?), applying for a grant actually requires a very specific form of writing.

The most important thing to remember is to follow the directions to a T. If the application directs applicants to print their names and phone numbers on every page of writing samples, do it — if not, your application will likely be tossed out, unread. This may sound harsh, but consider the pressures grant-awarding boards are under. They have to sift through thousands of files to select the most deserving applicants from the pile. Naturally they are going to want to offer the grant money to people who have taken the application seriously. In most cases, applicants who ignore the small rules have been sloppy with other aspects of their applications, too. So follow directions: take it upon yourself to make sure your application at least gets read.

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There are several organizations and service firms that will help you with the grant writing process for a fee. If you choose to take this route, be sure to research the organizations and shop around. Fees and qualifications vary.

Your best bet is to research grant writing before diving into it on your own. Though there are writers out there who never apply for grants, there are also those who tap into these opportunities on a regular basis and are familiar with the proper procedures. To have a fighting chance against these individuals, your grant-writing skills need to be top-notch. There are several books and guides available that will help you learn the art of grant writing, such as Finding Funding: The Comprehensive Guide to Grant Writing by Daniel M. Barber. A number of these will likely be found in your local library.

The Newbery Medal

So you still have dreams of fame and fortune? Well, you just might get both of them if you are awarded the Newbery Medal. The Newbery Medal is considered the highest honor a children's book author can receive. Everyone in the world of children's literature waits eagerly every year for the announcement of the winner.

Winning the Newbery Medal will put your name on the lips of all involved in the industry. Recognition isn't the only reward, though. You will also see a tremendous boost in the sales of your book, since every library, bookseller, and many children and adults will suddenly feel the need to own your book. The Newbery Award places a permanent stamp of excellence and respect not only upon its winners, but also upon those it designates as Newbery Honor Books.

History of the Medal

John Newbery was the eighteenth-century bookseller who was responsible for the turning point in children's literature with the publication of A Little Pretty Pocket-Book. This book combined elements of education and instruction with amusement and entertainment, paving the way for modern children's books. Publisher Frederic G. Melcher recognized Newbery's achievement and in 1921 proposed to the American Library Association (ALA) that an award be presented in his honor. The ALA readily agreed, and thus the first children's book award was born. Ever since then, the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the ALA, awards the Newbery Medal annually to one children's book author.

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The winner of the Newbery Medal receives a bronze medal that was designed by René Paul Chambellan in 1921. The winner's name and date are engraved on the back of the medal.

As the first and most distinguished children's book award in the world, the Newbery Medal carries a lot of weight. The medal's purpose, according to the ALA, is “to encourage original creative work in the field of books for children. To emphasize to the public that contributions to the literature for children deserve similar recognition to poetry, plays, or novels.” The Newbery Medal has certainly lived up to its purpose.

Qualifications and Criteria

Since only one author can win this award per year, there must be qualifications set to help make the difficult decision a bit easier. Those children's books considered must have been published the previous year and authored by a U.S. citizen or resident. The book must also have been published in the United States. Reprints and compilations are not eligible. The book's target audience must be any age group of children through the age of fourteen.

The book can consist of any type of writing (fiction, nonfiction, poetry), and the text is primarily what will be taken into consideration. The book must make what the judges deem the most “distinguished contribution to American Children's Literature” of all children's books published that year in America in English. The committee can't take into consideration an author's past works or the author's reputation, nor can the committee take into account how well the book sells or its popularity. The book can't rely on other media and must be a “self-contained entity.”

When deciding on a book's degree of excellence, the committee must take into consideration the interpretation of the theme or concept, the handling of characters and setting, how the plot is developed, overall presentation and organization, and style.

Finding excellence in children's literature is easy; deciding on the “most distinguished American children's book” is not. This was understood from the very beginning, and so the committee is allowed to recognize other books for their merit. These books are called Newbery Honor Books.

The Caldecott Medal

It was a wonderful day back in 1921 when the Newbery Medal was founded, because the authors of children's books were finally getting the recognition they deserved. This continued happily until people began to realize that several books reached their quality of excellence through the illustrations. But the illustrators weren't getting the credit they deserved.

