Thank You so much for joining us for the 2025 Virtual Summer Conference!

From Team Blog to all of you, thank you so much for joining us for the 2025 Virtual Summer Conference!

We hope you were inspired, motivated, and found community this weekend! You've invested in yourself, your craft and your career. Congratulate yourself, and keep going! No matter where you are in your journey, keep going strong. The world needs your stories!

Registration is still OPEN through September 9th, 2025 for those who will like to still join in on all the fun! Sign up today and get full access to all the video replays!

For those who attended, don't forget that all of the sessions, keynotes, and panels will be available the week of August 11th, 2025 through September 14th, 2025.

Don't forget to SAVE THE DATE for the 2026 In-Person Winter Conference! 

Once again, thank you from Jaime, Jolie, Justin, and the emotional support staff!

Wrap Up and Awards Presentation

Wrap Up and Awards Presentation

Presented by Sarah Baker (SCBWI Executive Director) & Sarah Diamond (Associate Director of Digital Content and Awards)

BIPOC Scholarship Winners:

Delzin Choksey & Sibylla Nash

General Scholarship Winner:

DJ Tombe & Lucy Alimyan

Stephen Mooser Member of the Year Award:

Debbie Ridpath Ohi

Portfolio Showcase Winners

Presented by TeMika Grooms, 

AMY SHARP (Bronze)

"The judges agreed that this artist has a consistent, confident storytelling. The artist demonstrated a good, sketchy quality with intentional details that are spare but deliberate. The art is stylized in a refreshing way. There’s an edge to it that makes it distinctive, unusual, and it stands out as a portfolio."

Judge Brian LaRossa, Executive Art Director with Scholastic said that he “believes in this universe that the artist has created.”

www.amydsharp.com

KATRIA RADEN (Bronze)

"The judges loved the image with all of the characters. They appreciated the composition and consideration of white space. There is a commercial and trendy look to the kids in the artwork that helps differentiate it from what’s out now. Super consistent. Vibrant palette. Great texture."

Brian LaRossa shared that, “viewers can see she’s making a book because of the layouts and design.”

www.katriaraden.com

KARA M. MITCHELL (Silver)

"Judge Saho Fujii, Executive Art Director with Little Brown Books for Young Readers shared that she “loved the texture and that the artist included black & white pieces among the 3 samples she submitted. The work tells a story.” 

"The judges thought the limited palette was nice. They all loved the busy street scene –packed with details that are enjoyable to look through. There was so much to look at in the illustration details. They can imagine kids never getting bored rereading a book with these images."

karammitchell.com

MERRILL RAINEY (Gold)

"All of the judges loved the style of the artwork in this portfolio. They appreciated the use of strong unique textures, a great command of color, and they believe this artwork would stand out on any bookshelf."

Joann Hill, Creative Director with Disney Hyperion said, “Merrill’s work is unique and shines with strong visual storytelling."

www.littlerainey.com

Closing Keynote by Bryan Collier

Bryan Collier's closing keynote is one of the most uplifting and energizing talks we've had at SCBWI maybe ever, attendees are all still buzzing from the journey he took us on in a mere thirty minutes. And it is fun to remember that Bryan is most famous for his illustration work—but after today I'm sure many attendees are wishing they could see him again regularly, somewhere on a global stage as a public speaker—how lucky are the kids who get him for school visits? Where do we nominate him for Children's Book Ambassador?

Maybe if this post gets enough comments below seconding my request for BRYAN ON YOUTUBE we can convince SCBWI to put the keynote up for free on their Channel for a limited time? While I will cross my fingers that the entire SCBWI society membership can have access to Bryan's keynote, here are a few highlights even if I can't really do the experience justice.

Bryan Collier is a beloved illustrator known for his unique style combining watercolor and detailed collage. He is a four-time Caldecott Honor recipient for Trombone Shorty, Dave the Potter, Martin’s Big Words, and Rosa. He's also the illustrator of many other books including Uptown, By and By, Thurgood, The Five O’Clock Band, and Between the Lines. His recent books include All Because You Matter, We Shall Overcome, Music is a Rainbow, Maya's Song, We Are Here. Love is Loud, Ode to Frapefruit, Freedom on the Sea, and Black Boy Rise, among others forthcoming. He lives in New York with his family and Bryan joined us today from his art-filled studio.

