SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-Conference Interview: Editors & Agents on Interacting With Them

 

SCBWI's Annual Winter Conference in New York is just few days away! I fly to York today to attend Digital Book World previous to the SCBWI event. Look for my tweets with the #DBW hashtag. And, starting Friday, follow the conference live via SCBWI TEAM BLOG's post on The Official SCBWI Conference Blog and on twitter via #NY11SCBWI. 

 

Since I've finished over-packing, I have time to bring you one last pre-conference interview roundup with a group of editors and agents.

 

Today's topic: INTERACTING

Editors KRISTA MARINO (Delacorte), FRANCESCO SEDITA (Penguin), and KATE SULLIVAN (Little, Brown); and agents KERRY SPARKS (Levine/Greenberg) and MARY KOLE (Andrea Brown) are participating in the Writers' Intensive that kicks off the weekend of conferencing.

I asked this group to offer some advice on interacting with them in a conference setting. We've all heard stories about manuscripts being thrust under bathroom stalls and other inappropriate behavior. Below, our publishing professionals talk about what makes a good impression--including being yourself, not being too aggressive, and being memorable (in a good way). I also asked them why they attend conferences.

What's your advice on interacting with editors and agents during a conference?

KRISTA MARINO: Conferences can be overwhelming for everyone, even editors. At this conference we’re here prepared to critique not acquire. Cornering an editor and pitching your book idea will only make them less eager to work with you. They can’t lug home manuscripts and they can’t really have a spur-of-the-moment conversation about your work with you.

FRANCESCO SEDITA: When you go on "Wheel of Fortune," you are super-psyched to meet Pat and Vanna. You want to make the most of your letter choices. But Pat and Vanna have nothing to do with whether or not there's an "L" in the puzzle. Think of the editors like Pat and Ms. White. Yes, they may love your project, they may help you with it, they may even want to publish it someday but that doesn't mean you're going to say "L" when that's what their publishing puzzle requires. You spin the wheel and you hope for the best...I'll take a D, Pat. (P.S. My friends and I are obsessed with the BEFORE AND AFTER puzzles. We text them to one another all the time. Please stop me if you see me and give me a few good ones. Tina Turner Movie Classics. White House Music All Night Long. Jimmy Cagney and Lacey. Facts of Life Cereal.)

KATE SULLIVAN: Be memorable. But of course, be memorable for a good thing. You want an editor, if they ever see your stuff down the line, to say, “Oh, that’s the woman who had everyone cracking up at her honesty” or “I remember this guy. He gave the most thoughtful and constructive comments.” Obviously, this can backfire if we remember you for forgetting your please and thank yous, dressing in a costume made of foam, or sending increasingly large giftbaskets every time you ask for a status update on your submission.

KERRY SPARKS: Be your natural self--we are just people like everyone else! And remember that we really want your work to be great and we need writers in order to do our jobs. So it’s not an Us against Them sort of situation. Don’t bombard us with your pitch, but rather kindly ask is we are open to receiving submissions.

MARY KOLE: Be relaxed and try to smile when you're approaching an agent or just seeing one in the elevator. Don't come and aggressively start pitching. Read the situation. If people are hanging out and chatting, go with the flow of the situation and make normal conversation with an agent or editor. If the moment feels right, you can pitch (keep it really brief, though), or you can just make a strong connection and offer to send the agent a writing sample and query later. Not every agent encounter at a conference has to be a pitch...it's often enough to have a great conversation and then remind the agent later that you met them!

>>> For a little more on the topic, check out this helpful post from Dystel & Goderich VP/Agent Michael Bourret, who offered some advice after attending an SCBWI regional conference. 

What do you get out of attending conferences? 

KRISTA: At this particular conference I not only get to see new work, but I get to actually meet the author and see how he/she accepts criticism. Editorial direction and criticism is such an big part of the publishing process and it’s invaluable to an editor to actually get to participate in it in person. Aggressive, abrasive behavior will turn me away from even the most promising manuscript.

