The Official SCBWI Conference Blog

Marketing Intensive for Illustrators - Reaching the Picture Book Audience

2012-01-27T15:00:00.000-08:00

Jed Bennett of Penguin, Deb Shapiro, principal of the new Deb Shapiro & Co., a PR, marketing and consulting firm, and Michelle Fadlalla of Simon & Schuster spoke to the attending illustrators about how to help sync their personal marketing efforts with the efforts of their book's publishers.

Great tip from Michelle: SimonandSchuster.net is a site targeting librarians and teachers, so the marketing elements and lead books on that site may be different from what you might see on bookseller or retail driven SimonandSchuster.com. I think developing separate marketing materials for the same book where appropriate is a wonderfully clever idea all authors or illustrators could take to heart for their grassroots marketing efforts, AND THIS IS JUST THE FIRST OF MANY GREAT IDEAS!

I'm so thrilled with the way the Marketing Intensive for Illustrators turned out. Here are two more tips, and then we'll go on radio silence until the conference officially starts tomorrow morning!!

Super tip from Deb: Any awesome marketing ideas you have are great, great! But the real question is how are you going to effectively disseminate all that information? Know this before you go nuts on, say, a blimp advertising scheme and you remember, as you are boarding that big GOODYEAR, that you are allergic to helium. And heights.

Final helper from Jed: Look first to the communities you are already involved with and use your connections, you never know where you could have a fantastic book event. If you sell 200 books to your Zumba Support Group in the basement of your local Y, and not to unknown kids at a children's book store, it doesn't matter! You've still sold 200 books, and for Jed, that's the goal.

Writers Roundtable Intensive Afternoon Panel: Editorial Process: Model for Authors/Editors

2012-01-27T14:00:00.000-08:00

After the afternoon roundtable critique, we were treated to an expert panel on the editorial process.

With Tina Wexler, Agent at International Creative Management

Jordan Brown, Senior Editor, Walden Pond Press and Balzer + Bray at HarperCollins Children's Books

Alexandra Penfold, Editor, Paula Wiseman Books at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

and

Kate Sullivan, Editor, Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Tina Wexler (at podium) moderating panelists Jordan Brown (left), Alexandra Penfold (center) and Kate Sullivan (right)

The panel covered a lot of territory, from acquiring books versus authors, preparing authors for that first editorial letter, the importance of managing your online reputation, author input into cover design, and even a description of their editorial letters!

Here are some highlights:

"An editor's job is to take what the author has in their head and help them get it on the page in the best way possible."

- Jordan Brown

Speaking of the acquisitions process, Kate Sullivan said, "At Little Brown we have a saying, Do you like this book or do you want to marry this book?"

And Alexandra Penfold offered this tip: "Google yourself and make sure it's what you want agents and editors to see with your submission."

An excellent panel, and the perfect conclusion to the Writers Roundtable Intensive!

Part II: Marketing Intensive for Professional Writers

2012-01-27T13:18:00.001-08:00

Here are some afternoon highlights for you. Enjoy!

Working collaboratively with Publishers: What Should You Do and What Should They Do? with Cindy Tamasi Hamilton, director of publicity at HarperCollins and Tracy van Straaten, vice president of publicity at Scholastic.

Cindy Tamasi Hamilton: It's a myth that printed national press is the way to go. There are niche magazines for everything, and these can often sell more books.

Tracy van Straaten: For any book, the coverage available in general print media is limited. Within that, the space for children's book coverage is smaller. But there are more opportunities online than ever before.

Jointly, they shared five simple rules for navigating the publishing road:

Set realistic goals. You're not going to be on national TV with your first novel.
Trust your publisher. They want you to succeed as much as you do.
No two publishers are alike, no two marketing campaigns are alike. (Don't compare your book/campaign to someone else's!)
Publishing is a partnership between you and the publisher. There is no such thing as no publicity.
Always keep your publisher/publicist aware of your own marketing/publicity efforts. Ask questions before you start so you don't duplicate efforts.

Panel: Tweet, Promote and Brand Your Way to Marketing Success: Strategies and Real World Scenarios

Lin Oliver and Theo Baker show the trailer for SOUND BENDER.

Susan Raab, president Raab Associates, Inc. – Niche marketing can be an amazing tool. They put a Jane Yolen picture book about water into the Water Journal and sold thousands of copies.

Roxie Munro – Develop a niche for yourself. She does nonfiction and concept books. There are times when she has to say no to a project because it doesn’t fit her brand. She has a couple of apps out—adores doing them. The app has her name in the title—it’s reinforcing and developing her brand.

Tracy Barrett: She contributes to three blogs, a middle grade blog, a history and science blog, and a personal one chronicling her last year at her day job, where she looks at the financial and psychological aspects of becoming a full-time writer. “I had no idea I had a brand until a sixth grader asked me why all my books were historical.”

Lin Oliver: What kind of promotion can you do on the cheap? She rattled off a list of things she and her son, Theo, are doing to promote their science fiction novel SOUND BENDER. Here are a few:

Throw yourself a launch party. Feed your guests and invite your author friends to talk about their new books, too.
Produced trailer with stock footage.
Build or commission a website.
Speak at bookstores, but coordinate with school visit so you have attendees.
Develop a curriculum hook (they talk about nature of sound, tied in with science curriculum)
Know the name of every single person who works at your publisher and you should be really nice ot them and thank them for everything they do. (publicity, marketing, school and library services, etc.

New Directions in Publicity, Emerging Trends, with Jason Kintzler, founder of PitchEngine
Don't get wrapped up in the numbers of Facebook fans you have. Even if it's only two people who care, that's great. They'll talk about you. Each time you share something on your FB page, only 10 percent of your fans see it. Ever wonder why you follow things and never see stuff like that again? You fix that by paying them money.

How Did It Go? Impressions from the Writers Roundtable Intensive

2012-01-27T13:04:00.000-08:00

The agents and editors sitting at each table are a who's-who of Children's Literature... and one of the most exciting aspects of this day is getting immediate feedback from them on your work. No waiting for weeks, or months. No pitch, or query letter, or assistant who needs to read it first. Just your 500 words, and their honest (and kind) and helpful critique.

The faculty participating, including and of the caliber of Michelle Nagler, Samantha McFerrin, Nancy Conescu, Tina Wexler, Jordan Brown, Alexandra Penfold and Kate Sullivan!

Truly an amazing opportunity. Here are some post-critique thoughts by some of the Writers Roundtable Intensive attendees:

"It makes you realize how every word counts."

-Cynthia Shannon

"The caliber of writing at the table was really impressive, and I was encouraged to be among such great writers."

-Kathy Higgs-Couthard

"I'm no longer scared to put myself out there. The editor told me what I needed to know, which is what I came for."

-Yvonne Hagan

"Listening to the editor's critique to everyone else I learned so much. And of course I learned a lot from her critique of my work, too."

- Cathy Elliott

"It's a much more safe place to put forth your work than I thought going into it. Very constructive criticism and very helpful. I think it's invaluable."

- Jay Apking

First Time At The Writers Roundtable Intensive: Carol Fitzgibbons

2012-01-27T10:35:00.000-08:00

I asked Carol about her experience after the morning's critique session:

The Writers Roundtable Intensive... Our Morning Panel on Voice and Critique Advice

2012-01-27T09:44:00.000-08:00

Lin Oliver started things off by praising all of us Writers Roundtable Intensive attendees for being here,acknowledging how it's “a very brave thing” to put your work forward, andsaying “today begins the hard work of writing.”

Sometimes the work you brought is ready… and sometimes it's not, and youneed to be open and curious about where your path might take you.

Lin shared the inspiring story of Ruta Sepetys., who three yearsago attended this Writers Roundtable Intensive, and received a verydisappointing response to her YA. One of her critiquers suggested that maybe that novel wasn’t really inRuta’s voice. Did she haveanything else? Well, she did, andRuta started working on it. It has since been published, and this year "Between Shades of Gray" is an enormous criticaland commercial success. So forRuta, the Writers Roundtable Intensive three years ago was a turning point, just not in the way she ever expected going into it.

And with that sage bit of advice and inspiration, Lin introducedthe morning panelists on voice:

Samantha McFerrin, Editor, Harcourt Children’s Books,Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Nancy Conescu, Executive Editor, Dial Books for YoungReaders

Michelle Nagler, Editorial Director, Bloomsbury Children’sBooks

Lin Oliver (far left, standing) moderates the panel on Voice. The panelists are Samantha McFerrin (left), Nancy Conescu (center) and Michelle Nager (right)

Each editor read an example of voice from a book they’dedited, and explained what it was about it that grabbed them.

They discussed authorial voice vs. character voice, andcovered a number of things to beware of when crafting your voice, includingavoiding adult knowledge inserted in where it doesn’t belong, the issue of pop culture references, and knowing your details and getting them right.

A great tip for “writing in your groove” that came up:

Readyour manuscript out loud

The panelists and Lin shared their advice on participatingin the critiques, including:

Don't defend yourself or talk during your critique - listening is so important.

Take notes - something may resonate for you later

Stay open

Overall it was a fascinating panel and a great introduction to the morning's roundtable critiques.

Illustrators Intensive - Sophie Blackall - Crossing Over to New Audiences

2012-01-27T09:08:00.000-08:00

Sophie Blackall is teasing us with a photo of her home country, a sunny beach on the blue waters of Australia.

Sophie has always been a bit of a multi-jobber, she describes herself as ILLUSTRATOR, ETC. She’s done fine art painting while moonlighting in scientific medical illustration. Taking design courses while playing with oil paints. Making editorial illustrations for business papers while also doing zodiac drawings for horoscopes.

And Sophie’s lack of job focus has made her the phenom we know and love. I had NO IDEA: that because of an illustration of Sophie’s that Meg Rosoff saw in an airline magazine, Meg eventually hired her for 9 animated detergent commercials in England, which resulted in a relationship with Meg and some of my favorite books were born—MEET WILD BOARS series!

With Sophie’s first picture book job, RUBY'S WISH, things started to get rolling in the book department, but Sophie still wanted to make and paint things that don't fit literally or figuratively in picture books.

It won the Ezra Jack Keats Award! Buy! Buy! Buy! http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780811834902

Besides making picture books, Sophie also loves to do all sorts of wild art and sculpture, painting on walls, on photographs, plates, making skeleton families, collaborating with mega-pop stars, holding collage-ish workshops in Spain, making art for the subway:

“Being an illustrator is a mostly wonderful thing... you get to choose to draw anything... set your own hours... atrophy in your basement while compulsively blogging.”

“To combat this, I leave Brooklyn once a week to go into Manhattan to see the world and meet with people.”

It was on one of these trips that Sophie learned about Missed Connections. If you don’t know about these, STOP reading this trifling blog and go see her site right now!

Sophie posted Missed Connections for free online, and when she wanted to try and get them published in a book together, many said no one would want to pay for something that was already available for free, but TWELVE PUBLISHERS wanted that book.

I love Sophie’s Golden Rule: IF YOU LIKE DOING SOMETHING, FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT YOUR WORK.

There's an opera singer singing in the conference room next to ours, which is kind of a fittingly unrelated way to end Sophie's session, just one more beautiful, unexpected note.

Highlights from the Writers' Marketing Intensive

2012-01-27T08:17:00.000-08:00

It's hard to choose just one highlight per speaker--everyone has had remarkable insights and tips. But, alas, that's all we can reveal from this remarkable day.

From the social media panel:

Deb Shapiro, founder of Deb Shapiro & Co. She advises patience. "It takes a long time to build and develop a fanbase. More often than not, the authors you see who were quite successful, itdid take them some time."

Susan Raab, president, Raab Associates: Ask yourself: Who is your market. Teens? Educational market? Go whereyour market is, and find out what they want by following them.

Sarah Dickman: “Facebook is a black hole. It’s taking everything. You haveto be on there—really.”

From Darcy Pattison's book trailer presentation:

Darcy Pattison talks about book trailers and what works.

In book trailers, the idea matters more than anything. Very specific, concrete details make things memorable. You are looking for things to add into your trailer that are specific and concrete. Also, "go for the emotional response." (And humor plays really well, if it's appropriate for your story.)

From Promote Yourself Via Curriculum & School Visits with Nick Glass and Deborah Hochman Turvey:

Nick Glass: Prepare classes before school visits. It makes it better when they’veprepared the way you want them to prepare. They can read the book, do activities beforehand. Other things, like reader's theater scripts can be effective if your contract allows it. Readers want to know how you work, where you get your ideas, etc.

Deborah Hochman Turvey: There are a lot of little things you can do to prepare for a school visit: Get directions to the school, be nice to the school secretary, beflexible, bring Sharpies, bring books--and prepare for nothing to work.

From Developing Effective Websites with Madee James owner of Xuni.com:

Among other things, Madee shared a bunch of handy website "don'ts." Does your site break any of her rules?

Don't have an unprofessional design.
Don't have a cluttered, cutesy navigation.
Don't let your site's content or look get out of date.
Don't design it entirely in Flash--search engines can't find you.
Don't have your book trailer or music playautomatically.
Don’t put book spoilers on your site.
Don’t include images that aretoo big in terms of file size.

Illustrators Intensive -Dan Santat -

2012-01-27T08:01:00.000-08:00

Here's Dan eating a baked good and drawing in his sketchbook yesterday morning after signing a load of books at Books of Wonder. If you know Dan, you know he's always nanoseconds away from either completing final art for a project, doing a promotional something or other for one of his published books, or eating a baked good. Here he's doing two out of three (THAT WE CAN SEE.)

This morning, Dan's telling us how to market ourselves early on in our careers and on a limited budget.

#1 Utilize free image sites like Tumblr, or Flickr to get your work out there, including final art spreads that are sneak peeks at your soon-to-be-published picture books. Dan likens it to seeing a Cinnabon sign at the mall. The more you see the sign, the more you think you want to stuff your face with undercooked dough smothered in cream cheese icing... or a picture book. Also, art directors and editors like to look on Tumblr/Flickr, you're not only promoting your books, you're potentially reaching people who want to hire you.

#2 Build a network of peers Dan really enjoyed doing Illustration Friday and thinks commenting on other sites, and commenting on your own site's comments is a courteous and important thing to do every week.

#6 If you build it they will come, but you constantly have to show them the door Dan credits John Tesh as the website genius that makes Dan's website genius. Dan repeats themes on his website (like his clone photo series, he says each photo only takes about 20 minutes and is a good way to practice Photoshop.) Dan also has a special sketchbook that he sells original pages from on his Tumblr site

Dan's the king of viral marketing (which maybe most of us need approval for, but if you are as good as Dan, you can probably go for it!)

#10 You can do as much social networking that you want, but if your work isn't up to par, you aren't going to make it.

#11 is maybe the essence of Dan: Take what you have and do more with it, Dan says he's really not a good and helpful person that gives 150% in every flipping avenue, but he does. He practices what he preaches in dealing with family, friends, students, kids, librarians, booksellers, the media, cats.

#12-#15 Are some really juicy tips about how illustrators can use Facebook to get work!

Illustrators Intensive - John Rocco - New Methods for Promoting Your Book

2012-01-27T07:20:00.000-08:00

David Diaz introduces the still-high-on-Caldecott-fumes John Rocco as our first speaker for the morning!

He's got some great tips for illustrators. The first few might be tough to do, though:

John Rocco's Self Marketing & Promoting Your Book in Three Easy Steps

1. Win a Caldecott
2. While waiting for step 1, add the word "licious" to the end of your title
3. Change your name to Mo*

BUY! BUY! BUY! http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781423121909/john-rocco/blackout

And while you wait for the legal name change papers required for Step 3 to be approved, why not spend your time making promotional materials that shine instead of researching the yacht you will buy with your Caldecott royalties? If you have a new book coming out, here're a few things John does right off the bat:

Step 4. Make a website! Put your new book on it!

Step 5. Create a book trailer. John has an entertainment background, so he thought he could "make the hell out of a trailer!" But bells and whistles aren't always what make for a good trailer. He shares two with us. John says the trailer for BLACKOUT is the simplest trailer he's ever made, and it's really stunning:

John says to make a trailer all you need are Photoshop and iMovie, or a flip camera, or your iPhone—simple(ish) tools that most illustrators have access to. (The FLINTHEART trailer was made using AfterEffects.) Licensing the music in FLINTHEART cost John $35 and Candlewick did reimburse him for it.

Put your trailer on your web page, but not just a Quicktime movie, make sure it's the Youtube version so it can be shared. iMovie exports directly to Youtube.**

Be sure you put your web address in the trailer itself as well as its release date, people will want to know where to see more.

He talks about Step 6. Branding, Step 7. Making your own promotional materials, and Step 8. Doing themed events or group events.

Step 12. My favorite takeaway from John's talk: is the free takeaway. He prints out really lovely one-sheets with a short bio as well as images of his book covers and info about each of them, plus his web address. John knows there is a lot of pressure at book events for people to feel like they have to buy a book to get to talk to the author/illustrator. John provides these one-sheets for people to have something to come up and get from his signing table, and who knows, maybe someday they'll buy a book because of something they saw on that one-sheet. And there are rare instances when your books AREN'T at your scheduled book event, so it's a great thing to have something to give the audience.***

Thanks, John!

*But not if your last name is Lest.
** And space.
*** Other than your spleen.

Marketing Intensive for Professional Writers

2012-01-27T06:41:00.000-08:00

Susan Raab talking to writers at the marketing intensive.

