KidLit for the Philippines: The Fundraising Continues!

I've been hard at work tallying up our final numbers and making sure all of the pledged donations have been paid directly to UNICEF and Mercy Corps. There are a few high bids that still need to be paid, but I'm hopeful those folks will take care of their donations in the next day or so. 

(If you are a donor and have not heard from me about delivery of your service or item, that means the highest bidder has not yet made the pledged donation. Please do not make arrangements outside of the auction to deliver the items. I know it's easy to communicate these days with Facebook, Twitter and other places on-line).

Drumroll please....

The final auction total is $4627!

But that's not the end! Katie Davis has made an amazing offer. For every full price Video Idiot Boot Camp course she sells, she'll donate HALF of the cost to #KidLitPhil. So far she raised an additional $742.50!

So the current total is: $5369.50! YAY! We broke $5000!! 

Learn about Katie's offer below. And please help spread the word! Let's see how high we can get the grand total.

A few housekeeping details:

1. Emails have been sent to everyone who was a "highest bidder" and submitted proof of donation to me. If you sent your proof and have not heard from me, please email me ASAP and I'll connect you with the donor of your item. michelle(at)michellecusolito(dot)com
2. In case you're someone who likes to add up totals... you'll notice that the published highest bids do not equal the total at the top of this page. That is for 2 reasons: Some people donated more than their winning bid; other people made a straight donation and submitted a receipt to me so the donation would count toward #KidLitPhil.
3. Which brings me to this: If you just heard about #KidLitPhil and don't want to take Katie's course, you can still help. Make a donation to UNICEF or Mercy Corps and send me a copy of your receipt (michelle at michellecusolito dot com) and I'll add it to our total. 

Finally, THANK YOU so much to everyone who donated, bid, tweeted, emailed and otherwise shared news of the auction. You really cannot understand how much it all means to me.

With that, I'm signing off from blogging until the new year. I'll post donation updates on our Facebook page. If you're interested in seeing them, please "like" the page. Come January, I'll publish the final number here on the blog.

Until then, Happy New Year everyone!

With Sincerest Thanks,

Michelle

KidLit for the Philippines: An On-Line Auction to Benefit Typhoon Survivors

KidLit for the Philippines is an on-line auction to benefit survivors of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. The KidLit community (folks involved in the creation of books for children- authors, illustrators, agents, editors, etc.) has a history of generously supporting others in times of need.

(Two recent examples are KidLit4Japan and Kid-Lit Cares. Greg Fishbone and Kate Messner shared their expertise gleaned from organizing each of those fundraisers and granted me permission to use their guidelines here. Thank you Kate and Greg!)

What exactly is KidLit for the Philippines?

It’s an online talent auction to benefit Mercy Corps and UNICEF relief efforts for Typhoon Haiyan (aka Yolanda). Agents, editors, authors, and illustrators have donated various services and items to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, with donations being made directly to Mercy Corps and UNICEF.

The full list of current auction items is below (new items will appear each day). You can click on any item to see all the details, and bidding happens in the comments.  To bid on an item, check the current high bid in the comments, and place a higher bid by leaving your name and bid amount in a new comment, along with some way to contact you.

What happens if I win?

 Winners will be notified when the auction ends and should be prepared to make an online donation directly to Mercy Corps or UNICEF in the amount of the high bid at that time. After you’ve made your donation, you’ll forward your receipt to me, and I’ll put you in touch with the person who donated the service you won so that the two of you can work out the details about how and when. All services will be provided at the convenience of both the person making the donation and the auction winner, but this should happen within three months of the auction’s end unless something else is agreed upon by both parties. Exceptions are noted on some auction pages.

Who is Michelle Cusolito and why is the auction on her blog?

Well, I'm the organizer of this auction. I'm a "pre-published" children's author. (That's a nice way of saying I'm not published, YET). I have benefited from the support and guidance of many, many people in the KidLit community and have been continually impressed by their generosity. 

I was also a Rotary exchange student in the Philippines when I was in high school. From the time I arrived, I was welcomed, loved and supported by my host families, school mates, the Rotary and practically every person I interacted with. I still have many friends and "family" there. Some of them lost family members or were otherwise impacted by the typhoon. 

