You Already Know Four People (So the SCBWI Winter 2023 Conference Won't Be So Scary/Unknown/Intimidating)

Conferences can be amazing, but they can also bring up a lot of emotions. 

Am I going to be the only one there like me?

Will I feel alone?

Will anyone talk to me?

Is it going to be scary? unknown? intimidating?

Well, it doesn't have to be!

Part of the reason SCBWI has a team of bloggers cover the conferences is to take off that edge of nervousness.

You can check out previous posts on the Official SCBWI Conference Blog to get a taste of what conferences are like. 

You can read Jolie's post about first timers, and come to the first-timer socials. And learn more about Jolie and her writing and coaching at her website here.

You can check out Justin's post about the power of community, and finding your peeps at the conference and beyond. And discover Justin's illustrations here.

You can laugh with Jaime as she pitches the Piranha Pit - one of many highlights of the in-person conference to come. And see her illustration and books at Jaime's website here.

And you're welcome to learn more about me, Lee, and my books for kids and teens here.

See? You already know four people going to the New York conference. We hope you'll say “hello!”

Get all the details on the in-person #scbwiNY23 conference here.

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

Gearing Up For #LA18SCBWI, Whether You'll Be In L.A. or Following Along Virtually

Visit the SCBWI Official Conference Blog here!

It's here! Tomorrow's the start of the 2018 SCBWI Summer Conference here in Los Angeles, and here's how to both contribute and follow along on social media.

The official hashtag:

#LA18SCBWI

The easiest way to tap into the stream of inspiration, business tips, craft insights, opportunity, and community is to search with the hashtag on your favorite social media platform and find the people posting/tweeting/snapping about #LA18SCBWI... and then follow them, and join in the conversation yourself!




Your #LA18SCBWI Team Bloggers Are:

Martha Brockenbrough

Martha Brockenbrough is the author of several books for young readers, including Alexander Hamilton, Revolutionary (Feiwel & Friends); The Game of Love and Death; and Love, Santa (both Arthur A. Levine Books). She is a faculty member at Vermont College of Fine Arts Writing for Children & Young Adults program. Forthcoming titles include Unpresidented, a biography of Donald Trump, and Cheerful Chick, a picture book about a resilient bird with a big dream. http://martha-brockenbrough.squarespace.com/

**

Adria Quiñones

Adria Quiñones is a wildly successful technical writer who began writing novels for kids in order to have the experience of writing something that someone actually wanted to read. She is a member of Metro-NYC SCBWI's steering committee, hosts the chapter's Upper West Side write/sketch night, and helped found DIALOGS, the chapter's meet-up for kidlit creators from marginalized communities. Adria is a regular contributor to the Metro-NYC SCBWI‘s blog and was a winner of the SCBWI 2014 Midwinter Conference’s prestigious joke contest. In January 2015, Adria was named one of the winners of SCBWI’s Emerging Voices Award for her middle-grade novel, The Disappeared. She is currently at work on a picture book. http://adriaq.com/

**

Jolie Stekly

Jolie Stekly is a writer, instructor, and coach. She’s a long-time member of SCBWI and was recognized as SCBWI’s member of the year in 2009. She is a former regional advisor of the SCBWI Western Washington region. Her writing is represented by Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio. www.joliestekly.com/

**

Don Tate

Don Tate is an award-winning author and the illustrator of numerous critically acclaimed books for children. He is also one of the founding hosts of the blog, The Brown Bookshelf – a blog designed to push awareness of the myriad of African American voices writing for young readers. Don’s books have won the Ezra Jack Keats Book Award, The Christopher Award, a Texas Institute of Letters Literary Award, a Writers’ League of Texas Book Award, and the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award. dontate.com

**

Jaime Temairik

Jaime Temairik is originally from Washington State and has recently moved to Philadelphia, PA, where she enjoys finding soft pretzels and colonial-era privy pits. Visit her online illustration portfolio at www.jaimetemairik.com to learn more about her books and work (but not her privy pits).

**

Lee Wind

Lee Wind, M.Ed., (and yes, the author of this blog post) is the official blogger for SCBWI (www.scbwi.blogspot.com) and is Captain of SCBWI’s Team Blog. His award-winning personal blog, I’m Here. I’m Queer. What The Hell Do I Read (www.leewind.org) has had over 2.5 million page loads and is a Children's Book Council "Great Diversity Blog." A writer of picture books through YA, his debut crowdfunded teen novel, "Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill," publishes October 2, 2018.