Bryan shared a bit about the seven years he spent trying to break into children's books and the joy he felt when it finally happened. He credits editor Laura Godwin for saying the simple words that have guided his bookmaking career since that very first book, which is to just tell everybody what you know, what you've see and what you've experienced. Think about what you love most in this world and tell everybody about it through your words and art, don't hold back. 

Bryan has done exactly that for all 55 of his books, and feels like he has to relearn how to make a book every time he starts a new project in order to give readers the best of himself and his talents.

You can never outgrow a picture book, says Bryan, who has loved Harold and the Purple Crayon since he was 4 years old and still has a powerful, emotional response to the work. Bryan takes us through his personal copy of Harold and shows attendees its an allegory for our own creative and spiritual journeys in a way that we will never be able to read Harold again without both weeping joyfully and having an existential crisis, but that's Bryan's whole point! Picture books are really powerful objects that stay with you your whole life. 

Wall to wall glowing comments and hearts for Bryan's keynote

Bryan shares more original paintings onscreen from his art studio and talks about what his book series with Tami Charles has meant to him and the messages he wants to put out into our world. He tells us about a book he's wildly excited to be putting out soon about Marian Wright Edelman, the founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) and an advocate for disadvantaged Americans for her entire professional life. 

Thank you to Bryan for raising everyone's spirits up with the finale to his exceptional talk and ending another great SCBWI summer conference. 

Breakout Session #4: Making It Work as an Illustrator: Real Strategies for Freelance Success

Making It Work as an Illustrator: Real Strategies for Freelance Success

with R. Gregory Christie

"Hello from everywhere, from Canada to Indiana. My name is R. Gregory Christie."

R. Gregory Christie is an award-winning children's book illustrator of over 75 books, having worked with all the major publishers. He started his work in 1996 and continues to be entrepreneurial, branching off to create his own LLC, selling his books to the public directly. 

R.Gregory Christie's story begins in the small town of Scotch Plains, New Jersey. Early on he knew he wanted to be an artist. Painfully shy, he had trouble learning how to talk and connect with people, and he found comfort in his art. At a young age, people complimented on his art and in the fourth grade, people told him that he should 

If anyone asked if there was an artist in the room, his classmates would point to him, even if he wouldn't say it about himself. 

"Sometimes the hardest thing to overcome is yourself. Sometimes you have limitations and fears. First overcome the doubt you have in yourself."

By the time he was in his late 20s, that is when he started to feel like an artist and decided to embrace it as a career. That's when he approached his neighbor who was a graffiti artist and asked if he would work alongside him. "Find a mentor. Find somebody that is doing it in a way that you like, that you could take advice from."

Though the graffiti artist was working with materials he's never used before, R. Gregory asked him how do you draw, how do you write, and how do you do graffiti? And he got a crash course in how things worked. Materials, aerosol, etc and even though he wasn't going to become a graffiti artist, he just wanted to learn. 

Though he was shy, R. Gregory Christie would paint in nightclubs in NYC to showcase his art. Just like when he was young, his art helped him connect and it sure did! He caught the eye of a buyer from Malaysia , and it helped launch him into his career.

"There's no one-size fits all for anybody." By sharing, R. Gregory hoped to inspire the attendees but there's no one formula to guarantee "success." "You have to go with your own comfort level and what works for you" You have to discern what is going to be worth your while, in terms of your time. Always remember that throughout your career.

"Time is something you cannot get back." It's important to study and learn the craft but at a certain point, you have to go out, and show your work. Your artwork is like "your child." It is something you've created, you must be proud of it. Don't make excuses for it, or judge it before others do. Make the work, show it and then make some more. "Don't poison what the art is before you even show it." Don't tell people what you "meant" to do, or that it's not "your best work. You have to show your work as though it were your child." And remember, there are a MILLION paintings in you. Don't think you've done your best work. Create and carry on. 

Lessons R.Gregory Christie:

1. Learn Your Materials  

2. Sharpen your Skill Level/Craftsmanship 

2. Discipline 

3. Luck

4. Get an Elevator Pitch

5. Do your Research

As a freelancer, try to find opportunity that bring you income in your sleep. "Maximize you opportunities. Yes, things happen but you have to set it up to happen. Be prepared for those opportunities to appear." Get up and say, I'm gonna accomplish something today. Some people are natural at discipline, some aren't but you have to work at it. " Your style will come, learn your material, and then your artistic voice and the ability to give it a life will come. Don't force it. Let it come."

