The Industry Panel: Andrea Pinkney and Wendy Gu

Andrea Pinkney

Andrea Pinkney (bio from the African American Literature Book Club) is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of almost 50 books for children and young adults, including picture books, novels, works of historical fiction and nonfiction. Her books have been awarded multiple Coretta Scott King Book Awards, Jane Addams Children’s Literature Honor citations, four NAACP Image Award nominations, the Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor medal, as well as several Parenting Publication Gold Medals, and American Library Association Notable Book citations. In addition to her work as an author, Andrea has had an illustrious career as a children’s book publisher and editor.

Wendi Gu

Wendi Gu is a children's book literary agent at GreenburgerKids/Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. She's lucky to represent voice-driven authors and dynamic visual artists who create early readers, picture books, middle grade, and young adult novels. She is most interested in finding illustrators, and contemporary middle grade and young adult and is not the right agent for science fiction and fantasy.

Some highlights from what Andrea shared in this panel:

Andrea Pinkney's first SCBWI conference was in 1989, when there were just 20 folks in the room (there are hundreds and hundreds here today!) 

She speaks of the blurring of lines in terms of format and genre - "is it a picture book or is it a graphic novel?" We are publishing beyond categorys, and she'd like to see a lot more of that, including innovative formats like gatefolds and interactive elements.

Advice on what she's looking for:

"Bring your twinkle. Don't be derivative. Don't break the mold – smash it."

Andrea also tells us that you have to trust that your editor is really working for you. "Time may go by, you may not hear from me. But I'm in there. I've got the pom-poms." (for cheerleading.) She adds that editors and publishers want what you want. As many eyeballs on the book, as many books being run up on the register at bookstores as possible.

On managing her time as a writer as well as an editor and publisher:

Andrea writes daily. 4am is her "happy hour." She writes 4-6am every day of her life. And then swims 6-7:30am. After that she goes home, changes, and goes to work. "I stay limber." She compares writing with being a ballet dancer, that you need to have a practice, and says, "I'm always in the craft."

Andrea tells us an anecdote about caring so deeply about the books she publishes.

On awards: "that's not your beacon. Sure they're great to have.... But that should not be your driver," Don't make it what you're working towards. 

Recalling the influence of mentors on her journey, including agent Marie Brown, Walter Dean Myers, and Toni Morrison, Andrea shares this advice: 

"If you don't have a mentor, please get one."

Some highlights from what Wendi shared in this panel: 

As an agent, Wendy Gu mainly focuses on picture books, some middle grade and graphic novels and 'select' YA.

Wendy speaks about a recent Authors Against Book Bans online meeting, and says, in the face of a trying political time, she was heartened to "bear witness to this very organized, very passionate community, that will fight against book bans in our country moving forward."

Thoughts on the creative-agent relationship:

When you're considering an agent, 

"Question the idea of power dynamics. You should never be afraid of your agent. They are your colleague. They work for you. It is a symbiotic relationship."

And she adds, try to find someone with a spirit of organization. There's no limit to the amount of clients agent can take on. Because for every new client, they take on, they're spread more thin. So they need a system... 

And the idea of being colleagues with your agent goes both ways. Wendy wants to get a sense with potential clients about communication styles, and to see whether or not they would be good colleague.

She asks herself, am I signing someone I want to represent forever?

Wendy speaks about the importance of having a community of agents so can speak to, and tells us more about how the team at HG Literary works collaboratively.

She sends a questionnaire to clients before their publicity meeting that helps with bullet points about the book, so the publicist knows how to talk about the author's original intention and background that relate to story. Provide a list of your local book community, local booksellers and librarians. Wendy reflects on how social media has become more and more anathema to how she wants to live her life.  "It's hard to continuously treat yourself as a brand." Instead she suggests creatives "work to create a community within your own neighborhood."

How does she find new creatives to represent? She uses query manager and referrals from clients.

The Industry Panel begins!

 The Outlook on Children's Publishing in 2025

Our panelists, from left to right: TeMika Grooms (moderator), Andrea Pinkney, Wendi Gu, Wendy Loggia, and Francesco Sedita

Andrea Pinkney breakout session: Crafting Nonfiction That Sings

Andrea Pinkney

Andrea Davis Pinkney is vice president, executive editor at Scholastic Books. She has acquired and published a robust mix of titles by authors such as Christopher Paul Curtis, Patricia Polacco, Allen Say, Sharon G. Flake, and Lois Lowry. She has edited works by Toni Morrison, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and Walter Dean Myers. Pinkney is also the New York Times best-selling and award-winning author of numerous books for children and young adults. Her books have been awarded multiple Coretta Scott King Book Awards, Jane Addams Children’s Literature Honor citations, four NAACP Image Award nominations and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor medal. Pinkney was named one of the “The 25 Most Influential People in Our Children’s Lives” by Children’s Health Magazine.

