KidlitVic 2023

May 3, 2023

Hi everyone!

Walking through the door of KidLit Vic 2023!

I just wanted to share with you all about my recent trip down to Melbourne for KidLitVic, last weekend. KidLitVic is a conference for authors and illustrators interested in the Australian publishing market. It was an absolutely amazing experience, and I'm so grateful to have been able to attend.

The conference was packed full of great content, with four publisher panels covering topics such as finding the right publisher, what to expect when you receive a contract, and finding your voice. The panels were incredibly informative and gave us all a lot to think about as we navigate the world of publishing.

Ruth-Mary Smith holding my portfolio in the KidLitVic showcase

One of the highlights for me was having my portfolio in the illustrator showcase, which gave me the opportunity to have it looked through by a variety of publishers. It was nerve-wracking to have my work on display like that, but it was also incredibly exciting to see the reactions from people as they flipped through my illustrations.

But perhaps the best part of the conference was the connections I made with other authors and illustrators. I had the thrill of meeting Anna Battese the author of the PDMcPem series. It's always great to be able to chat with people who understand the industry and who are going through the same things as you. And after so long without being able to see each other in person, it was especially wonderful to be able to connect face-to-face.

Ruth-Mary Smith meeting Anna Battese. They are holding the page showing PDMcPem in the showcase of KidLitVic 2023

All in all, KidLitVic was an incredibly valuable day, and I feel so lucky to have been a part of it. I learned so much and made some great connections, and I'm excited to take everything I learned and use it to continue growing as an illustrator..

Creative Kids Tales Anthology 2 Launch

October 31, 2019

What an exciting day I had last Saturday 26th October at the launch for the Creative Kids Tales 2 Anthology. I had the extra thrill of having an illustrations chosen for one of the covers of the fun flip book- one side Enchanted one side Things That Go Bump! The launch took place at Harry Hartog Miranda on a very busy shopping day. When I arrived the table was set so beautifully by Georgie Donaghey to look spooky with many delicious scary treats.

After an introduction by Georgie, many children went to sit on the mat and hear a couple of the stories from our amazing Creative Tales authors.

It was so great to meet many authors and illustrators and see how popular the Anthology was. I’ll leave you with some pictures from the day.

KidLitVic 2019!

May 29, 2019

Hi all

I’ve just returned after an amazing time down in Melbourne at the annual KidLitVic Conference! More than 200 book authors and illustrators met at the Melbourne Town Hall to listen to inspiring speakers and be inspired. Subjects included, ‘What Makes Pulishers Say Yes’, The Inside Story’, and ‘The Slush Pile’ just to name a few.

I had the pleasure of having my portfolio in the illustrators showcase. There were amazing portfolios there and I was in awe of the variety of styles and the talent.

The conference was also attended by a huge variety of publishers- what an impressive array of speakers with a wealth of knowledge to share. I had the pleasure of meeting with Anna Solding from Midnight Sun publishing, as well as an up close and personal session with the awesome Donna Rawlins. She had very helpful tips on what to do next. I’m just about to start working on those ideas today!

Such a great day I was sorry for it to end, but must add that my head was bulging from so much information that I need time to process all that I have heard.

An incredibly huge thank you to the talented team of organisers Alison Reynolds, Coral Vas’s, Sarah Reynolds Nicky Johnson. Their dedication has done so much to promote growth for so many in the Australian children’s publishing world!