Welcome to KidLit Cares, an online talent auction to benefit the Red Cross relief effort to help communities recover from Superstorm Sandy. KidLit Cares was started by the very awesome Kate Messner, but I’m taking over Round 2. Agents, editors, authors, illustrators and other generous people have donated various services to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, with donations being made directly to the Red Cross disaster relief fund. You can read more about KidLit Cares here.

Now, on to the auction!

Shannon Barefield is a freelance editor who hosts KidLitopia, a haven of encouragement and support for kidlit authors. Formerly editorial director of Carolrhoda Books, Shannon has had the privilege of editing winners of the Sibert Medal, the Coretta Scott King Award (author), the Benjamin Franklin Award, the Carter G. Woodson Award, and many others. Her editorial philosophy is one of utmost respect for authorial vision; within that framework, she sees her mission as one of offering honest, compassionate, and insightful feedback to help every book become what its author dreams of.

Help make your book the best it can with feedback from an award-winning editor! Up for auction is one compassionate, honest evaluation/critique of a YA or middle grade manuscript (up to 300 pages), including an editorial letter describing big-picture issues and comments on the manuscript. The critique will address characterization, plot, pacing, setting, voice–the works! Depending on manuscript length, this is a $400-$800 value.

Opening Bid: $30

This auction closes at 10pm Eastern Standard Time on November 27. Any bids placed after that time will be void.

If you’d like to bid on this auction, check the current high bid and place a higher bid by leaving your name and bid amount in the comments, along with some way to contact you (email, FB or Twitter…I’m not fussy.) 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 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.

Good luck and thanks for your help!

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