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Continuing the theme of teaching from music (started today by Daniel José Older's keynote), Andrea starts off by playing the opening song from Lin-Manuel Miranda's "Hamilton" musical.

She speaks about how "Hamilton" has raised the bar, as the new standard of nonfiction that kids, and writers, and editors expect and want and hope to reach.

Andrea asks us to share why we're interested in nonfiction, and shares that for her, the books she writes and edits can be thought of as

"A documentary on paper."

She asks each of us,

"What do you bring to the party? What does your book bring to the party?"

And then, discussed the challenge we all face: How do you get past the perception of children that nonfiction is "yucky spinach," and "boring?"

Rather than "non-fiction" let's talk about "Real things that happened to real people that really happened."

Her strategy?

HOOK

Hook the reader right away, with the initial phrases

PULL

pull them along once they're in

HOLD

hold them, sustain their interest throughout the book.

Andrea reads the opening lines of her own "Sojourney Truths' Step-Stomp Stride" as an example, and speaks of the Previewing technique, where you tell readers:

"We're going on a journey, let me tell you where we're going." 

She shares the ingredients we have as writers of nonfiction: Research, Time/Place,Voice, Authenticity, Texture/Flavor, Experience, Emotion, Psychic Condition, Physicality, and then we rank their importance in nonfiction. Surprisingly, research isn't the first thing. (It's actually number nine.) Number one is Voice.

One more great piece of advice:

"You can't include everything. That's what backmatter is for."

Andrea walks us through how she told the story of Motown - but not everything, for her Rhythm Ride: A Road Trip Through the Motown Sound

She explains how she focused her telling of the story on three strands: Berry Gordy, The Civil Rights movement, and her own parent's romance.

There's so much more, and it's brilliant. As is Andrea.

Grateful to be here.

Andrea Davis Pinkney: Beginning Chapters

Andrea Davis Pinkney is an award-winning, NYT bestselling author and editor-at-large for Scholastic. In short, an all-around genius.

She started by telling us how she begins her day. At 4 AM. (At which point everyone realized they are not going to become Andrea Davis Pinkney because regular humans are not made of steel.)

As this wee hour, Andrea puts her iPhone on her knee and sets a timer. Then she closes her eyes and thinks of happy things. It's a way for her to get her feet on the floor. Then she picks up a notebook--she showed us hers. Slim and elegant, just like Andrea. Every one of her books begins in a notebook like those.

After that, she hastens to the swimming pool and does her workout. She returns home, writes a bit more, and goes to her day job at Scholastic.

"Writers write daily. Every day." On their birthdays. When they don't feel like writing. When their houses are messy. When the children aren't feeling well. "Writers write every day under all circumstances and conditions."

Whatever you want to do, you have to be actively engaged in the pursuit of doing it. It doesn't mean everything is publishable.

First chapters are the hardest ones, and she talked to us about this from the perspective of a writer and editor.

Andrea is a theater buff. She sees everything she can. She loves the moment before the curtain rises. It's a moment of great anticipation, a moment before potential greatness.

"I have to lift that curtain and dazzle instantly."

There's something she likes to call the Chapter 1 Pact. Or the Page 1 Pact. The promises is that the writer reaches out a hand, invites a reader on a journey, and pulls the reader along. A book called The Crystal Ribbon by Celeste Lim is a recent title that does this beautifully.

Andrea urged us to kill "the committee"—those voices in your head that say can't, won't, and other things that get in the way. You can't get to Chapter 1 if you're engaged with negativity. (Or, if you're a pacifist, kiss the committee goodbye.)

She also takes care to turn off her editor switch when she's writing. "Do not edit yourself. It's like doing dental work on yourself, or being your own psychotherapist."

Another piece of advice: "Bring your twinkle." What you bring to the party. The unique thing everyone has. The gift God gave you. "You can't bring your twinkle if you bring the committee with you."

Chapter 1 has to have this twinkle too. You don't have a lot of time, and there are a lot of elements to pack in, including:

• voice 
• emotion
• texture/color
• psychic condition

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Panel: Four Types of Picture Books - Andrea Davis Pinkney

Andrea Davis Pinkney is not only an editor at large at Scholastic, she's also the author of award-winning picture books and novels for young readers. Her books have been on the New York Times bestseller list, have won Jane Addams and Coretta Scott King honors, and more. When she was at Hyperion, she founded Jump at the Sun, the first imprint dedicated to celebrating African-American culture.