Throughout his career, he's illustrated:

Album covers

Playbill covers

Picture books

Book covers

Subway Art.

SIp and Paints.

Education.

"Work hard but REST."

Be entrepreneurial. Be confident. Be professional.

"Get your presentation up"

"Don't look at failure as a bad thing. If I always have a perfect career, I wouldn't know have to handle things when problems appear. Embrace those micro failures. Learn from them."

"My work is a legacy. Your work is legacy. Do the best work you can. Do the work that is interesting to you"

R. Gregory Christie (Author, Bookseller, Illustrator) is a celebrated illustrator with credits for over 70 books and numerous jazz album covers. Selected collaborations include artwork created for Regina King, Karyn Parsons, Joe Sample, Bill Withers, and John Coltrane.

He has received numerous honors and awards, notably multiple nominations for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award comittee, a Caldecott Honor, an NAACP Image Award, and six Coretta Scott King Honor Awards. In 2013, he designed the Kwanzaa Stamp for the United States Postal Service, the New Orleans Jazz Festival poster, and art featured on New York City's subway cars for a year.

For more about his work and lectures, visit rgregorychristie.com or find his products at gas-art.com.

www.rgregorychristie.com/

Breakout Session #4: Create Dynamic, Innovative STEAM books that will Capture an Editor's Attention with Jennifer Swanson

Jennifer Swanson is the author of 50 nonfiction books for kids and the creator and cohost of the Solve It! For Kids podcast.  Her passion for science and technology resonates in all of her books but especially, Brain Games, named one of the 50 Best Science Books Ever by ThePlanets.org. She's a self-described science geek, having started her own Science Club in her garage at the age of 7. Jennifer has been all over the world sharing her books and believes that publishing STEAM books right now is more important than ever before, yet getting the attention of agents and editors remains difficult.

This workshop is designed to help attendees think outside of the box and approach their topics in new and unique ways.  Jennifer discusses how to use POV, structure, voice, and multiple types of media to intrigue readers and tell their best nonfiction story. 

How do you write a STEM/STEAM book that will standout and sell in the tumult of the market and world of 2025?

Jennifer urges attendees to focus on her Three C's:

Content: Pick a topic that interests you and specifically kids, bonus points if it may have tie ins to standard curriculums or has ties to current issues. 

Though she has a literary agent, Jennifer also sends a pitch letter with her manuscripts that outlines where in education a particular book might be specifically relevant to state standards or curriculum, helping her agent show how the book will succeed beyond the standard book markets of bookstores and general readership.

Creativity: Jennifer asks attendees to think outside the box, highlight the weirdest facts of their subject, or consider writing about science in different formats like poetry. Ask an interesting question to help frame how you share a well-known nonfiction topic and consider the use of multiple media types—not just photos, but illustrations and infographics. A well made nonfiction picture book can teach scientific concepts above the grade and reading level of a typical picture book.

Jennifer uses her book, Footprints Across the Planet, as a case study for how she elevated it from a standard nonfiction topic to something special and noteworthy with many many layers.

Connection is Jennifer's third 'C' and she gives attendees many thoughtful questions to answer that will help them develop solid STEM/STEAM book ideas uniquely suited to their strengths that not only appeal to readers but should result in widely successful sales.

BONUS! Jennifer's session comes with a downloadable pdf listing all of the incredible books she mentioned during her talk as well as an actionable outline of the talk. Registered conference attendees will find it (and any other session's handouts!) in their 'My Resources' section of their Member Home page on scbwi.org.

Breakout Session 4: How Tension and Conflict Drive Storytelling with Krista Marino

Krista Marino is a VP & Senior Executive Editor at Delacorte Press where she acquires and edits Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction. Among her list are bestselling series, like the Maze Runner; literary gems, like Kathleen Glasgow’s Girl in Pieces; genre-bending classics, like Rory Power’s Wilder Girls; trendsetters, like Karen M. McManus’s One of Us Is Lying; and masterful works of fantasy, like Amélie Wen Zhao’s Song of Silver, Flame like Night. Whether it’s an original voice, a unique world, or a compelling plot, she’s looking for stories you can’t stop thinking about.

How Tension and Conflict Drive Storytelling

The basics:

• Conflict is the engine of plot.
• Tension is the emotional strain that keeps readers hooked. 