I hope you'll find items here that you can't live without and you donate lots of money to the relief effort. I also hope you'll support the amazing folks who donated their time, services, books, artwork, etc. Buy their books. Visit their websites. Send them a thank you Tweet.

Even if you choose not to bid, I hope you'll spread the word far and wide to others who might bid. Thank you.

Without further ado...here are the items open for bids right now:

(You can click to jump to individual items from here or scroll down)

Auction Item # 1: The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide/Critique from Becky Levine CLOSED

Auction Item #2: Portfolio Critique by Hazel Mitchell  CLOSED

Auction #3: Mermaid Tales Sparkling Collection from Author Debbie Dadey CLOSED

Auction #4: Reading Time (Original artwork) from Russ Cox (CLOSED)

Auction #5: Skype visit with Leslie Bulion (CLOSED)

Auction #6: Manuscript Critique by Sarah Tuttle (CLOSED)

Auction #7: Website design consultation with Greg R.Fishbone (CLOSED)

Auction #8: Manuscript Critique by Adah Megged Nuchi (CLOSED)

Auction #9: Books & Skype from Ellen Booraem (CLOSED)

Auction #10: Monster&Me from Paul Czajak (CLOSED)

Auction #11: "Tea and Mice on the Moon" from Laura-Susan Thomas (CLOSED)

Auction #12: Picture Book Critique from Tara Lazar  (CLOSED)

Auction #13: Query Critique by Emma Walton Hamilton  (CLOSED)

Auction #14: Picture Book Critique & Jump-the-Slush-Pile Invitation! From Kate Messner (CLOSED)

Auction #15: A Complete Newbies Guide to Twitter from Nancy Tandon (CLOSED)

Auction #16: School Visit by Carol Gordon Ekster (CLOSED)

Auction #17: Autographed Copies of I Took the Moon for a Walk from Carolyn Curtis (CLOSED)

Auction #18: Young Adult manuscript critique from Scott Blagden (CLOSED)

Auction #19: Critique + book from Donna Earnhardt (CLOSED)

Auction #20: Portfolio Review from Russ Cox  (CLOSED)

Auction #21: First Three Chapter Critique from  NicoleZoltack (CLOSED)

Auction #22: Developmental Editing from Marlo Garnsworthy (CLOSED)

Auction #23: DIG IN! to Signed Board Books With Moving Parts! from April Jones Prince (CLOSED)

Auction #24: 30 minute Skype Visit with Jennifer Fossberry (CLOSED)

Auction #25: picture book ms. or dummy critique from Vicky Rubin (CLOSED)

Auction #26: Signed copy of Dear Life, You Suck and t-shirt from Scott Blagden (CLOSED)

Auction #27: Agent query critique + 15pp author critique from I.W. Gregorio & Jessica Regel  (CLOSED)

Auction #28: Author/illustrator school visit from Diane Allison (CLOSED)

Auction #29: Early Reading (sketch of a little girl deeply involved in a picturebook) from Paul Weiner (CLOSED)

Auction #30: The Quirks, Welcome to Normal print. Signed by the Artist, Kelly Light  (CLOSED)

Auction #31: Sticks and Stones Poster Signed by theArtist, Eleanor Rubin  (CLOSED)

Auction #32: Video Idiot Boot Camp (course) from KatieDavis (CLOSED)

Auction #33: School Visit from Paul Czajak (CLOSED)

#KidLitPhil Auction item 33 from Paul Czajak

KidLit for the Philippines is an online talent auction to benefit Mercy Corps and UNICEF relief efforts for Typhoon Haiyan (aka Yolanda). Agents, editors, authors, and illustrators have donated various services and items to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, with donations being made directly to Mercy Corps and UNICEF.

Auction #33: School Visit based on the Monster&Me Series

Description:  A 30 -45 minute visit for a daycare or classroom (grade preschool to second grade) within 45 miles of Danvers, MA.  Paul will work out the specifics of the visit with the highest bidder.