Here's to an amazing #LA18SCBWI ahead!

I've Got The Torch... And Here We Go!

Lee Wind, mid-air

I am honored and thrilled to be the new official SCBWI blogger and Captain of Team Blog!

Look for updates here on things going on in our kid lit industry and inside looks at the many SCBWI offerings of information, networking, publications, grants & awards, being a collective voice for authors and illustrators, and of course our amazing SCBWI Annual Conferences!

Your SCBWI Team Bloggers will be diving into pre-conference interviews to give you the scoop on what you can look forward to at our upcoming Lucky 13th Annual Winter Conference in New York City, Jan 27-29, 2012.  I mean, have you checked out the lineup of speakers?  The break-out workshops?  The number of agents and editors on faculty?  The gala dinner, a new mingling and networking event for Saturday night?  The portfolio showcase?  And the Friday day of intensive sessions on marketing for writers, marketing for illustrators, and writers roundtables?  There's so much great stuff!

But the conference blogging by Team Blog couldn't happen without our amazing team:

Martha Brockenbrough, one of the funniest people I've ever met.  And she can write funny, too.  Her book on grammar  had me laughing out loud (yes, grammar and laughing) and I can't wait to read her upcoming titles from Arthur A. Levine books ("Devine Intervention" sounds amazing!) Martha is deep and insightful and snort-milk-out-of-your-nose funny.  She's also a wonderful blogger, both at her own blog, and for our SCBWI Team!

Jolie Stekley is awesome. A YA writer bursting with creativity and energy, she imbues everything she does with heart and insight.  I love re-reading her conference posts (like this one), because they are personal and universal at the same time - and with all the photos and quotes the whole feel of the conference comes back to me in a wonderful rush!  She's a great blogger at her own blog, Cuppa Jolie (check out her fabulous weekly writing prompts!) and for our SCBWI Team!

Jaime Temairik, our resident illustrator on the team, changes things up for all of us by stretching the form and having fun with it all.  Like her commercial breaks and zombie sock puppet sketches, Jaime is wacky in the most wonderful of ways!  When I first met her, I thought she was Yoda-like, as in still-waters-run-deep.  What I discovered is that Jaime is deep - and she's quieter than me because she's busy planning all this amazing stuff while I'm chattering away!  She's a treasure of a blogger at her own blog, Cocoastomp, and for our SCBWI Team!

Suzanne Young is zany, charming, and prolific - with three YA titles out (her latest is the supernatural romance,"A Need So Beautiful!)" and more books coming soon...  Suzanne is also really innovative in her marketing efforts, and I recently saw her speak with Novel Novice's Sara Gundell about their super-fun and well-received do-it-yourself campaigns for her books.  Suzanne is a bright light and a super blogger, both at her own blog and for our SCBWI Team!

What all these amazing bloggers share is a huge sense of heart and passion.  (And twitter accounts:  follow them at
 @mbrockenbrough
 @cuppajolie
 @jaimetem
 @suzanne_young)
I'm beyond grateful for their friendship and support - and so glad to continue Team Blogging the SCBWI Annual Conferences with them!

And I have to take this opportunity to offer my heartfelt thanks to Alice Pope, who not only had the vision to create Team Blog with Aaron Hartzler (and bring me on board) but for believing in me and now passing me the torch.  Thank you, Alice! 

So I'll raise the flame high and run with you all, as we explore the grandeur and endorphin-rush of our passion - writing and illustrating and editing and agenting and art-directing and publishing and blogging and bookselling and teaching and librarian-ing (!)  and marketing and innovating...  as we create and celebrate creative content for children and teens.

Run with me!
Lee

ps: You're welcome to follow me on my home blog, "I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell do I Read?" and on twitter at @leewind
pps: My photo above was taken by the wonderful writer and photographer Rita Crayon Huang.

Passing the Torch: My Final SCBWI Blog Post

Dear Readers,

Today, in a swirl of mixed emotions, I offer this post announcing that I will no longer be blogging for SCBWI.