How Conflict Drives Tension:

1. Conflict sets opposing forces in motion--it is "a problem with resistance"

2. Tension lives in the place between want and outcome--between a character and a character's desire and whether they'll achieve it

3. Conflict raises stakes, which amplifies tension

4. Unresolved conflict sustains suspense

So...

• conflict creates friction
• friction produces uncertainty
• uncertainty + stakes = tension

Tools for building tension:

• layer conflict (external and internal)
• use secrets and silence
• raises the stakes 
• mix fast-faced conflict with slow-burn emotional tension

Now, make it more tense:

1. withhold key information (peel back in layers)

2. Use time pressure

3. Layer internal and external conflict

4. Raise the stakes in every scene

5. Exploit secrets and lies

6. Shorten scenes in high moments (pacing)

7. Trap characters together

8. End chapters on uncertainty 

Krista takes this breakout group through all of these many aspects of conflict in tension in story, uses the books above, and more. Check out the greater depth of exploration and conversation in the replays.

If you are not registered and want to view this session to hear the full content, along with the rest of the conference, register at https://www.scbwi.org/events/virtual-summer-conference-2025. Replays of the conferences will be available until September 14th, 2025.

Breakout Session #3 - So, You Want to Write a Memoir! With Ruth Chan

Ruth Chan is an award-winning author and illustrator of comics and children’s books, including her graphic memoir Uprooted which won the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Illustrated Book/Graphic Novel for Older Readers, and was named one of NPR's best books of 2024. Prior to illustrating full time, she spent her teens in China and a decade working with youth and families in underserved communities. She is a proud Canadian who now lives and works in NYC.

Ruth acknowledges that writing a memoir can be an intimidating and intense experience compared to writing fiction, but it can also be fun and bring about unexpected beauty and some pretty good laughs. Ruth helps attendees explore different approaches to getting started in memoir writing, and the ins and outs of what it means to share yourself with children and others.

Memoir is pretty simple to spot, it is a non-fiction, first-person narrative that focuses on one specific time or event—it is NOT an autobiography encompassing a whole lifetime. Memoirs that stand the test of time focus more on exploring thoughts and feelings than they are focused on exploring facts. 

How do you figure out your memoir inspiration? Ruth shares a brainstorming exercise with attendees on how to find the values and themes important to their own life story and gives a great exercise for figuring out how to determine the most effective tone for your memoir.

What keeps your memoir feeling authentic to readers is to maintain authenticity in your personal story even when it might be unflattering or painful, and sharing it in a way that readers can say, "This is so me". Ruth lists some common themes children's memoirs often share, a very strong theme you can center your story around makes for a very compelling memoir that is not bogged down by sidestories that often bulk out an autobiography.

Ruth shares a number of exercises attendees can use to help focus their memoir theme as well as generate rich sensory details imperative to making a memoir stand out as unique. 

Prior to writing, Ruth recommends reading published memoirs for the age range you hope to target as well as reading adult memoir that resonates with your core themes. But she recommends NOT reading others memoirs once you've started drafting your own memoir to give your own memories room to breathe and get figured out on the page without being influenced by others.

And of course scour any of your OWN primary source materials, like journals you've kept, family and friend interviews, and photo albums to build your memoir around. 

As a fellow spreadsheet lover, this was my favorite nugget from the session: 

As Ruth started to build out her UPROOTED memoir draft in chronological order, she used Excel to build a spreadsheet for the timeline, not just for documenting the events in order, but to note how her theme of belonging was or was not present in each scene.

Check out the forthcoming conference session replays (which will be available until September 15, 2025) and hear how Ruth handled the emotional aspects of memoir-writing, both for herself and those mentioned in her memoir, as well as the unexpected gems that come from writing vulnerably about your real life and the many unexpected connections that can come from sharing your personal stories.

Breakout Session 3: Tying the Knot Without Dating: What to Expect in the Creator-Agent Relationship with Jen Rofe

While this session was initially titled - Tying the Know Without Dating: What to Expect in the Creator-Agent Relationship, Jennifer has retitled it to:

Jennifer Rofé wanted to live in the Berenstain Bears tree house when she was a child. Today, she represents the authors and illustrators who create the characters and worlds that inspire young readers. As a senior agent with the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Jennifer works with creators primarily in the middle grade, picture book, and illustration spaces. Her clients range from seasoned, award-winning, and bestselling authors and illustrators to industry newcomers, including Meg Medina, Christina Diaz Gonzalez, Dev Petty, Mike Boldt, Amber Ren, and Eliza Wheeler. She has been on the faculty of many conferences including the Big Sur Writer's Workshop and numerous SCBWI events, and she is especially known for her The So What? Factor presentation.