Those of us who are in this intensive session have a huge day ahead, and while we're not going to share all of the details on the blog, we'll give a few highlights as the day progresses. But we can share the schedule, so you see how information-packed this sort of thing is:

Using Social Media to Your Best Advantage, with Sarah Dickman of Odyl.net; Susan Raab, president of Raab Associates; and Deb Shapiro, founder of Deb Shapiro & Co.

Creating Book Trailers & Other Random Acts of Promotion, with Darcy Pattison.

Promote Yourself via School Curriculum & Visits, with Nick Glass, founder of teachingbooks.net and Deborah Hochman Turvey, founder of Visitingauthors.com.

Developing Effective Websites, with Maddee James, owner of Xuni.com.

Working Collaboratively with Publishers: What Should You Do and What Should They Do, with Cindy Tamasi Hamilton, director of publicity at Harper Collins; and Tracy van Straaten, vice president of publicity at Scholastic.

Tweet, Promote and Brand Your Way to Marketing Success: Strategies and Real World Scenarios, with Tracy Barrett, author; Roxie Munro, author/illustrator; Lin Oliver, author/SCBWI co-founder, Susan Raab, president of Raab Associates, Inc.

New Directions in Publicity, Emerging Trends, with Jason Kintzler, founder of PitchEngine.

Where Next? Multimedia, Mobile, Electronic and Game Platform, with Jon Fine, director of author and publisher relations at Amazon.com; Michel Kripalani, president Oceanhouse Media; and Peter Reynolds, founder of Fablevision.com.

Marketing Intensive for Illustrators - Opening Remarks

2012-01-27T06:39:00.000-08:00

Cecilia Yung says howdydo and shares with us all a new way to think about the work we do and how we might benefit from thinking of ourselves as a corporation*. She likes Dan Santat's self-proclaimed CEO status.

Cecilia says—

The reality is: published books jostle one another for space on a children's bookstore bookshelf.

Being a brilliant illustrator is just the beginning,
Being visible is another important step,
Being smart is the most important step to success in children's book illustration.

Since most of you have one pair of hands, 24 hours in your day, and let's face it, limited funds, being smart is making sure that you are the CEO of your company, and that every single one of your books will contribute to your success by thinking of each of your books as an employee. And marketing is what you do as a CEO to make sure your books work around the clock to bring you success.

*I would like to talk to my corporation about how some people always forget to clean the coffee pot thoroughly.

Friday Intensives Start... Now!

2012-01-27T05:52:00.000-08:00

Writers and Illustrators arriving and checking in for the sold out day of intensives!

The energy is palpable at reception.

Writers and Illustrators are gathering from all over the world.

The Illustrators Marketing Intensive room filling up

Writers taking their seats at the Writers Marketing Intensive

Writers finding their tables at the Writers Roundtable Intensive

To dig deep for knowledge.

To soar with new understanding and skills.

And Team Blog is here. We'll be sharing some highlights and impressions from each of the three sessions:

The Writers Roundtable

The Writers Marketing Intensive

and The Illustrators Marketing Intensive.

Illustrate and Write and Let's get our Conference On!

Friday and Saturday Night Events at #NY12SCBWI

2012-01-22T16:12:00.000-08:00

The Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference is sold out - and if you're fortunate enough to attend, you may be wondering what's going on the Friday and Saturday nights of the conference...

There will be plenty of craft, business and inspiration all weekend... and check out these four evening opportunities to immerse yourself further into our Community!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

#NY12SCBWI Pre-Conference Interview with Ken Wright

2012-01-19T07:39:00.000-08:00

SCBWI Team Blog member Suzanne Young interviews Writers House Agent Ken Wright on his upcoming conference sessions on non-fiction, what agents and published writers can gain from attending conferences like the Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference, and much more.

The conference is sold out, so if you didn't get a chance to attend, make sure to follow along with the live blogging here at the Official SCBWI Conference Blog, and the stream of tweets on twitter with the hashtag #NY12SCBWI.

And if you are fortunate enough to be attending the Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference, we look forward to seeing you in New York!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

#NY12SCBWI Pre-Conference Interview with John Rocco

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

I was fortunate to interview John Rocco, who will be leading and participating in three sessions at the upcoming Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference - a keynote at the Friday January 27th Marketing for Illustrators Intensive, "New Methods of Promoting Your Book: Trailers, Co-Op Marketing and More," he'll be on a panel that afternoon in the same Intensive called "Is Self-Marketing Cost Effective? Wise Use of Your Money and Time" and he's presenting in the Sunday January 29th keynote: "Methods to the Madness: The Process of Making Picture books, Featuring the Bookmakers Dozen."

John shares a ton of great information, including secrets of designing cover art, the power of illustrators to portray diversity, and his favorite book trailers!

You can still sign up to see John and avail yourself of ALL that #NY12SCBWI has to offer... but act fast - Registration for the conference closes today Wednesday January 18, 2012 at 5pm PST. (It's on the cusp of selling out!)

We hope to see you there,

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

#NY12SCBWI Pre-Conference Interview with Selina Alko

2012-01-17T09:53:00.000-08:00

Check out this wonderful interview by Team Blog's Jaime Temairik with Selina Alko, one of the Bookmaker's Dozen who will speaking at the Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City!

Registration for the conference is only open for ONE MORE DAY, closing Wednesday January 18, 2012 at 5pm PST. (It's selling out fast!)

We hope to see you there,

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

#NY12SCBWI Pre-Conference Plate Design by Dan Santat and Peter Brown!

2012-01-14T17:24:00.000-08:00

SCBWI Team Blogger and Illustrator Jaime Temairik has thought out of the box on this pre-conference interview, way out of the box, and it's genius! She connects with former pair figure-skaters (author/illustrators) and #NY12SCBWI faculty Peter Brown and Dan Santat to get their balanced career diet info.

It's funny, and inspiring, and very thought-provoking. After all, what would YOUR balanced career diet be?

It's not too late to register to see Dan and Peter / Peter and Dan yourself at the Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City, January 27-29, 2012!

We hope to see you there.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

#NY12SCBWI Pre-Conference Interview with Cheryl Klein

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

...In which Martha Brockenbrough chats with Scholastic Editor Cheryl Klein about Cheryl's upcoming breakout sessions on revision on the Saturday January 28, 2012 of the conference.

And it's a testament to Cheryl's genius on the subject that just from reading this interview, I have a whole new inspiration for my current revision (Defining my story "Points," and putting them at the top of my to-do revision list!)

I've seen Cheryl speak before, and I can't wait to learn more from her! You can, too - Registration for the Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference is still open.

Hope to see you there!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

#NY12SCBWI Pre-Conference Interview With Ari Lewin

2012-01-06T13:48:00.000-08:00

Check out my super-informative and fun interview with the delightful Ari Lewin, executive editor at G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers!

We cover a ton of ground, about Ari's upcoming breakout sessions on writing Fantasy on the Saturday January 28, 2012 of the conference, about prologues, and business cards, trends and Hollywood-style pitches, and so much more!

It all really fired me up to attend Ari's session myself - and you can, too. Registration for the Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference is still open.

Hope to see you there!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

#NY12SCBWI Pre-Conference Interview with Tracy van Straaten

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Team Blog member Martha Brockenbrough interviewed Scholastic Publicity and Marketing VP Tracy van Straaten in the run-up to our Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City, coming up January 27-29, 2012. The photo Martha ran is Tracy in her Halloween costume as Lisa Yee's Peepy, which clearly shows this professional loves her job.

They discuss the responsibility authors have for marketing our own books, and some of Tracy's answers are surprising...

"I think one of the bigger myths out there right now is that publishers expect the authors to take on all of the marketing for their books."

Their discussion also touches on a few kid lit marketing what-NOT-to-dos and what you really should do. It makes me even more excited about Tracy's presentation (along with Cindy Tamasi Hamilton, Director of Publicity, Harper Collins) at the "Marketing for Professional Writers" Intensive on Friday January 27, 2012, "Working Collaboratively with Publishers: What Should You Do and What Should They Do?"

You can read the interview at Martha's blog. It's another taste of the great stuff served up at the upcoming Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference. You can still register here.

Hope to see you in New York.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

#NY12SCBWI Pre-Conference Interview with Barbara Marcus

2012-01-03T08:46:00.000-08:00

I had the honor of interviewing Kid Lit book marketing expert Barbara Marcus, who will be presenting on the Saturday morning of the upcoming #NY12SCBWI Conference as part of a super-star panel exploring "Children's Books, Today and Tomorrow: Four Expert Impressions."

Barbara is Strategic Innovations Advisor to Penguin Books USA focusing in the area of new ventures and new publishing opportunities and Advisor to Open Road Integrated Media in the area of children's digital publishing. She is on the Board of Knowledge Adventure, a children’s software and technology company and Media Source, a children’s books direct marketing company and publisher of Library Journal and School Library Journal. Prior to that, she was President, Scholastic Children’s Book Publishing and Distribution where she was responsible for children’s consumer book publishing and distribution in the United States. After acquiring J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for publication in the United States in 1998, Barbara led the publishing effort for six out of the seven Harry Potter titles.

We discuss what made "Harry Potter" so successful, the future of e-books for kids and teens, how concerned we authors and illustrators should be about building a "brand," and much more!

You can check out the full interview here.

I know Barbara's answers made me even more eager to attend her conference presentation, and you can as well. Registration for the Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference is open, and we hope to see you there!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

#NY12SCBWI Pre-Conference Interview with Jean Feiwel

2011-12-20T14:23:00.000-08:00

SCBWI Team Blog's Jolie Stekly interviews Senior Vice President and Publishing Director of MacMillian Jean Feiwel over at Jolie's Cuppa Jolie blog. I loved Jean's answer to what's the one element that has to be there for a manuscript to be acquired...

Jean will be presenting as part of "Children's Books, Today and Tomorrow: Four Expert Impressions" on the Saturday, January 28 of the Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City.

Registration for the conference is open, and we hope to see you there!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

#NY12SCBWI Pre-Conference Interview with Nancy Paulson

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm delighted to share that I interviewed Nancy Paulsen, President and Publisher of her own imprint, Nancy Paulsen Books, at the Penguin Young Readers Group, in the run-up to her Saturday morning of the conference, January 28, 2012 presentation as part of "Children's Books: Today and Tomorrow: Four Expert Impressions."

We covered her list (picture books and novels) and how she builds it, trends, what she's looking for, and she shares some excellent advice for conference-goers and writers of children's literature.

And for illustrators, it's great to hear that one of the highlights of attending conferences like the Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City for Nancy is checking out YOUR work... and Nancy tells us about another SCBWI success story. Two, in fact!

You can read the interview here.

And you can see Nancy in person - Registration for the #NY12SCBWI conference is open.

We hope to see you there!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

#NY12SCBWI Pre-Conference Interview with Ginger Knowlton

2011-12-13T07:40:00.000-08:00

Team Blog's Jolie Stekly interviews agent Ginger Knowlton!

Ginger, an agent at Curtis Brown LTD, will be taking the stage on Sunday January 29, 2012 as part of "The Current Market For Your Work: Four Agents' Views" Presentation at the Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City.

Their interview covers some excellent advice for conference-goers, strategies and tips on submissions, and the all-important 'how do you know when your work is ready to submit?'

And Ginger knows her stuff: her list includes Newbery Medalists, Newbery Honor and Printz Honor winners, Edgar and Lambda winners, a Sibert and Orbis Pictus winner and New York Times bestsellers!

There's even another SCBWI success story in their interview, and you can read it here!

And you can see Ginger yourself at #NY12SCBWI. Registration is open, and we hope to see you there!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

#NY12SCBWI Pre-Conference Interview with Rubin Pfeffer

2011-12-01T07:42:00.000-08:00

Team Blog's Martha Brockenbrough interviews agent Rubin Pfeffer to get the inside scoop on his E-books and Apps Breakout workshops on the conference Saturday - January 28, 2012.

Rubin is a veteran of the children’s and adult trade industry, a visionary who's working on - as they used to refer to it when I was in grad school - the "bleeding edge of technology." He has served as President and Publisher of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, SVP and Chief Creative Officer of Pearson, and as SVP, Publisher of Children’s Books for Simon & Schuster. Pfeffer joined the East West Literary Agency in December 2009, as a partner and established the Boston base of the agency. He works with such luminary talents as Patricia MacLachlan, Marion Dane Bauer, Steven Kellogg, Susan Cooper, Judy Sierra, David Diaz, Richard Jesse Watson, Jesse Joshua Watson, Jeff Mack, Mike Austin, and a host of other published and new talents. In addition, he consults regularly on digital content for the Ruckus Media Group.

In the interview, Rubin also put out a call for readers to nominate our favorite book apps in the comments, so he can share and build on what we all have to say when he does his presentations. See how innovative and cutting edge he is?

So head on over to Martha's blog and check it out. It's a taste of one more amazing offering at the upcoming Lucky 13th Annual Winter Conference. You can find out more and register here.

Hope to see you in New York.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

#NY12SCBWI Pre-Conference Interview with Darcy Pattison

2011-11-14T08:22:00.001-08:00

Team Blog's Martha Brockenbrough interviews Darcy Pattison about her keynote presentation in the upcoming Marketing For Professional Writers Intensive.

Darcy's a well-published author and teacher (the shrunken manuscript revision technique is hers), video book trailer enthusiast, and the mind behind the Random Acts of Publicity week. It's a great interview, and poses a good question: If we can't call them "book trailers" - which evidently has been trademarked - what should we call them? Read the interview at Martha's blog here.

Thanks Martha and Darcy!

You can register to see Darcy's keynote, "Creating Book Trailers and Other Random Acts of Promotion," and to attend the whole Lucky 13th Annual Winter Conference here.

Hope to see you there.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

All about the Writers Intensives at the Upcoming 2012 SCBWI Winter Conference!

2011-11-10T10:45:00.001-08:00

I expanded last week's conversation with Lin Oliver, SCBWI's Executive Director, to find out more about the two different writers intensives the Friday before the full 2012 SCBWI Winter Conference.

The Roundtable Intensive for Writers is a chance to share your work with (and get immediate feedback from) editors and agents. (And it sells out every year.)

And new for this conference, there's a Marketing For Professional Writers Intensive. In our video, Lin explains more:

You can register now for the Illustrator's Marketing Intensive and the whole Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference!

Hope to see you there.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

All About The New Full Day Illustrator's Marketing Intensive on January 27, 2012

2011-11-03T11:31:00.000-07:00

I got to sit down with Lin Oliver, SCBWI's Executive Director, and learn why the new Illustrator's Marketing Intensive coming up on the Friday before the full 2012 SCBWI Winter Conference isn't just going to be great - it's going to be essential.

You can register now for the Illustrator's Marketing Intensive and the whole Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference!

Hope to see you there.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Winter Conference Registration Opens Monday!

2011-10-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

Registration for the SCBWI 2012 Winter Conference begins Monday, October 17th, 2011 at 10AM PDT.

Click here for registration.

The Annual Winter Conference features a huge line-up of stars and decision-makers from the world of children's book publishing. Whether you're an illustrator or a writer, whether your genre is picture books, middle grade, or young adult, you can't afford to miss this spectacular chance to meet and network with the major players in publishing for young readers!

Plus we've added a third pre-conference intensive on January 27th-Marketing for Professional Writers--and that, along with our Writers' Roundtable Intensive and Marketing for Illustrators Intensive are sure to fill up fast. We have also added a Gala Cocktail party on January 28th so people can mingle with publishing professionals, regional advisors and other attendees, as well as enjoying a free drink and food.

The conference will take place from January 27th-29th at the Hyatt Regency Grand Central in New York City.

And be sure to watch this conference blog for exciting interviews with faculty members and other 2012 Winter Conference news from SCBWI's terrific TEAM BLOG.

Farewell & Thank You from TEAM BLOG

2011-08-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

TEAM BLOG supporting its captain

On behalf of SCBWI TEAM BLOG (Martha Brockenbrough, Lee Wind, Jaime Temairik, Suzanne Young, Jolie Stekly, and yours truly), thanks to everyone who visited to read our conference coverage. (I encourage you to continue to peruse the blog--there's tons of great info here!)

Thanks also to all the conference-goers who stopped by our table to chat and stopped us in the halls--we appreciate all the great feedback. And we truly appreciate the opportunity to bring the extraordinary 40th Annual SCBWI Summer Conference to you.

We'll see you in New York for the Annual Winter Conference January 27-29, 2012! (Check scbwi.org for details closer to the event).

--Alice

Go TEAM!! (l to r: Jolie, Lee, Martha, Jaime, Alice, Suzanne)

My Experience at Arthur Levine's Monday Intensive: Chapter One: The Great First Date of Your Novel

2011-08-10T23:25:00.000-07:00

Arthur Levine, out-of-this-world editor and award-winning author, took twenty-seven authors out on a most-amazing first date. For Arthur this date was blind, not knowing who he'd meet until our first chapters hit his inbox. For us, we knew we were getting ready to meet the hottest guy around. I'm sure it's safe to say there was a whole lot of first-date jitters as we gathered and made eye contact with Arthur in the Pacific Room.

Thankfully, as soon as Arthur smiled and made us laugh, we all relaxed into the experience. And what an experience it was.

Arthur shared, with his many dates, ways in which a first chapter is like a first date. It really all boiled down to the question: Does your first chapter lead with, "This is what you're going to love about this me [this book]"?