FRANCESCO: Laughs. A good time. And a chance to like go to a high school reunion sorta, without all those pesky gym class memories. And, really, a chance to bat my eyelashes at Lin. Love that lady. Steve's pretty cute, too.

KATE: Reconnecting with the beginning of the process, more than anything: It gives me perspective. I’ve also made great friends, and often learned something from those I’m there to teach.

KERRY: Hopefully, I get some new talented clients with great projects! And I also get to see editors and meet new editors which is a big part of my job.

MARY:  I love interacting with writers, hearing ideas, and getting a chance to give a talk or address a crowd on a panel. I'm a teacher at heart, so I really do enjoy being helpful, whether it's with feedback on a pitch or answering a question during Q&A. Conferences are also great places to interact with SCBWI RA's and volunteers, authors, other agents, and editors. Not only do we meet writers, but we can network and have lots of fun with the faculty! Some of my best friendships, with writers and other kidlit professionals, have been forged at conferences!

SCBWI Success Story: Sara Wilson Etienne

Author Sara Wilson Etienne had not heard of SCBWI until she moved to LA in 2003. "In fact, it'd never even occurred to me that writing was anything but a solitary activity," she says. "Then I went to LA Writer's Day and got the chance to hear the marvelous and hilarious Paula Danziger speak. And if that wasn't enough, I got to hear editors and writers describe their collaborative process. And, of course, I met new writer friends. It was a revelation."

Below Sara talks more about how SCBWI helped her writing career, tells how she found her agent, gives the scoop on her debut novel (coming from Putnam in Spring 2012), talks about her editorial process, offers advice to writers working toward publication, and more.

Find Sara online at sarawilsonetienne.com.

How did SCBWI help your career move forward? When did you join? When did you attend your first SCBWI event? Why would you recommend SCBWI to other writers?

A few months [after I joined SCBWI], I went to the Annual Summer Conference, I was blown away again. I went from isolation to community in one long weekend. There were hundreds of people doing the same thing I was doing. Wonderful, successful writers struggling with the same challenges I had. Real life editors walking among us mere mortals! I was in heaven and I never wanted to leave. So I didn't.

From then on, I went to the Westside Schmooze (which I later co-coordinated), availed myself of Critique Connections where I found a writers' group, and signed up for consultations at the yearly Summer Conference. Joining SCBWI was like opening a door to the kidlit world and realizing that I didn't have to wander through the forest alone. In fact, someone had already packed me a picnic lunch, some good books to read, and put up 'Beware of Wolf' signs where appropriate.

Tell us about meeting your agent Michael Bourret. How did that come about and how long until he signed you?

Meeting Michael was a series of connected events that unfolded over a couple of years. I'd already been writing for a while, but I hadn't looked into agents because my book wasn't ready yet. One year at the Summer Conference, I was matched with Jennifer Hunt at Little, Brown for my consultation. Now, she's a very smart editor and was able to explain things in a way that made me see immediately how to fix them. At the end of our consultations, she asked me if there was anything else I wanted to ask her about writing or the industry. A little voice in my head, the one I'm not used to listening to, said 'Ask her! Ask her!!" And so I opened my mouth and forced myself to ask the awkward question, "Can you think of any agents that might be a good match for my story?" And she said, "Michael Bourret."

Fast forward, one year. I've been working away to my manuscript and I see that Michael is going to be at the upcoming Summer Conference. And that little voice kicked in again. "Write it! Write it!!!" So I wrote Michael an email telling him about my consultation with Jennifer Hunt and ask if he'd like to meet. Minutes later, I had an email from him saying 'yes.'

And I must admit, I pitched my book horribly to Michael. And I'm sure the espresso I'd just swigged didn't help either. But Wonder Woman saved the day. I'd written backup, emergency questions in my notebook to give me some confidence and as soon as I pulled it out, Michael took one look at the cover and said, "I love Wonder Woman!" That moment of bonding gave me the courage I needed to regroup and repitch... this time doing a much better job.