Baseline expectations of your agent: 

• communication
• transparency
• negotiation
• advocacy
• honesty 
• handling business

10 MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE CREATOR-AGENT RELATIONSHIP

1. An agent works FOR you. No, an agent works WITH you. It's a partnership.

2. An agent will definitely sell your work and get you more work. And fast! All agents have represented projects that have never sold.

3. Your agent should be your first reader. While a writer might run ideas by their agent, the manuscript should be worked on, revised, and run through critique groups first. 

4. Your agent should love everything you write. 

5. Your agent should always have your work on submission. 

6. Your relationship with your agent will look like their relationship with other clients. Every working relationship is unique, much of that can depend upon what's happening within a creator's career.

7. A junior agent won't help me succeed like a senior agent could. Instead consider what kind of support that agent has within their agency.

8. Having a bad agent is better than having no agent. 

9. Parting with an agent is a failure. There are reasons why things don't work out. No fault to the writer or the agent. 

10. Your agent is always right.

If you are looking to learn more about the what the creator-agent relationship, this session will be wonderfully helpful. Jennifer has been honest and open, sharing helpful information about this important industry relationship. Packed with a lot of information.

If you want to view this session to hear the full content, along with the rest of the conference,

register at https://www.scbwi.org/events/virtual-summer-conference-2025. Replays of the

conferences will be available until September 14th, 2025.

The Ins and Outs of Author Publishing - A Self-Publishing Panel - Tonya Duncan Ellis / Lee Reed

Great panel moderated by Lee Wind about author published books and how they are faring in 2025. 

Lee Reed is a senior editor at Greenleaf Book Group as well as the author of SCBWI Spark Award winning middle grade mystery, CONSTELLATION CLUES: THE CIPHER OF THE SEVEN STARS.

Lee Reed

Tonya Duncan Ellis is the author of COOKOUT CHEMISTRY (coming 2027), THEY BUILT ME FOR FREEDOM: THE STORY OF JUNETEENTH AND HOUSTON'S EMANCIPATION PARK, and the SOPHIE WASHINGTON 13-book chapter series, which has sold over 175,000 copies. Tonya is also a member of the Authors Guild, the Brown Bookshelf’s Highlights Foundation-sponsored Amplify Black Stories storyteller cohort, and a We Need Diverse Books and PB Rising Stars mentor.

Tonya Duncan Ellis

SERIES TIPS EVERYONE CAN USE!

To self/author publish what you hope will be a multi-book series seems like an impossibly daunting task. But as the publisher of a successful 13-book series, Tonya shares things that worked for her and one of her big shoutouts is to the Creative Penn podcast hosted by author Joanna Penn. Successful series require time and titles, but after the initial first few books in a series are published, Joanna recommends making the first book available in ebook format for free. Tonya did this for her own Sophie Washington series which let teachers read and share it in their classrooms for no cost, providing a zero-risk entree into the rest of the series. 

Lee is on her first book in her middle grade series, but just wearing her professional editor hat, she knew she wanted a reader to be able to pick up any book in her series and be able to read it as a self-contained story with enough of a resolution that it's satisfying as a standalone while also being interesting enough that the reader would want to find more titles in the series, so that goal guided her writing and plotting process for each book.

The panel was also asked for marketing tips: 

Lee tells attendees to think about their goals for publishing and how much they can invest, in both money and time, and stresses not to blindly follow marketing advice for the general public. You need to think about your skill sets: Lee says she's tried but is not great at social media, but is much more comfortable with classroom visits or teaching writing, and she enjoys speaking to both children and adults about the making of books. Lee knows other authors who focus their marketing based on subject matter fit instead of publishing industry outlets. Lee's colleague with a book about snakes, for example, it made sense for them to try attending any event and everything snake-related, and that is where that author now finds their biggest audiences (and book sales).

Tonya as both the publisher and author of her Sophie Washington series gets to see all of the feedback from her audience, which might normally not be as accessible to an author alone. This insight lets her be aware of what is and isn't resonating for her readers allowing her to adjust forthcoming titles (and marketing) to better serve them. It was also a goal of Tonya's to have her books in libraries. As she researched how to get her series into libraries, many librarians mentioned the importance of Kirkus Reviews and having professional reviews of her books since that is often how librarians justify a purchase in their bookbuying budget. The cost of submitting to Kirkus was something Tonya included in her marketing budget, and once Tonya got positive reviews—which aren't guaranteed and are often hard to come by from Kirkus—she saw her books being included in library systems nationwide. After Scholastic acquired the series in 2021, the publisher now does that outreach to libraries and bookstores.

