If you care about kids and books, consider joining Kirby Larson at a table for 10 at the Page Ahead luncheon fundraiser on May 12! There are only two seats left at the table! Please join in to help raise money for an organization whose goal is to give a book to every single at-risk... Continue Reading →
Co-author needed for middle grade fantasy
Ian Paulsen wrote to let us know the following: I have a small time publisher interested in my manuscript for a middle reader fantasy book called the "Ornithspeakers." But I can't quite get the story right and I feel it's time to get a co-author. Do you know of anyone who might be interested in... Continue Reading →
Peter Brown Keynote #scbwiwwa
Realities of Being an Author/Illustrator was the ORIGINAL title of Peter's talk, but in case we aren't all author/illustrators, he decided to change the talk to QUESTIONS (NOT ANSWERS.)Peter has always been a question asker. He thinks we might be able to find answers to how to advance our own careers in children's books by... Continue Reading →
Elizabeth Law (@egmontgal) talks more cowbell and less vampire #scbwiwwa
We're having some technical difficulties in Salon 1. In short, we have no audio. So Elizabeth Law is acting out this SNL skit on cowbell. I'm now a fan of having no audio, because it leads to performance art by Elizabeth. Outstanding!(And now, she just gave the A/V guy a cowbell. Zing!)Elizabeth's twitter name is... Continue Reading →
Laini Taylor on big, juicy plots #scbwiwwa
Here are a few highlights from Laini Taylor's breakout section on plot:Everything we do in writing is a balance between dramatization and narration.Plot is the answer to the question, "What happens?""What is the story about" is not a question about plot. That is about premise and themes.The plot is the sequence of events over which... Continue Reading →
Niche publicity ad marketing: how to tap into unusual markets #scbwiwwa
Barbara Fisch and Sarah Shealy are talking about niche markets and how you can get your book into them. Niche markets is a smaller, more focused area for targeted publicity.You want to pursue niche markets because review outlets for books are shrinking rapidly. We're down to two major newspapers with a pull-out review section (NY... Continue Reading →
Local success story panel #scbwiwwa
The stars of the panel this year are Robin Cruise, Holly Cupala, Kevin Emerson, Lois Harris, Paul Schmid, Suzanne Selfors, and Suzanne Young.Suzanne Selfors: She wrote three adult novels first, all dense historical fiction set in Ancient Greece. She faced a lot of rejection. She found herself loving and reading a lot of middle grade... Continue Reading →
Is your career over if you pitch an editor in the bathroom? #scbwiwwa
No, it is not. Mitali Perkins just confessed pitching Cheryl Klein of Scholastic in just such a venue.
Mitali Perkins keynote: Risky Business #scbwiwwa
Her subtitle is "not your mother's publishing industry," and she is starting off with a poster from the movie Risky Business. Suddenly, some people in the audience begin to feel old. Mitali has just taught us how to say hello in Boston. Surprisingly, you don't throw a can of beans at someone when you say,... Continue Reading →
Jay Asher’s keynote address: How to publish a book in 12 years…or less #scbwiwwa
Jay is taking us through a time line of his publishing adventures, including, but not limited to: free fruit smoothies; the truth about men and women and what they say about foot sizes; and ill-advised laminated bookmarks featuring The ChocoBarn Cow (tagline: for Adam Kinski, life is one problem after an udder) One of his... Continue Reading →