Editorial director at Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, writing coach, and author, Kendra Levin, talks with Theo Baker and guides us on a fascinating and profound deep inner dive about the writer's journey. 

Be sure to follow Kendra on twitter at @kendralivin, and check out her website kendracoaching.com.

For more info about the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, please visit SCBWI.org. 
 
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Season 6, episode 8Support the show

You Are Your Own Hero with Kendra Levin

The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators conversations with publishing pros, and award-winning and bestselling writers and illustrators who inform and inspire about the ins and outs of the children's book industry. Find out about the craft and creative process behind young adult novels, picture books, middle-grade fiction, graphic novels, and nonfiction.

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Books

In this episode of the SCBWI Podcast, we are joined by Tracy van Straaten!

TRACY VAN STRAATEN, Founder and President Founded in 2019, TvS Media Group LLC  is an award-winning boutique public relations and consulting firm specializing in book publishing, entertainment, and brand management, with particular expertise in children's and young adult media. Founder and President Tracy van Straaten has more than 30 years of publicity, communications, and marketing experience, and she has created hundreds of campaigns for bestselling, award-winning, and debut authors, as well as beloved characters, celebrities, and brands. Over the course of her career, she has directed media campaigns and strategy for more than 200 New York Times bestsellers, including Suzanne Collins’s bestselling The Hunger Games series; He’s Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo; Olivia by Ian Falconer; and the re-launch of the Eloise series by Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight, for which van Straaten received a Literary Marketplace (LMP) Award for publicity campaign. Her longstanding media and industry relationships and vast network of national contacts across all media platforms have resulted in an impressive track record of high-profile placements. In 2023, TvS Media Group was awarded a Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Chicago Skyline Award of Excellence and a Publicity Club of Chicago Golden Trumpet Award for the media campaign for the 30th Anniversary of Goosebumps by R.L. Stine. Tracy van Straaten has held publicity and marketing positions at Little, Brown and Company, HarperCollins, William Morrow, Simon & Schuster, and, from 2006-2019, Vice President of Communications, Publicity, and Educational Marketing for the Scholastic Trade publishing division. She served on the board of the Children’s Book Council, holds a B.A. in English and Art History from Hamilton College, and earned a master's degree in Children’s Literature from Simmons University in Boston. In 2017, she received the Simmons University Alumni Achievement Award for Excellence in Children’s Literature. She currently serves on the board of The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction.

Check out their services here: https://www.tvsmediagroup.com/services

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Publicity 101 with Tracy van Straaten

In this episode of the SCBWI Podcast, we are joined by Debbie Ridpath Ohi!

Debbie Ridpath Ohi is a children’s book author and illustrator who has helped create over 20 books for young people. She loves her job. She is the author and illustrator of I WANT TO READ ALL THE BOOKS, WHERE ARE MY BOOKS?, and SAM & EVA (Simon & Schuster). Her illustrations have appeared in books by Judy Blume, Michael Ian Black, Linda Sue Park, and others. You can find Debbie on Bluesky, SubStack, Instagram, her Bookstagram, Facebook, YouTube, X,

https://debbieohi.com/

PreOrder Debbie's Book Here:
https://bookshop.org/p/books/i-want-to-read-all-the-books-debbie-ridpath-ohi/21108507?ean=9781481416306

and check out the rest of Debbie's books here:
https://bookshop.org/contributors/debbie-ridpath-ohi-f05414b5-6e3d-4c1b-b0e0-74bae07489b5 
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Always Pushing Forward with Debbie Ridpath Ohi

In this episode of the SCBWI Podcast, we are joined by F.T. Lukens!

F.T. Lukens is a New York Times bestselling author of YA speculative fiction including the novels Spell Bound, So This Is Ever After (2023 ALA Rainbow Booklist; 2022 Goodreads Choice Awards nominee), In Deeper Waters (2022 ALA Rainbow Booklist; Junior Library Guild Selection), and the forthcoming Otherworldly as well as other science-fiction and fantasy works. F.T. resides in North Carolina with their spouse, three kids, three dogs, and three cats.

Buy Otherworldy here:
https://bookshop.org/p/books/otherworldly-f-t-lukens/20163013?ean=9781665916257

and check out the rest of F.T.'s  books here:
https://bookshop.org/contributors/f-t-lukens

Follow them on IG here:
@ftlukens

F.T.'s website:
https://www.ft-lukens.com/ Support the Show.

The Craft of Writing Very Cool Novels with F. T. Lukens

In this episode of the SCBWI Podcast, we are joined by renowned illustrator/cartoonist/graphic novelist Cece Bell!

Cece Bell has written and illustrated many books for children, among them the beloved Sock Monkey books, the Geisel Award-winning Rabbit and Robot: The Sleepover, and the Newbery Honor-winning graphic novel El Deafo. She and her husband, author Tom Angleberger, have also collaborated on the picture book Crankee Doodle and the Inspector Flytrap chapter book series. She lives in Virginia with her family.

Check out Animal Albums here:
https://animalalbums.com/

Purchase it here: 
https://bookshop.org/a/19191/9781536226249

and check out the rest of her books here:
https://bookshop.org/contributors/cece-bell-74593ea1-f31a-48fa-9d96-63a49686525b

Follow her on IG here: 
@cecebellbooks

Cece's website
cecebell.wordpress.com

Twitter @CeceBellBooks.

A transcript of this episode is available here or if you are a member under Member Resources:  https://scbwiprdstorage.blob.core.windows.net/scbwiprdfiles/attachments/Cece_Bell_Transcript_Final.pdf


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Catching up with Cece Bell

In this episode of the SCBWI Podcast, we are joined by John Schu aka Mr. Schu!

John Schu has made a career out of advocating for the people and things he cares about most: kids, books, and the people that connect them. He was named a Library Journal Mover and Shaker for his dynamic interactions with students and his passionate adoption of new technologies as a means of connecting authors, illustrators, books, and readers. He is the children’s librarian for Bookelicious, a part-time lecturer at Rutgers University, and shares his love of reading with countless educators and students around the world. He served as the Ambassador of School Libraries for Scholastic Book Fairs for almost 6 years.  He is the author of This Is a School (Candlewick Press, 2022) illustrated by Veronica Miller Jamison, This Is a Story (Candlewick Press, 2023) illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Lauren Castillo, Louder Than Hunger (Candlewick, 2024) and The Gift of Story: Exploring the Affective Side of the Reading Life (Stenhouse, 2022). He is a contributor to The Creativity Project (Little, Brown, 2018), edited by Colby Sharp. John Schu lives in Naperville, Illinois. 

Buy Louder Than Hunger Here: https://bookshop.org/a/19191/9781536229097

and check out the rest of John's books here:
https://www.johnschu.com/

Follow him on IG here: 
https://www.instagram.com/mrschureads/ Support the Show.

You Are Your Own Hero with Kendra Levin

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