Then things got personal. Very personal.

It was amazing to watch Arthur at work, as we all shared our beginning pages. The way he pinpointed what was working and what was not was a treat to listen to and learn from. We were then all asked to state what was our "best foot forward." Did we lead with it? Or something else? Did we begin in the right spot? Should it have been earlier or later? And Arthur gave us his own take on each and every beginning.

As the date came to a close, I know none of us wanted it to end. The sign of a most successful date. It went so well, I'm really quite sure it ended with a hypothetical kiss.

MWAH, Arthur! You certainly led with what we love about you, and you delivered to the very end.

My Experience at the Monday Intensive for Illustrators

2011-08-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

L-R Kadir, hidden David, Paul, Richard, Marla and Jerry. Denise was looking for her acorn. The black and blue goody bags are not full of booze, I asked.

It's not hyperbole, Monday was the best day of my illustrating life. I didn't spend four years, or even one, in a traditional art school, so I don't know if this is standard procedure, but Monday was unlike anything I've every experienced.

The seven artists tapped to do this first-ever live demo format, I am beyond thankful they so freely shared their talents and thoughts with us. I am bowing down to our SCBWI Illustrator Committee and SCBWI headquarters for making this happen. Compared to other conferences and conventions, SCBWI internationals are cheap. And I happily admit I'd pay a bazillion more dollars to see another live demo day. Don't hesitate to fork over big bills to attend the next live-demo illustrator intensive. And if any of these people are teaching a class near you, be sure you sign up.

Other attendees are going to blog the crap out of today, I'm sure, but I can't do it justice. My brief notes are below:

Each artist answered technical and philosophical questions while they worked for about an hour on an art piece.

Paul showed us how he does a monochromatic/grisaille underpainting in watercolor before adding oil glazes on top.

Marla showed us how she gets her amazing dark lines, she also started one of her fifty color washes, and talked to us about problem solving in final art.

Richard made a mess. But then he made a beautiful painting out of it full of energy and color and a bit of egg tempera.

Kadir did a portrait of Dan Santat while we got up in his business. Lots of talk about the importance of making personal art and loving life.

Denise forgot her acorn. This is not a euphemism. She painted with paper pulp and did a teensy bit of swearing, but we were all completely mesmerized by her process and loved her and her final piece.

David sketched art director/Penguin Putnam VP Cecilia Yung before doing a sketch of himself and showing us how he retains life in his lines when moving from the exuberant pencil sketch to the finished ink drawing.

And Jerry sketched and painted me! No. It was a wild bird. Wait, that could still be me... Anyway.

He showed us how he uses photo reference to make his amazing animals and we watched his light watercolors build up to brilliant gorgeousness.

Jerry's painting in progress. I thought it was me he was painting— that bird and I use the same eyeshadow.

The day ended with a brief group Q&A. It was a bonhomie love fest.

One way we can say thank you to the seven artists who gave so much to us is to go out and buy a buttload of their books.

Paul's books on Indiebound

Richard's books on Indiebound

Marla's books on Indiebound

Jerry's books on Indiebound

Denise's books on Indiebound

Kadir's books on Indiebound

David's books on Indiebound

THANKS FOR THE BEST SUMMER CONFERENCE EVER!

My Experience at the Ellen Hopkins Writers Intensive: Writing Novels In Verse

2011-08-08T17:25:00.000-07:00

Every one of Ellen Hopkins' seven young adult novels in verse have hit the New York Times Bestseller lists, and there's a reason - they're powerful, compelling, and masterful. Every word seems perfectly chosen. Every poem is laid out on the page in a way that draws you in and then beyond the words. Every character is bared through their mind's lens.

And you can't stop reading because you have to know what happens next.

I didn't enter Ellen's intensive thinking 'I want to write a novel in verse,' but Ellen achieves intensely powerful emotions and her stories grab you and don't let go - and she does it with such economy and artistry. I had to see what I could learn, and then apply, to my own writing.

With worksheets and examples from her own work, she guided us through exercises that pulled out of us things about our characters that we'd never before considered. A few attendees read their poems out loud after the writing, and the level of accomplishment across the room was inspiring.

For one of the exercises, I re-worked the opening scene of my current MG work in progress, taking it from prose to verse. It was magical. Excess detail and repetition fell away, and character motivations leapt forward. The scene had so much more emotion and impact this way.

I raised my hand to share. As I read, the words felt so right. Spare, and still funny. Filled with emotion and conflict. So much more what I was hoping for. I was heartened by the laughter (in all the right places) and the kind encouragement from Ellen and my fellow workshop participants.

Now, I'm inspired to dive into my rewrite with this new way of telling my characters' story. Will it become a novel in verse? I'm not sure, but I do know that for me, this workshop was a huge creative breakthrough.

Thank you, Ellen. And thanks SCBWI for giving me - and the rest of the class - this incredible opportunity!

First Time Conference Attendee Renisha Ricks

2011-08-08T17:15:00.000-07:00

At the end of the Monday of intensives, I caught up with first time conference attendee Renisha Ricks to ask her about her experience...

Writing intensive: Lisa Yee on bullies and antagonists

2011-08-08T17:10:00.000-07:00

Lisa Yee, the hilarious and wonderful author of 10 novels for kids and young adults, made me cry during her session on bullies and antagonists.

But it wasn't on purpose.

She was just talking about the story she wrote for the DEAR BULLY anthology due out next month.

Her entry perfectly illustrated the importance of creating dimensional bullies: characters who have wants and needs, and who have reasons for harming those around them--getting as specific as identifying the day our antagonist was hurt badly enough to want to hurt others.

So, yes. Tears. But also lots of laughs as she walked us through the paces.

Lisa Yee

We started off with a rather thrilling promise: "We're going to tap into your evil side," she said.

And then we identified our favorite literary villains. Lord Voldemort, we love to hate you. The British press, meanwhile, really loves to hate Satan. They identified him--and not Camilla Parker Bowles (kidding! she's real!)--as literature's foulest villain. Which, when you think about it, seems kind of stereotypey.

We moved on to some key definitions:

A bully is a person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate those who are weaker.

"Bully" started out as a good thing, she mentioned. Over the years, the definition morphed and it changed.

A villain is a person guilty of capable of crime or wickedness.

That word, she said, is French. A villain worked in the fields in a time when everyone wanted to be a knight. When bad things happened, they blamed the farm people. “A villain did that.” Mon dieu!

An antagonist, who could be a bully or a bad guy, is a person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something.

"Your antagonist in your story is going to be working against your protagonist," she said.

She shared with us seven story archetypes we writers use, from "man vs. himself" to "man vs. society," and we came up with examples of stories that fit each archetype.

Then she walked us through a couple of writing exercises: one in which we outlined a variety of characteristics we'd need to know about our antagonists (everything from their age, outward appearance, self-perception, wants and needs, as long as one word that best described them). We used that as the basis for a revealing paragraph about our antagonist.

My favorite part, and not just because I played a teen thief, was doing a Q&A with participants to figure out the characters' backstory and motivations. We then wrote a murder scene from three points of view--a third person, and first person from both the teen thief and her rich-lady murder victim. The effect was stunning. By having well developed characters with clear motivations, we ended up with richer writing that was more nuanced and compelling.

Lisa Yee
Follow Lisa on Twitter

Peepy looks scared because some participants did not survive Lisa's class.

Michelle Parker-Rock is the 2011 SCBWI Member of the Year!

2011-08-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

Regional Advisor for Arizona, Michelle Parker-Rock is the author of over a dozen books (including her most recent series, Authors Kids Love), a contributing writer to the SCBWI Bulletin, a tireless advocate and powerhouse volunteer!

Here we talk about her being honored as SCBWI Member of the Year:

Diane Muldrow: pacing the picture book

2011-08-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

Diane Muldrow

Diane Muldrow is the editorial director at Golden Books/Random House, editor of Little Golden Books, a sweet, classic line for preschoolers, and the author of the smart and elegant WE PLANTED A TREE (as well as many books about Barbie, Bambi, Pinocchio and other favorite characters).

She started off our intensive session on picture book pacing by sharing a little of her background, including the fact that she was once a professional dancer who performed au naturel on a famous New York stage.

“Anything is a cakewalk after you’ve performed naked,” she said.

Anything, perhaps, but picture-book pacing. During the three-hour master class, she shared a terrific list of tools we can use to make sure our manuscripts unfold in the right way on the page.

Pacing is a central challenge of picture books.

"You have to fit information and good storytelling and beautiful pictures into a very specific format."

Trade picture books are usually 32 pages, while Little Golden Books are 24, for example.

She encouraged us to take a trip to the bookstore or library and really study the formats, taking ownership over what we're writing.

“This is your lump of clay when you’re working on it. It belongs to you because it’s your idea. What I want to see more of … is when writer hopefuls don’t take enough ownership of their idea, let alone their manuscript," she said.

Once you've figured out your format, think in pictures, and don't be shy about including art notes that are essential to conveying your vision. (Non-essential ones are coincidental details, such as the color of a character's shoes when that is not of thematic significance.)

The best picture books come from thinking visually, she said--something most writers don't really do.

In addition, keep the page turns at the top of mind. “In a picture book, it’s all about the turning of the page,” she said. That's what gives a story its building sense of suspense, and what keeps the child on the lap--the one we're writing for--engaged.

As you work, consider using these tools:

Start your story with an opening spread (putting all the title information on that right-hand page).
Consider paging the story out as you go. Tip: The illustration should be of whatever is the first line of text on the new page.
Have images in mind and write to them. No talking heads. If you can't see the art, that's maybe a cue there's not enough happening visually in your idea.
Write in a way that reaches a very young ear.
If you get stuck as you're writing, figure out your last line? You want one with impact: beauty, humor, or some other thing.

She handed out the text for a Golden Books story called THE MERRY SHIPWRECK and gave us 45 minutes to paginate it and make thumbnails using a 24-page dummy. The task was hard enough that I had to give myself a little break for blogging, lest my eyeballs melt down my cheeks.

But it was challenging as the exercise was, it's a revolutionary way for writers to take their work to the next level. If you have a chance to take a master class with Diane, do. She's a master of the format and a compelling teacher as well.

My Experience at the Bruce Coville Writing Intensive: Making Room For Magic! The Art Of Writing Fantasy

2011-08-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

Bruce Coville is a remarkable storyteller and author, and when you read his books, like "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher," and "My Teacher Is An Alien," and any of the other fantasies among his nearly 100 published titles, you can see his mastery of the Art of Writing Fantasy.

Bruce shared from his heart and expertise, giving us some amazing tips and advice and techniques that I can't wait to try. He answered our many questions in depth, and even did a number of first page critiques of the attendees' fantasy projects.

For me, listening to Bruce read my first page and a half out loud was remarkable. See, Bruce doesn't just read, he weaves a magic spell.

When they're his words, it's as if he's chanting them.

Enchanting his listeners and readers.

Re-enchanting our world.

And for the first time, listening to Bruce read my story opening aloud, I could hear how my words fell so far short of what I had hoped they would achieve.

And when I asked for more insight about when to start a fantasy story, what Bruce shared really resonated:

You don't have to start with the fantasy, but you might want to start with the character's problem in this world.

And it was an epiphany for me.

I may not know exactly HOW to solve the puzzle of my opening pages, but now I understand the problem with the starting point I had chosen.

Everyone finished Bruce's session energized and inspired. And as for me, I'm all fired up to do some of the brainstorming exercises he suggested to figure out how I'm going to meet the challenge, and start my story in the right place!

I'm so grateful to Bruce, and to SCBWI, for this amazing opportunity to really sink my teeth into craft and learn from a master.

Because I'm going to keep working at it until my words chant. Enchant. And re-enchant my readers, and our world.

SCBWI Poolside Pajama Party Pix

2011-08-08T12:07:00.000-07:00

We sneaked out of the morning Intensives to post a few photos from the Saturday night 40 Winks Poolside Pajama Party. If you were captured on film in your PJs, feel free to post a comment about your costume!

Pajama pants were at de rigueur at the event

There were lots a sheep to count, but no one got sleepy

A princess and a pea!

Jon Scieszka with three books come-to-life

Mom, I've got my headgear on!

Nathan Hatch, Aaron Hartzler (ready for bed), and Arthur Levine

Someone get this lady another cocktail. Wait, that's no lady!

Colorful jammies keep party goers awake

These ladies are monkeying around

Rita Crayon Huang's PJs have won numerous Newberys

SCBWI's Chelsea Mooser and Steve Mooser with Sally Crock

Jim Averbeck, his pecs, and Linda Sue Park

Conference-goers dances late into the night before getting their 40 winks!

Book Signing at Once Upon a Time Bookstore

2011-08-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a few SCBWI members got together for a book signing at Once Upon a Time bookstore in Montrose for a YA Rising Stars event. Other SCBWI attendees made the trip out, and it was all a blur of books, laughs and cake pops! It's great to take the opportunity to visit local independent booksellers when you travel for other events.

Note that Nova Ren Suma is on the conference faculty and Suzanne Young is a member of TEAM BLOG.

Nova Ren Suma, author of IMAGINARY GIRLS (Dutton)

Suzanne Young, author of A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL (Balzer & Bray)

Cindy Pon, author of FURY OF THE PHOENIX (Greenwillow)

Holly Goldberg, author of I'LL BE THERE (Little, Brown)

The author with an bookstore staffer

A bouquet of cake pops decorated the YA author event

Tina Wexler: Hook, Line, and Sinker!

2011-08-08T09:56:00.000-07:00

On a day of intensives, I got a chance to stop by and listen to agent Tina Wexler. Tina is a literary agent at ICM, representing authors in both the children's and adult marketplace. Her intensive was: Hook, Line, and Sinker! How To Catch An Agent With A Perfect Query Letter.

Tina started by explaining some basics of the query letter, including how she personally reads them. She prefers her queries to be in email format, and not business letter format. She also likes to hear the reasons an author thinks she'd be a good fit for their manuscript.

Your query should only be a shadow compared to the brilliance that is the manuscript. And once you've figured out the mechanics and structure of your letter, go back through and work on word choice--interjecting authentic voice when you can.

Tina made a great point about trying something different with your query when you can. It doesn't have to always start with your character. It could be the bigger theme. Play around and see what you come up with.

Attendees were then broken up into groups where their queries were critiqued by both Tina and other writers. Very informative with great energy!

Writers Intensive Panel: Making the Most of the Critique Experience

2011-08-08T09:39:00.000-07:00

l to r: Aaron Hartler, Allyn Johnston, Alessandra Balzer, Jennifer Hunt

SCBWI's Aaron Hartzler moderates a panel of editors offering advice on critiques to a room full of writers awaiting them. Allyn Johnston (Beach Lane), Alessandra Balzer (Balzer & Bray), Jennifer Hunt (Dial) are the panelists.

Aaron asks about the anxiety that can come from critique situations.

Alessandra stresses that editors are on your side. Jennifer says that there is not a writer in the world who couldn't use some critique. Allyn confesses that editors are nervous too--it's pressure for them to have to deliver something helpful to writers on the spot.

Voice, characterization, dialog, pacing are the types of things that you'd see in an editorial letter and those are areas writers should be considering, Jennifer says. Those are the kinds of things that she listens for. With a short critique, she focuses on voice and characterization.

Alessandra stresses that, in group critiques, you listen to others, pick out the positive elements, and balance out the positive and negative when offering feedback. When you're taking feedback, again, listen and be open to the comments--they might not all be relative but they're all worth considering.

Jennifer says that is you're the person getting a critique, you shouldn't spend your time talking when you could spend your time listening. She also recommends after a critique meeting or group session, you think about your suggestions for a week before making changes so you have sufficient time to soak them in and consider them. She says that editors are your allies, and it's better to hear about something that doesn't work from an editor than later, down the line, in a revieiw. Editors are like the good friends who tell you, you have a beautiful smile, but there's some spinach in your teeth.

First Time Conference Attendee Liliana Erasmus

2011-08-08T08:52:00.000-07:00

Liliana Erasmus is a member of SCBWI from Aruba (Dutch Caribbean) and was a first time attendee at the 40th Anniversary SCBWI Summer Conference. I caught up with her after the three day conference before we both attended the Bruce Coville intensive (more on that in another post.)

Here's what Liliana had to say about her experience:

First Time Conference Attendees Chris Riley and Sean Son

2011-08-07T17:18:00.000-07:00

Just before Sunday's booksigning party, Chris Riley (from New York) and Sean Son (from Korea) tell us about their experience attending SCBWI's 40th Annual Summer Conference!

Laurie Halse Anderson: Daring the Universe

2011-08-07T16:39:00.000-07:00

Laurie Halse Anderson

Awesome author Laurie Halse Anderson closes the non-Intensives portion of the conference with a keynote address.

I would not be a published writer if it was not for SCBWI, Laurie says. Lin and Steve has created a sanctuary for writers with SCBWI.

Her first bit of advice: You should all move to central New York. Land is cheap and the weather is crappy--there's nothing to do but create. (Note: her website is madwomanintheforest.com.)

Giving scary speeches is very much like writing books, she says: The only way out is through.

Laurie quotes a questions from T.S. Elliot's Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock:

Do I dare disturb the universe?

Art disturbs the universe she says and artists dare to create.

She feel like American culture exists to make rich richer and rob the rest of joy and dignity. People feel tired and defeated; melancholy.

