CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: FOR CULTURALLY RELEVANT CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Opportunity

The Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans, in collaboration with the Minnesota Humanities Center, is seeking submissions from writers and illustrators of children’s literature for the Reading Together Project. This project will publish and disseminate culturally relevant books to educators, teachers, students, parents, and community members in 2013.

The Reading Together Project seeks to:

• address the lack of children’s books that speak to the experience of being an Asian Pacific Islander (API) child or youth in the Unities States;
• support the development of English literacy skills while recognizing cultural heritage;
• create opportunities for children and families to learn about API cultural heritage together; and
• disseminate resources targeted towards closing the achievement gap for API students by offering culturally relevant and grade appropriate resources.

 

Asian Pacific Islander Americans do not conform to one particular group or identity. Rather, we are a convergence of many ethnic and affinity groups working together to accomplish shared goals and objectives. The project does not try to create a single Asian Pacific Islander “voice”.

 

Submission Guidelines for Authors

• Stories should focus on a culturally relevant theme related to being an Asian Pacific Islander child or youth in the United States.
• Stories should be written as picture books and/or readers for children ages 3-7.
• Final books are likely to be up to 30 pages and 1,000 words as a general guideline. (Is this still the guideline if a picture book?
• Writers may submit a full manuscript or at least 20 pages of their story idea with a storyboard and character development outlining the complete story idea.
• When submitting a story, you will be prompted to include a brief story description of 50-150 words at the beginning of the manuscript.
• Writers will need to describe how the story aligns with K-12 Academic Standards, specifically grade level(s) and content area(s) for Minnesota.  Please see link: http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/EdExc/StanCurri/K-12AcademicStandards/ .
• The development of each book is a highly collaborative process.  Each applicant will be asked to submit a paragraph illustrating when and how you have worked successfully in a highly collaborative team environment.
• Any genre will be accepted (non-fiction, fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, etc.)
• All manuscripts and story ideas must be submitted in English. The Reading Together Project books may be published in multiple languages.
• A manuscript or story idea need not be submitted with illustrations. Illustrations submitted with a manuscript or story idea may or may not be selected.
• Any reference to the writer that would enable the reviewer to know the writer’s identity should not appear in the manuscript or story idea.
• Manuscripts and story ideas must be original, unpublished works. By submitting a manuscript or story idea, writers warrant that their entry materials are original and do not infringe on any third party’s rights.
• Only electronic submissions in Word will be accepted following these guidelines: Arial font, size 11, 1.5 line spacing, and 1 inch margins.
• Writer must be a Minnesota resident.
• Must be available to attend an Authors and Illustrator Planning meeting the week of March 11 to March 15, 2013.

 

Submission Deadline

February 28, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. However, technical assistance with online submissions will not be available after 4:00 p.m. February 28.

 

Selection Process for Authors

All manuscripts will be reviewed by an independent review panel. Announcements will be made by March 11, 2013.

 

Review Criteria For Authors

The submitted manuscripts will be evaluated against the following criteria (in no specific order):

• Cultural sensitivity and relevance of story
• Understanding of the generation/age group the book will be geared towards
• Relevance to timely issues
• Quality of the language (engaging writing style, grammar, etc.)
• Evidence of successful participation as a highly collaborative partner.

 

Creative Process

• Selected writers will work in collaboration with project staff from the Council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans and the Minnesota HumanitiesCenter to discuss, review, revise, and finalize their story. If a story is selected without illustrations, project staff will pair an illustrator with a writer to create a finished book. If a story is selected with illustrations, the illustrator will follow the creative process outlined below.

 Submission Guidelines for Illustrators

• Illustrators must submit at least six to eight examples of their artwork, all in color.
• Each piece of artwork should be submitted as a separate jpeg file.
• Only electronic submissions will be accepted.
• Any reference to the illustrator that would enable the reviewer to know the illustrator’s identity should not appear in the artwork.
• Artwork must be original, unpublished work. By submitting artwork, illustrators warrant that their entry materials are original and do not infringe on any third party’s rights.
• Illustrators will create new artwork for the final book – color cover art plus up to 30 illustrations. (If illustrations were accepted in conjunction with a selected story, illustrators will work with project staff to determine whether new illustrations will be created.)
• This is a highly collaborative process, you will be asked to submit a paragraph illustrating when and how you have worked in a highly collaborative team environment.
• Illustrator must be a Minnesota resident.