It was actually another 6 months until I was ready to submit to Michael, but when I did, he got my story right away. His insightful, smart comments about what he loved and what still needed work made me sure this was a great match. He knew exactly the story I was trying to tell and knew how to help me get there. That is what you want in an agent (and an editor for that matter.) Well, that and a love of Wonder Woman.

Sara and her agent Michael Bourret at the recent SCBWI 

Annual Summer Conference (Photo: Rita Crayon Huang)

Your debut novel THE HARBINGER will be released by Putnam in the spring 2012. Tell us a little about it.

The 'likely-to-be-renamed' HARBINGER is a supernatural thriller set in a very near future... a place of oil embargoes and rioting cities. Faye just wants to live the normal life of a 16 year-old girl. Unfortunately, she’s far from normal. Disembodied voices whisper in her ears. Rooms dissolve into ocean waves. Drums pound in her mind.

Her questionable sanity lands her on an island in Maine, at Holbrook Academy. There, hemmed in by razor wire and locked in solitary confinement, Faye is left to drown in her own hallucinations. Only the low, quiet voice of Kel, the guy in the next cell, is able to reach through Faye’s nightmare and pull her back to reality.

But despite their undeniable connection, Faye’s world continues crumble around her. She begins to lose time, waking up in strange places surrounded by crudely drawn symbols. As Faye’s life unravels, Kel and her assigned ‘Family’ group get tangled up in the madness. Now Faye must uncover the secrets that brought her to Holbrook. Before the past destroys them all.

Where are you in the editorial process? How has it been for you? Any surprises?

I'm most of the way through my first revision with Stacey Barney. It's been terrifying and thrilling and very exciting as I get to towards the end. I'm starting to see all of the little changes coming together in a big way.

The one thing that shouldn't surprise me anymore (but always does anyway) is how important another set of eyes can be. And not just any eyes... Stacey is a deep and detailed reader, pushing me to develop my world, my characters, and my story as far as they can go. It's hard to have someone challenging you that way, it's even a little threatening... I won't deny that I yelled at my manuscript a few times while reading line notes. But Stacey was spot on in her editorial letter and even asked new questions that I'd never managed to ask myself.

Despite all this, there were still some problems I didn't know how to fix. In one of our phone conversations I went on and on, hopelessly, about one of these problems, saying "If I fix it this way it causes these problems, but if I fix it that way it causes these other problems." I was about to tear my hair out when she said, "Well then, why don't you fix it this other way."

Light bulbs went on and bells rung and the crowd went wild! Why hadn't I thought of that? Because, having spent years on this book, I was stuck in a little box of my own making. Often it takes another person to help you find a solution. Lesson learned... at least until the next time.

What do you have planned in the way of promotion of your debut novel?

Well, I'm still very much in the brainstorming stage, but I am hoping to get a little creative. I'm excited to create a book trailer that really intrigues and entices people. And I already have some very talented friends involved in the process. This is one of those times when it's great to live in a movie town.

I'm also going to redesign my website... or I should say, have my wonderful artist husband redesign it. But I definitely plan on taking all the credit. And, of course, I'll get the news out on Facebook, Twitter, and a revolutionary new thing I just heard about... in-person book signings!

I have a few other ideas up my sleeve, but you'll have to wait till 2012 to find out.

You signed a two-book deal with Putnam. Is there anything you can tell us about your second book (or is it too soon)?

Unfortunately no. Mostly cause I haven't written it yet...

What are some of your favorite books (or who are some of your favorite authors)? Are you drawn to the paranormal?

Growing up, I was definitely drawn to fantasy, sci-fi, and paranormal. I was particularly fascinated by Madeleine L'Engle's mix of magic and science, especially in  A RING OF ENDLESS LIGHT. I mean what's better than telepathic dolphins? But I also loved mysteries, like the WESTING GAME. And I devoured Lois Duncan's books, which often had a bit of both.