In her 30s, she had done everything she had been told to do. She went to college. She got married. She has babies. She had taxes. She didn't run with scissors. And she was sick and depressed and miserable (much like Judy Blume). At that point, the seed of her art was spinning in her sole. The straighforward pathway had been lost for her. She knew she had to change something.

She started to write, she says, badly. Things like a 7000-word picture book about the tooth fairy with nothing original in it. And it made her feel better. And she found friend at SCBWI where she learned:

The study of craft

and

The art of revision

Laurie quotes Bruce Coville: If you don't jump, the wings never come. For her, the wings were there. She found light and love. And, she says, she also worked her ass off because a creative life demands dedication and discipline.

Writing, she says, forces you to be alive, and being alive can really hurt. Writing stirs up demons, memories and dust.

Laurie says we sometimes seduce ourselves into thinking that writing-related activities are writing. It's easier to blog about writing than to actually...write. It's hard to write because writing disturbs the universe.

Your chances of predicting the next trend is slim to none. But your chances of writing a story that someone wants to read and publish are very very good. You have little control over the publishing world; you have all the control over yourself.

Lauris says your muse is you--it deserves love and tender care. Know that a very good portion of what we do is magic. Hold onto that magic and remember to have fun (and that discipline can be fun). And remember, writing is not about the destination or even about the publication. It's about walking the path. She urges the crowd to go forth laughing and disturb the universe.

Emma Dryden and Harold Underdown's PAL workshop: Social Media for Authors & Illustrators

2011-08-07T15:53:00.000-07:00

Harold Underdown is the man behind The Purple Crayon website, one of the first online resources in children's literature. He posts great links and articles about things going on in this industry and also tweets.

Emma Dryden has a website describing her Drydenbks business, and is very active on twitter and facebook and she's even moving into google+ as well.

They are sharing a virtual handout with amazing resources to check out and a paper handout that reviews a large number of the social networks for readers that are out there.

The first thing they suggest to do is to get a website.

Think about your website as a living document - a forum for you as you grow, with new artwork, new sketches, but not everything - you want to give a sampling, a showcase of your writing, your illustration, your interests, your links, song lists, book titles. (But don't give away the store.)

Some great pieces of advice:

Think about who your audience is going to be. The audience for picture books are not going online. But if you write picture books, you could have resources for parents and teachers.

Don't put your unpublished manuscript on your website, but once it's published, put up a few chapters - people love to preview.

Do not post photos of your children: be careful of the presence that you have online - it's totally public. Keep your boundaries in mind from the very beginning.

Own your own domain name (and don't let it lapse.)

They're explaining and discussing the pros and pitfalls of facebook, twitter, and twitterchats, myspace, LinkedIn, and Google+, sharing strategies for how to manage the flow of information.

You can also have a blog as your website. Emma mentions the article Alice Pope wrote about starting a blog in the recent SCBWI Bulletin, and recommends it. You can also use your blog as your website. One way to take the pressure off is to be part of a group blog - a Glog - (like INK)

Some authors doing social media RIGHT that Emma and Harold suggest you look to as inspirations:

Ellen Hopkins

Laurie Halse Anderson

And another example of an author doing an excellent job with twitter is Maureen Johnson

There are even publishers and authors who are tweeting AS characters!

Of course, you can't do everything. (Emma likes twitterchats, Harold doesn't...)

"Social Media is not something you HAVE to do, but maybe you can find one part of it that does work for you." - Harold Underdown

And the attendees of this session are now armed with loads of practical information to help them figure that out!

Abigail McAden: Creating Popular Fiction

2011-08-07T15:44:00.000-07:00

Abigail McAden is the Paperback Publishing Director of Scholastic and Editorial Director of Point.

One of the best ways to hone your genre talent is to read, read, read.

Read deeply into the genre you’re drawn to.

This will give you the knowledge of the rules. Then you can bend them, subvert them, etc.

You can really do anything as long as your reader believes you.

Question: How do the badly written books end up on the shelf?

-Some are bought on proposal and the book doesn't deliver.

-Some times a book is bought because it fills a need.

-Sometimes it's means taking a look at why the book is doing well (not necessarily for the great writing).

-Readers also have very different tastes.

Sometimes you run out of time.

It can be really disappointing if a book isn't what you're expecting.

On submissions: A lot of people have a fabulous set up but then the rest of the manuscript doesn't deliver.

Steve Malk - Making the Most of Your Illustration Career: How to Break In, Stay In, and Thrive

2011-08-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

Steve looking for a transom he can shimmy through

Originally, I was THRILLED to attend Writers House agent Steve Malk's session because I thought it was about how illustrators should consider moonlighting as cat burglars. So I sat through the whole dang workshop waiting for ANY REFERENCE to jimmying locks or muffling your getaway car's muffler. Nothing helpful about breaking in AT ALL. It's really not worth posting what he said, but I'm contractually obligated to do so:

Steve: People say picture books are down, but I've signed three new illustrators since this time last year. There are no shortcuts in this field, you have to go the extra mile. You just have to work harder, the jobs are out there.

Steve's slideshow contained not diagrams of safes and how to crack them, but quotes from his clients:

Push yourself to the edge in terms of working hard and creating the best images you can. Don't let anyone else outwork you." -- AG FORD

Cover of AG's latest book

You can't be a dabbler, you have to be 100% committed. Certainly, work in the other parts of the arts, Steve even encourages that, but committing fully to your children's book illustration career is going to make your success much easier going.

Well, this next quote could actually apply to thieves. Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hours rule:
The people at the very top don't just work harder or even much harder than everyone else. They work much, much harder.

Steve hands out a list of his top 25 books you should know to be the best illustrator you can be as well as six great online resources for illustrators. I'm picking my top five books from that list:

There's a lot of subjectivity involved in how your work is received. But as a general rule: Your portfolio needs to be specific to children's books. Take the weeks, months, or years needed to make your portfolio specialized. There should be a logic to the way your pieces are sequenced.

From Stephanie Graegin's mini promo booklet

Steve shows us an incredible promotional piece made by Stephanie Graegin. The ultimate in a well sequenced portfolio. Steve said out of the 250 editors and art directors and designers she sent her mini-booklet to, nearly all of them commented on how clever and pretty it was, and it started a work buzz for her that's resulted in a number of books under contract.

The two things Steve says you can control in this business are:

How people experience your portfolio
Being a pleasure to work with


From Christian Robinson's Writers House portfolio

Another new client, Christian Robinson, demonstrated to me, personally, that he'd be a pleasure to work with. I got to meet him this weekend and he totally laughed at all my bad jokes. And they were total stinkers.

From Marla's book THE BOSS BABY (who Steve modeled for!)

Check your ego at the door. Success doesn't come to us quite as quickly as we hope. Everything is an opportunity. We make our own luck.

"Don't make anyone's job harder than it already is." -- MARLA FRAZEE

And Marla's quote could apply to heists! So at least I can end on a useful note.

Bruce Coville: at the intersection of plot and character

2011-08-07T15:19:00.000-07:00

Bruce Coville

Bruce Coville, author of too many books to count, launched our conference with a speech about the ripple effect our writing can have in the lives of children. He helped wrap it up with a talk about plot and character, two elements that work together to create a story.

"You need to discuss them both interweaving with each other," he said.

There is a literary divide between plot writing and character writing, and Bruce has a theory of male and female storytelling energy. Male energy is about action, adventure, incident. "You blow stuff up and boys love it." Female storytelling energy is about character, relationship and beauty of language. "Many girls will sit still for a story with that kind of energy."

The best stories partake equally of both male and female energy, he said, "in that sweet spot in the center where you have incredible characters engaged in fascinating situations."

Some useful nuggets:

Plot imposes discipline on the disorder of life.
A perfect ending is both a surprise and inevitable.
Fiction is held to a much higher standard of believability than life is.
On coincidence: it can start a story, but not end one.

What is a good story?
Bruce loves to find three things in a story when he's reading: the Ha, Waah, Yikes! formula. Ha is a belly laugh. Waah is a tear. Yikes! is a gasp of surprise.

"It's hard to get somebody to gasp when they're reading a story, but it can happen," Bruce said.

The ha: Bruce loves jokes, but this isn't a belly laugh in a story. It's one that grows out of the story itself. When a bully gets his comeuppance, for example.

The waah: It's easy to get the tear. You just kill the dog. If you wake up one morning and you're a dog on the pages of a children's book, run for your life. Your pages are numbered.

What he prefers are the tears or joy of relief, because of what happened that was so true.

There's a third kind of tear that you can't plan for, but can happen: the tears of personal connection. They will ring true for the right person, who needs to hear that thing at that time. "The right story for the right person is like an arrow to the heart."

The yikes!: When the world of the story changes on us and we see the story in a new light.

Some story and writing fundamentals
"The recipe for story is very simple: Take somebody you like and get them into trouble. The better the character, the worse the trouble, the better the story," Bruce said.

Another rule: The character has to solve the problem. Usually they're making a tough choice.

"Writing is, in many ways, the art of choosing details" Bruce said. "By choosing the right details, you can crank up the emotional drama and make the story more compelling... By asking questions and inventing scenes that answer them, you end up with a story."

For your major scenes, try to engage three of the five senses. Don't do it for all your scenes; that's too much.

* * * * *

JOKE INTERLUDE

Q. How do you write a story for the New Yorker?

A. It's easy. Just write your story and throw away the last page. Then you have a New Yorker story.

* * * * *

On characters: Make your character face a tough choice: a moral decision, Bruce said. All of the elements in a story should lead to choice, which is the primary character revealer in a story. Generally, people will take the most conservative action that gets them what they want.

More Bruce

Super Special Golden Kite Luncheon Guest: Richard Peck is in the House!

2011-08-07T14:43:00.000-07:00

Nobody every became a writer, said Richard Peck. We write in admiration of writers who are better than we are.

The book on my desk these days, he says, is STUART LITTLE. (He's currently writing books from the perspective of a mouse.) The one voice our story never needs is ours, he says.

I'm not getting pointers from STUART LITTLE. I'm getting companionship from E.B. White. That's the advantage of our field: we can talk to dead people.

STUART LITTLE was published in 1945, Richard says. E.B. White could give Stuart little an adult voice, because back then, children heard adult voices. Today the take orders from the leader of the peer group.

Why does STUART LITTLE live on? Because he's the smallest, most vulnverable character in the story, and he's the hero, Richard said.

Here is the sacred secret of what we do, Richard says:

A story is always something that never happened to the author.

E.B What was never a mouse or a spider.
J.K. Rowling never attended Hogwarts.
Stephenie Myer never got bitten by a you-know-what.

Every book begins in the library with the hope that it will end there, he says.

His message to young people: Unless you find yourself on the page very early in life, you will spend your life looking for yourself in all the wrong places.

Salley Mavor: Picture Book Illustration Golden Kite Award Winner

2011-08-07T14:27:00.000-07:00

Sarah Stern says one of the reasons Salley Mavor's POCKET FULL OF POSIES won this year's Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Illustration is that every single page is beautifully crafted and embroidered, lovingly and carefully worked on for years at a time.

Some quotes from Salley's acceptance speech:

It is a great honor to have my work recognized this way.... Since my first book, THE WAY HOME, was published 20 years ago, I've felt like an outsider paddling upstream—with a needle and thimble in a stream of watercolors. Now I feel I'm floating down a stream of possibilities.

Some people Salley wanted to thank:

Margaret Raymo, her editor, who was patient while Salley worked, sometimes for a year at a time, without showing Margaret anything.
Salley's husband, who has encouraged her work and never suggested she get a "real" job.

from her Amazon page

Quotes from Salley's about her art style, which she calls fabric relief, and how she began to create in fabric:

I say I am part of the "slow art movement."

Machines are no help, everything is done by hand.

Growing up crayons, were never enough... I'd spend hours creating scenes and clothing for my miniature dolls.

At RISD she rediscovered her love of 3D art and had teachers that encouraged her to work outside of the yoke of traditional illustration mediums. It's during this time Salley taught herself to embroider.

Salley is an active blogger and I love the photos she posts. Check them out here. Her work can be found in a touring exhibit AND you can even learn how to do fabric relief by picking up her book, FELT WEE FOLK.

Alan Silberberg, Sid Fleischman Award winner for MILO: STICKY NOTES & BRAIN FREEZE

2011-08-07T14:25:00.000-07:00


Alan Silberberg holds the paperback version of Milo: Sticky Notes & Brain Freeze

Sid Fleischman was one of the founders of SCBWI and a master of comic invention. He died about a year and a half ago, and the award continues in memory of Sid and in honor of humorous writing.

Lin Oliver, no slouch herself when it comes to funny, introduced us to the delightful and warm-hearted Alan Silberman, who won this year's award for his book MILO: STICKY NOTES & BRAIN FREEZE, about a 12-year-old boy who loses his mother, sneezes on the girl he secretly loves, and learns to live with both.

"Like all great comedy, it has its basis in the human heart," Lin Oliver said. "From the moment we meet Milo we know we're in the presence of a hero who teaches us that humor and hope are the antidotes to grief and isolation.

He shared episodes from his writer's journey with us.

"My first book was pond scum," he said, not clarifying that POND SCUM was the title of the book and not his own personal post-publication review.

After that, he had a couple of false starts. He felt waves of panic until a bookseller asked him why he hadn't tried combining his cartooning and writing. Sort of like that little Wimpy Kid series.

That's when Milo was born. To get into the headspace of a 13-year-old, he had to travel back into his own memories ... to the time when he had braces and ate a forbidden Baby Ruth (with disastrous results), and to the death of his mother when he was 9 years old.

That's when he got the idea to combine humor and heartbreak so that he could tell the story of a funny kid living in a fog-filled emotional world. He wanted kids to laugh even as Milo dealt with that sadness, and to win a humor award for that means the world, he said.

For a description of his working relationship with editor Liesa Abrams, check out our recap.

He dedicated the award to his mother, Audrey Silberberg. And then we all cried.

Rukhsana Khan: Golden Kite Winner for Picture Book Text

2011-08-07T14:22:00.001-07:00

Writing the text of a picture book is deceptive. I mean, you look at the number of pages. 32. "I can write 32 pages!"
You look at the word count. Under 1,000. "I can crank out 1,000 words in one sitting!"
And you think, "how hard could it be?"

Well if you've tried it, you'll understand that crafting a great picture book text is like mastering the art of bonsai. Every word counts. Trim here. Shape there. Let the story grow and bloom and yet keep it tightly constrained while you revise and revise... and revise until there's magic shimmering in every word, in every page turn, in every emotion.

Rukhsana Khan wrote "Big Red Lollipop," and it's a beautifully written (and beautiful) picture book about culture clashes and wanting to fit in and sibling rivalry and ultimately, love.

Illustrated by Sophie Blackall, Rukhsana Khan's text for "Big Red Lollipop" won her the Golden Kite Award.

Here's Rukhsana accepting her award:

In her acceptance speech, she's telling us that she's been writing seriously for twenty-two years. And it took her ten years to write this. She's telling us that the first version of "Big Red Lollipop" showed up as an anecdote in her novel, "Dahling, If You Luv Me, Would You Please, Please Smile."

She's explaining the story behind the story - a moment from her childhood, where she wasn't the point of view character she later depicted in "Big Red Lollipop" - she was actually the younger sister who ate the lollipop!

And as an adult, she told this real life moment at a conference, and had to figure out, how do I make this a story? She uses it in workshops, and asks attendees to come up with different endings.

When you're writing a story, you can change what happens.

The ending in the book isn't what happened, but what should have.

She tried to make this story work in multiple formats over the years, (even as an easy reader), and then got the suggestion to re-write the story from her older sister's point of view - it was the breakthrough she needed and she wrote it in 15 minutes - "this story took me ten years and fifteen minutes to write."

Rukhsana is a great storyteller, and it's a wonderful picturebook!

Golden Kite Luncheon: Jennifer Holm: Fiction

2011-08-07T14:11:00.001-07:00

Jennifer Holm is the 2011 Golden Kite Award recipient for TURTLE in PARADISE.

Jennifer opens with, "I like to revise. It's kind of an occupational hazard, if you know what I mean." Then she thanks the entire room and tells us she has a lot of thank you notes to write.

She could hardly believe she had won this award.

Jennifer was sick when she learned she won and said, "That call was better than any chicken soup."

TURTLE IN PARADISE wasn't an easy book to write, she tells us.

"Don't give up. Stopping counting after you hit the 16th draft. Save frequently. Hire a babysitter so you have time to write," she told the room and then shared that this room of people is here for us (all of us). "We are your people."

Unveiling the Golden Kite poster!

2011-08-07T14:09:00.001-07:00

Sarah Stern has designed the first ever Golden Kite poster. This poster will be sent to schools, libraries and bookstores all over the country to promote the latest winners of this prestigious award. This year's poster features the art of past GK Picture Book Illustration Award winner, John Parra.

These are going to be collector's items, so beautiful!

Golden Kite Luncheon - Student Illustrator Scholarships

2011-08-07T14:04:00.000-07:00

SCBWI has come up with yet another amazing opportunity for new artists. And no, it isn't a Ponzi Scheme. Lin may be privy to some Fonzi Schemes, but I digress.

The new SCBWI scholarship awards three full-time illustration students attendance to the national conferences.

The winners this year are Lisa Anchin, from the School of Visual Arts, Julianna Brion, from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and Sarah Krzynowek from Huntington University.