History of the Medal

In 1937, Frederic G. Melcher again went before the American Library Association and proposed that another award be established to honor the artist who created “the most distinguished picture book of the year.” This honor would be called the Caldecott Medal, named after the nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph J. Caldecott. Of course, the board loved the idea.

Every year since, the Association for Library Service to Children has awarded the Caldecott Medal to one illustrator alongside the presentation of the Newbery Medal. These two medals go hand in hand in recognition and stature.

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The winner of the Caldecott Medal also receives a bronze medal that, just like the Newbery Medal, was designed by René Paul Chambellan, though it was created later, in 1937. The winner's name and date are engraved on the back of the medal.

Qualifications and Criteria

This medal, too, has qualifications and criteria that must be met for a book to be considered. Since this medal is also hosted by the ALA, the criteria are quite similar to those for the Newbery Medal.

The book must have been published in the United States during the previous year and illustrated by a U.S. citizen or resident. The illustrations must be original work and found in no other source. The book's target audience must be children. Though most picture books are targeted to younger children, the age of the target audience may be through age fourteen. The illustrations must provide a child with a “visual experience,” in which the story line or concept is developed through the series of illustrations.

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Though the Caldecott Medal is given to artists only, should your book receive the award, take a little bit of credit yourself. While the illustrator is certainly a genius in his own right, remember that it is your words that gave the artist the inspiration needed to create the winning illustrations.

The committee can't take into consideration an illustrator's past works or the illustrator's reputation, nor can the committee take into account how well the book sells or its popularity. The book can't rely on other media and must be a “self-contained entity.” Committee members make their decision based primarily on the illustrations, though other elements (such as the text) can be taken into consideration.

The committee must take into consideration the illustrator's execution of the artistic technique chosen, how well the illustrations act as an interpretation of the text, how well the style complements the story line or concept, the use of illustration to describe characters and setting, and/or the use of illustration to convey information.

Of course, there are hundreds of excellent illustrators out there. Because only one can be honored with the Caldecott Medal each year, the committee is also allowed to select the work of other artists to be commended as Caldecott Honor Books.

National Awards

The Newbery and Caldecott Medals are the most coveted awards for children's literature, but they aren't the only distinguished awards given. There are several other national awards given out annually to notable children's writers. This section will highlight some of the better-known awards.

Coretta Scott King Award

The Coretta Scott King Award is sponsored by the American Library Association and honors both Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife for their efforts to promote peace. This annual award is presented to an African-American author and African-American illustrator who create quality children's literature promoting cultural values and the understanding and acceptance of all people.

Margaret A. Edwards Award

The Margaret A. Edwards Award for Outstanding Literature for Young Adults is sponsored by School Library Journal and awarded by the Young Adult Services Library Association. The award honors an author for lifetime achievement in writing for teenagers. The winner's books focus on helping teenagers to understand themselves and their relationship to society.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal

This award is presented by the Association for Library Service to Children to an author or illustrator whose body of work provides a significant and lasting contribution to children's literature. (The books must have been published in the United States.) Originally presented every five years, the award is now presented every three years. The award honors Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of books including The Little House in the Big Woods.

National Book Award

The National Book Award for Young People's Literature is the National Book Foundation's award for quality children's literature. Established in 1950, the National Book Award is a prestigious and well-known honor. Every year in November the awards are presented in four categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and young people's literature. The winner of each category receives not only recognition and honor but also a $10,000 cash award. Consideration for children's literature is open to U.S. authors of all genres.

The Boston Globe — Horn Book Award

This award is sponsored by the Boston Globe and Horn Book, Inc. Submissions are sent in by U.S. publishers, but the author does not have to be a U.S. citizen. Submissions are evaluated and winners are selected by a committee of three professionals from the children's publishing industry. Awards are presented annually at the New England Library Association conference in three categories: picture book, fiction, and nonfiction.