I happily started this gig in May of 2010, a month after leaving my position as the long-time editor of Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market. I was so grateful and excited that SCBWI gave me the opportunity to continue to communicate via the blogosphere with the amazing community I'd come to know and love throughout my 18 plus years at Writer's Digest Books.

While I was an editor at WD, I attended countless SCBWI events all over the country. Without a doubt, my favorite event has always been the Annual Summer Conference in Los Angeles. I learned so much, made so many terrific contacts, saw success stories unfold, and, most importantly, became lifelong friends with some tremendous people.

So of course I was beyond thrilled with the formation of SCBWI TEAM BLOG in 2009. The brainchild of former SCBWI Director of Communications Aaron Hartzler, the team--including me, Jaime Temairik, Martha Brockenbrough, Jolie Stekly, Suzanne Young and Lee Wind--brought you pre-conference interviews with conference faculty and exhaustive as-it-happens coverage of the LA and NYC conferences. We blogged and social networked our fingers to the bone, with joy.

I'm thrilled to announce that the SCBWI blog and TEAM BLOG will survive--and thrive--under new the leadership of Lee Wind.

Lee, always an enthusiastic and energetic TEAM BLOG member and award-winning blogger at I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell Do I Read, is taking over as the official SCBWI blogger and is the new captain of TEAM BLOG! (He's being fitted for his SCBWI cape as I type.)

Lee will will begin posting here in a few days (at which time the blog will get a bit of a makeover), and he'll tell you a little more about himself. So please be sure to visit the blog often to read Lee's posts and watch as he clues you in on the pre-conference fun and offers his terrific faculty interviews as the date for the SCBWI Annual Winter Conference in New York draws nearer. (I'll be popping in frequently here and at the Official SCBWI Conference Blog to enjoy things from the other side.)

So I bid you farewell, but not goodbye. (We can keep in touch on Facebook and Twitter afterall.) Thank you for reading both the SCBWI blogs. Thank you Lin and Steve for allowing me to be a part of them. Thank you Jaime, Martha, Jolie, Suzanne and Lee for all your hard work and for your friendship. I love you guys.

Now I leave you the same way I greeted you...

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-Conference Interview: Jamie Weiss Chilton

Wrapping up our terrific SCBWI TEAM BLOG conference faculty interviews is my chat with former SCBWI staffer turned agent, Jamie Weiss Chilton. Jamie represents children's books exclusively as part of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency team, specializing in teen novels and picture books. (See her bio on the agency website and her interview below for more info on what she's looking for.)

Before agenting and working at SCBWI, Jamie interned at Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, and held editorial positions at both Bantam Delacorte Dell and Knopf & Crown Books for Young Readers. Here she talks about nonfiction, Lady Gaga, critiques and more.

All you conference-goers will see her in LA this weekend at the 40th Annual SCBWI Summer Conference! (Don't forget to visit the conference blog for the play-by-play.)


At the Annual Summer Conference you're offering a session called "The Current Marketplace for Nonfiction." Why did you choose this topic? What will conference-goers learn from this session?

Nonfiction is a wonderful genre, one that can have all the power of fiction with the added kick of "I can't believe that really happened!" It's inspiring, shocking, riveting, touching, and entertaining. I'm excited to be presenting a general survey of the nonfiction market, from picture books through YA.

Your bio on andreabrownlit.com says you're looking for "the Lady Gaga of YA fiction." I'm assuming that doesn't mean you'll be on the lookout for the most outrageous outfit at the poolside pajama party. Would you explain this for my readers?

I love the way Lady Gaga has captured the imaginations of and inspired a huge number of people of all ages. To me she exemplifies a new, unique voice taking artistic risks, who has attracted a broad and dedicated fan base. She has reinvented the pop star genre, and I'm looking for writers who do the same in their respective genres.

Are you open to taking on new clients? Is there any particular area you're most interested in currently?

Yes, I am looking to take on new clients, especially of the Lady Gaga sort. I'm open to all genres and am particularly looking for YA at the moment.

You're offering manuscript critiques at the conference. What's you advice on getting the most out of a critique meeting.

I love the way the critiques are run at this conference; I think the setup helps writers and illustrators get the most out of their one-on-one meetings. For those new to critique, I recommend Linda Sue Park's great article The Give and Take of Critique, which is available to members on the SCBWI website.

