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 →
Lisa Graff: Write like an author, revise like an editor #scbwiwwa
Here are a few highlights: You have to be good at revising before you even have an editor, so you're presenting your best work; If you're a first-time author, your manuscript needs to be in publishable shape because an editor doesn't know if you can't revise and has to assume your book isn't getting better;... Continue Reading →
Getting serious about series #scbwiwwa
Kevin Emerson, Suzanne Young, J. Elizabeth Mills, and Trudi Trueit are talking about their work writing and editing book series. Suzanne Young: her quirky character led to the creation of a series from a single book (THE NAUGHTY LIST). Write relatable characters you want to be around. If she'd known it was being a series,... Continue Reading →
Peter Brown Breakout: The Laments of Style #scbwiwwa
Peter starts off his slideshow with some paintings he did in art school. They were all a bit wacky. Peter decided he wanted to find a new style that was not only appropriate for children's books, but appealing and unique.Looking to develop this style he did some Art Exploration -- looking at fine artists, naive... Continue Reading →
Laini Taylor keynote: in search of street performer with an eyepatch #scbwiwwa
OK, so she's not really still looking for that.She does tell us that a turning point for her was when a famous writer read some of her early work and said, "You are the real thing. Keep writing."She stopped writing right after that.But then she went to art school and met the man she'd marry,... Continue Reading →
Laini Taylor: My Own Personal Labyrinth #scbwiwwa
Laini Taylor takes the stage as the first keynote talk. There's already been swearing and bare bottoms (not hers). No joke! (From a clip from the movie Hamlet 2) Laini has a special word for those that find writing easy and breezy. You are robots! What is writing anyways? "Nothing less than a kind of... Continue Reading →
Editor/Agent submission peeves #scbwiwwa
Word to the wise: threatening query letters on legal letterhead don't work. (Are you shocked? Didn't think so.)Elizabeth Law got sued once by a writer who'd sent in an original illustrated dummy. She wrote a letter and sent it back that day and it returned home damaged. The author took her to small claims court.Now... Continue Reading →
How healthy is the children’s book market? #scbwiwwa
Sara Crowe: Contemporary market is harder (dystopian, paranormal bigger right now). She views contemporary fiction as really important, though.Michael Bourret: Children's book market healthier--more sales. Healthier worldwide, too. Clearly people in the industry have lost jobs, though.Edward Necarsulmer: There is still room for really good contemporary work. It's finding axis between commercial appeal and literary... Continue Reading →
Editor/Agent/Art Director panel: what should illustrators send? #scbwiwwa
Tim Gillner: Don't send him book dummies. Send a sample if you're an illustrator.Edward Necarsulmer: Have your password-protected portfolio online behind. You and your agent can send via e-mail.Elizabeth Law: Asks about postcard samples she gets in the mail. Now, she's relying on websites. Should artists still be sending postcards?Lisa Graff answers: Loved postcards. Liked... Continue Reading →