SCBWI Summer Conference 2011 - Friday

I'm still riding the "high" of the SCBWI 40th Anniversary Summer Conference. As usual, the air was thick with inspiration, encouragement and kid lit friends.  Here are a few of my favorite moments...

Friday

I carpooled with one of my local critique partners, Sherry Dargert, and arrived first thing Friday morning. I quickly registered and met up with two of my dear kid lit friends (and conference roomies), Lori Degman and Meg Fleming Lentz.  Lori and I have been critique partners for a while now, but this was the first time I'd met her or Meg face to face. Here we are at the Saturday night "Forty Winks" Gala with our other roomie, Heather Zenzen.

Lin Oliver and Stephen Mooser greeted and welcomed us to the first ever sold out SCBWI Summer Conference event.  We learned that there were close to 1350 attendees from 49 U.S. states and 20 different countries.  We enjoyed the annual "introduction of the faculty" as everyone shared a sentence that included the word forty.

Prolific author, Bruce Coville, was our first keynote speaker. He gave us 13 pieces of advice, starting with "marry rich."  But one of the most inspiring things he said was simply put, "children are worth our best effort." 

2010 Caldecott Medal winner, Jerry Pinkney, shared his journey through slides. He suggested that we look at things in a different perspective and look over the shoulder of the main character.

Lin Oliver was moderator for our star-studded editor panel with Allyn Johnston, Julie Strauss-Gabel, Jennifer Hunt, Beverly Horowitz, and Debra Dorfman.  One of the things they addressed was how the ebook is changing the way the industry markets and how more is expected from the author regarding creating a buzz with school visits, social media and an overall online presence. 

It was great to see Libba Bray again as she took the podium as our evening speaker.  Libba also spoke at the SCBWI Writers Day LA conference in 2010, where my picture book manuscript, Starry Kalahari, won the writing contest in the nonfiction category.

(Sorry, I couldn't resist that plug opp... now, back to Libba...)

Libba's keynote was titled Writing It All Wrong: A Survival Manual. She explained how important it is to write that first draft, even though we think it's bad... really bad... I mean REALLY SUCKY bad.  She said you should not only acknowledge that it sucks, but you should "embrace the suck." Of course, the entire ballroom erupted with laughter again and again and again.  

Middle Grade and YA author extraordinaire, Laurie Halse Anderson, spoke at a breakout session titled The Nuts and Bolts of Crafting a Creative Life: Finding Lost Time and Reclaiming Creativity.  Nuggets of gold were scattered this way and that around that on-the-floor-in-front-of-her-podium-sitting-room-only room.  Laurie listed many myths that can hurt authors and gave us tons of tips on how to avoid the so-not-true, but very common saying, "I don't have time for writing."  I was in awe as she NAILED us on several time stealing activities and habits.   

Editor and consultant, Emma Dryden, was our Friday evening keynote speaker. Her presentation, Traveling Through the Digital Landscape: Where We've Been an Where We're Headed, was jam-packed with stats, reports and detailed industry info. She took us step by step through the digital age as she tapped into the real deal of what's happening with e-publishing today.

Friday ended with the PAL Book Sale & Cocktail Party and lots of visiting with friends. 

It was great seeing Paula Yoo, who is not only my favorite violin rock star, but also kidlit author and writer/producer of the SciFi show Eureka. By the way, she and I both agree the show should be called YOOreka... but whatever!  Paula and I met at her first National Picture Book Writing Week (NaPiBoWriWee) event in 2009.

 Here I am with picture book mastaaaahhhh, Tammi Sauer, and author/illustrator, Dan Santat. By the way, I had the opportunity to see Dan again this past weekend when he taught a group of kids about graphic novels, including my own three kiddos.  Stay tuned for a blog post about that exciting event soon.

Here I am again with Lori and Meg at the PAL party. "Don't go into the light!" 

Stay tuned for some more great recap action for Saturday and Sunday at the 2011 SCBWI Summer Conference.

SCBWI Summer Conference: 10 Tips (part 2)

The first keynote is less than 24 hours away. Your palms are sweating. Your heart is doing jumping jacks. Your mind is racing.  No worries... Here are 5 more tips to help you enjoy the SCBWI Summer conference. (Tips #1-5 are posted HERE.)

Tip #6: Say Hello!

If you haven’t figured it out yet, the kid lit community is like a family. If you find yourself alone, say hello to someone. It’s easy to make new friends connections, especially if you’re hanging out in the lobby each evening.  Likewise, don’t be afraid to approach an editor or agent and introduce yourself. Of course, always be professional and never corner someone in the bathroom with your manuscript in hand. Seriously, I’ve heard some nightmare stories.

Tip #7: Expense It!
Save receipts for everything you do. All your meals, hotel, airfare, and books are tax deductible.

Tip #8: Remember It!
When someone gives you a business card, jot down a quick note of something that will help you remember them. You will most likely get A LOT of business cards. If you’re Facebook and/or Twitter savvy, friend and follow them when you get home to keep in touch. Another way to recall all the fun is to take pictures. Don’t forget your camera.

Tip #9: Post It!
If you have a blog, or are on Face Book, Twitter, or any other social networking site, post your experience. Remember not to post too much detail about the speeches though.

Tip #10: Relax, Be Yourself, Smile and HAVE FUN!

See you there!!!

SCBWI Summer Conference: 10 Tips (part 1)

The countdown is on... The SCBWI Summer Conference is only days away. If this is your first time attending, here are a few quick tips to help you along as you get ready for the best kid lit event of the year!

TIP #1: How to Dress
The summer conference is casual. Wear what you're most comfortable in, while presenting yourself professionally. Some wear jeans, some wear trendy styles, and some like to wear more corporate/casual attire.

Tip #2: Research
Look up each of the keynote speakers. If you're an avid reader, pick up some of the authors' books at the library or bookstore and find out what makes them the notable author they are.  Know ahead of time what each of the agents and editors are looking for and what their list looks like (prior books and/or authors they've worked with). You may end up having an opportunity to pitch your book to them.

Tip #3: The Pitch
Speaking of pitching your book, you'll want to have a 30 second pitch ready. Even if you don't have (or don't take advantage of) an opportunity to pitch to an agent or editor, you'll most likely hear "What do you write" a number of times from other writers.  30 seconds also happens to be the amount of time that it takes to ride the elevator and you never know who you'll see in there between sessions.

Tip #4: Taking Notes
I like to bring a new spiral bound notebook to keep all my keynotes and session notes in.  If you do this, consider skipping the first 1-3 pages so you can make a Table of Contents.  When crafting your query letters to the editors and/or agents that you've attended sessions with, you'll refer back to your notes many times.

Tip #5: Take Care of Yourself
In order to be your best, be sure to eat well and get lots of sleep the week before the conference.  This event is notably one of the most exhausting experiences of my year, both physically and emotionally.  If you're like me, you may not sleep well at the event, so prepare your body with extra sleep the few days before.  Eat well and hydrate yourself too.

Stay tuned for tips #6-10 soon.