Estimated Value: $150

Minimum Bid: $50

Auction Ends: 12/8/2013 at 10:00 PM EST

Bio: Paul Czajak got an ‘F’ with the words “get a tutor” on his college writing paper and after that, never thought he’d become a writer. But after spending twenty years as a chemist, he knew his creativity could no longer be contained. His recently published picture book, Monster Needs a Costume through Scarletta Kids, is the first in the series titled Monster & Me. The second title, Monster Needs his Sleep, is due out in April 2014.

Donor Paul Czajak’s Website: PaulCzajak.com 

Auction Instructions:

* Bid by posting a comment with your bid amount in U.S. dollars; no anonymous bidding.

* Do not bid unless you intend to pay that amount to Mercy Corps or UNICEF.

* To automatically receive updates on the latest bids, check the “Notify Me” box when you submit your comment.

* Highest bid before the end of the auction wins.

* A note about last-minute bidding: If you are used to online auctions that end at an exact, given second, please know that the KidLitPhil auctions don’t work quite that way. Each auction ends when I post the “Auction closed” comment. I do that when my computer turns to 10pm EST, but because I have multiple auctions to close at that time (also because I am human) it will not be precisely at 10pm EST. At any rate, the winning bid is the high bid before the Auction Closed comment, even if the time on your computer reads slightly after 10:00. Thanks for understanding!

* Winning bidder must donate the winning bid amount to a designated charity organization and provide a copy of the receipt within three days of notification.

* For physical items, unless otherwise noted, donor pays standard shipping within the U.S.; winning bidder pays for express shipping or for shipping outside the U.S.

#KidLitPhil Auction item 32 from Katie Davis

KidLit for the Philippines is an online talent auction to benefit Mercy Corps and UNICEF relief efforts for Typhoon Haiyan (aka Yolanda). Agents, editors, authors, and illustrators have donated various services and items to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, with donations being made directly to Mercy Corps and UNICEF.

Auction #32: Video Idiot Boot Camp (on-line course)

Description: A course for people who think videos are hard to create. Learn more here: http://videoidiotbootcamp.com/ (Note from Michelle: I haven't taken this on-line course but I did take Katie's face-to-face intro workshop at the Spring NE-SCBWI conference. It was terrific! I'm confident this course will be fantastic.)

Estimated Value: $297

Minimum Bid: $197

Auction Ends: 12/8/2013 at 10:00 PM EST

Bio: Children’s author/illustrator Katie Davis has published nine books and appears monthly on the ABC affiliate show, Good Morning Connecticut, recommending great books for kids. She produces Brain Burps About Books, a podcast about kidlit, a blog and regular newsletter. Katie has volunteered in a maximum-security prison teaching Writing for Children and over the last dozen years has presented at schools and writing conferences. She’s a 2010 Cybils judge and has also judged the Golden Kite, smartwriters.com, and Frontiers in Writing awards. Recently Katie was selected to be on the Honorary Advisory Board for the Brooke Jackman Foundation, a literacy-based charity.

Donor Katie Davis’s website: http://katiedavis.com/

Auction Instructions:

* Bid by posting a comment with your bid amount in U.S. dollars; no anonymous bidding.

* Do not bid unless you intend to pay that amount to Mercy Corps or UNICEF.

* To automatically receive updates on the latest bids, check the “Notify Me” box when you submit your comment.

* Highest bid before the end of the auction wins.

* A note about last-minute bidding: If you are used to online auctions that end at an exact, given second, please know that the KidLitPhil auctions don’t work quite that way. Each auction ends when I post the “Auction closed” comment. I do that when my computer turns to 10pm EST, but because I have multiple auctions to close at that time (also because I am human) it will not be precisely at 10pm EST. At any rate, the winning bid is the high bid before the Auction Closed comment, even if the time on your computer reads slightly after 10:00. Thanks for understanding!

* Winning bidder must donate the winning bid amount to a designated charity organization and provide a copy of the receipt within three days of notification.

* For physical items, unless otherwise noted, donor pays standard shipping within the U.S.; winning bidder pays for express shipping or for shipping outside the U.S.

