KidLit Cares: Superstorm Sandy Relief Effort

People who write children’s books and work in this industry have a wide range of interests and talents. As authors, illustrators, agents, and editors, we do different jobs, and we love and create different kinds of books. But one thing we all tend to agree on is using your powers for good in the world.

Many of us watched with sadness as Sandy ravaged the East Coast on October 29th. Damage estimates are in the tens of billions, and the heartbreak is impossible to measure. We’d like to do what we can to help, and that’s what KidLit Cares is all about.

What is KidLit Cares?

It’s an online talent auction to benefit the Red Cross relief effort for Sandy. Agents, editors, authors, and illustrators have donated various services to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, with donations being made directly to the Red Cross disaster relief fund.

What kinds of things are included?

Manuscript critiques, Skype author visits, virtual writing workshops, school & library marketing consultations for authors… you name it. Click here to see the full list of auction items from Round 1: great kidlit people including authors Laurie Halse Anderson, Julie Berry, and Jo Knowles, agent Erin Murphy, editor Caroline Abbey.

How do I bid on an auction?

Round 1 is now closed, but feel free to check out the listings – amazing stuff and lots of money raised!

For Round 2, see below for the full listing of offerings, but take note – they start closing on November 23. Click on the title of the entry for more information. There’s a blog post with details for each item, and bidding will happen in the comments.Round 2 is now live – auctions will be posted below on the day they go live. Each auction will be open for 10 days. Due to Thanksgiving, we have added an extra day to auctions 1-12, so they now end at 10pm Eastern Standard Time on November 23.

We also have a Facebook page, where the auctions will be posted, but if you’re bidding, you must do it on this site – bids will NOT be taken at Facebook.

If you’d like to bid on an auction, 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 (email, FB or Twitter…I’m not fussy. Just please make sure it’s correct so we can get in touch if you win an auction).

A note about bidding: this is not a super-technical auction blog, so I will close each item manually at 10 EST on the date listed on each item. The bid immediately preceding my close notice that is the highest bid will be the winner. Please be understanding that I am a human and my clock may not be exactly the same as yours, but we do have to draw the line, so this is the best way we can be fair.

What happens if I win?

Winners will be notified when the auction ends and should be prepared to make an online donation to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund 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 item/service you won so that the two of you can work out the details about how and when it will be delivered. 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.

What happens if I don’t win?

We ask that you make a donation anyway – even a few dollars will go a long way towards helping out and that’s what we’re doing this for, right? AND consider donating blood, if you are able. Times like this mean a lot of blood is needed and many people are unable to donate. Help out if you can. Remember that just because something isn’t front page news, there’s still need for people affected by the devastation.

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About the people behind KidLit Cares

Author Kate Messner initially launched the KidLit Cares effort very quickly after seeing the devastation brought on by Sandy. She writes books for kids (one of them is about scary futuristic storms that feel a little too real these days), and she wanted to do something to help the people in Sandy’s path who are hurting.

And who’s Joanne Levy?

Joanne Levy is the author who took over Round 2 of the KidLit Cares online auction. She lives in Canada, but watched the devastation caused by Sandy and also wanted to help out how she could. Joanne is an executive assistant by day, so she’s (hopefully) well equipped to carry the baton Kate passed on. To learn more about Joanne and her book, SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE, check out her main site at joannelevy.com