The Ins and Outs of Author Publishing - A Self-Publishing Panel: Lee Wind

 The Ins and Outs of Author Publishing - A Self-Publishing Panel: Lee Wind

Lee is an award-winning author, who is an incredibly powerful advocate for inclusive storytelling, championing young people, and people who write and illustrate.

He also ran the official SCBWI blog and the Conference blog for many years, and recently passed the baton on to me, Justin Campbell and I am so glad to be covering him in this post!

 Lee serves as Chief Content Officer at Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), which is one of SCBWI's valued partner organizations.

"I think that the term self-publishing tricks people into thinking that they can just "download the software to their computer", and design the cover of their own book. If you want to publish something that you created, you're now the publisher. You have to hire a team of professionals to help you make your book indistinguishable in quality."

So that's why, at IBPA, the Independent Book Publishers Association, they've begun to use the language of author publishers. "I think it's a really good mental model shift. That's why it's called the Ins and Outs of Author Publishing."

Lee currently has seven books out; his first book being crowdfunded and author-published and the other six being published by independent publishers. 

His most recent is Like That Eleanor, from Cardinal Rule Press, about a little girl who is named after Eleanor Roosevelt by her two dads. Eleanor sees some unfair things happening in her school, and when she talks to her dads about it, they tell her about the real-life Eleanor Roosevelt, her namesake, who inspires young Eleanor to stand up and be an ally to make her corner of the world a little more fair.

His picture book that came out last year, Love of the Half-Eaten Peach, illustrated by Jieting Chen was just named a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Picture Books. Congratulations, Lee! 

"The decision about whether to publish a book yourself, or to have it traditionally published is about a particular project, it is not about you as a creator."

That decision has a lot to do with your journey and what you want out of your journey.

Check out the panel posts by Jolie Stekly and Jaime Temairik for the in depth Q&A session. Panel recordings available through September 14th, 2025! 

Lee Wind writes the books that would have changed his life as a young Gay Jewish kid. His latest nonfiction book for readers 11 and up is “The Gender Binary is a Big Lie.” Kirkus’s starred review cheered it as “an accessible, thorough, curiosity-provoking introduction to gender.” Lee is also the author of YA novels including his gay teen homage and critique of James Bond movies, "A Different Kind of Brave," that Foreword Reviews' starred review called “A gem for young adults.” His picture books include "Red and Green and Blue and White"(art by Paul O. Zelinsky) that the New York Times celebrated as “beautiful.” His June 2025 "Like THAT Eleanor" (art by Kelly Mangan) received a starred Kirkus review that praised it as “An ideal guide for readers of any age to learn how to be an ally.”

www.leewind.org/

The Ins & Outs of Author Publishing Panel - A Self Publishing Panel: Hilary Horder / Hillary Moore

BALLARD OF THE BROOM is an author-published book written by Hilary Horder Hippley and illustrated by Hillary Moore. 

Hilary Horder Hippely is the writer of the author-published BALLAD OF THE BROOM. She has also traditionally published 5 books. Hilary is represented by Karen Grencik, at Red Fox Literary.

Hilary notes that the choice to author publish is about your goals. You need to feel passionately about what doing. The BALLAD OF THE BROOM was decades in the making. And, there are reasons Hilary decided to author publishing (self-published). Hilary did share the manuscript with her agent, who loved it but also thought it would be a hard sell in the market. 

Some considerations that made Hilary go the author-publishing route were: It's a book that defies the rules of picture books. The subject matter not typical to most picture books. It's also a ballad, and verse is a challenging sell in the market; Most picture books are targeted to 4 to 8 years old. This book is for 6 to 10 year olds; And, Hilary wanted to be able to choose her illustrator, Hillary Moore. Hillary was exactly who Hilary Horder wanted for this project.

Hilary shares that Reedsy was a great resources for needed services. (Note: SCBWI members have access to self-publishing resources, which included vetted service providers. https://www.scbwi.org/self-publishing-resources )

A success moment connected to this book for Hilary: There are certain booksellers that love that book, and carry it. Just yesterday Hilary was a tiny bookstore and the BALLAD OF THE BROOM was tucked between Ferdinand and Where the Wild Things Are. Hilary says, "How cool is that?" Very cool! Also, a child approaching her, clutching it to her chest, tell Hilary that it's her favorite books and that she asks her parents to read it to her every night. 

