Twitter Archeology: Layers and Layers of #NY12SCBWI

Twitter gives a fascinating window into the three days (intensive Friday + Saturday and Sunday) of the Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City.

A few tweets were re-tweeted more than 100 times, spreading the information to literally tens of thousands of ‘followers’ – the name for groups of people sharing brief tweets (messages under 140 characters.)  The most re-tweeted of the conference:

@cuppajolie “You ban those books, you ban those kids.” Chris Crutcher #ny12scbwi

There were some great quotes independently tweeted by lots of people, like:

@Emberchyld #NY12SCBWI Sunday in three tweets 3) “There’s an agent on this earth whose divine assignment is to represent you.” – Regina Brooks #inspiring

(That line by Regina - who tweets as @serendipitylit - was also tweeted by @kitgrindstaff, @bananas, @mbrockenbrough, myself - @leewind, and re-tweeted a lot!)

Another conference moment that spread widely across the twitter-sphere:

@VLeeMahoney IMPORTANT tip → @scbwi If you can’t sum up your work in two sentences, you probably need to revise –Ginger Knowlton #NY12SCBWI

Twitter is also a great way to follow the people talking about your interests… so I highly recommend “following” SCBWI Team Blog members @leewind @jaimetem @mbrockenbrough @cuppajolie @suzanne_young as well as the scbwi twitter feed @scbwi and other conference attendees who shared tweets that resonate for you.

You can also search twitter by subject, and the conference has its own hashtag: #NY12SCBWI

By searching on that, you can work your way through the levels and days of mini-posts like an archeologist, finding people, information and inspiration that reveal a unique view of the conference.

Here are some layers of twitter I uncovered (and it’s backwards, because just like an archeological dig, you have to start at the top and work your way down through the layers to discover the civilization beneath…)

@jeniw “I love books that can potentially change a reader’s life. I’m also a big sucker for books that make me cry.” @planetalvina #NY12SCBWI

@mimicross: “The Heart wants what the heart wants” @literaticat at LGBTQ&A meet up with @leewind & @planetalvina #ny12scbwi

@KimSabatini Nurture every connection. It’s a small community, play nice.—Ginger Knowlton #NY12SCBWI

@storyconnection “Think about making books w global reach. Middle grade is the new YA.” Regina Brooks, Serendipity Literary Agency @serendipitylit #NY12SCBWI

@atlanticmoira After a welcome home hug, my son said, “You smell like New York” #ny12scbwi 

@DebtheWise Incredible conference. Incredible information. Incredible people. #ny12scbwi. See you next year!

@airliebird #ny12scbwi was so inspiring! I’m going to make a greenhouse around my ideas, FOCUS, and keep putting my stories out there!

@jeni2 “An engaged author with a platform is one of the best things a book can have.” –Editor Tara Weikum #NY12SCBWI

@illustratorsam So sad it’s over :*{ #NY12SCBWI

@loishoffman Things that make you go hmmmm… “The moon is always full when you’re on it.” - @ChrisRichman (Upstart Crow Literary) #ny12scbwi

@SamuelWalters74 Home from #NY12SCBWI – my “to do” list is now about as long as my … my novel! So many ideas … to the revision cave!

@illustratorsam I can hardly wait to get back home and go to the library. I have a HUGE list of Children’s books to read (and re-read!) #NY12SCBWI

@annelieseArt I’m already missing #NY12SCBWI and all of the amazing people that I met this weekend! But I’m so excited to go and make art now!!!

@zlikeinzorro @literaticat Great LGBTQ panel. #NY12scbwi needs more of those!

@natashasinel I won the door prize – tuition to LA conf! Feel like I won the mega millions! And now life is good. #NY12SCBWI

@SaraFujimura Mission accomplished! Got @cassieclare to sign bks for my teen #GirlScouts (& me too!). #NY12SCBWI #yalit

@kim_bak Great conference! Hung out w/friends, saw @saraagent, met my editor, learned/got inspired, set up @scbwiwwa speakers… *nap* #NY12SCBWI

@MLCillustration Also got John Rocco’s autographs!! We hit a goldmine of illustrators here at #NY12SCBWI. Great weekend…But I miss my bed!

@bananas Hear hear! @leewind: Standing Ovation for Lin, Steve, Sara and all the SCBWI staff for pulling off #NY12SCBWI

@leewind: “So go out there, and go create.” Kathryn Erskine’s Keynote Finale at NY12SCBWI 

@SamRVamos #FF: @leewind & @jaimetem @mbrockenbrough & @cuppajolie Great writing/editing tips fr SCBWI Team Blog @ SCBWI 13th Annual Winter Conference in NY. #NY12scbwi 

@RodriguezCindyL Just fell in love with Kathryn Erskine at #ny12scbwi

@mbrockenbrough Kathryn Erskine: “Talent isn’t enough. You’ve gotta have grit. Talent + determination.” #NY12scbwi

@mbrockenbrough Kathryn Erskine on research: “If you want to know what a Scotsman wears under his kilt, find one who’s willing to show you.” #NY12scbwi