To get the most out of your summer conference critique, come prepared to listen to your critiquer's advice. That doesn't mean you have to agree with everything, or make all the suggested changes (or even any of them!) but you will get the most out of your session if you approach it with an open mind.

You're a former SCBWI staff member. What was it like attending the Summer Conference for the first time as an agent instead of the conference director?

It was a strange feeling! I had the overwhelming urge to help and had to keep reminding myself that wasn't my job anymore. It's such a pleasure to attend the conference as a faculty member. The SCBWI staffers, TEAM BLOG, all the RA's and the bookstore staffers do a ton of work behind the scenes to make sure the conference runs smoothly. For me, being at the conference from the other side of the desk is kind of like a vacation, albeit a working vacation. : )

Would you please offer some advice (or do's and don'ts) for writers and illustrators interacting with agents in a conference setting?

Do introduce yourself and tell the agent (or editor) about your manuscript. We're at the conference to meet you! Don't hand the agent or editor any materials. We have a lot to keep track of and pack, and most of us prefer electronic submissions (ABLA is an all-electronic agency, as far as submissions are concerned.) And remember that we have a lot of people to meet and talk with, so please be understanding when we need to move along and meet other people. For that reason, have your short, concise pitch at the ready (and it can be really, really simple, like "My YA is The Omen meets The Pink Panther." (I have no idea what kind of book this would be--a strange one--just throwing it out there as an example.)

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-Conference Interview: Publisher Jennifer Besser

Ten days until conference time! The latest SCBWI TEAM BLOG interview with Annual Winter Conference faculty was posted today by Lee Wind on his blog I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell Do I Read?

Lee interviewed Putnam Publisher Jennifer Besser. Jennifer will offer breakout sessions on "What Makes Your Work Publishable: Today's Market in Children's Books" concurrent with a number of other editors, agents and art directors.

Below is a bit from Lee's interview. Click here to read the full post.

Jennifer Besser is the Publisher of G.P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of the Penguin Young Readers Group. Prior to joining Putnam in April 2010, Jennifer was an Executive Editor at Disney Hyperion, and before that, she got her start in publishing at Miramax Books. And her very first job was at age 11, selling popsicles on Venice Beach. She much prefers her current gig.

Jennifer manages a stellar team of editors and also edits children’s books for all ages, from picture books to young adult fiction. She is the editor of Rick Riordan’s #1 New York Times best-selling Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, as well as the Red Pyramid.

You can still register for the event--it starts January 28th--and get a chance to see Jennifer Besser and a host of other publishing professionals in person.

Click here to access the registration page.

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-Conference Interview: Advice on Critiques From Editors & Agents

SCBWI's Annual Winter Conference in New York is just eleven days away! If you're attending, you may be planning your outfits and your evening activities in the city (which you certainly should), but you should also be thinking about how to make the most of the event. So I checked in with a few of the editors and agents participating in the conference to ask for some advice to pass on to you.

Today's topic: CRITIQUES

Editors Krista Marino (Delacorte), Franceso Sedita (Penguin) and Jennifer Rees (Scholastic) and agents Kerry Sparks (Levine/Greenberg) and Kary Kole (Andrea Brown) are participating in the Writers' Intensive that kicks off the weekend of conferencing. At this day-long event, writers have the opportunity to get feedback on a manuscript from a several editors and agents, and writers offer feedback to one another.  

Intensives have limited space for writers and this year's Writers' Intensive (as usual) sold out super fast. But even if you aren't attending it, you probably have been or will be in a critique situation, whether at a conference with an editor or agent, one-on-one with a critique partner, or in a critique group setting. Here are some things to keep in mind offered by our group of industry insiders.

What's your best advice for writers regarding making the most of a manuscript critique?

KRISTA MARINO: I think that sometimes writers use critique time to “defend” their work or pitch their idea instead of to hear what people took away when they read the piece. Writers need to remember that they won’t be standing next to a reader as their book is being read to defend a decision. And we don’t need you to tell us the market or how your work has a readership. It’s our job to know these things. Always keep in mind that editors and agents want to work with writers who are open to suggestions, not writers who think their work is already done. Act appropriately.

FRANCESCO SEDITA: Do it because you love it. Go in with an open mind and just take it all in. Don't worry about what is said; it's all for you to take in and digest. It's very hard to hear criticism when the pressure is high. It's hard to keep the "Wait, I didn't win the Oscar face?" on when some bonehead is telling you that your project isn't right for whatever reason. Breathe.