#KidLitPhil Auction item 31 from Eleanor Rubin

KidLit for the Philippines is an online talent auction to benefit Mercy Corps and UNICEF relief efforts for Typhoon Haiyan (aka Yolanda). Agents, editors, authors, and illustrators have donated various services and items to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, with donations being made directly to Mercy Corps and UNICEF.

Auction #31: Sticks and Stones Poster Signed by the Artist

Description: My poster "Sticks and Stones" was created to increase tolerance and to help stop bullying. It is colorful and appealing created originally with watercolor and torn paper. It has been available continuously from 1978. Human Policy Press adapted the Sticks and Stones poster for the Office of Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education in the fall of 1992, and the Office of Civil Rights distributed 5,400 posters to elementary schools, high schools as well as college campuses. This poster is no longer available.

Estimated Value: At least $100 (Note from Michelle: several years ago it was valued at $100 but there are so few left, it's probably worth more).

Minimum Bid: $60

Auction Ends: 12/8/2013 at 10:00 PM EST

Bio: I am a printmaker whose artwork is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. My work is currently on view at Boston University in the Biennial exhibit of the Boston Printmakers. I am working on a non-fiction picture book biography described at Beyond the Margins

Donor Eleanor Rubin’s website: http://ellyrubinjournal.typepad.com

Auction Instructions:

* Bid by posting a comment with your bid amount in U.S. dollars; no anonymous bidding.

* Do not bid unless you intend to pay that amount to Mercy Corps or UNICEF.

* To automatically receive updates on the latest bids, check the “Notify Me” box when you submit your comment.

* Highest bid before the end of the auction wins.

* A note about last-minute bidding: If you are used to online auctions that end at an exact, given second, please know that the KidLitPhil auctions don’t work quite that way. Each auction ends when I post the “Auction closed” comment. I do that when my computer turns to 10pm EST, but because I have multiple auctions to close at that time (also because I am human) it will not be precisely at 10pm EST. At any rate, the winning bid is the high bid before the Auction Closed comment, even if the time on your computer reads slightly after 10:00. Thanks for understanding!

* Winning bidder must donate the winning bid amount to a designated charity organization and provide a copy of the receipt within three days of notification.

* For physical items, unless otherwise noted, donor pays standard shipping within the U.S.; winning bidder pays for express shipping or for shipping outside the U.S.

#KidLitPhil Auction item 30 from Kelly Light

KidLit for the Philippines is an online talent auction to benefit Mercy Corps and UNICEF relief efforts for Typhoon Haiyan (aka Yolanda). Agents, editors, authors, and illustrators have donated various services and items to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, with donations being made directly to Mercy Corps and UNICEF.

Auction #30: The Quirks, Welcome to Normal print, Signed by the Artist

Description: 8x10" framed print (Chapter 11) from the 2013 release "The Quirks, Welcome to Normal" - by Erin Soderberg, Illustrated by Kelly Light - Bloomsbury

Estimated Value: $200

Minimum Bid: $25

Auction Ends: 12/8/2013 at 10:00 PM EST

Bio: Kelly Light was born off exit 149 on the Garden State Parkway. She grew up down the shore surrounded by giant roadside dinosaurs, cotton candy colors and skee ball sounds. Schooled on Saturday morning cartoons and Sunday Funny pages, she picked up a pencil and started drawing and never stopped. She spent quite a chunk of time drawing all of your favorite cartoon characters for companies like Disney, Warner Bros, Nickelodeon, Henson Productions, King Features and Hanna Barbara. These days, she gets to create her own characters for children's books. She has illustrated the chapter books series "Elvis and The Underdogs" and "The Quirks.". Fall 2014 ,"Louise Loves Art" comes out - her first picture book as author illustrator. More Louise books will follow, as well as "Don't Blink" by Amy Krauss Rosenthal in 2015 and in 2016, "Just Add Glitter" by Angela DiTerlizzi.

Donor Kelly Light’s website: www.kellylight.com

Auction Instructions:

* Bid by posting a comment with your bid amount in U.S. dollars; no anonymous bidding.

* Do not bid unless you intend to pay that amount to Mercy Corps or UNICEF.

* To automatically receive updates on the latest bids, check the “Notify Me” box when you submit your comment.

* Highest bid before the end of the auction wins.