---

Hillary Moore is the illustrator of the author published Ballad of the Broom, which is a 36 page picture book, not typical for a traditionally published book, but when you are publishing, you can to make those decisions. This is her debut picture book. She is represented by Marietta Zacker at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency.

Hillary says the owrk on BALLAD OF THE BROOM was a labor of love, and it was not a quick and easy process. Hilary Horder and Hillary Moore worked in collaboration together, making a whole lot of tiny choices to make the book happen. 

In doing this work Hillary learned a lot of new skills, mostly in the design of the book. 

A really interesting note shared by teh writer about the illustrator role: In doing the illustration for this book, Hilary Horder gave Hillary Moore the control over the illustration. A picture book is a marriage of text and illustration, and it was important that Hillary did the illustration in service to the story, not in service to the writer. 

A success moment connected to this book for Hillary: Hillary says there are so many. But the book is inspired by an actual island--a tiny--one you could walk across in five minutes. Hillary had been to this very island, such a obscure place, and felt magical. There was serendipity to it all when Hilary invited her to be part of this project. 

If you have interest in author publishing yourself, this panel is a must watch. So much information was shared. 

If you want to view this session to hear the full content, along with the rest of the conference,

register at https://www.scbwi.org/events/virtual-summer-conference-2025. Replays of the

conferences will be available until September 14th, 2025.

Day Two Welcome with Sarah Baker

 Day Two Welcome with Sarah Baker

"Hi, everyone! So glad you're here with us on Day 2 of the SCBI Virtual Summer Conference, and I hope everyone's having a great conference so far!"

Sarah greeted us with the warmest smile on Day 2 of the virtual conference. We started with a question:

"I would love to know in the chat, what was one standout thing that you learned yesterday?"

The chat lit up with highlights from the breakout sessions, the panels, the keynote, the roundtables.

"The book finds you" -Kari Hale

It's so helpful to know what other people are learning at the conference. Everyone seemed super enthusiastic, because the chat was moving so fast!

"It looks like everyone's been having a great time, and that makes us so happy at SCBWI. We try really hard to make this a really rich experience, and we try to put content in here that will fit for everyone, no matter where you're at in your writing and illustrating and translating journey."

Reminder, if you post any inspirational nuggets on social media, don't forget to use the #scbwisummer25 so everyone can find each other and get to see everyone else's highlights. 

"Okay, so we're going to get started with a fantastic panel, The Ins and Outs of Author Publishing!"

Sarah then introduced our fantastic moderator, Lee Wind.

Breakout Session 2 - Plots, Bots, & Knots: How to fix your YA novel with Stacey Lee

Stacey Lee is the New York Times and Indie bestselling author of historical and contemporary young adult fiction, including The Downstairs Girl, a Reese’s Book Club Summer 2021 Young Adult pick, and her most recent novel, Kill Her Twice, a School Library Journal best book of the year.  A native of southern California and fourth-generation Chinese American, she is a founder of the We Need Diverse Books movement and writes stories for all kids (even the ones who look like adults). Stacey loves board games, has perfect pitch, and through some mutant gene, can smell musical notes through her nose. Connect with her @staceyleeauthor on Instagram, and @staceylee.author on Facebook.

Stacey will focus on the 3 core elements of plot: goals, obstacles, stakes.

Without these 3 elements your story lacks the gas your story needs to drive itself to its destination. 

1. GOALS

• Our character needs to want something
• Goals come in all sizes
• Goals need to be specific
• Goals change as the plot evolve

2. OBSTACLES

Types: physical, other people, a threat, internal struggle

There's no specific number of obstacle your novel needs. A rule of thumb: for every goal, your character needs at least one obstacle working against it. The more obstacles, the more interesting. 

3. STAKES

What is on the line for the character?

• what your character stands to gain or lose
• personal, shaped by the characters values
• internal stakes
• external stakes

So ask yourself:

What's at stake for your character? 

What is the worst that can happen?

What do they stand to lose?

If you want to view this session to hear the full content, along with the rest of the conference,

register at https://www.scbwi.org/events/virtual-summer-conference-2025. Replays of the

conferences will be available until September 14th, 2025.