JENNIFER REES: I encourage writers to really listen to what everyone is saying--whether you agree with it or not. For a moment, set aside what you think you know about your story and listen to what others tell you. And take lots of notes! Then you can go home, sort through everything with an open mind, and choose what you want to listen to and what is best to dismiss.

KERRY SPARKS: I think coming prepared to hear criticism is key and being open to really hear what people are saying. But also being strong enough in your work to knowwhat you can and can’t change.

MARY KOLE: Try not to be overwhelmed or respond emotionally. If you're in a critique situation, take the feedback that's being offered to you and make sure to ask specific questions or for clarification. Critiques often feel like they fly by...don't pass up a chance to really nail down your personal feedback with the person who read your sample. You should also ask for ideas on next steps: What should you do next? How can you grow and evolve from this point forward?


What's your best advice for writers regarding offering criticism of other writers' work?

KRISTA: Always remember to treat people the way you would like to be treated. If you have criticism, offer a compliment as well. And make your criticism constructive. “That’s horrible” or “I hate horses” isn’t helpful to anyone.

FRANCESCO: Don't speak because everyone else has. Um, that's sort of my advice in life. But it's really important here because then you just say something dumb and dumb sometimes leads to inadvertent mean and mean leads to someone crying and crying just brings everyone down, people.   Nobody needs that. Speak from your heart--as a reader, a writer, and a person who is just as crazy about and committed to their craft as the person you're addressing.

JENNIFER: My advice is to speak up! Some writers clam up because there is an editor sitting there and they don’t want to look foolish, but if you can be generous enough to share your insights into another writer’s work with the whole group, then chances are that they’ll do the same for you when your time arrives!

 

KERRY: Offer criticism by first finding a way to compliment the work. There is almost always at least a few good aspects to any work, so starting off with that and then leading into what might not quite work will soften the blow. Also, really offering a solid suggestion of an action step the writer can take to improve it is really helpful.

MARY: It is crucial to learn how to critique the work of others. That keen editorial eye that you develop when you're critiquing will, one day, filter down to how you look at your own work. When you're critiquing, avoid emotional and unhelpful reactions to material, like "I didn't like it" or "that sucked." If you have something like this on the tip of your tongue, try and think why you may be having an issue with the piece. It's much more helpful for a fellow writer to hear something like, "The pacing of this scene is slow, so I found myself skimming. Maybe there's too much description going on between dialogue exchanges," or whatever. Also, you can throw out ideas and suggestions, but don't take the wheel and prescribe what a writer should do. Just give them feedback. Addressing it is their job.

You'll hear from this generous group of editors and agents again soon. In the meantime, you can still register for the Annual Winter Conference. Click here for information.

And remember, check out the Official SCBWI Conference Blog for live coverage of the event by SCBWI TEAM BLOG.

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-Conference Interview: Award Wining Author Lois Lowry

Blogger Lee Wind (whose birthday is today--Happy Birthday Lee!) posted the latest SCBWI TEAM BLOG interview with Annual Winter Conference faculty. Lee spoke with award-winning author Lois Lowry, who will be delivering the keynote speech to open the conference.

Below is a bit from Lee's interview with Lois. Click here to read the full interview on Lee's blog, I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell Do I Read? 

One of the super-exciting things about the upcoming SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City, January 28-30, 2011 is that Lois Lowry will be speaking there. (And YES, you can still register!)

Born in Hawaii, Lois Lowry has lived all over the world and now divides her time between Cambridge, Massachusetts and a 1768 farmhouse in Maine. Her list of fiction includes 36 books for young people. Twice the recipient of the Newbery Medal - in 1990 and 1994 (for the Middle Grade novels "Number The Stars" and "The Giver")

Lois has received countless other honors for her work. In recent years she has traveled extensively, speaking to children in Spain, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia about the importance of literature and imagination in their lives. She is a mother and grandmother and has worked as a photojournalist as well as a writer of fiction. She even has a blog!

As Lee mentioned above, you can still register for the event--it starts January 28th--and get a chance to see Lois Lowry in person, as well as the terrific faculty of industry insiders amassed for the event.

Click here to access the registration page. Hope to see you there!

