BorderLines -- the quarterly newsletter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Midsouth Region

BorderLines contains helpful articles for those who are interested in children's publishing. It features tips for writers and illustrators, industry news, information on Midsouth events, "Good News" from our region, and illustrations provided by our talented Midsouth artists.

BorderLines is published four times each year: March, June, September, and December. There is no charge to access our newsletter. You may download the current issue as well as the previous three issues by clicking on the links below. You must have Adobe Reader to be able to open the file. If you don't have Adobe Reader, you may download it here.

Writers, artists, and others interested in children's media are invited to submit articles and illustrations for publication in BorderLines. To inquire about advertising in BorderLines, e-mail the editor.

Illustrators:
Illustrations must be in .jpg format and should be e-mailed to the editor. Include a brief bio of 25 words or less for the "Contributing Illustrators" sidebar. If you are submitting an article for the Illustrator's Corner, please follow the guidelines for writers listed below.
 
Writers:

• Articles must pertain to the craft of writing or illustrating for children. They may be how-to or inspirational. No fiction. Poems may be accepted if they are short and specifically about writing for children or the life of the children's writer. Keep in mind, however, that space is limited. If we use poetry, it will be sparingly and most likely as filler or a sidebar. Reviews of books about the craft and business of writing and illustrating for children are welcome. We do not publish reviews of children's books.
• Articles should be no more than 1,200 words. Include a brief bio, no more than 25 words, with your submission.
• Articles submitted to BorderLines will be edited to fit the style of the newsletter, and may be edited to meet space requirements.

Format requirements:

• Use 12-point Times New Roman font only; avoid excessive use of bold type or italics. However, do properly format such elements as book titles (italicize) and magazine article titles (enclose in quotation marks). If you are uncertain, consult The Elements of Style or The Associated Press Stylebook. You may also find style guides online.
• Use as little formatting in your piece as possible; don't center text or use bold headings. (Bulleted lists are acceptable.) If you are sending information for a sidebar or an advertisement, don't format it to look like a sidebar or ad -- just send the information.
• You have two options for sending the document: 1) as a Microsoft Word attachment, or 2) pasted in the body of an email. Please do not send submissions as WordPerfect files, .pdf files, or files that may only be opened with Mac programs.
• Articles must be submitted by e-mail to the editor. Submissions that do not meet the guidelines will be e-mailed back to the author. The editor may reject the article or ask the author to revise it.

Copyright:

Copyrights to written works and illustrations appearing in BorderLines remain with the creators. By submitting your work for inclusion in BorderLines you are granting us the one-time right to publish your work.

Payment:

We are unable to pay for articles or illustrations at this time.