And just check out who one of the new mentees is and also placed in the portfolio show?

From Julianna Brion's portfolio

Golden Kite Luncheon: Tanya Lee Stone, Nonficton Winner

2011-08-07T13:47:00.000-07:00

Tonya Lee Stone won the Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction for ther book THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE BARBIE. Tanya can't accept the award in person, but we get to see her speech on screen.

Barbie is why I'm "here" today, she said. She thanks her publisher Viking for being giddy about the topic of Barbie. Tonya seems rather giddy about her honor. (Congratulations, Tanya!)

2011 SCBWI Member of the Year

2011-08-07T13:31:00.000-07:00

Huge congratulations to Michelle Parker-Rock for winning this year's Member of the Year Award.

Michelle is long-time Regional Advisor of the Arizona region and author of many books for kids.

"SCBWI, I love you," says a shocked Michelle.

Richard Jesse Watson - The Illustrator's Journey: From Capable to Mastery - Throw Yourself Down the Rabbit Hole

2011-08-07T12:40:00.001-07:00

You may already like like Richard Jesse Watson. But after reading about his presentation you will LOVE Richard Jesse Watson. Below are some of his excellent tips for taking your illustrating skills to the next level.

Richard with his awesome models

Richard says:

If you want to be in this business for the long haul,

you have to throw yourself down the rabbit hole.

It takes real commitment, real attention, real therapy. Richard says you don't have to PAY for therapy, he recommends going for a walk. And like David Small said, sometimes writing and making art IS the therapy.

Richard believes one of the things that has taken his art to the next level is building mock-ups and models for his illustration. Do other great artists do this?

YOU BET YOUR McCLINTOCK!

Barbara McClintock makes paper cutouts of her characters and sketches flat paper background scenes. They are only rough sketches of her characters to stand in front of, but she can position these characters anywhere trying out different configurations until she gets things just right.

NAUGHTY ROBERT!

Robert McCloskey got some ducklings in anticipation of doing MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS. He sketched them while they were hanging out in his bathtub. Richard told us Robert gave them liquor to calm them down.

ADAM REX, THE ZIMA OF THE CHILDREN'S BOOK WORLD?

Adam Rex is a curious, effervescent mix of writing and illustrating talents. And he is so talented nmakes sculpy models of his characters, foam core versions of important prompts, like steamboats, as well as posing for reference photos himself.

DOES AN ELEPHANT POOP IN THE WOODS? I DON'T KNOW, BUT IF IT DOES, YOU CAN MAKE A BOOK WITH WHAT COMES OUT.

Richard not only builds maquettes, not only gets wild animals (though he doesn't slip them a Mickey), not only poses for photographs, he also rents planes. Look at his lovely caterpillar maquette. Without the maquette, Richard would never have imagined such amazing shadows were possible.

To do Tom Thumb, Richard got a pet mouse to sketch. It would run around on his desk. The mouse was always on the move, very very hard to sketch. And the one time the mouse DID stand still, it was to pee right on Richard's final cover painting.

Richard's lovely wife, Suzi, sews costumes for Richard's models (usually his sons.)

For THE BOY WHO WENT APE, Richard went down to Oregon to sketch chimps.

To get reference for the aerial shots in THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, Richard rented a private plane to fly over his hometown for a half an hour. He brought three cameras so he wouldn't miss anything, but didn't realize he'd get airsick. No one barfed, and Richard did not accidentally brain the mayor with a falling camera.

Final words from Richard on How To Turn an Industry BooHoo into a BooYah:

It's a tough time in the industry, but if you are patient, there's big opportunity. There are benefits to adversity. To paraphrase J.K. Rowling, failure means stripping away all of the inessential. Put all your energy into what you are working on, you don't have to fight the pressures of fame and fortune because you don't have any! Just do your best work.

Martha Rago - The Craft of the Picture Book

2011-08-07T11:45:00.001-07:00

from SCBWI SoCal

Martha's session began with running us through how a manuscript is acquired (and the illustrator chosen and acquired.)

For starters, Martha says the driving force in the business right now is chain stores, so they do need to cater to their needs, but she/HarperCollins also try to balance that with the artistic and thematic leanings of each HarperCollins imprint.

A real world example:

Once upon a time, Martha got a manuscript from Anne Hoppe, WHEN I GROW UP. Chains like celebrity authors with built-in platforms (though Martha loved the manuscript before she realized it was written by Al Yankovic!) But celebrity books present an added pressure--the artwork will have to stand up to the scrutiny of Al's fans and fit in with his existing brand.

Martha: Sometimes it's pure luck that connects me to an artist at the right time.

The week Martha got the WHEN I GROW UP manuscript, she received a postcard with distinctive, quirky art. She looked up the illustrator's website and blog to see more of his work. She liked it very much, but thought his palette was a little limited. Martha emailed Wes Hargis about the project and her thoughts on some tweaks to his art that might be needed. Wes was open to change. And able to meet Martha's deadlines—the book's publication would need to be timed to come out with an upcoming tour of Al's.

Martha's role at the very beginning of a book:

RESEARCH: Find that perfect artist. Martha keeps a constant eye out for new illustrators, she meets with agents, looks at blogs, goes to conferences, visits portfolio days at nearby colleges. She often keeps samples she likes up on bulletin boards.

ACQUISITION: The editor initiates the illustrator acquisition process. An editor gives Martha a manuscript they're thinking of acquiring, and then talks with Martha about the size/trim/audience/look/budget of the book.

DON'T EAT IT, PITCH IT! Martha and the editor take all of this information and turn that into a pitch (coupled with a profit & loss statement) to an acquisitions meeting.

Martha: You have to really love the work. You live with this book.

Ambassador Emeritus Jon Scieszka Breaks It Down and Goes All Interactive On Us

2011-08-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

Jon Scieszka wowing us

In his Breakout session, "Experimenting with Multi-Platform Storytelling," Jon dove deeper into the genesis of his four book series Spaceheadz, and how it was conceptualized and sold as half-book and half-digital program.

Spaceheadz was conceived to get kids to be media literate, giving them access, helping them analyze and evaluate and ultimately encouraging them to create media in a variety of forms.

He took the idea that everything broadcast on TV goes on and on into outer space, forever... all those "I Love Lucy" episodes, and those commercials, being watched by Aliens. And what if some of those aliens came to Earth and only knew about us from TV? From commercials?

What would they think about the Charmin toilet paper commercials? They wouldn't know what toilet paper was for. They'd think it was something that made big bears happy.

So the Spaceheadz books are integrated with digital pieces, online sites and experiences that expand on the story of three aliens and one human boy trying to save the world.

He runs down all the amazing elements of the Spaceheadz universe online, and then launches a Q&A, which covers lots of details of how he's doing it - pitfalls he and his digital team had to avoid, and advice for attendees on things to consider if we also want to take our stories across media.

It's a really valuable session, and the inspiration in the room is palpable!

Mary Pope Osborne: All About a Career in Children's Books

2011-08-07T11:43:00.000-07:00

Mary Pope Osborne has written many books for kids. She is best known for her MAGIC TREE HOUSE series.

Mary starting writing thirty years ago.

When she first started, an editors took interest and told her it was great, but that they needed to see if she could rewrite. She grabbed hold.

Mary suggests: If you get an editor who responds to you and shows any interest, grab hold because they don't do that lightly.

She says she's never been mean to myself as a writer and does not believe in writers block. She is okay with writing badly. She knows she can go back and fix it.

Mary wrote 4 young adult novels and 4 picture books, but still wasn't getting her head above water as an author.

Became interested in Greek mythology and pitched an idea to do a collection of stories. She began doing many retellings. She continued to write many books until an editor asked her write a series which became Magic Tree House.

Mary through herself into four of the books, and then Random House asked her to do four more. School visits became key for her. A local bookstore helped her get the visits. She believes those visits helped with the series success.

Magic Tree House has had the same editor and illustrator all these years. Wow!

A fun side note: Mary admits that she thinks the first book wasn't written well and Random House has let her rewrite the first, DINOSAURS BEFORE DARK, for the 20 year anniversary of the series.

Still today she questions when she should stop. Thinks she will when she dreads writing another one, but right now she's having a great time.

Mary admits she has boxes of things that never have never been published.

Tip: If you have a book coming out, meet the people who sell your books (meet the sales reps). Thank them, and remember them.

Tip: You should be an Authors Guild member if you've published even one book.

Tip: When you're stuck, get out of your chair, leave it and it will come to you through your subconscious. Also, keep notebooks all around because you never know when the answer will come to you.

Sarah Stewart: writing up to children

2011-08-07T11:11:00.000-07:00

Sarah Stewart

Sarah Stewart is the author of five picture books: The Money Tree, The Library, The Gardener, The Journey, and The Friend. David Small, her husband, illustrated each of them. Her next book, The Quiet Place, comes out in 2012.

If you don't remember anything else, Sarah said, remember these two quotes:

Whenever Flaubert was asked for the true identity of Madame Bovary, he would say, "C'est moi."

"If it doesn't come from deep inside of you, forget it," Sarah said. "It's not going to go across the world."

And then, E.B. White, when asked about writing to little children, said, "I write up to children. They are my most discerning audience."

Children listen differently, Sarah told us. Much more honestly to one another and in their speech.

She exhorted us to leave the room if we weren't willing to go deep with our work: "The blank paper stares at me unblinking, unforgiving, daring me to write a meaningful line. If you're not prepared to fling yourself, body and soul into your writing for the rest of your lives, you should rise up and flee out of this room right now."

And she gave us three words to live by: expect, protect, and reject.

Expectation: By this, she means to expect a lot of yourself and expect a lot of your reader. Honor that desire to know in all of us, she said ... the insatiable curiosity in nearly every child. The openness that is so natural for the very young. At the same time, acknowledge the best in yourself. Be quiet. Search within your own unique experience. Take the time you need. Take the time that you and your writing deserve. Remember that only in long silences are we able to hear our most inner selves.

Expect to finish what you've started. "Small miracles can come from the simple act of finishing a story," she said.

Expect a lot of yourself and write up to the child with honesty.

Protection: She urged us to "Protect yourself from Internet invasion and family chaos and work stress in any way that does no harm to your relationships. Get up before everyone else. Ask for quiet time in the family when appropriate. If you work away from home, if you can, eat lunch occasionally and take notes. Eudora Welty said, 'Writing is a muscle. If you don't use it every day, it will let you down. It will diminish'."

Protect your brain. Eat well and exercise. You'll not only write better, you'll feel better. And when you're called up onstage to receive the award for your next book, you'll even look better.

Rejection: Reject the shallow connectedness of the web. Without being selfish or rude, give yourself and your own thoughts as much time as possible.

You do not have to be the most popular person ... to be a great writer. You have to write, and write some more, and then start again and write it better.

When you do send a story off and it gets rejected, remember that it's the story being rejected--and not you. And so put that story away. Let it rest. Don't look at it for months. Write another story. Get out from under that rejection.

Sarah read to us from three classic books (check them out for inspiration):

The Grinch by Dr. Seuss
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
The Crows of Pearblossom by Aldous Huxley

A Three-Way Conversation: The Authors-Agent-Editor Relationship

2011-08-07T10:42:00.001-07:00

Author Nova Ren Suma (IMAGINARY GIRLS), editor Julie Strauss-Gabel (Dutton) and agent Michael Bourret (Dystel & Goderich) are talking about the three-pronged relationship between author, agent and editor.

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

Julie stresses that these relationships work different for everyone--no one starts their journey in the same way.

Michael and Julie have none each other for approximately a decade. Michael says Julie was someone he really respected and really wanted to work with. But he wanted to sent her the RIGHT project, something with the kind of voice she's looking for.

Julie says she trusts Michael's knowledge or her taste, Michael's taste, and the way Michael does business, so when he sends her a project, she looks at it immediately.

Julie stresses that choosing an agent is a critical decision for your career--it's important to find one who helps you develop your strength and work on your weaknesses. Be sure to ask questions, talk with an agents clients, and don't rush.

Michael says that it is worth your time to take is slowly and think about what you're doing. An agent doesn't (shouldn't!) expect you to make a decision in 24 hours.

Michael points out that once the editor and author strart working together, he's still involved in the process. He's copied on editorial letters. He answers questions an author will have. He gives pep talks.

THE DEAL

Michael says at this point, there are way more agents than there are editors. An editor recently told him that she got 20 submissions from agents last week. He wants his to rise to the top--and his relationship with editors helps facilitate that.

Nova published her first book with S&S without and agent. When she was ready to shop her second book, she wanted to work with an agent. Michael told her he thought they could sell the project, but he wanted to find her an editor that would really push her. "That scared me," Nova says. And that's why she knew that's what she had to do.

Nova said she rewrote her synopsis some five times so they could get the propsal in the best shape possible. When she started working with Michael, she only had 20 pages written.

Michael took Nova's book to auction with a short list of editors. Julie was at the top of the list, and she also won the auction.

Julie points outs that she didn't get the project just because she had the highest bid. Once there was a short list of editors interested, Nova had conversations with all of the publishers who were interested. Julie says even if you're not in an auction situations, it's important to have that conversation before you deal is made.

Julie says the relationship betweenn the three of them works so well, is because it's really about the book that ultimatley came out of it (not about the deal).

Julie and Michael say this like to be really clear and honest with writers when it comes to the work that needs to be done with a manuscript.

THE EDITORIAL PROCESS

Nova says IMAGINARY GIRLS went through four or five rounds of revisions and it was the hardest work she never did. "I thought at times Julie knew my characters more than I did."

Julie learning, via a conversation with Micahel, that Nova has been a short story writer, gave Julie an insight that allowed them to get through a revision hump. Nova says that plot is her weak point. Julie took the novel and divided it up into four stories, illuminating everything for her.

Portfolio Showcase Winners

2011-08-07T10:03:00.000-07:00

An esteemed panel of judges (possessing much expertise and very good taste) pored over portfolios yesterday to choose winners for the SCBWI Portfolio Showase! Laurent Linn, Steven Malk, Richard Jesse Watson, Nancy Conescu and Jamie Weiss Chilton chose a portfolio grand prize winner and three honor winners, and the Illustrator Committee chose several illustrators to participate in SCBWI's illustrator mentorship program.

Note that mentorship recipient Julianna Brion won an SCBWI student scholarship (one of three winners), awarded this year for the first time. And she's the recipient of both a portfolio honor and mentorship. Also note that honor winner Joen Deininger was a mentorship winner last year. (The wonderful SCBWI Illustrator Committee programs yield results!)

Here are the recipients...

Grand Prize Winner: ELIZA WHEELER

Portfolio Honor: GREG PIZZOLI

Portfolio Honor & Mentorship Recipient: JULIANNA BRION

Portfolio Honor: JOHN DEININGER

Mentorship Recipient: ANDREA ZUILL

Mentorship Recipient: JUANA MARTINEZ

Mentorship Recipeint: CHRISTINA FORSHAY

Mentorship Recipient: JESSICA LANAN

Agent Panel: Barry Goldblatt

2011-08-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

Barry Goldblatt

Barry Goldblatt is a lucky man.

Not only does he happen to work for an agency with the same name as his (what are the odds?), he's married to the fabulous Libba Bray, who has entertained and inspired us all weekend. And in addition to Libba, he represents some of the most compelling writers in the business: Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, and Lauren Myracle.

The 11-year-old agency has two agents now, Barry and Joe Monti. They represent everything from picture books up through YA.

On digital publishing:

The simple fact is, this is nothing new. The way it's being done is new. Vanity publishing has been around since the first printing presses have been available. It doesn't change anything about how professional publishing works or how we work. Our job is to find authors whose work we believe in and give them the best chance to be seen by as many eyes as we can.

On market segments that are thriving:

Barry doesn't worry about this: "My job is, I get a great book. If I believe in that book and the author is really talented, I'm going to find that book a home whether the marketplace is buying that or not. Right now, you hear a lot of buzz about YA. But there are a lot of readers who aren't reading YA and we're still publishing books for them. Just because it's not fancy and glamorous doesn't mean there's not a market for it."

What makes you sure you can sell a first-time author's manuscript?

I signed it! I have a full list and there's not tons of room left. But I'm always looking for new people. There is very little in agenting as satisfying as making that first sale for an author. It's the best rush we get. It really, really is.

What's voice?

"We know it when we see it." With his clients on a recent retreat, he had everybody bring a paragraph or sample of what they thought was good voice. Having everybody read what they thought was great voice was really enlightening. It was different from every person there. What was consistent was, you knew it when you heard it.

What happens if you can't sell something?

"I have a 98 percent sell rate. Are there things that can't sell now? Yes. Are there things we can't sell now that we pick up later? Yes. Are there things that are unsellable? Yes. As we've discussed, those conversations with the client can be really difficult. Sometimes you emerge from it as a team, sometimes you don't. I built this agency on the idea that great writing will always find a home, no matter how weird a problem is or how oddball it is in terms of where the marketplace is."

"I don't measure my success or failure about whether the book becomes a huge hit. That's not what it's about. It's about a good publishing experience for my author."

You have a magic wand. You can fix any one thing in the publishing business. What would it be?

I want the end of semiannual payments to authors. In Europe, they pay once a year.
How do we submit to you?

BGliterary.com has our guidelines. It's email only. Please follow the guidelines. You will be deleted if you don't follow the rules.