The Golden Kite Award

The Golden Kite Award is sponsored by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Submissions are open only to members of the society. Unlike other national awards, the winner of the Golden Kite Award is determined by other authors and illustrators. Three members of the children's writing committee are chosen to judge nominations for each category. The award is given in four categories: fiction, nonfiction, picture book text, and illustration.

Orbis Pictus Award

The Orbis Pictus Award is presented by the National Council of Teachers of English to an author who has created a quality work of children's nonfiction published in the United States. The award honors Johann Comenius, the author of Orbis Pictus — The World in Pictures, published in 1658, which is considered the first informative book actually designed and written specifically for children.

State Awards

In addition to the national awards, several states give out their own awards. For some awards, the winner is determined by the votes from children state-wide, which not only encourages children to read but also asks them to form and state their opinions about those books they read, opening up literary discussions. In this way, awards benefit not just the author but also those children who participate in the award process. Other State awards are determined by committees of teachers and/or librarians.

This section highlights some state awards to give you an idea of what is out there. However, these are not the only ones available. Nearly every state grants its own award and several give out multiple awards. Those books awarded in a particular state will see an increase in sales to libraries in that state.

These awards represent only a small number of those offered. Young adult novel author Cynthia Leitich Smith keeps an updated list of state writing awards for children's and young adult authors, with links to each state's contest website, at her blog, www.cynthialeitichsmith.com.

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While most state awards are not as well-known as the national awards, many writers find that winning a state award is a most valued honor. Because many state awards are granted on the basis of children's votes, this means that it is your intended audience praising your work, and not just a committee of adults.

Honorable Mention

While winning an award is a surefire way to gain recognition as a distinguished writer, it isn't the only way. There are several associations and organizations that compile lists of recommended books. Some are better known than others, but if you are included on any of these lists, you will add valuable credit to your name.

Children's Choices

The International Reading Association and the Children's Book Council have teamed up to sponsor the Children's Choices list of children's books (see www.reading.org). Unlike other lists that highlight the books adults think are best for children, this list contains books that are voted on by the children themselves. If you are interested in hearing what your targeted audience has to say about the literature they are currently reading, you should check out this list. The list of Children's Choices is divided into three categories: beginning and young readers, intermediate readers, and advanced readers.

Every year, children from all over the country read those books submitted by publishers and vote for their favorites. A list of approximately 100 titles is compiled and published for booksellers, parents, librarians, authors, publishers, and children to see just what has made it into the hearts and minds of the intended audience. If your book happens to show up on this list, take great pride in your work. You have been selected by those who matter most — the children.

ALA Notables

In addition to the Newbery Medal and Honor Books and the Caldecott Medal and Honor Books, the American Library Association compiles an annual list of Notable Children's Books. The ALA encourages libraries to make these books available to children, so if your book shows up on this list, you may see an increase in library sales.

Oprah's Book Club Kids Reading List

All writers are aware of what a recommendation from Oprah can do for the sales of a book. While most people think Oprah recommends only adult books, she does also make a reading list of children's books. Oprah's Book Club Kids Reading List is divided into age groups: infant to two years, three to five years, six to nine years, nine to twelve years, and twelve years and older. You can find this list at www.oprah.com/packages/kid-reading-list.

Best Books of the Year

Several industry publications create their own lists of quality children's books every year. For instance, the editors of School Library Journal select a number of outstanding books to include in their list, Best Books. Editors at Publishers Weekly compile an annual list of what they consider “the year's most distinguished titles” in Best Children's Books. Booklist has its own ideas of what books are outstanding and showcases them in its annual list of Editors' Choice, which is divided into categories for young readers, middle readers, older readers, and young adults.

Though just a few lists are mentioned here, there are more out there. Publishers, teachers, parents, associations, librarians, and children all have their own lists of children's books that are the best. Reading about all these awards, and especially the criteria used in judging, should give you the sense of a large community of thoughtful people who care deeply about the quality of children's books. They are doing all they can to encourage you — not only to write, but to tackle subjects that matter most to children, and to write the best books you can.