Meeting was called to order by President Barbara Rollins. Visitors and new members were introduced. Gail McMillan gave the financial report. Current balance is $1867.23.

The following members gave brags and sags: Jo Cox, Betty Thomason, Jim Johnson, David Devore, Barbara Darnall, and Gwen Choate.

Bylaws: Amendments that have been discussed will be voted on at the May meeting. The proposed amendment will split the Vice President position into two positions, Executive VP and Program VP.

Jan Carrington gave the board member Nominating Committee report. The nominating committee consisted of Jan, Jo Cox, and Augustine Tennent. Voting for new board members will occur during the May monthly meeting, and nominations from the floor will be taken at that time. Nominees are as follows:

• Program Vice-President - Nancy Masters
• Executive Vice-President - Jan Carrington
• Secretary - Karen Witemeyer
• Treasurer - Gail McMillan
• Director - Barbara Darnall
• Director - Stewart Caffey
• Director - Joan Rogers
• Alternate - Jim Johnson

Monthly Contest for April was a Children's Story. Judge was Matt Dowd, Managing Editor for Kids Kamp Publications. There were 13 entries.

• First Place - Monkeys, Monkeys Everywhere, by Franci Rogers
• Second Place - Boys' Games, by Lynn Davidson
• Third Place - Whispering Death, by Rebecca Norris

May contest theme is Poetry, either rhymed or unrhymed. Limit is 30 lines. June contest theme is Non-fiction Article, maximum 750 words.

Announcements:

Becky Haigler is coordinating a poetry critique group and asked for interested people to see her.

Jan Carrington brought copies of the 2005 Annual Contest Guidelines. They will also be available on the website and will be published in the newsletter.

Program speaker was Kelly Bennett, writer and published author of numerous magazine articles and children's books. Kelly told how she began her writing career and talked about writing with a partner, as well as on her own. She had a book signing at Hastings while in town. She encouraged us to build writing credits by entering contests and submitting items to magazines. Also to attend writers conferences whenever possible.

Kelly discussed the steps involved in publishing picture books. Picture books are usually no more than 450 words and focus on dialog and action. Description is minimal, because the pictures will do the describing. Picture books are 32 pages, includubg the end-papers. Picture books are always in multiples of 8.

Steps in publication of a Picture Book:

• Revisions: After a book is written and accepted, it goes through numerous revisions by the author and the agent or editor. Then it goes to the acquisitions department. Writers don't need to have an agent. Kelly didn't have one for her first six books.
• Contract: Be sure to have someone who understands legal lingo go over contract before you sign it. Magazines often buy All Rights, and that is okay with Kelly. Because they do so many reprints, it is not feasible to go back and re-negotiate with each author, so they just buy them out-right. It is different with books.
• Advance: Going rate is $500 - $5000 advance for a picture book. The amount of the advance is judged by how many books the publisher thinks will sell in a year. Royalties are taken out of the advance.
• "Dummying": This means breaking the book into pages and matching text to possible pictures. Stories don't start until page 4 or 5, because the end paper, copyright info, and title/dedication pages are counted as part of the 32-page book.
• Fold and Gather, or F&G: Dividing the book into its almost finished format. Good Rule of Thumb for a picture book is to have 13 - 15 illustratable scenes for a 32-page book. Make the problems "as tall as the child," Kelly advises. Have a universal theme.

Kelly gave the following organizations/publications for writers:

• The Oklahoma Writers' Federation - holds an annual conference and contest in OK City each year, usually in April.
• Texas Library Association (TLA) - costs $18 to attend. Held in March/April in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, or Austin. Lasts for 4 days. Publishers from all over are there to buy your book.
• Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) - 19,000 members from all over the world. It is THE organization. www.scbwi.org
• Children's Writer, newsletter published by the Children's Writing Institute
• Children's Writers Market book

Respectfully submitted,



Jan Carrington
Secretary