by SCBWI Western Washington
HOLLY BLACK is the best-selling author of fantasy books for kids and teens, including the SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES. Her latest is the CURSE WORKERS series, which begins with WHITE CAT. RED GLOVE, the second in the series, was just released. "I believe that characters are the beating heart that animates the plot." Holly has found herself... Continue Reading →
I've posted conference roundups as a teaser to the printed CHINOOK that's arriving in your mailbox soon (well, if you signed up for regional benefits, that is). Enjoy!
Reported by Dana Arnim Tim Gillner offered illustrators a specific look into his job as art director at Boyds Mills Press: what he looks for from an artist in terms of samples and websites, how and when an agent comes into the process, what types of contracts Boyds Mills offers, and where he looks for... Continue Reading →
Reported by Dana Arnim Art Director Tim Gillner walked his audience through the picture-book process at Boyds Mills Press, starting with submissions. Over 500 manuscript submissions are received each month, but perhaps only ten are read, and then maybe just one of those gets to an editor. Once the editor wants to acquire a story,... Continue Reading →
Reported by Brenda Winter Hansen After finishing the revisions on her last book, Suzanne Selfors described the experience as the most hellish of her life. With eight books published in four years, she's a veteran at revisions, but she admits that every book she writes gives her a different set of problems when it comes... Continue Reading →
Reported by Angelina C. Hansen Sara Crowe, literary agent with Harvey Klinger Inc, a full-service literary agency in New York, shared with us examples of first pages that caught her eye and then explained why. Of the projects she represents, most of those first pages haven’t changed. Sara loves to see first pages that establish... Continue Reading →
Reported by Kerri Kokias Paul Rodeen, the founder and president of Rodeen Literary Management, spoke about his path to becoming an agent. He developed from a self-described jock who hid his interest in literature, to the editor of the student-run fiction magazine at his college, to a graduate student at Denver Publishing Institute, to an... Continue Reading →
Reported by Alison Weatherby According to Michael Bourret, social networking is a tool writers can use to create a voice online and develop a community around their books, ideas, and more. Your first job as a writer is to write good books; it is important not to waste time on social networking if it interferes... Continue Reading →
Reported by Kerri Kokias Lynne Polvino, editor at Clarion Books—an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt—spoke about the additional responsibilities and challenges involved with writing and publishing picture books in a challenging market. She gave tips on how authors and illustrators can best position themselves for success and stressed the importance of being knowledgeable about the... Continue Reading →
Reported by Martha Brockenbrough She promised us a talk titled “more cowbell, less vampires,” and Elizabeth Law—Vice President and Publisher of Egmont USA—delivered. Never mind that there was no audio in the room and she had to do the Christopher Walken bits herself. We got some insight about what she’s looking for in submissions, and... Continue Reading →
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