* A note about last-minute bidding: If you are used to online auctions that end at an exact, given second, please know that the KidLitPhil auctions don’t work quite that way. Each auction ends when I post the “Auction closed” comment. I do that when my computer turns to 10pm EST, but because I have multiple auctions to close at that time (also because I am human) it will not be precisely at 10pm EST. At any rate, the winning bid is the high bid before the Auction Closed comment, even if the time on your computer reads slightly after 10:00. Thanks for understanding!

* Winning bidder must donate the winning bid amount to a designated charity organization and provide a copy of the receipt within three days of notification.

* For physical items, unless otherwise noted, donor pays standard shipping within the U.S.; winning bidder pays for express shipping or for shipping outside the U.S.

#KidLitPhil Auction item 29 from Paul Weiner

KidLit for the Philippines is an online talent auction to benefit Mercy Corps and UNICEF relief efforts for Typhoon Haiyan (aka Yolanda). Agents, editors, authors, and illustrators have donated various services and items to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, with donations being made directly to Mercy Corps and UNICEF.

Auction #29: Early Reading

Description: Small sketch of a little girl deeply involved in a picturebook. The little girl loves to read when she isn't playing.This is one of a series of little girls created for the children's publishing market.  A 7.5" X 11" digital pencil sketch duotone copy on white Bristol board.

Estimated Value: $20

Minimum Bid:  $10

Auction Ends: 12/7/2013 at 10:00 PM EST

Bio: Paul discovered his inner creativity as a young child. He was continuously drawing when he had the chance; even when he shouldn't have. His favorite spot was his parents' livingroom walls. They didn't appreciate this. He gradually learned discipline and tempered his drawing to his drawing pads and sketchbooks. His parents appreciated this.

While in high school he loved to dissect frogs and thought he would become a famous surgeon. His hopes were dashed when he barely passed biology (to his teacher's relief). 
Paul didn't care much for math and always avoided difficult problems. After graduating from high school he applied to several schools and decided Massachusetts College of Art would be fun.

After graduating Paul started commissioned illustration assignments for magazines, design studios and educational publishers. He has experience as a digital instructor at Montserrat College of Art and Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston.

He loves to relax and play music with the Harmony Gritz band. He is quite sure his harmonica playing is scaring the neighbors' cats and dogs.

Donor Paul Weiner’s website: www.paulweiner.com

Auction Instructions:

* Bid by posting a comment with your bid amount in U.S. dollars; no anonymous bidding.

* Do not bid unless you intend to pay that amount to Mercy Corps or UNICEF.

* To automatically receive updates on the latest bids, check the “Notify Me” box when you submit your comment.

* Highest bid before the end of the auction wins.

* A note about last-minute bidding: If you are used to online auctions that end at an exact, given second, please know that the KidLitPhil auctions don’t work quite that way. Each auction ends when I post the “Auction closed” comment. I do that when my computer turns to 10pm EST, but because I have multiple auctions to close at that time (also because I am human) it will not be precisely at 10pm EST. At any rate, the winning bid is the high bid before the Auction Closed comment, even if the time on your computer reads slightly after 10:00. Thanks for understanding!

* Winning bidder must donate the winning bid amount to a designated charity organization and provide a copy of the receipt within three days of notification.

* For physical items, unless otherwise noted, donor pays standard shipping within the U.S.; winning bidder pays for express shipping or for shipping outside the U.S.

#KidLitPhil Auction item 28 from Diane Allison

KidLit for the Philippines is an online talent auction to benefit Mercy Corps and UNICEF relief efforts for Typhoon Haiyan (aka Yolanda). Agents, editors, authors, and illustrators have donated various services and items to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, with donations being made directly to Mercy Corps and UNICEF.

Auction #28: Author/illustrator school visit

Description: I have done school programs all over the country, incorporating my story-telling/performance skills with my teaching experience to give children a rich understanding of the joys of writing and illustrating stories. I ask the question, where do books come from? And the answer, IDEAS! help the child realize that they have all the resources inside them to do great work. I use original artwork, dummies, reference material and finished books as teaching tools. We have a wonderful time.

