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

Yesterday Alice Pope offered another in our series of SCBWI TEAM BLOG pre-conference interivews with Annual Winter Conference faculty. Alice talked to a handful of editors and agents on receiving and giving manuscript feedback.

Below is a bit from her post. Click here to read the full interview.  

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.

Although the Writers' Intensive is sold you, you can still register for the Annual Winter Conference and rub elbows with industry insiders like the ones above. Click here for information.

Greg Pincus and Alice Pope Hot Tip

Use the same profile photo of yourself across platforms - twitter, your blog, facebook... It makes you more recognizable.

Even at this conference, people have been coming up to Greg and to Alice because they recognized them from their social media profile photos!

What an easy, quick thing we can all do.

Thanks, Greg and Alice!

Alice Pope and Greg Pincus: Moving Your Career Forward With Social Networking & Blogging

Greg Pincus is a poet, author and social media guru who, through the wonders of social media (and his talent as a writer) got into the New York Times and landed a two book deal with Arthur A. Levine.

Alice Pope is the official blogger for SCBWI, Team Captain for SCBWI's Team Blog, and the former editor of the Children's Writers and Illustrator's Market Guide.



Here's a taste of their words of wisdom:

Greg: There's no one way - each person can follow their own path.

Alice: Just like getting published - it's the same with social networking.

Greg: Recognize that it's not always linear, but a good thing is a good thing. In advertising there's a rule of 7 times of being exposed to something before people buy it. If they see you 6 times via social media, and the 7th time they see your book is in a bookstore... that's good!

the effects are cumulative

You are what you say and do - think of ebay, if someone has a 99% rating, then we trust that seller. Similarly we are all building our reputations online.

Be careful not to hurt yourself - be smart. Greg quoted Jenn Bailey who said that "to get something off the internet is like getting pee out of a swimming pool."

Alice reminded us that in all our interactions we want to ADD VALUE - how can you help? how can you further the conversation?


They've started to share examples of how authors and illustrators have been using social media to further their careers, including:

Readergirlz, five authors who created a safe online community for teenage girls - they're offering virtual author visits and a place for girls to talk books.

Lisa Yee's blog has helped her success and the character of Peepy has become a fun funny extension of her personality.

And me, Lee Wind, with my blog "I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell do I Read?" - which have given me an expertise in GLBTQ Kid Lit and a platform.

There are so many examples, great points and insights being offered.

Here's an amazing one!

Mitali Perkin's blog, where she talks about multicultural books for kids, even includes a post where she talks about and how through twitter she sold five of her books to India!

They're speaking about blog book tours now... Alice is sharing about author Holly Cupala's book blog tour that she recently hosted one stop for on her SCBWI Blog.

Someone asked how you get Twitter followers, and Alice gave this great advice:

If you participate, people will notice you.

In answering a question about Facebook Fan Pages versus Personal Facebook Pages, Greg says: Everything you say and do online is PUBLIC. And stay active - people want to connect.

Another example of someone doing it right is Cynthea Liu's recent book launch, where she raised money for a local school and adding that selfless focus was very successful for her.

As Greg says about his own 30 poets 30 days project, which highlighted poems of other people on his own poetry blog, you don't want to just talk about yourself all the time.

They're sharing so much beyond what I've been able to blog here - Greg and Alice really are Social Media Gurus!

I'll give Alice the final words here for us to remember:

Social Networking is not rocket science - it's just talking.

And as a bonus, Greg reads his poem "I'm pretty well connected" to the room's applause.

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.

SCBWI TEAM BLOG Pre-conference Interview: Jennifer Rees

Today on Alice Pope's SCBWI Children's Market Blog, Alice posted the latest of our SCBWI TEAM BLOG Annual Conference faculty interviews. She talked with Scholastic Press editor Jennifer Reec.

Here's a bit from the post:

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.

To meet Jennifer, as well as host of other terrific editors, register for the conference today. (It's in less than three weeks!) Click here for information. 

Exclusive SCBWI TEAM BLOG Interview: Allyn Johnston

The latest of our SCBWI TEAM BLOG exclusive pre-conference interviews with Winter Conference keynotes and speakers is up on Jaime Temairik's blog.

Jaime interviewed the always awesome Allyn Johnston, Vice President & Publisher of Beach Lane Books, who will be offering three breakout sessions on THE REAL DEAL ABOUT PICTURE BOOKS.

Click here to read the interview with Allyn.

And be sure to tune in *RIGHT HERE* starting Friday, for exclusive live Winter Conference coverage by our crack team of bloggers, Jaime, Jolie, Lee, Suzanne and Alice!

Click here to register for the SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City where you can see Allyn Johnston in person.

Farewell and Autograph Party

Farewell & Autograph Party

After Kathleen Duey's inspirational farewell keynote address, conference goers enjoyed the Farewell & Autography Party where they were able to meet and greet the authors and get their autographs! Fresh lemonade, pretzels, and candy treats were provided for everyone as they headed out the door and back to their homes.

It was clear that close friendships had blossomed between conference goers over the past four days and that everyone - from aspiring newbie writers to published veteran authors - were inspired to rush home and WRITE WRITE WRITE.

The room was full of camaraderie and everyone enjoyed the celebration at the farewell shindig. Tonight, the faculty will meet for a final celebratory wrap-up party.

The entire SCBWI TEAM BLOG - Alice Pope, Jolie Stekly, Jaime Temairik, Lee Wind, Paula Yoo, and Suzanne Young - would like to thank SCBWI for giving us this opportunity to share the highlights of the 2009 national conference with everyone. We had a blast attending all these panels - our one regret was that we wish YOU were there! :) If you would like to find out more about SCBWI and join as a member, please go here for more info: http://scbwi.org

Remember, we are an interactive forum, so please comment away on our blogs. We look forward to the dialogue between SCBWI members about this year's conference.





Posted by SCBWI TEAM BLOG

SCBWI Team Blog - Hard At Work, for YOU!

From Right to Left: Alice Pope, Team Captain! Lee Wind, Paula Yoo, Jolie Stekly, Jaime Temairik, and Suzanne Young!

Exclusive SCBWI TEAM BLOG Interview with Kathleen Duey

Visit Alice's CWIM Blog for Alice Pope's exclusive interview with author and Summer Conference keynote speaker Kathleen Duey, the latest in our TEAM BLOG keynote interview series (with more to come!).

Kathleen offers lots of great advice for conference goers and talks about, among other things, fear (and why it's good for you).

Three more days until the Summer Conference Blog-apalooza!


photo: Sonya Sones