lifting as they climb

Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich has started an exciting new project for emerging writers—Patchwork Collective Virtual Mentors!  Here's a description of the initiative:

"The Patchwork Collective for Writers of Color is accepting applications for its Virtual Mentoring Program! Participants will be invited to join an online group and receive personalized advice from mentors on manuscripts and technique (no more than one critique of 10 pages of a long-form work, or 1 PB over the 8 week period), industry- and craft-related information (books, conferences, helpful organizations, Web sites, etc.), and more.  Mentors will not be offering referrals to any agents or editors. If you are a writer of color in the "intermediate" stage of your pursuit of a career in children's literature, this is an opportunity for one-on-one online communication with a published children's book author (PB-YA)."

Want to learn more?  Swing by The Happy Nappy Bookseller and read a great interview with Gbemi.  I'll be on a panel to answer questions about self-publishing, and can't wait to see more aspiring authors breaking into the industry!

Don't forget—it's February and that means it's time for the Brown Bookshelf's 28 Days Later.  Stop by every day this month to meet emerging and established authors in the field of African American children's literature.