I will do three 30 minute sessions for groups of up to 60 students, ages from kindergarten to high school. (Older students are taught seminar-style).

If the school is over an hour outside of Brooklyn, transportation and lunch costs must be paid by the school.

Estimated Value: $500

Minimum Bid: $100

Auction Ends: 12/7/2013 at 10:00 PM EST

Bio: Diane is an author/illustrator/performer trained in Montessori teaching. She lives in paradise, aka Brooklyn, a bike ride from Prospect Park, the Botanic Garden, an art museum, zoo, and BAM, and she often bikes over the Brooklyn Bridge and back to work at her favorite book stores. If she's not working there, or writing poems or songs, or honing her drawings and dummy books, she may be performing one person, one act, one (life-size) puppet play, MIRIAM, or helping her husband with campaigns for UNICEF.

Donor Diane Allison’s website: dianewallison.com

Auction Instructions:

* Bid by posting a comment with your bid amount in U.S. dollars; no anonymous bidding.

* Do not bid unless you intend to pay that amount to Mercy Corps or UNICEF.

* To automatically receive updates on the latest bids, check the “Notify Me” box when you submit your comment.

* Highest bid before the end of the auction wins.

* A note about last-minute bidding: If you are used to online auctions that end at an exact, given second, please know that the KidLitPhil auctions don’t work quite that way. Each auction ends when I post the “Auction closed” comment. I do that when my computer turns to 10pm EST, but because I have multiple auctions to close at that time (also because I am human) it will not be precisely at 10pm EST. At any rate, the winning bid is the high bid before the Auction Closed comment, even if the time on your computer reads slightly after 10:00. Thanks for understanding!

* Winning bidder must donate the winning bid amount to a designated charity organization and provide a copy of the receipt within three days of notification.

* For physical items, unless otherwise noted, donor pays standard shipping within the U.S.; winning bidder pays for express shipping or for shipping outside the U.S.

#KidLitPhil Auction item 27 from I.W. Gregorio

KidLit for the Philippines is an online talent auction to benefit Mercy Corps and UNICEF relief efforts for Typhoon Haiyan (aka Yolanda). Agents, editors, authors, and illustrators have donated various services and items to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, with donations being made directly to Mercy Corps and UNICEF.

Auction #27: Agent query critique + 15pp author critique

Description: Get two query critiques and a critique of your first 15 pages!

First I.W. Gregorio will critique your query + first 15 pages of your manuscript. Then, after you revise if you so desire, agent Jessica Regel of Foundry + Media will critique your query.

Estimated Value: $100

Minimum Bid: $30

Auction Ends: 12/7/2013 at 10:00 PM EST

Bio: I. W. Gregorio is a practicing surgeon by day, masked avenging YA writer by night. A graduate of the Yale School of Medicine, she studied creative writing at the University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins University. Her debut YA novel, NONE OF THE ABOVE (Balzer & Bray / HarperCollins, Fall of 2015), is MIDDLESEX meets MEAN GIRLS. She is represented by Jessica Regel of Foundry + Media.

Donor I.W. Gregorio’s website: http://iwgregorio.wordpress.com

Auction Instructions:

* Bid by posting a comment with your bid amount in U.S. dollars; no anonymous bidding.

* Do not bid unless you intend to pay that amount to Mercy Corps or UNICEF.

* To automatically receive updates on the latest bids, check the “Notify Me” box when you submit your comment.

* Highest bid before the end of the auction wins.

* A note about last-minute bidding: If you are used to online auctions that end at an exact, given second, please know that the KidLitPhil auctions don’t work quite that way. Each auction ends when I post the “Auction closed” comment. I do that when my computer turns to 10pm EST, but because I have multiple auctions to close at that time (also because I am human) it will not be precisely at 10pm EST. At any rate, the winning bid is the high bid before the Auction Closed comment, even if the time on your computer reads slightly after 10:00. Thanks for understanding!

* Winning bidder must donate the winning bid amount to a designated charity organization and provide a copy of the receipt within three days of notification.

* For physical items, unless otherwise noted, donor pays standard shipping within the U.S.; winning bidder pays for express shipping or for shipping outside the U.S.