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-conference Interview: Patricia Lee Gauch

The latest Annual Winter Conference faculty member featured in our SCBWI TEAM BLOG pre-conference interview series is Patricia Lee Gauch. Patti talked with TEAM BLOGger Martha Brockenbrough. (I'm a day late in alerting you--I just got back from a family trip to Washington D.C.)

Here's a bit from the interview:

My SCBWI chapter invited Patricia Lee Gauch to Washington state for a retreat a couple of years ago, and I got to see first-hand what a fine teacher she is: gentle but demanding, and full of information distilled from a phenomenal career in children's literature.

Patti is not only a published author herself (Christina Katerina and the Box, Thunder at Gettysburg, and The Knitting of Elizabeth Amelia), she has edited some of the finest writers in the business: Brian Jacques, T.A. Barron, Andrew Clements, Jane Yolen, Janet Lisle, Katherine Erkskine, and Barbara Joosse.

She's worked with artists Eric Carle, David Small, Ed Young, Loren Long. Three books she edited have won Caldecott Medals: Owl Moon, Lon Po Po, and So You Want to Be President. 

Click here to read the full interview with Patti on Martha's blog.

Click here to register for the Annual Winter Conference and learn from outstanding faculty like Patricia Lee Gauch!

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-conference Interview: Jane Yolen

Martha Brockenbrough offers the first in our series of SCBWI TEAM BLOG pre-conference faculty interviews starting us out with the terrific Jane Yolen!

Here's a bit from Martha's interview with Jane (in which, Martha says, "she debuts the new BIC.")

Without the mighty badge of the SCBWI national blog team to hide behind, I'd never have the guts to approach Jane Yolen for an interview.

She's Jane Yolen! Author of more than 300 books! A Caldecott Medalist and Golden Kite winner! Likened unto Hans Christian Anderson! Also, as far as I can tell, she is bionic. There is otherwise no way to explain how she writes so many fabulous books.

You might already know these things about Jane, though.

But did you know that she coined the acronym B.I.C. for "butt in chair"? Did you further know she was the second author ever to join the SCBWI? And that she was the organization's first regional adviser? She founded and for a decade ran the New England region.

Click here to read the full interview with Jane Yolen.

Click here to register for the Annual Winter Conference and see Jane--and a number of other equally wonderful faculty--in person.

SCBWI's 2011 Annual Winter Conference Registration Opens Tomorrow!

Mark your calendars! Synchronize your watches! Start planning your outfits! At 10 AM Pacific time tomorrow, registration will be open for the 2011 SCBWI Annual Winter Conference in New York City. The event takes place January 28-30, 2011, at the Hyatt Grand Central and features a fabulous lineup up of publishing professionals to instruct and inspire conference goers.

In addition to Saturday and Sunday workshops and keynotes, attendees can also opt for Friday pre-conference Writers or Illustrators Intensives--a day-long critique-a-thon with editor and agents for writers and day-long workshop for illustrators. If you're interested in one of these, don't doddle. They sell out amazingly quickly. 

The full faculty line-up will be revealed tomorrow when registration opens, but I can tell you that among them will be Mo Willems, Sara Zarr , Lois Lowry, Jules Feiffer and R.L. Stine! (Have I used too many exclamation points in this post yet? Don't worry! There will be more! I'm excited!)

SCBWI TEAM BLOG will again offer live coverage of the event on the Official SCBWI Conference Blog, as well as loads of pre-conference faculty interviews on our individual blogs.

TEAM BLOG is:

• Martha Brockenbrough (Twitter: @mbrockenbrough)
• Jolie Stekly (Twitter: @cuppajolie)
• Jaime Temairik (Twitter: @jaimetem)
• Lee Wind (Twitter: @leewind)
• Suzanne Young (Twitter: @suzanne_young)
• Me (Twitter: @alicepope)

The official Twitter hashtag for the event is #NY11SCBWI. 

Click here to register for the Annual Winter Conference.  Hope to see you there!

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-conference Interview: Jennifer Rees

I'm particularly excited about interviewing Scholastic Press editor and Annual Summer Conference speaker Jennifer Rees because she got her start in children’s books working as a children’s bookseller at my favorite hometown bookstore, Joseph-Beth Booksellers.