She was part of a panel focusing on four different types of picture books: humorous, rhyming, nonfiction, and books for the very young.

As a child, she was inspired by the independent working woman Mary Tyler Moore represented her. So she went to journalism school at Syracuse. "I learned very quickly that nonfiction is beautiful."

This training taught her to write with economy of words to engage readers. With her nonfiction writing, she tried to sink readers into an experience. (And her first job was at Mechanics Illustrated magazine!)

She did not know then she was being groomed to be a children's book author. How did those two connect? She wants to give readers a delicious experience they want to eat. "How can I serve it up to a young reader?"

The voice. The narrative. What is the invitation in? "My job is to bring on facts, but to pack them with chocolate chips."

On writing serious topics: She doesn't pare things down for young readers. She isn't thinking of the child reader. She's thinking of telling a pared-down story that puts readers on a metaphorical train and moves them forward. "Kids are smart, they know." (Her book SIT-IN is about a 1960 protest that happened, and four friends refused to leave a lunch counter where they weren't being served.)

She doesn't want readers to know they're reading a book. They're with her, in an experience.




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The Picture Book Panel Begins! Four Types of Picture Books: A Closer Look

From left to right: moderator Laurent Linn, illustrator Daniel Salmieri, author/illustrator Greg Pizzoli, author/editor Andrea Davis Pinkney, and author Andrea Beaty.

Andrea Pinkney Workshop: From Idea to Acquisition: Turning Your Brainstorm Into Books

Andrea Pinkney 

Andrea Davis Pinkney has a unique dual perspective: that of an Editor (she's Vice President and Executive Editor at Scholastic) and a New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of picture books, novels, historical fiction and nonfiction.

Andrea opened with having us do the same centering exercise she does every morning before she writes, and then shares her tips for finding those nuggets that can become books, for being a writer.  She covers writers block (and how she doesn't believe in it) , the myth of genius, and tells us to write every day, read every day, and much more...

One great anecdote she shared was how a friend told her, "I'm thinking of making a little money on the side by writing children's books."  Andrea's reaction was that it was like her saying, "I'm going to make a little money on the side by becoming a professional ballet dancer."

Writers write.  Every day.

She walked us through the evolution of a number of the books she acquired, including Jennifer Anne Moses's "Tales From My Closet," Sharon G. Flake's "The Skin I'm In," and Deborah Gregory's Cheetah Girls series.

Andrea started her career in newspapers and magazines, and uses that brainstorming strength to both generate her own ideas and help writers find their own unique talent (their "twinkle") and match that with the stories that only they can tell in their own unique way.

She answers a wide range of attendee questions and challenges us to

"Depart your comfort zone!"

and reminds us, each of us, that

"You have a twinkle!"

Editors Panel: Andrea Pinkney

Andrea Pinkney

Andrea Pinkney wears two hats, and wears them well.  She's a New York Times best-selling and award-winning author of more than 30 books for children and young adults, and is a Vice-President and Executive Editor at Scholastic!

She starts with some show and tell of some of the books she's edited, including Exclamation Point, Glory Be (a SCBWI Success Story!) and Drawing From Memory.

From her editor's perspective, Andrea shares that she works with notables and newcomers, and that she is always looking for the next newcomer who will be notable...  (and she says this looking around the ballroom!)  She tends towards books that are multicultural and is "particularly fond of things that don't fit in a box."

She compares her acquisition thought process to a marriage.  First, you have chemistry with the person, then you feel smitten, you have an emotional connection, and you feel yourself falling in love.  Similarly, Andrea asks herself about a book,

Am I still going to feel this way two years from now?  Twenty years from now?  Will my grandchildren feel the same way about it that I do?

Will it stand the test of time?

Sometimes books like Hunger Games land at the exact right moment to be a hit, but Andrea thinks with our world of wars and reality TV shows that that book has what it takes to be a perennial.

There's lots of discussion on the panel about the ins and outs of acquisitions meetings, and Andrea gives an example of how she championed "A Wreath For Emmett Till" - the Marilyn Nelson book that went on to win a Coretta Scott King and Printz honor!

The editors panel also explores the what (and why) of books staying in print, the influence of genre on a book's success, the new Core Curriculum, and much more.

What a great way to find out more about Andrea and her colleagues, and get this insider's view of publishing!

The Editors Panel Begins! What Makes An Evergreen A Hit

Lin Oliver introduces the Editors Panel.  From left to right: Namrata Tripathi, Andrea Pinkney, Donna Bray, Claudia Gabel, Allyn Johnston, Melissa Manlove, and Lin Oliver (standing)