@mbrockenbrough Kathryn Erskin is giving us an Oprah moment, almost: She has sandalwood-scented tea light candles for us. Awww! #NY12scbwi

@NeelySSimpson #NY12SCBWI To be creative you have to take care of yourself – Kathryn Erskine

@JustAGirl_LJ #NY12SCBWI Did Kathryn Erskine read my private journal? self doubt, guilt are regular visitors in my soul

@mbrockenbrough: Kathryn Erskine: “If you ever think about hanging it up, think about the one kid out there who needs you.” #NY12scbwi

@cameron_crane “I like the idea that my best books are yet to come.” – Peter Brown #NY12SCBWI 

@bananas OH: my brain can’t hold any more brilliant information! #NY12SCBWI #WritingConferenceProblems

@JustAGirl_LJ At my first conference in 2007, ebooks were a “joke”. This year, “transmedia” is a common phrase. Publishing is changing so fast. #NY12SCBWI

@ktubb @kim_bak: Hallelujah. RT @leewind “Middle Grade is the new YA.” Regina Brooks at #NY12SCBWI” :)

@scbwi Take away from the agent panel: work on those first pages, lots don’t read synopsis. Not hooked by writing = won’t read the rest #NY12SCBWI

@KimSabatini My job is to come up with ways to position a book. Regina Brooks #NY12SCBWI

And that's barely back to the agent's panel on Sunday! See how much fun it is?  And those are just the tweets that resonated for me.

Go do your own twitter search now, and uncover a twitter archeologist's view of the craft, business, inspiration and community that was the #NY12SCBWI experience!

The Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference Starts Tomorrow!

In keeping with the celebratory spirit of a whole weekend packed with kit lit business, craft, inspiration and community, here's "The Joy Of Books"



I found this amazing stop-motion video here, via author Terri Farley.  Thanks, Terri!

And as you travel and prepare for the conference, make sure to catch up on all the pre-conference faculty interviews at the Official SCBWI Conference Blog.

Here's a cool tip for conference attendees:

If you have a smartphone or tablet, you can download the free mobile guide to the 13th Annual Winter Conference. You'll be able to plan your day with a personalized schedule,  get schedule and room  information and read speaker bios.  You can also browse maps of the event space at the Hyatt, share pictures and follow the #NY12SCBWI Twitter feed direct directly from the app. 

To get the guide, choose one of the methods below: 
Download 'Guidebook' from the Apple App Store or the Android Marketplace
Visit   http://guidebookapp.com/get  from your phone's browser 
Once you have the Guidebook App search "SCBWI" under "download guides" and download "SCBWI Winter Conference".

The app is compatible with iPhones, iPads, tablets, and Android devices.

Whether you're attending or not, you can follow along at both the Conference Blog and with our twitter hashtag, #NY12SCBWI

Illustrate and Write and Conference ON!
Lee

Community: Announcing Three New Social Events at #NY12SCBWI (and the answer to the question: Just how much fun are these conferences?)

Here's the scoop on three community-building and networking events happening at the upcoming Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference on the Saturday night (January 28, 2012) after the Gala Dinner:

Find the LGBTQ in SCBWI
7:45pm-8:45pm Saturday January 28, 2012
Room: Broadway

Started at SCBWI's 2008 Summer Conference in Los Angeles and held at every conference since, a group of editors, agents, art directors, authors and illustrators will meet informally to discuss LGBTQ publishing, the submission process, who is interested and what kinds of stories they are interested in.

Maybe you've written a book about or for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, queer or questioning youth; maybe you're interested in doing so, and you're not sure where to begin; maybe you are just curious to learn more about this vital corner of the market for young readers. Whatever your interest in the subject matter, all are welcome. Bring a friend and any questions you may have.

Hosted by SCBWI Team Blog's Lee Wind, our special guests for this event will be Editorial Director at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Alvina Ling and agent Jennifer Laughran

Alvina Ling is Editorial Director at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers where she has worked since 1999. She edits award-winning children's books for all ages, from picture books to young adult novels, with some nonfiction mixed in. Some of the books she has edited include Newbery Honor winner Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin, a young adult series by Libby Bray (The Diviners), as well as the middle grade novel The Land of Stories among many others. She contributes to the children's book blog Blue Rose Girls at http://www.bluerosegirls.blogspot.com

Jennifer Laughran joined Andrea Brown Literary Agency in 2007. Her clients include Daniel Pinkwater, Calef Brown, Matt Faulkner, Jackie Dolamore, Ilsa J. Bick, Eric A. Kimmel, L.K. Madigan, Adam Selzer, Tara Kelly and Kate Messner, and many excellent debut authors. She is always on the lookout for YA and middle grade fiction with unusual, unforgettable characters and vivid settings. You can find her online at http://literaticat.blogspot.com


Illustrator Social
7:45pm – 8:45pm Saturday January 28, 2012
Room: Salon II

Please come join us for this unique and fun opportunity to meet with your fellow illustrator conference attendees, as well as your SCBWI Board Illustrator Committee members! It’ll be a time for networking, sharing of wisdom, thoughts and tips from conference veterans, reviewing what was gleaned from the Winter Conference thus far, and voicing your suggestions for future illustrator Intensives! Just bring yourself and a few of your business/promotional cards for our networking exchange opportunity.