At Scholastic, she acquires and edits fiction and nonfiction picture books, middle grade fiction, and YA novels. Some of the recent titles she worked on  include SWIM! SWIM! by Lerch; FINALLY by Wendy Mass; WISH I MIGHT by Coleen Murtagh Paratore; AFTER EVER AFTER by Jordan Sonnenblick; EVERLASTING by Angie Frazier; SELLOUT by Ebony Wilkins; LIFE, AFTER by Sarah Darer Littman; FEVER CRUMB by Philip Reeve; and MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins. (You might have heard a little about that last one.)

At the Annual Summer Conference Jennifer will offer two sessions--YOUR VOICE IS YOUR VOICE: KEEPING IT REAL and WHAT'S HOT, WHAT'S NOT.

At the 2009 NYC SCBWI Annual Winter Conference you said that you're interested in risky writing. What do you mean by that?

I hear writers say a lot, "I have an idea for a story, but I don't think I could really do it justice" and I think what they mean is that they are afraid of charting new waters or exploring territory they are unsure of, so they think it's better to follow trends (which is why I have a zillion paranormal submissions right now) or some safe formula, rather than striking out on their own. I think they are afraid of their own ideas.

But I'm not looking to publish stories that have been written about in the same way a zillion times over; I'm looking for stories that delve into new terrain (emotional, psychological, genre, format, narratively, etc). So, by "risky," I guess I'm really talking about writing that is personally risky for a writer and which dares not to follow a trend. For one writer that might be taking on a subject that requires a lot of research, for another it might simply be writing about what they know (i.e., what they believe is boring, when of course it's probably fascinating to others).

A great story doesn't have to be a blockbuster or explosive or involve some new creature or new world (though those things certainly have potential). I'm reading THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE right now and I'm fascinated by it. The writing is beautiful, the characters are amazing, and while the story is about everyday things in the life of one girl, the author [Jacqueline Kelly] makes it so very compelling and delectable (and funny!). If that manuscript had crossed my desk, I would have been jumping up and down with excitement!

What wows you in a manuscript? 

That is a very hard question to answer! I think it’s difficult to predict what will wow me. A story is such an enormous fusion of multiple elements. Voice is up there on my list--if I really connect with a writer's voice I will go anywhere they take me. An interesting plot, too. But mostly I'm wowed by stories I can't stop thinking about and ones that I find myself wanting to tell everyone about. I can't tell you the number of manuscripts I read that are fairly decent, but which I've already forgotten about by the very next day. Of course, stories are subjective and what might wow me might bore someone else! That's the tricky part, I guess. But a great story, a truly great story, stays with me forever. That's what I want to publish.

You accept agented material only, correct? 

Yes, and from SCBWI members, though they may get a form rejection letter, and I'm sorry about that, I am, but I'm afraid that otherwise they'd never hear from me ever, ever again. It's a nice letter, I promise.

 
Before you became an editor at Scholastic Press you worked as a bookseller. Does that experience affect your editorial work? 

Yes! After two years of hand-selling books to readers at the wonderful Joseph-Beth Booksellers, I still rely on that experience. From writing flap copy, to working with the designer to come up with the perfect book jacket, to what I acquire, to sales presentations, my experience as a bookseller informs the way I think about and respond to books, and the way I present those books to our own sales teams. I want to acquire and edit books I love, but I also want them to sell. That's the goal. Being on the floor of a bookstore day in and day out, you see what kids pick up and what people come in asking for. And you get to look at all the books from all the publishers. I visit bookstores a lot now. Once in a while (okay, all the time), I will hand-sell my books to unsuspecting customers. They walk away happy! I miss those days!

Why do you participate in SCBWI events? What do you get out of them? 

I truly enjoy speaking to writers! It's not always easy for me to sit behind a desk. l like hearing the buzz and seeing what people are reading and talking about. It's why I miss my bookselling days, I guess. I also love to hear about what people are working on, and I'm always inspired by everyone's commitment and enthusiasm for what we all do every day. I also really, really hope that I will run into a writer who will send me something terrific that I will publish to great acclaim!

One of your conference sessions is called WHAT'S HOT, WHAT'S NOT Can you give us a teaser?

Very sneaky of you. Well, I can't make any promises, but you're not going to want to miss it, let me tell you!

Any words of wisdom/advice you can offer to those working toward publication? 

Do your research on publishers, agents, and editors, and of course, read, read, read!