Must be able to attend an Authors and Illustrator Planning meeting the week of March 11 to March 15, 2013.

 

Submission Deadline for Illustrators

February 28, 2013 at 11:59 p.m.  However, technical assistance with online submissions will not be available after 4:00 p.m. February 28.

 

Selection Process for Illustrators

All artwork will be reviewed by an Independent Review Panel.  Announcements will be made by March 11, 2013.

 

Review Criteria for Illustrators

The submitted artwork will be evaluated against the following criteria (in no specific order):

• Artistic style and originality
• Ability to match stylistically with selected stories.
• Evidence of successful participation as a highly collaborative partner.

 

Creative Process

Selected illustrators will be paired with a writer (if illustrator was not accepted in connection with a selected story) at the discretion of project staff. Illustrators will work with project staff to discuss, review, revise, and finalize the illustrations. Selected illustrators will create the cover art and as many as 30 illustrations for the story they illustrate.

 

Material Submission

Submit all manuscripts and illustrations though the online submission website www.mnhum.org/reading

 

Questions

Kham Vang, Program Assistant, Minnesota Humanities Center

Kham@mnhum.org (please note “Reading Together” in the subject line)

Technical Questions?  Contact Thien Nguyen August at thien@mnhum.org.

 

Payments

Selected writers and illustrators will each receive a one-time stipend in the amount of $1,000.00 upon completion of the project, anticipated August 2013.  Terms will be laid out in a contract with the Minnesota Humanities Center.

 

Project Timeline

February 28, 2013 – Submission Deadline

March 11, 2013 – Review of Submissions Complete and Selections Announced

March 11 – 15, 2013 – Initial Planning Meeting with Selected Authors and Illustrators

April 15, 2013 – Draft Manuscripts and Illustrations Due (firm deadline)

April 29, 2013 – Review Rough Layout of Books

May 6, 2013 – Finalize Artwork/Illustrations

May 2013– July 2013 – Production Stage – design, editing, proofing, etc.

August 5, 2013 – Printed Booked Delivered

 

Selected writers and illustrators will work collaboratively with the Council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans and the Minnesota HumanitiesCenter from March 2013 to June2013 to discuss, review, revise, and finalize the stories and illustrations.  Books will be published and disseminated in August of 2013.

 

Background

During the 2011 Legislative session, the Minnesota State Legislature asked the Minnesota Humanities Center to award competitive grants to the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans, the Council on Black Minnesotans, the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, and the Chicano Latino Affairs Council.  Competitive grants are for programs and cooperation between the Minnesota Humanities Center and the grant recipients for community events and programs that celebrate and preserve artistic, historical, and cultural heritage (Special Session 1: Senate File Chapter 6, Article 4, Section 2, Subdivision 8).

 

The Legacy Amendment is a constitutional amendment adopted by Minnesota voters in November 2008. It raised the state sales tax by 3/8 of 1% for a period of 25 years and dedicated the earned revenue to clean water, parks, outdoor habitat, and arts and cultural heritage, as established in the Minnesota Constitution, article XI, section 15.

 

About the Council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans

The Council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans (CAPM) was created by the Minnesota State Legislature in 1985 pursuant to Minnesota Statute 3.9226, subdivision 1, to fulfill three primary objectives: to advise the governor and members of the legislature on issues pertaining to Asian Pacific Minnesotans; to advocate on issues of importance to the Asian Pacific community; and to act as a broker between the Asian Pacific community and mainstream society.

 

About the Minnesota Humanities Center

Focused on the future of the state, the Humanities Center brings the unique resources of the humanities to the challenges and opportunities of our times.  We work in partnership across the state to build thoughtful, literate, and engaged people.  Throughout the humanities, this Center builds community, and brings into public life the untold stories that deepen our connections to each other.

 

-Chanida 

littlelaosontheprairie@gmail.com