Over the years, as kids and YA books have thrived, I've found so many other favorites. TRICKSTER'S CHOICE by Tamora Pierce, any book by Diana Wynne Jones, FEED by M.T. Anderson. But I also have a soft spot for ridiculous and bizarre middle grade, like Daniel Pinkwater's LIZARD MUSIC, any book by Roald Dahl, WHALES ON STILTS by M.T. Anderson, and THE TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY by Adam Rex.

What advice would you offer the pre-published?

Well first of all I would say, your path is not the same as other people's paths. So many times we hear writers say that this or that was the key to their success. Like me and my Wonder Women connection with Michael. What? You like the Green Lantern instead? No book deal for you!

It can be super stressful to think you're not doing all the right things to get published. But the truth is that some people find exposure in blogging, others at conferences, still others are keeping their heads down and working diligently on their own. At some point you have to stop looking around at what other people are doing and find out what works for you. You need to seek out things that feed you creatively and play to your strengths, not other people's.

That said, my other piece of advice is: Push yourself out of your comfort zone.
You need to be an advocate for your book and yourself as a writer. Every bit of movement I've had towards publishing has been because I listened to that little voice in my head and forced myself to ask the question, write the email, or send out the manuscript.

Think of how parents are with their children. They are willing to put themselves on the line to help their child have the opportunities they deserve and become the best people they can be. You have to think of your book this way. You've created this lovely/funny/thrilling/whatever-ing story and it needs you to be fearless so that it can get out and live in the world.

More From BookExpo America

Here's more from the whirlwind book-o-rama of BEA. Aaron Hartzler, (SCBWI Director of Communications) and were I running our legs off meeting up with some of our favorite editors and agents--many of whom are coming to the 2010 Summer Conference in July. (Okay, I was running mainly to keep up with Aaron who has long legs, is a foot taller than I am, and can part a crowd like Moses at an ocean.) At SCBWI we work hard to keep in in touch with top editors and agents in the industry at events like BEA, so we can bring them to you at our terrific conferences. 

Here's the round-up:

Ari Lewen, Senior Editor at Disney/Hyperion (right) will be doing critiques and workshops at the summer conferece. We ran into her with Inara Scott (left),author of the DELCROIX ACADEMY books. Book One: The Candidates drops on August 24th.

We ran into Francesco Sedita author AND Publisher of Grosset and Dunlap, and Price Stern Sloan, two children’s imprints at the Penguin Young Readers Group. He told us about a great new series he has coming out: FRANKLY FRANNIE by A.J. Stern. The series is about a little girl who wants an office job, and debuts today! Be sure to catch Francesco's workshop on seies fiction this year at the summer conference!

Publisher Elizabeth Law was holding court at the Egmont booth where she gave us the scoop on the forthcoming titles:

• THE INVISIBLE ORDER, the first in a new series by Paul Crilley.
• VIRGIN TERRITORY the second novel by The Trevor Project founder James Lecesne.
• MIDDLE WORLD the first of the Jaguar Stones series by J&P Voelkel.
• Vordak the Incomprehensible's HOW TO GROW UP AND RULE THE WORLD

And just then, Vordak the Incomprehensible (aka Nico Medina) happened to wander by...

 

At the Random House booth we chatted with Delacorte Executive Editor Wendy Loggia who just nabbed Tyra Banks' Young Adult series MODELLAND due out in summer 2011.

Also at the Random House booth, author James Dashner (left), here with his agent Michael Bourret, was signing teaser chapters of THE SCORCH TRIALS the forthcoming sequel to his his debut book THE MAZE RUNNER. Be sure to catch Michael Bourret's workshop on Monday, August 2nd at the summer conference. He'll be talking with his author Jill S. Alexander about being ready for the publishing process once your manuscript is accepted by an editor.