What do you not want to see any more of?
Bad.

What's the next hotspot?
Horror.

What's your pet peeve about submissions?
For me it's simply sending me things I don't represent. It drives me crazy.

What would you like to land on your submissions desk tomorrow?
All of the above: brilliant, award-winning bestseller.

Barry took a moment to mention the passage of the brilliant William Sleater: "If you have not read his work, you should. His book INTERSTELLAR PIG will be enjoyed by any reader of any age. He will be sorely missed.

Agent Panel: Tracey Adams

2011-08-07T09:28:00.001-07:00

Tracey Adams (with her husband Josh) runs Adams Literary - a boutique agency exclusively dedicated to representing children's and young adult authors and artists, including many award-winning and bestselling clients!

Tracey starts out by sharing that this month's SCBWI Bulletin's SCBWI Success Story is Veronica Rossi and her debut "Under The Never Sky" - whom she and Josh met at last year's Saturday night pool party... and then Tracey held up the published book!

When asked about e-books and the changes in publishing, Tracey mentioned how they're looking at working with some of the new smaller publishers (like Little Pickle Press) and for all the changes in format, from audio books through e-books and beyond, their goal is to figure out what's best for their authors.

Here's a great quote from Tracey:

While some agencies might be saying 'can I sell this?,' we're thinking 'am I in love with this?' ...We don't give up easily, and if we love something, we're gonna find a home for it."

The panel is funny, and there's lots of great info being share - it's fascinating to get this glimpse into Tracey's process.

Is she an editorial agent (doing revisions with her clients before submission?)

She likens it to real estate, and says

"we see ourselves as stagers - we get it ready in its best form to submit."

whether it takes a pass or two with the author revising it or if she gets it and it's good to go,

"If we see voice, we're gonna grab you up because I don't think you can teach that."

The panel ends with brilliant lightning round, and it was such a great opportunity to learn more about Tracey Adams. Oh, and you can follow Adams Literary on twitter here!

Agent Panel: Tina Wexler

2011-08-07T09:25:00.000-07:00

Tina Wexler is a literary agent at International Creative Management (ICM).

ICM is one of the largest and oldest agencies in the world. The literary department consists of 11 agents representing everything from kids to adult. In the children's scope, she reps everything from tots to teens.

On Digital publishing:

Independently publishing a book is a vital option for some. It works if you just want something out there, but if your goal is to have a thriving career, it's just as much work, if not more work.

What if you have a client who has had several successful books, but the next one delivered doesn't seem strong enough. What do you do?

Tina has a relationship with her clients and she would have a conversation with that person, letting them know that this might not be the next book. It would be a difficult conversation, but an important one.

What happens if you have a author who's sold several books, but wants to take to the next level and get a better deal?

If you want to get to that next level then you must take your writing there. "We're only as good as the material we're selling." You should ask, What are you doing to get there?

You have a magic wand, and you can fix anything in the publishing business, what would it be?

I want more bookstores to come back.

The lightning round:

What do you not want to see any more of?

Screen plays.

What's the next hot genre?

Sci-fi

Pet peeve about submissions?

Hostility.

What would you like to land on your desk?

Ditto (to Marcia's, "Something brilliant")

Agent Panel: Marcia Wernick

2011-08-07T09:24:00.002-07:00

Marcia Wernick has brought some of our favorite creators into the publishing world, like Mo Willems and Peggy Rathmann. Her new agency, Wernick & Pratt, just celebrated its six-month anniversary. She promises their website will be updated soon.

Thoughts on digital publishing?

The digital world offers a lot of opportunities, but it's not a replacement for publishers. It's changing the way
Opportunities for game apps, things linked to picture books, but I don't think it Most of our job is to be your advocate and business advisor, this is part of what we have to do, guide you through whether digital publishing will be good for your career.

In your opinion, is there a genre or age-group category that's drying up right now? Or one that's thriving?

Marcia: I think there's always a market for a well-crafted, strong original voice. It took her two and a half years to sell DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS, but it did sell, eventually.

One market more challenged than the others is the non-fiction market. It's taken a hit. It's traditionally been geared to the school and library markets, both of which have endured big budget cuts.

You have a client, you've sold four books with the client. They deliver their next book and you don't love it, what do you do?

Sometimes, to support my opinion that it's not working, I'll share the manuscript with Linda Pratt to get her opinion and share that with the author, too. On occasion I'll share it with the editor who is publishing that author, too.

When you go out with a manuscript from a debut author, what makes you sure you can sell it?

This industry is driven passion, so I need to be passionate about the manuscript. I am the Mama Bear, I make sure my client is taken care of and their work is out there. I feel an incredible entitlement on behalf of my client. It's their right to get their work out there—it's our right.

How do you find illustrators?

Most of my clients have come through referrals. Some digital submissions, sometimes meeting them at conferences. One of the things that's very different about looking at artwork vs. illustration is an illustration portfolio needs to show characters. And character development and emotion moving or changing through an illustrator's portfolio.

What happens if you can't sell something?

It's important that while I'm trying to sell a project the author continues to move forward by working on new projects. We're looking long term, I'm not just interested in selling one project.

If you were given a magic wand to change one thing in publishing, what would that thing be?

On the business side, I like escalating royalties across the board.

The Agent Panel Is Starting!

2011-08-07T08:53:00.004-07:00

They're in bathrobes (a funny 'protest' at the early hour) but they're on and the ballroom is full!

Brenda Bowen (far right, standing) moderates the agent panel.
Seated, from right to left, Tracey Adams, Marcia Wernick, Tina Wexler, and Barry Goldblatt

We'll be blogging on each agent's comments in separate posts, so look for those...

The Agent Panel Is Starting!

2011-08-07T08:53:00.002-07:00

They're in bathrobes (a funny 'protest' at the early hour) but they're on and the ballroom is full!

Brenda Bowen (far right, standing) moderates the agent panel.
Seated, from right to left, Tracey Adams, Marcia Wernick, Tina Wexler, and Barry Goldblatt

We'll be blogging on each agent's comments in separate posts, so look for those...

Gary Paulsen: Write What You Know

2011-08-06T17:06:00.000-07:00

I've been coming to this conference for a few years now, but I have to say that today's breakout with author Gary Paulsen is something I will NEVER forget. In fact, I have six pages of notes--but I'm still speechless.

First, the topic of his talk was: Write What You Know: Some Thoughts On Outdoor Adventure, Sled Dogs, Sailboats, And Other Things Best Left To Experts Or Those With Self-Destructive Tendencies.

Gary Paulsen is the amazing author of Hatchet, Dogsong, The Winter Room and more. But the first thing that was clear when he started speaking was that Gary is a storyteller. His words had edge, passion, but more than anything, they painted a realistic picture of things I've never even imagined.

From stories of his time in the military to his years in Hollywood, his time spent in a cabin in the woods, trapping before getting dogs for the Iditarod--Gary's words were sometimes funny, sometimes shocking, but completely unlike any breakout I've ever attended.

During the Q&A, one audience member called out: "Forget the questions! Tell us another jail story!" To which Gary answered, "Okay." We were truly mesmerized.

Some of the most touching moments were when Gary talked about his dogs, his time on the Iditarod. The entire session was about his journey through life, his inspirations, his... unconventional take on publishing.

But one of the best lessons was when he said, "You write for writing and everything else is shit." Gary hit on a feeling, that feeling that this business is hard sometimes--but ultimately, it's the love of writing that keeps us in the game.

Mary Pope Osborne: A Bridge of Children's Books

2011-08-06T17:04:00.000-07:00

Mary Pope Osborne has written many books for children, but is known for her ever-popular MAGIC TREE HOUSE series.

Mary speaks to how she studied and fell in love with: character, setting, voice, and plot, using examples from many well-loved books and even childrens' letters.

"There's a huge range of how to tell stories with humor and depth."

But there's something more.

"Being a children's book author after thirty years is more than a way to earn a living. It's a way of looking at the world in a way of seeing more deeply, with more love and more attention, taking kids by the hand and asking them to come along."

Beverly Horowitz: Forget the Trends: the Story Only You Can Write

2011-08-06T16:52:00.000-07:00

Clearly a trend at this conference is a packed break-out session, and, in keeping with the trends, Beverly Horowitz is standing-room only.

Some thoughts Beverly has on trends:

You should know what’s going on in the market.

What are trends anyway?

Pay attention to the impact of trends, not just in the book business, but in the world.

If you see what’s working now, it’s too late. However, open your eyes, you don’t have to opt in. You can opt out.

"There is always room for something new and different."

Trends are important. It helps us understand the marketplace, and to understand the need.

Things change. Trends change.

Do your best work. What’s important is your commitment to the quality and the storytelling. That, only you can do.

Marcia Wernick's Workshop: Ain't Nobody's Business but my Own: Creating Your Own Career Path

2011-08-06T16:25:00.000-07:00

Marcia speaking to the room of PAL Session attendees

Marcia Wernick is the agent that introduced Mo Willems to the publishing world. Previously at the Sheldon Fogelman Agency, together with Linda Pratt she launched Wernick & Pratt Agency in January 2011.

Marcia starts her workshop speaking about career paths, and how there's no magic - it takes years of struggle and commitment to become an overnight success (she recalls that it took her two and a half years for her to sell "Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus.")

For your path, you need to find your strengths, hone your skills and keep creating...

She's advising us how to be strategic in choosing what you are going to work on next, and sharing about how placing a second book is different than placing a third book - when the third book is being submitted, there's already a track record on how your debut novel sold, and that's considered as part of the acquisitions process.

She goes into depth on how you need to treat this writing/illustrating career as a business, and how you need to rally your business team:

An agent

Your writers group

your editorial relationship

a publicist?

And if a publicist isn't possible, what creative things can you do marketing-wise to entice readers to come to you?

Social media (PB authors don't need to be on facebook)

Book trailers

School visits

Conferences - which ones (besides SCBWI) to attend!

She spoke about ways to diversify your portfolio - from writing to other age categories to licensing.

One of the great points she shared:

We need to have a business plan, and to review it at regular intervals for what we've achieved and which goals need to be re-set. She urges us to set realistic goals that are under our control (you can't set winning the Newbery Award or getting starred reviews as a goal, since you don't control those) but you CAN set a goal of delivering a new draft of a manuscript in the next six months, or contacting your local newspaper, or getting 300 new facebook friends in the next month... She also suggests keeping these lists of checked-off goals as an "inventory of achievements."

And Marcia urges us to not get caught up in comparing ourselves to others (there will always be someone doing better in terms of NY Times bestseller lists, awards, and other authors/illustrators doing worse...) We should keep in mind there are lots of other measures of success, and suggests a few:

solid, consistent publication of your books

support of your indie bookstore

making state library book lists

subsidiary rights sales

positive reviews

fan letters

And Marcia concluded the session with a fun and super-informative Q&A, fielding questions on when to leave your day job, how to approach publishing in more than one age category, pseudonyms, and many more!

Ann Angel: Finding the Narrative in Nonfiction

2011-08-06T16:02:00.000-07:00

Ann Angel (SCBWI Crystal Kite winner for JANIS JOPLIN: RISE UP SINGING) says that now is one of the most exciting times for nonfiction. There's so much more attention being paid to nonfiction today

Janis Joplin, the subject of her recent book, was someone she idolized when she was a kid. She's currently doing research for a book in Stevie Ray Vaughan and another on human trafficking in America.

When Ann started writing nonfiction, she thought there were two ways to do it--coming at it as either a historian or a reporter. Passion is not generally a word people use to describe nonfiction, she says, but it's there. You can see it. Passion is what's necessary for a creative nonfiction writer. You can be a passionate reporter. In addition to having a narrative voice, you also can be funny, playful, personal, objective, scientific, interpretive.

When Ann writes nonfiction, she doesn't leave out the "bad stuff." You need to get the facts from primary resources, she says. She interviewed three people who were in Janis Joplin's life (friends and family) as she worked on her book. Back story is also important for giving depth to nonfiction. You have to have so much information that you feel like you've lived the life of the subject, but you don't use it all.

For trade books, nonfiction should have a third person point of view and make the reader feel like they are on the journey--the reader shouldn't be interrupted by the narrator, Ann says.

I fired my therapist: the author-editor relationship

2011-08-06T15:53:00.000-07:00

Liesa Abrams and Alan Silberberg teamed up to discuss how authors and editors can best work together. Liesa is executive editor at Aladdin, and Alan is the Sid Fleischman Award-winning author of MILO: STICKY NOTES AND BRAIN FREEZE.

Even before the session started, we could see the deep rapport these two have. No wonder they fired their therapists.

MILO is about a quirky, weird wonderful boy coming to grips with the death of his mother, something Alan related to because he experienced that loss as a child. Initially, he thought the book was going to be funny, but as he delved deeper into his memories, the book got more serious.

"The book has changed my life in so many ways," he said. "My life changed because my agent was able to take this manuscript and hand it over to Liesa."

Liesa related to the book because it was her husband's story, as well. His own mom died of cancer, and he'd spoken about it in similar ways. The closest thing she could come to healing her husband's loss was to work on this book. She really, really wanted to work on it and felt anxiety that it might not come to pass.

"This is the book that will make me feel my entire career has meaning if I can edit this book."

He read from the editorial letter Liesa wrote him, and we all got choked up. "I hadn't just found a way to get Milo published, but I had found this connection with this personal story."

One challenge was to separate themselves from the story a bit. Alan, who illustrated MILO, experimented with characters that looked less like him. Being able to have Liesa put a little distance between himself and the material allowed him to edit it from a safer place.

"I don't mean to get all therapy on you," he said, "but I really needed to feel safe to go back into these memories."

Liesa gave an example of how they shaped the story: the Milo character wrote about headaches making him think of drafting a will. It's not a kid point of view to think that way, so he wrote that Milo felt scared instead.

Liesa never asked which scenes were autobiographical (they were all emotionally true, but some were fictionalized). She was glad to have that distance, which let her look at it as a work of fiction.

"The reader only knows what's there on the page. They're reading that book. You're not there. It's not that actions can't be contradictory--you have to understand why the character is contradicting themselves."

"It's not just about the advance and the royalties," Liesa said. "It makes a world of difference to have a relationship like this... the writing is the most personal thing you can do."

Alan and Liesa made us all cry when they talked about the healing this book had brought about. “Not every editor relationship requires tissues, you know.”

Norton Juster Keynote: An Accidental Author Tells All

2011-08-06T15:08:00.000-07:00

Norton Juster wrote the classic Children's book "The Phantom Tollbooth,"

"The Dot and The Line,"

"The Odious Ogre,"

and "The Hello, Goodbye Window."

And I (and the other 1,341 people here) are eager to learn from the mind of the man who wrote the note on that famous tollbooth that read:

"RESULTS ARE NOT GUARANTEED, BUT IF NOT PERFECTLY SATISFIED, YOUR WASTED TIME WILL BE REFUNDED."

Norton's first book, "The Phantom Tollbooth," came out in 1961 (50 years ago!) And he's reflecting on how the world was a much different place then, but children's lives were pretty much the same, across generations. The great puzzle for kids is what their parents are all about.

He's recalling how one of the qualities of his own childhood was a lot of time with nothing much to do... and the resulting boredom. And says,

"Boredom is not an unmixed blessing. But you can learn a lot fighting your way out of it."

He calls himself an "accidental writer," and reads us a very funny bio of himself he wrote early in his writing career, then launches into his journey through architecture school and the Navy to go back to seeing the world how he saw it as a child...

And then he started writing - 50 pages in, a friend sent it to an adult editor, who then called Norton up three weeks later and offered him a contract.

He was sharing a townhome with illustrator Jules Feiffer at the time, and shared pages with him, and Jules did sketches... And they were wonderful.

He's sharing very funny anecdotes about his back and forth with Jules on him challenging Jules to illustrate things he knew he didn't like to draw, and Jules trying to subvert what Norton was asking for...

The general sense when "The Phantom Tollbooth" was that "no child should have to confront anything that they didn't already know," and it wasn't expected to do well...

But wow did it ever!

He's talking about his other books now, with charming make-the-audience-laugh moments. Like an idea he had 40 years ago, put in an envelope, and three years ago took it out and finally knew what to do with... And that became "The Odious Ogre."

He's sharing about creativity - how there's a mythology about ideas, and how it's not true - they do not come crashing through the window like a lightning bolt - it takes time to revise and make it work!

He's reading a passage from "The Phantom Tollbooth" (the section where the bird keeps taking everything Milo is saying out of context) to laughter and applause. And ties it together, saying,

"One of the important jobs of a writer is to help children understand that there's more than one way to look at things, and some of them are strange."

He's talking about the power of looking at things out of context, like a newspaper headline about a sick religious leader unable to give his sermon and how his wife fills in for him to great success,

Pastor's Wife Fills Church

And all the images just that headline brought to his mind!

You never know where you'll end up taking a wild idea and following it until you end up at nonsense... or penicillin. or gravity.

So he urges us to spend a large part of our time out of context and encourage children to stay out as long as possible!

To knock it out of the ballpark, he ends with a spoonerism poem, Prindarella and the Crince, and the room erupts in applause, and a standing ovation!

And as far as that guarantee? While it would be cool to see how our time might be refunded, everyone in the room would have to admit that we're all MORE than perfectly satisfied!