International Gathering
7:45pm-8:45pm Saturday January 28, 2012
Room:  Alvin

Gather with other internationals attending Winter SCBWI conference!

There are over 50 international SCBWI members attending the Winter conference this January so after the Gala Dinner head to the ALVIN room and meet your fellow international attendees from Canada, Australia, England, Spain, Germany, Mexico, UK, Northern Ireland, Switzerland, Hong Kong, France, and the Netherlands.

Christopher Cheng (Co-Chair SCBWI Advisory Board and Co-Regional Advisor Australia and New Zealand) will also advise you about the latest developments for the upcoming SCBWI Bologna gathering and about the Asian Festival of Children's Content (afcc.com.sg) gathering held in Singapore each year. These are two conferences that need to be on your radar and in your planning.

And we also want to know about your region too, so come prepared to share your tales, ask questions, and wave your flag!


The Answer To The Question of just how much fun is the conference...

There's so much vital information, and incredible opportunities to advance your career at these conferences.  There's craft and business and inspiration, lots of networking, and let's be honest - fun - to be had as well.  Imagine hanging out with your tribe for a whole weekend!

How much fun are we talking about?  Check out this video that members of the Pen and Ink blog put together at this past SCBWI Summer Conference.  (Clearly, they were in a pirate mood...)




And There's One More great Kid Lit Community Event the weekend of the conference - 

The New York Kid Lit Drink Night!

Organized by Chrstina McTighe (@LaFabuliste on twitter) and other fabulous New York Kid Lit folk (including @newsboyhat, @Aunt_Feather, and Mackenzie Reide) to overlap with #NY12SCBWI so all us out-of-towners can attend, it will be held Friday January 27, 2012, at 8pm at Public House on 41st and Lexington.  Right around the corner from the Hyatt!

So now you have great social/networking/community stuff to do both Friday and Saturday night!


Community. It's such a big part of attending the Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference.

And you know, just by reading this, you're part of our community.

We hope to see you there!  

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Give Yourself The Present of Attending The SCBWI Winter Conference

It's a season of candles and songs and gifts for everyone else...

We've even wrapped it for you!

...and we humbly suggest you consider giving yourself the gift of coming to The Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City, January 27-29, 2012.

It's a gift that will super-charge your illustrating and writing career journey.

A gift that will let you dive into intensive - and essential - days on marketing, and in the writers roundtable intensive, a chance to get immediate feedback from agents and editors!

A gift that will educate you about the business of children's publishing from experts at the top of the field.

A gift of spending a weekend surrounded by - and knowing that you are a member of - your Children's Literature community.  Your (and my) SCBWI tribe.

And it is a gift of inspiration that will resonate with you long after you return home.


Attending the SCBWI Winter Conference is a gift you can give yourself.  And there's no wrapping paper to buy!  (Kudos to Sarah Baker for the gift image above!)

Here are some of our pre-conference looks at the Friday Intensives and SCBWI Team Blog interviews with the conference faculty:

Jean Feiwel, Senior Vice President & Publishing Director, MacMillian

Ginger Knowlton, Agent at Curtis Brown Ltd.

Lin Oliver, SCBWI's Executive Director, on the Writers Intensives (The Roundtable Intensive for Writers and the Marketing for Professional Writers Intensive)

Lin Oliver, SCBWI's Executive Director, on the Illustrator's Marketing Intensive

Darcy Pattison, Author and creator of the Random Acts of Publicity Day

Nancy Paulsen, President and Publisher of her own imprint at Penguin Young Readers Books.

Rubin Pfeffer, Agent at East-West Literary



You can check in at The Official SCBWI Conference Blog for more up-to-the-minute pre-conference interviews as the holidays roll into the new year, and to get a taste of past conferences.

Registration is open, and you can explore the schedule and full list of faculty and events (like the portfolio showcase and the Gala Dinner) here.  We hope to see you in New York!

Happy Holidays!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

The Writers Intensives at the Upcoming 2012 SCBWI Winter Conference

I recently sat down with Lin Oliver, Executive Director of SCBWI, to find out more about the Writers Intensives on Friday January 27, 2012.

There are two different full-day writers intensives this year:

The Roundtable Intensive for Writers, where you get a chance to share your work with (and get immediate feedback from) editors and agents.   (This sells out every year.)

And new for this conference, a Marketing For Professional Writers Intensive.  In our video, Lin explains the what and why of this amazing new opportunity for authors.




You can see the full Roundtable Intensive for Writers and Marketing For Professional Writers Intensive schedules here.

Register for the intensive that's right for you, and the whole Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference here.

We hope to see you there!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

The Marketing Intensive for Illustrators at the 2012 SCBWI Winter Conference: What You Need To Know

I sat down with Lin Oliver, SCBWI's Executive Director, to find out more about the upcoming full-day intensive program, Marketing For Illustrators, on Friday January 27, 2012.  


You can see the full Marketing For Illustrators Intensive day's schedule here, and register for that and the whole Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference here.

What an amazing - and essential- opportunity!

We hope to see you there.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

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.