Writers Intensive Panel: Making the Most of the Critique Experience



l to r: Aaron Hartler, Allyn Johnston, Alessandra Balzer, Jennifer Hunt


SCBWI's Aaron Hartzler moderates a panel of editors offering advice on critiques to a room full of writers awaiting them. Allyn Johnston (Beach Lane), Alessandra Balzer (Balzer & Bray), Jennifer Hunt (Dial) are the panelists.

Aaron asks about the anxiety that can come from critique situations.

Alessandra stresses that editors are on your side. Jennifer says that there is not a writer in the world who couldn't use some critique. Allyn confesses that editors are nervous too--it's pressure for them to have to deliver something helpful to writers on the spot.

Voice, characterization, dialog, pacing are the types of things that you'd see in an editorial letter and those are areas writers should be considering, Jennifer says. Those are the kinds of things that she listens for. With a short critique, she focuses on voice and characterization.

Alessandra stresses that, in group critiques, you listen to others, pick out the positive elements, and balance out the positive and negative when offering feedback. When you're taking feedback, again, listen and be open to the comments--they might not all be relative but they're all worth considering.

Jennifer says that is you're the person getting a critique, you shouldn't spend your time talking when you could spend your time listening. She also recommends after a critique meeting or group session, you think about your suggestions for a week before making changes so you have sufficient time to soak them in and consider them. She says that editors are your allies, and it's better to hear about something that doesn't work from an editor than later, down the line, in a revieiw. Editors are like the good friends who tell you, you have a beautiful smile, but there's some spinach in your teeth.

Editor Panel: Jennifer Hunt (Little Brown)

A View From the Top: 4 Publishers Discuss our Industry

Jennifer Hunt oversees the acquisitions and development of all middle grade and young adult fiction for the Little Brown for Young Readers (LBYR) list.

Jennifer started with an internship with Beacon Press. She also worked forTime Magazine and Money magazine. She then went to Random House, from there to Lee and Low, and finally to Little Brown where she's been for 9 years.

Jennifer considers LBYRs a boutique house, and she loves their philosophy: to strive to be the best in class.

At Little Brown for Young Readers there are thee distinct imprints: Poppy, LB Kids, and LBYR. Likes to think LBYR is an imprint that authors can find a career at, and a place where they never give up.

Across the three imprint there are about 12 editors and their offices are all together. They communicate and this should be considered when you are submitting.

Lin: What is the creative climate of children's books?

"In our history great story telling has been around for ages and it will continue to be around for ages."

"Whereever we are going in the future, there is still a place for storytelling, and we should keep our minds focused on that."

As far as marketing and allocation, LBYR likes to think of each book individually.

Lin: How is your company regarding multi-media?

There's a whole team that's dedicated to multi-media at LBYR. One thing that has changed editorially is that they now think about the digital piece before/while acquiring a book.

Lin asks all four editor to provide advice to all of us.

Jennifer recommends you think about your own excellence and write towards that.

An excellent note to end on.

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-conference Interview: Jennifer Hunt

The lastest TEAM BLOGger to post a Summer Conference faculty interview is TEAM captain Alice Pope who interviewed Jennifer Hunt of Little, Brown. Below is a bit from the post.

Click here to read the full interview.

The time draws near for the 2010 SCBWI Annual Summer Conference and today I offer yet another TEAM BLOG pre-conference faculty interview. I've talked with the amazing Editorial Director of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Jennifer Hunt.

Jen oversees the acquisition and development of all MG and YA fiction for the Little, Brown. She edits an impressive list of award-winner, bestselling and über-popular authors including Sherman Alexie, Sara Zarr, Cornelia Funke, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Pseudonymous Bosch, Cressida Cowell, Walter Mosley, Paolo Bacigalupi, and Jewell Parker Rhodes. (She is also the proud editor of SCBWI’s very own Aaron Hartzler!)

Jen is offering two breakout sessions--PEAK TO PEAK: HOW TO BUILD A CAREER AFTER YOUR FIRST BOOK and AN INSIDE LOOK AT LITTLE, BROWN BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS--and participating in a panel--A VIEW FROM THE TOP: 4 PUBLISHERS DISCUSS OUR INDUSTRY.

Click here for registration information for the Annual Summer Conference conference where you can meet Jennifer Hunt and a long list of other editors all as generous with their knowledge and advice.

Jennifer Hunt: Finding Your Inner YA

Jennifer Hunt is an Editorial Director at Little, Brown for Young Readers.

A little about Little, Brown:
-original publisher of Little Women and Catcher in the Rye
-do not believe in chasing trends
-a boutique publisher with a very focused list


Pillars of great YA writing:
-An authentic voice is the most important part of an YA book. It must be age appropriate. It must be character specific.
-Authentic Story: need to be able to make the evergreen topics fresh again and again.


Pillars of great YA writers

-They take their work seriously and are dedicated to excellence.
-They respect their audience.
-They are willing to hustle.


Q & A Time!

Too cool when an editor hands out books to those who ask a question. Much editor love for that!

So, of course, I had to ask:

Q: "You fall in love with a book. It has authentic voice and authentic story. Is there a particular thing you find yourself asking of your authors in the revision process?

A: Can you make it more layered? (In the sense of character, Jennifer does not like them to be thin. They are more authentic with many layers.)

POSTED BY JOLIE STEKLY

Editors Panel: Jennifer Hunt

Jennifer Hunt, editorial director at Little, Brown, is discussing her list as a whole. The idea that there's only one type of success is not true--there are many types.

Backlist gems, like A Mango Shaped Shaped Space by Wendy Mass.

The great debut: Twenty Boy Summer, by Sarah Ockler--a title that was really helped by YA bloggers.

A writer that finds a voice and audience like Julie Anne Peters (Luna).

A career changing book, like Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr--this is the kind of book that puts and author on the map.

Success through vision, like The Curious Garden, by Peter Brown. The success is in the execution more than idea.

Phenomenons, like the Twilight series. There's no secret there, nothing that can predict it, just timing and luck.



POSTED BY ALICE POPE