Jon Scieszka - Keynote Part 2

2011-08-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

Where and how did Jon fall in love with books? Not in school. Jon grew up reading MAD magazine or war comics for fun, but in school he had to read the incredibly boring Dick And Jane. They laughed at things that weren't funny. Like dishes.

"If I had only learned to read from the stuff I read in school, I don't think I would have been a reader."

It wasn't until after Jon was an elementary school teacher for a few years that he started to find all those great children's books we civilized, intelligent SCBWI members already know about.

Jon realized he wanted to make children's books, too. And some of the ways he's approached making books are outlined below:

STEALING AND TWISTING:

COWBOY & OCTOPUS is a tribute to GEORGE and MARTHA, FROG and TOAD. Jon tried to imagine the weirdest possible friend duo he could.

Be prepared for people to not get your twists. For THE TRUE STORY OF THE 3 LITTLE PIGS, Jon and Lane got lots of rejections from publishers like: Too sophisticated, too dark, or code words for disgusting.

COMBINE YOUR PASSION WITH MARKET (OR DONUT) HOLES:

Jon loves history, and he noticed it was always hard to get his boy students to read chapter books, they liked thinner books with fun covers. So Jon made his books fit those limits, and THE TIME WARP TRIO was born. Not having too many rules for the magic in Jon's series means Jon can do lots of crazy stuff—going back in history, forward in time, into other books.

Jon digresses for a few minutes about Laura Ingalls Wilder, but I signed that diplomatic immunity contract in the post below and can't repeat it.

Similarly, the excellently covered GUYS READ short story collection he edits takes the sting out of too many chapters in a row.

Jon taught 8th grade algebra and for years tried to figure out how to write a funny book about math. Do you have any loves or specialties that don't seem like typical picture book fodder?

PROSTITUTE YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS:

Jon owed an editor a book for four years, and after the book was overdue by two years, his editor asked him to write a book about anything and suggested he write about his family.

"Who'd want to read about my family?" he asked, "We aren't that weird."
"Yes, you are," said his editor.

And that's how KNUCKLEHEADS was born. Jon thinks we're all from weird families and recommends you write down your nuttiest family stories. He also recommends making your children work for you. They can build a Twitter or text a website, right?

FIND CHILDREN THAT AREN'T TIRED OF YOU YET:

"I wanted to write for pre-schoolers, my kids were older, and I'd never taught that age," says John. "To get to know that audience, I went and worked in a kindergarten near my house. I didn't realize until it was too late that pre-schoolers are insane."

"If you have a three or four year old, then you know that they're kind of like Alzheimer's patients on acid."

All of those pre-K or K class kids became personalities in Jon's TRUCKTOWN series. And with Trucktown, Simon & Schuster said they could be all kinds of books: picture books, like TRUCKERY RHYMES, Early readers, even sticker books.

Write middle grade, write poetry, write YA, write graphic novels, write apps. WRITE, says Jon.

Final, ambassadorally approved quote:

Write your stuff, get it out there, in whatever form you can.

Below is how the audience was forced by ambassadorial guards (and that contract we all had to sign) to say goodbye to Jon.

Libba Bray: Hello, My Name is...:Getting Past the First Date with Your Characters

2011-08-06T13:50:00.000-07:00

Today Libba is going to talk about the mediocre because she believes that’s where attention is not paid to character.

Characters aren’t memorable if they give us what we expect and are just status quo.

Her number one pet peeve is when she’s reading and she feeling like the author is giving her some BS (you know what I mean).

“In the universal is the particular.”

How do we get to that place where we are writing memorable characters?

-You read! Read as far and wide as you possibly can.

-Allow yourself to play. Be the characters.

-Think of your characters like nesting dolls. It’s fun to open each layer.

-Know what your character wants. If you get stuck, that’s the engine that propels it all.

-Write from the outside in, relating to writing about other times or other cultures. Research is important and fun.

It’s always important to remember that people are people.

It’s fun (and can be helpful) to have a playlist for a book, and also for a specific character. Music often helps Libba find the character.

Libba keeps a spiral notebook with her always. It’s astonishing how much goes into the pre-thinking. She also sometimes interviews her characters.

It’s also helpful to monologue it. As a free write, Libba might write a letter. Or think about what a character would say over a PA. Or give a graduation speech. It can help get the juices flowing.

Acting is excellent training for writing.

Keep in mind, that characters often lie.

Jon Scieszka - Keynote The Myriad Possibilities of Form, Style and Genre

2011-08-06T13:49:00.001-07:00

Jon Scieszka, National Ambassador for Children's Literature Emerititutis is here. Before you read the transcript of his talk in the next post, you must agree to this 62 page contract waiving all potential suits you might bring against Jon for any reason, at anytime, anywhere in California.

SCBWI members, employees and guests need to understand the scope and limitations of the privileges and immunities that flow from Jon's diplomatic or consular status, and the obligations and liabilities that his status imposes upon them.
Privileges and immunities are set forth rather explicitly in two basic bilat- eral treaties, the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 (VCDR) and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1969 (VCCR). Additional privileges and immunities may be contained in bilateral agreements, most of which are styled as consular agreements, but other agreements, such as friendship, commerce, and navigation treaties may also contain provisions that pertain to the immunities of consular and diplomatic personnel and to the embassy and consular offices. Frequently, international organizations have treaties or arrange- ments with host states that provide for privileges and immunities for their own staff, members of missions to that organization, or experts or other representatives on a mission for that organization (e.g., peace- keeping, humanitarian assistance). Finally, some agencies, such as USAID or Peace Corps, have specific arrangements with a host state that provide privileges and immunities “consistent” with a particular status.
The discussion below can provide only a general framework. When seeking information about a specific situation, guidance should come from someone who demonstrates a full understanding of the modern treaties that address the subject. The Legal Adviser’s Office of Diplo- matic Law and Litigation has legal experts who will advise you on these matters. In addition, you should be able to review the applicable trea- ties in the post library, the administrative office, and on the Internet.
The discussion below addresses the situation of U.S. Government employees of the foreign affairs agencies and employees of other U.S.
agencies who are posted abroad and notified to a receiving state as diplomatic agents or members of the administrative and technical
staff for embassy personnel, or as consular officers or members of the consular staff for those assigned to consulates outside the capi- tal. It also applies to some family members who are considered part of
the employee’s household. Family members who are nationals of the receiving state generally will not have any privileges and immunities.
This discussion of privileges and immunities does not, however, address the situation of U.S. personnel assigned to U.S. missions to international organiza- tions. Note also that USAID employees generally receive their privileges and immunities pursuant to the bilateral economic assistance agreement between the United States and the particular country to which the employee is assigned. USAID employees can deter- mine their status at a particular post by talking with the Regional Legal Advisor or the Executive Officer.
BACKGROUND
Centuries ago, sovereign states discovered that it was not possible to maintain useful diplomatic relations with other nations if their respective diplomatic envoys had to live in fear of being thrown into a dungeon for carrying unfavorable opinions to the host government or for other real or imagined offenses to the host state. When these early diplomats began to reside in the host state, it was realized that they needed se- curity in their persons, homes, and official papers in order to accomplish the work that both the sending and receiving states agreed (during moments when tempers were cool) that they should accomplish. Over time, a body of customary international law developed to provide a broad range of privileges and immunities for diplomats, eventually including some degree of similar protection for members of their staffs and families. The Vienna Convention on Diplo- matic Relations, concluded in 1961, reflects the cus- tomary international law (refined and brought up-to- date) with respect to diplomats and is now adhered to almost universally by the nations of the world.
Consular representatives were traditionally consid- ered quite apart from diplomats. Historically, consular functions consisted of helping to resolve problems involving citizens from the consul’s home country and issuing travel documents. These were held to be mat- ters not warranting special privileges and immunities. Over time, however, consular functions became more sophisticated. States came to realize that at least a limited degree of protection was necessary for their consuls. Many nations, including the United States, entered into bilateral agreements with their principal
allies and trading partners to provide for certain con- sular privileges and immunities.
The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1969 incorporates rules that were developed by customary practice and found in bilateral consular agreements and has obtained broad adherence. However, these consular privileges and immuni- ties are generally markedly less than those afforded diplomats. Nonetheless, some nations have, on a bilateral basis, concluded agreements with the United States that provide additional privileges and immuni- ties for consular personnel. It is thus critical, when attempting to ascertain privileges for consular per- sonnel, to determine whether there is an applicable bilateral agreement.
The same U.S. Government employee may be ac- corded diplomatic immunities during one tour at an embassy and quite different (and lesser) immuni- ties during a subsequent assignment to a consulate separate from the embassy. This is because entitle- ment to privileges and immunities stems from the status accorded a particular individual when he or she is formally accepted in a particular capacity by the receiving state and the post to which the person is assigned in that country. Status is not determined, in this context, by any professional designation, rank, or title that the sending state may assign.
Possession of a diplomatic passport alone affords its holder no privileges or immunities of any kind. The advantages that the diplomatic passport does afford are only courtesies that are without significance under international law and should not be relied upon.
Similarly, a person accredited to a particular country is entitled to the privileges and immunities that corre- spond to his or her specific status only in that particu- lar country (and, to a limited extent, when in transit to or from that country); not in third countries when on personal leave or even on official TDY. The receiving state accepts the posting of an individual and has the power to end privileges and immunities at any time by declaring that individual persona non grata, giving the individual a reasonable time to depart before privileges and immunities cease. No reason need be given.
DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY (EMBASSY ASSIGNMENTS)
While all official U.S. employees sent from Wash- ington to embassies abroad share certain protection (e.g., criminal immunity, personal inviolability [immu- nity from arrest or detention], inviolability of property, including car, residence, official papers and corre- spondence), there is a functional distinction between diplomatic agents (engaged primarily in diplomatic exchange between the two states) and members
of the administrative and technical staff (engaged primarily in the support of the former category). Both categories are entitled to total immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving state. However, diplomatic agents enjoy more extensive immunity from the civil and administrative jurisdiction of the receiving state than do members of the administra- tive and technical staff. Administrative and technical staff (and family members of diplomatic agents and administrative and technical staff) have immunity only if they are not nationals of the receiving state. And service staff who also have immunity only if they are not nationals of the receiving state do not have crimi- nal or general civil and administrative immunity; their immunity extends to acts performed in the course of their official duties. Those on TDY who have not been notified to the host state have no privileges or immu- nities; nor do American citizens locally hired (Rock- efeller appointments or personal service contractors). Eligible family members ordinarily retain their status because of their connection to the sponsoring em- ployee.
It is the duty of all personnel with privileges and im- munities to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving state. U.S. Government employees are all expected to pay their just debts and other obligations and may not use their privileges and immunities to avoid them.
Criminal Immunity
Complete immunity from criminal jurisdiction means that a person may not be de- tained or arrested or subject to a body search and may not be prosecuted or required to give evidence as a witness. This immunity may be waived, and it may be waived in a limited
162
fashion, but it is the U.S. Government’s immunity and must be waived by the Government; it cannot be waived by the individual or the post. To avoid a common complication, individuals who drive vehicles in the host state are advised to carry local liability insurance and may wish, in light of several cases where U.S. Government employees are being sued in the United States, to carry the same liability insurance limits overseas as they do at home.
Immunity from criminal jurisdiction does not mean that the receiving state authorities are precluded from interrupting certain dangerous criminal actions that present an immediate threat to public safety (e.g., stopping a diplomat who is driving dangerously). However, Foreign Service employees serving abroad need not perform duties under the threat of being treated as a common criminal by the law enforce- ment and judicial authorities of the receiving state.
Civil and Administrative Immunity
Civil and administrative actions are those in which a person or business (or a government) files a com- plaint (often seeking monetary damages) against an- other person before the civil or administrative authori- ties of the receiving state. Diplomatic agents enjoy comprehensive immunity in this respect, with three exceptions: actions connected with real property in the receiving state; actions where the diplomat is an executor or beneficiary of an estate in the receiving state; and actions relating to professional or commer- cial endeavors engaged in by the diplomat outside the scope of official functions. In general, members of the administrative and technical staff of embassies are only afforded civil and administrative immunity with respect to actions related to the performance of their official functions. (Special bilateral agreements with some countries grant more extensive immunities, which are sometimes identical to those of diplomatic agents, to members of the administrative and techni- cal staff. Check with your post management officer for the status of a specific country.)
For example, a member of the administrative and technical staff would probably be personally immune from a suit for breach of contract in connection with a contract that the employee negotiated with a local vendor for services to be provided to the embassy (al-though the U.S. Government might be a defendant). On the other hand, a member of the administrative and technical staff would ordinarily have no immu- nity from a private lawsuit for failure to pay personal debts or for compensation for damage to the prop- erty of a local citizen alleged to have occurred while the individual was off duty.
DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY AND FAMILY MEMBERS
The preceding paragraphs refer to the immunities of the employee. The fundamental notion of privileges and immunities is to protect the interests of the send- ing state in having its employees be able to perform their official functions. The sovereign states discov- ered some time ago, however, that the employee could not be effectively protected without extending certain protections to the members of the employee’s immediate family who reside with him or her. Today, family members forming part of the household of most diplomatic personnel are also accorded ex- tensive immunities. However, cohabiting partners
of Foreign Service personnel or other members of household are not accorded any of the privileges de- scribed below. Further, adult children are not typically afforded immunities unless special circumstances (e.g., substantial disabilities) warrant.
U.S. citizen spouses and other household family members have the same immunities as the sponsor- ing accredited diplomat. However, under the VCDR, family members who are nationals of the host country (when the sponsor/employee is a diplomatic agent) or nationals or permanent residents (when the spon- sor/employee is a member of the administrative and technical staff) do not have privileges and immunities in that state. For example, a spouse of French na- tionality would not have privileges and immunities in France but, when posted to any other country, would receive precisely the same privileges and immunities as a spouse of U.S. nationality.
The criminal immunities of family members of dip- lomatic personnel are the same as those to which the sponsoring employee is entitled—that is, total criminal immunity for the families of both diplomatic agents and members of the administrative and tech- nical staff.
The civil and administrative immunities of families also correspond to those accorded both categories of sponsors. However, members of the administrative and technical staff (the sponsors/employees) them- selves enjoy only “official functions immunity” against civil and administrative actions. Thus, family members of administrative and technical staff employees enjoy no civil or administrative immunity (except in specific countries where a bilateral agreement might provide otherwise).
Waiver of Diplomatic Immunity
The right to waive immunities for any of its diplo- mats, staff employees, or family members resides in the government of the sending state and in our case only with the Department of State. The individual who ultimately benefits from the immunity has no power to waive such immunity, even in cases where he or she believes that it would be in his or her interest to do so. Rather, the sending state may waive immunity when it judges that to do so is in the national interest. An individual whose immunity is waived has no stand- ing under international law to protest this determina- tion.
The Department of State requests waivers of immunity from criminal jurisdiction in almost all cases involving foreign personnel accredited to the United States to ensure that the proper course of justice proceeds. On this basis, the U.S. Government may seriously con- sider waiving the criminal immunity of its employees, especially in cases where it is believes the employee would receive a fair trial and the interests of the United States would not be harmed.
The only instance in which the action of an individual can directly cause the partial loss of immunity is when an employee entitled to civil and administrative im- munity initiates a civil suit in the local courts. In that case, the VCDR bars the individual from asserting im- munity from counter-claims with respect to the same subject matter.
Even in a case in which all would believe it to be in the interest of the U.S. Government for a certain immunity to be waived (e.g., an embassy employee is the sole, disinterested witness to a crime and, as a “good citizen,” wishes to testify as a witness at the trial), authorization for a limited waiver of immunity must be sought from the Department of State by the embassy. If granted, it must be expressly communicat- ed to the foreign ministry of the receiving state before the employee takes any action. (A limited waiver might, for example, be devised to permit a diplomat to testify regarding an automobile accident that he
or she witnessed, but leave completely protected the diplomat’s immunity from the jurisdiction of the receiving state in all other respects.)
Family Member Employment
The VCDR contemplates the possibility that a receiv- ing state may permit local employment by diplomatic family members and provides rules regarding con- sequential restrictions on the immunities of family members when they are permitted to undertake local employment.
The Family Liaison Office in the Department of State negotiates bilateral employment agreements with other states to increase the opportunities for family members of official U.S. Government employees to obtain employment in the state to which their spon- sor has been assigned. As of 2006, 95 bilateral work agreements and 52 de facto arrangements have been concluded, and negotiations with additional countries continue.
These agreements acknowledge the limitations on civil and administrative (but not criminal) immunity for family members who take up employment in the receiving state, but only to the extent that such civil or administrative actions are related to the employment.
This means that an employed family member contin- ues to enjoy the privileges and immunities to which he or she would otherwise be entitled unless a suit is brought to recover monetary damages (or other civil remedy) for an act by the employed family member that is determined by a local court to be connected to his or her employment. For instance, immunity would probably not exist in the case of a suit against a fam- ily member by the employer based on allegations of fiscal improprieties.
LIMITS ON IMMUNITY
Persons enjoying diplomatic privileges and immuni- ties are, at least in a figurative sense, “above the law” of the receiving state. All states that enter into diplomatic relations with other states accept this en- croachment on their sovereignty as a necessary cost of being a member of the world community. However, the immunity concept would never have endured if
its application left the receiving state helpless to react to the commission of serious crimes in its territory or without recourse when foreign diplomats abuse the civil law rights of its citizens. In order to understand that some control must be retained, one need only recall the sense of outrage expressed by U.S. citizens whenever diplomatic immunity thwarts prosecution of a serious crime by a diplomat assigned to the United States. For this reason, the principle developed that all persons enjoying privileges and immunities also have the obligation and duty to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving state. This principle is expressly stated in both the VCDR and the VCCR.
In addition, the receiving state has the right to de- clare any person entitled to diplomatic privileges and immunities to be persona non grata (PNG) at any time and without stating a reason. When declared PNG, a person has a certain period of time to depart the country before being divested of all privileges and immunities. Failing such departure, the person faces any pending legal actions (civil or criminal) with only the defenses available to an ordinary citizen. In ex- treme cases, the receiving state will designate a very short time within which departure must take place or even formally expel the person.
The PNG procedure is sometimes employed for purely political purposes. It is also used by the host state to require the departure of diplomatic person- nel who have committed serious crimes or who have shown themselves to be generally disrespectful of local law. Family members may not be declared PNG since their privileges and immunities are deriva- tive, stemming from their status as family members. However, if the departure of a family member is desired, it is common practice to declare the sponsor PNG, thereby divesting the entire family of protected status. The PNG procedure is harsh and abrupt, but receiving states do not hesitate to use it in addressing unacceptable behavior.

DO YOU ACCEPT THESE TERMS?

YES

Brenda Bowen: Agents--Who Needs 'Em

2011-08-06T12:13:00.000-07:00

Brenda Bowen, an agent with Sanford J. Greenburger, is using Entourage-related images to enhance her talk (subtitled, Somebody Has to Channel Ari Gold.)

There was a time when an writer didn't need an agent, she says. You sent your manuscript, an editor bought it, and they became your editor for life. Richard Jackson was Judy Blume's editor for 30 years.

The agent's job now is to get a book in good enough shape to go to an publisher. These days a manuscript must be more polished before it's presented to a publisher than it needed to be 10 years ago.

Agents create strong relationships with certain editors because they reflect their tastes. They schmooze with editors. They know which ones are cat people and which ones are dog people. It's important for agents to know everybody--assistants, editors, marketing folks, etc. An agent's job is not done once the book deal is signed. The agent's job is to help their authors work with their editors. (Brenda said she even will look over drafts of emails her authors are writing to editors before they send them.)

An agent, she says, takes the heat so you can be a star.

(Brenda gave an email address for submissions and a secret word for the subject line for all the attendees in her session. But I'm not telling.)

A couple of Brenda's pet peeves:

Seeing "Fwd" in the subject line
Queries that start with a rhetorical question

She recommends writers subscribe to pubishersmarketplace.com (go in on it with your writers group) and read about the deals. It's a great resource, she says, when you are at a point where you've finished your book and love your book and are ready to submit.

Alessandra Balzer: You Can Handle the Truth

2011-08-06T11:58:00.000-07:00

Editor and publisher Alessandra Balzer (Balzer&Bray/HarperCollins) gave a workshop today called You Can Handle the Truth: Honest Advice on What Editors are Looking For. Fast-paced and funny, Alessandra blasted through true or false questions for the audience.

True: Editors love first time authors
False: Pictures books have to rhyme

Alessandra had great advice for pitching your books, reminding the audience that the query will not make or break your career. But she did suggest using "meets". As in Harry Potter meets StarWars or Roald Dahl meets Blade Runner. Visualize how to pitch your books, know comp titles, and mention your hook.

As a publisher, some of the things Alessandra is looking for are:

Voice-A fresh voice, point of view, flavor.
High Concept-A great hook with high stakes
Crying-If you can make her cry then the book is emotionally true
Heart-Something that resonates. Alessandra read from Mo Willems book, Hooray for Amanda and her Alligator. And the room went, "Awww....."

What's the word? A conversation with Norton Juster

2011-08-06T11:54:00.000-07:00

Leonard Marcus (left) and Norton Juster

Oh, THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH: Raise your hand if this is the book that turned you into a reader.

The children's book historian Leonard Marcus interviewed Norton Juster, the Tollbooth author, revealing Norton's interactions with spies, an incident where he impersonated a Canadian journalist to present a fake award to Jules Feiffer, and the apartment rental deal he once worked with an Austrian dentist. (Seriously. Not making any of this up.)

Some highlights from their chat:
Leonard kicked things off by asking Norton where he and illustrator Jules Feiffer met. At the time, Norton had a $77.10 monthly living allowance to live off the naval base. He found a place in Brooklyn Heights (rented from the aforementioned dentist). Jules lived on the third floor.

"Jules claims we both met when we were taking the garbage out," Norton said. "I claim I was taking garbage out and he was looking for something to eat."

Norton always planned to be an architect. His father was one, and Norton played with scraps and things from his father's office. This taught him to think visually, which has carried over to his writing. He visualizes things before he begins writing about them. "I think I'd write very much differently if I didn't have that visual background."

How did he write the Phantom Tollbooth?
He had a grant to do research on cities. He realized it wasn't what he wanted to do. He went on a vacation and started to write a two- or three-page story that started to become the Phantom Tollbooth.

"The best work I do, I do trying to avoid doing something else I don't want to do. Don't knock that. It's terrific motivation."

On how he works
Norton said he never had any clear idea what was going to happen with the Phantom Tollbooth. He wrote bits and pieces, not sequentially.

He happened on a technique he's used ever since.

"I would write long conversations with the characters that didn't end up in the book." But they helped him understand their relationship and what people were thinking. "I realized I wasn't making up this dialogue. I was just eavesdropping. It was just happening."

You can write a conversation between two characters from any point of view he says. It's a great exercise. "I can't write at all unless I know the characters. The plot isn't nearly as important as the people and what they mean to each other."

Norton is a list maker. He puts something on his list every day that he knows he'll be able to do. He also makes lists of words (which Leonard found in the collection of Norton's papers).

This actually happened
The copy editor of TOLLBOOTH edited out all of the word play, and the manuscript came back to him looking like someone had bled on it. "I didn't know whether to laugh or cry."

Where did Milo get his name?
Norton had a scholarship to study in Liverpool ("pre-Beatles, which shows you how old I am"). He traveled regularly to Dublin, where one member of his group was the character actor Milo O'Shea. "I just fell in love with the name. He has no idea I used that name for Milo. That same year, there was a Milo character in CATCH 22. I still love the name."

JUDY BLUME! JUDY BLUME! JUDY BLUME! (cont.)

2011-08-06T11:15:00.000-07:00

Judy wishes there was an answer to, "What is voice?" There is no answer. You just find it.

She says that it never gets easier. The only thing that gets easier for her is that she knows how do it now. But "it" doesn't get easier. Her notebook is her security blanket. She never has to face a blank page or blank screen because of what she has in her notebook.

"The first draft is finding the pieces of the puzzle. The next draft is putting the puzzle together."

You come to a conference like this to find inspiration. There can be so much that it can be overwhelming. Judy thinks if she was a new writer here she would be over-stimulated. She suggests to go home with your notes and then forget them because the inspiration will be inside you and just write.

Judy suggests that when hearing advice on what to write or what not to write, don't take it. "When it hits you inside, then it's right. You write it."

In the beginning, Judy says, writing not only changed her life but saved her life.

TIGER EYES will be coming out in theaters. Judy says it might be more emotional on screen that in the pages of the book. (Wow, that's rare. Can't wait to see it.)

About writing dialogue:

"It's the only thing I like to write. I hate the rest of it."

"I like knowing what they're thinking versus what they're saying."

"Dialogue writing is what comes to me naturally and spontaneously. I hear them."

In regard to censorship, Judy mentions getting the censor off your shoulder and not too worry about it. She says, just write and you can think about it later.

She doesn't want to the session to be over. Neither do we!

"I would have killed for an SCBWI when I was starting out. A community. To not feel alone."

Judy Blume's heart-felt thank you to Lin has her choked up, and the rest of us too.

*hearts float all about the huge ballroom*

JUDY BLUME! JUDY BLUME! (cont.)

2011-08-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

Lin Oliver sits down with Judy Blume, Oprah style. Like nothing I've ever seen at an SCBWI conference.

Judy Blume gives a loving shout out to John Green. (Hey, John, she just said you were, "sooo cute!")

Lin states for all of us girls that we have girl crushes on Judy Blume. So true, Lin. Yes, we do.

Judy Blume: I like Twitter. (And we like to follow her. If you don't, you can here: @judyblume) "It's a good way to waste time," she says.

Judy Blume mentions things in our world might change (like electronics) but people don't change.

In the past she went right through the draft, beginning to end. She doesn't do that anymore, even though she believes it's the best way to do it.

Judy mentions, stealing from Libba Bray's words (shared yesterday), I’m so sucky at plot.

Judy Blume admits she doesn’t understand the process or how it works. But for her it starts with some basic idea that lives in the head for a long time. It lives there and it percolates.

"I start the book on the day something different happens. But sometimes you have to write many, many, many pages before you actually get the page where the book actually starts."

Lin mentions that the way Judy writes is like a direct line from kids to her. Judy says it's something she can't explain, but that she can look into a child's eyes and be that age again. "It's who you are." Who do you identify with? She identifies with kids.

Awesome! Judy Blume just said, "We are so HOT." (referring to children's book writers)

How great to know that Judy Blume started like so many of us, writing bad rhyming picture books, wanting to be like Dr. Seuss. Also making the same beginner mistakes that many do and getting rejected. But she was determined!

Gary Paulsen Keynote: A Writer's Upside-Down Life

2011-08-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

"Hatchet." Have you read it? You must.

Gary Paulsen is the three time Newbery-Honor Winning Author who wrote it, and over 200 more books. He has 30-40 million copies of his books in print!

Gary Paulsen telling us the stories of his life and his journey as an author

is like a master class in how to tell a story!

He's got the room roaring with laughter in the first 30 seconds. Roaring.

And then he brings it down by sharing his childhood story, one where he didn't so much fall through the cracks, he was 'hammered through them.' By the time he was 10 he was trapping in the woods, failing school, no friends, and fighting to support himself and on his own.

"All the stuff in Hatchet is true, it's all the stuff I've done."

And then he walks in a library... and the librarian gave him a library card, with his name on it, spelled right. "And I was somebody."

Would you like a book? Yeah. He struggled to read it for weeks, returned it and 'would you like another?' 'Yeah.' And he became a reader.

"Everything I have become (all the books, all the awards], I owe that woman."

What an incredible testament to the power of librarians to transform lives!

He shares more about his remarkable journey to becoming a writer, the hard work he's put into it (while working many other 'day' jobs), running the Iditarod, his books, his successes and setbacks, and more successes - 3 Newbery Honors in a row, for "Dogsong," "Hatchet," and "The Winter Room!"

And what's he's realized through it all is that "I love to write."

When he finishes, the room leaps to their feet, giving him a standing ovation.

Wow. What a life. What a storyteller!

JUDY BLUME! JUDY BLUME! JUDY BLUME!

2011-08-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

The entire SCBWI conference wishes John Green a fast and speedy recovery, but we also thank his gallbladder (in the nicest, most caring way) for bringing us Judy Blume.

If John had been at the conference today, my guess is that he'd be front-row-center to listen, one more super fan among the hundreds in the room. (Well, actually...he'd be standing up to give a keynote and we would not be watching Judy Blume take the stage, but you know.)

I know I am not alone in that Judy Blume has been a major influence throughout my life: from childhood when I was reading Superfudge, to my teen years when I got my hands on ARE YOU THERE, GOD? IT'S ME MARGARET, making me want to read everything and anything Judy Blume. (I still recall sitting in my school library riveted to her autobiography--because I'd read everything else.)

Now here I am, watching my SUPER HERO take the stage and I feel like a Justin Bieber fan. I suddenly understand the crying, shaking, and near fainting. The screaming part, I'm doing all that internally. Because it's Judy Freakin' Blume.

Already a standing ovation, just for taking the stage.

A TRUE ROCK STAR!!!

David Small Keynote - The Voice of the Eye

2011-08-06T10:13:00.000-07:00

It's a great morning. Donna Jo Napoli was up first, David Small is up now. If you haven't visited David's website, it is full of fantastic sketches from his travels and helpful links. For a hint at his demo on Monday and a quick interview, visit this post.

Besides visiting David's website, I would say PLEASE take a moment to read the posts about him on Julie Walker Danielson's Seven Impossible Things. Her review of STITCHES alone makes me tear up.

David shares this video with us:

It's pretty harrowing, be sure you've had your breakfast and a hug for the day.

David tells us making STITCHES was the therapy he couldn't get any other way.

David needed to find a way to bring his family back, to recreate and remember them to figure out if his adulthood nightmares, anxieties, and anger are rooted in his childhood or just chronic depression.

But as David is sketching and drawing and writing down his childhood memories, he comes to the conclusion:

"I had an unloving mother who wanted me dead. And I believe it's safer to keep expressions like that away from the body, and get them out through art or music..."

David is still reticent to talk about the making of STITCHES in public, so he's structured the rest of his talk about it as a Q&A.

Why the switch from picture books to an older audience/graphic novels?

David quotes Dante,

Midway upon the journey of our life
I found myself within a forest dark,
For the straightforward pathway had been lost.

Deciding he needed to drop all the metaphors in his life and start looking at REAL life, David wanted some good therapy, but:

"Out on the prairie, you don't have access to the perfect psychoanalyst, so I became that for myself... by writing and drawing this memoir... and I always expected myself to get over 'it.'"

What would you like readers of this book to know?

When all is said and done, STITCHES is a warning about families with wrong-headed tradition. A long conga line of people abusing their children who go on to abuse their children... David reads Philip Larkin's poem:

Though David now has a brighter view of life than Mr. Larkin, and he's stepped out of that conga line he mentions, it's still a daily struggle for David to be sure he's treating his loved ones the right way.

"So now, after being the downer of the morning, I will try to be the upper, too."

David shows us a video called UNCHAIN MY HEART. A rousing, hilarious animatic of a typical day on an author tour. While I STRONGLY OBJECT TO THE PORTRAYAL OF MEDIA ESCORTS, we all absolutely loved David's drawings of Hicklebee's. Because how sweet it is to be loved by independent bookstores!

And just so you know, the SCBWI store sold out of all 250 copies of David's books YESTERDAY. We're trying to get more, but if you want to organize a bus to Hicklebee's for a shopping spree, I say go for it!

Donna Jo Napoli keynote: How writing about terrible things makes your reader a better person

2011-08-06T09:12:00.000-07:00

Donna Jo Napoli

Donna Jo Napoli is the award-winning author of numerous children's books, and she does everything from picture books such as THE BRAVEST THING to young adult novels such as BREATH.

She has taught linguistics at a variety of colleges, including Smith, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Georgetown, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and Swarthmore.

Someone once asked Donna Jo why she ruined her perfectly good books with terrible things. She hadn't asked herself that question back then--she writes what she needs to write.

"But that's not a satisfying answer to anyone," she said. Her illuminating talk explained why these books are important, and why certain kids of censorship are "wrong-headed."

In 1999 she was asked to give a talk on censorship. She was working at it in her office (in the laundry room, which made a lot of sense when her five children were small, she said). She was reading articles about censorship and contacted a professor, who sent her a thick packet of reading material. She learned that the number of censorship episodes chronicled by the People for the American Way was seven times greater in 1996-97 than it had been in 1988-89. And it was increasing.

The top reason for censorship is "offensive language," she said. She can understand that--whether or not she agrees with it.

Other things on the list are explicit sexual descriptions. With these, too, she understands why parents would want to introduce their kids to this topic, rather than encountering it in a book for the first time.

But parents who want to keep their kids away from the following are "thinking the wrong way," she said: incidents of violence or brutality including rape, examples of racism, examples of substance abuse, text that include anti-feminism or sexism, derogatory images of the handicapped, and materials including depressing, morbid topics.

For both protected and unprotected kids, these book serve a vital purpose.

Protected children are talked to and listened to, she says.

"And then we have the other children. Children who are unprotected. You know them as well as I do. Sometimes this is no fault of the parents. It can be built into the system." (For example, when a family is living in grinding poverty.) And then there are kids who are abused by their families. "All kinds of things happen behind closed doors. We know that."

When children read about other unprotected children, "It can be wonderful. If you are unprotected, you can get the sense that you're alone. That it's only you."

These kids often keep their troubles to themselves out of loyalty or pride.

"When you think you're all alone, you can and sometimes do blame yourself," she said. "You can feel guilty that that rotten thing happened to you ... Then you meet somebody in a book and you become that person in the book and they're a perfectly good person, and still that lousy thing happened to them. It is so comforting. You are not alone. It is not your fault. And bad things do happen to good people."

Characters who are hopeful and hold onto their dignity show readers a way to live decently in their world--even if it's only inside their heads, she says. "These books are of crucial importance to the unprotected child."

It's even more important for the protected child. They can grow up and everything goes smoothly, she said. "This is a person who can not only be intolerant, but intolerable. They feel entitled... This ruins society."

"Any civilization is built on empathy. If dreadful things happen to you, you learn a lot of empathy. I wouldn't want dreadful things to happen to these protected children, but I want them to learn empathy. The safest way for them to learn it is through a book. Let them live that life and they will understand that they're lucky. It wasn't just that they're good or they work hard. They also have luck."

She closed with an exhortation to write what's in our hearts: "If you need to write it, chances are, there are people out there--a lot of people--who need to read it."

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