Yolanda Scott: Editorial Director, Charlesbridge

Yolanda Scott is editorial director at Charlesbridge. She has edited over one hundred and fifty titles. Charlesbridge is a smaller, independent, family-run publisher based in Boston. They publish about 50 titles a year. About 60% is nonfiction, 40% fiction. Charlesbridge keeps most of their books in print for a very long time.

What is it that makes Yolanda take notice of a book? She shares 9 specific hooks,  along with an example of each.

1. Unique, innovative premise.

After the Kill by Darrin Lunde

2. Compelling Characters

The Day-GloBrothers by Chris Barton

3.  Riveting Pot

Mosquito Bite by Alexandra Siy

4. Strong Voice

Pirate Bob by Kathryn Lasky

5. Interesting Structure

The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred by Samantha R. Vamos

6. Exceptional Art or Visual Potential

Last Laughs: Animal Epitaphs by J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen

7. Filling a Hole on the Charlesbridge List

Alphabet Trucks by Samantha R. Vamos 

8. Skillful, Fluid Writing

Pigmares by Doug Cushman

9. Personal Interest of an Editor

Grin and Bear It by Leo Landry

Molly O'Neill, Editor at Katherine Tegen Books / HarperCollins

Editor Molly O'Neill works at Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins where she publishers picture books, middle grade, and Young Adult novels. Molly's breakout session came with a handout (my favorite!) about the types of manuscripts she's looking for, as well as some upcoming titles she's excited about.

 

Inside the Editor's Head

When reading a submission, Molly asks herself several questions when determining whether to acquire:

* Do I love it as a reader?

* Am I fascinated by it as an editor? As an editor, Molly has to commit to reading a book (or series) for years to come. Would she want to? 

* Who is the audience for this book?

* Can I publish this book successfully?

These questions lead to a discussion on timing, and Molly stated that she looks for high-quality writing with an interesting plot and compelling characters. They publish books, not just ideas. 

I think the best advice came when she talked about the key to writing: Authenticity, heart, respect for the experience and key moments of being a child, tween, teen.

It was also interesting to the hear the publishing stories of several of her authors, and see the different paths to publication. Inspiring workshop!

Rosemary Brosnan, Executive Editor at HarperCollins Children's Books (With Bonus Associate Editor Andrea Martin!)

Rosemary Brosnan (left) and Andrea Martin, answering questions during the session

Rosemary Brosnan is executive editor of HarperCollins Children's Books, where she publishes mostly fiction for middle-graders and teens.  She publishes Neil Gaiman, Lauren Oliver, Gail Carson Levine, Rita Williams-Garcia and many more - writers who have won LOTS of awards and are all over the New York Times bestseller lists.  Which makes sense as she explains to us that her sweet spot is between literary and commercial (which she explains as literary being well-written with well-rounded characters, and commercial being a story with wide appeal.)

But even though she continues to publish her established authors (working with one author for 26 years so far!) she explains that

"Editors are dying to find new authors - it's the lifeblood of the business."

She's telling us about a few of her debut authors and sharing about (and reading sections from) some of the books she's published - explaining to us and showing us what's she's acquired (mainly MG and YA) and why she acquired it.

Two of the debuts she shares are:

"The Vengekeep Prophecies" by Brian Farrey

and

"The Cabinet of Earths" by Anne Nesbet

Rosemary reminds us that publishing is really subjective, saying that she often sees on the Publishers Lunch list of weekly recent sales books that she herself declined.  If your manuscript is rejected, it doesn't mean it's not good, it just doesn't fit their list.

She shares some craft book recommendations and talks about the importance of discipline, telling us that Lauren Oliver wrote "Before I Fall" on her blackberry while riding the subway between jobs and school!

Andrea Martin worked in sales at the publisher for three years, then became an editorial assistant three years ago.  She's now an Associate Editor working with Rosemary, and is building her own list.

Andrea shares about how their editorial team works together, giving the example of "The Wig in the Window," a middle grade mystery by Kristin Kittscher.

Andrea defines voice as being like a person who has charisma, and you just want to spend more time with them.  She also shares about some of the books she's acquired and why.

Rosemary and Andrea answer questions from the attendees, covering the difference between the level of hands-on editing in children's lit versus adult lit, finding self-published authors, covers, the future of short stories, submitting a friend's illustrations with your manuscript (don't do it), writing in a native language if it's not English, first person narration, the challenge of being a mid-list author, and much more.

But the most touching moment of the session was when Rosemary called out one of the attendees - Courtney Stevens (the ARA from Mid-South!),who was standing against the wall listening - and spoke about acquiring HER debut novel, "Faking Normal," telling us how she loved it so much, bought it in a pre-empt, and is so excited about the book coming out and the author's career ahead.

A lovely moment of SCBWI success.

Courtney Stevens, moments after the session concluded, still glowing

Patrick Collins: Creative Director at Henry Holt

Patrick starts off with some snapshots of lovely authors and illustrators Holt's been lucky enough to publish:

Denise Fleming

Eugene Yelchin

Jacqueline Kelly

among others!

Patrick's session provides illustrators with concrete examples of the five things that make picture book art successful. All good picture book images are strong in

1. Character

2. Action-Storytelling

3. Humor

4. Emotion

5. Simplicity

Two of Patrick's examples are listed below, but there were four more picture books he went over, plus illustrated chapter books, and including a spiffy-looking new nonfiction picture book written by Tanya Lee Stone and illustrated by Marjorie Priceman. Really enlightening and fun to see what an art director picks out as the strongest element or two of every great picture book spread.

The Monster Returns 

Even from the jacket you know what's going to happen, it's hitting the simplicity goal right off the bat, too—limited palette, very stylized, lots of white space.

And even though it's fairly spare art, it allows you to focus in on the emotions of the characters, which are perfectly rendered by the artist.

Chester's Colorful Easter Egg

 Really cool cut-paper art, the flatness of the background cut-paper colors allow Chester to pop in most every spread.

Great expression on both character's face and in body language help hit our goals of artwork full of strong character and emotion.

Thanks, Patrick!

Kate Fletcher, Editor at Candlewick

Kate Fletcher is an editor at Candlewick Press, an independent publisher in Somerville, MA that focuses entirely on the children's market.

They're a small company so editors can work on the projects that interest them: fiction, nonfiction, picture books, young adult novels.

"It's really nice," Kate said. "You're not really pigeonholed into working on certain things."

They also don't have acquisition meetings, as many other publishers do. They can sign books without getting committee approval.

Generally, she takes projects to her boss and can usually make an offer afterward.

"I just really have to love it," she said.

Some books with bigger offers or series would need more consideration. This allows Candlewick, an employee-owned company, to take risks and "be creatively led."

Kate focuses about half her time on picture books and half on novels (with slightly more YA than MG). She focuses on fiction, but not science fiction.

On picture books: She wasn't originally interested in rhyme but has come around. "Good rhyme can add a lot," she said. "Bad rhyme is horrible." She does prefer shorter text and really thinks about the read-aloud experience.

On YA novels: One of her titles is YAQUI DELGADO WANTS TO KICK YOUR ASS. The book isn't out yet but has two starred reviews already. The author, Meg Medina, started out in picture books. (More info here.)

On MG: You need strong enough writing and characters to draw a reader in.
She's also a fan of humor, even in serious books.

She also shared her wish list with us--what she wants and doesn't. (One thing on her not-for-her list: paranormal.)

What's Selling Now: Jon Fine

As Lin explains in her intro,

"Jon has been a great friend of the SCBWI" and oversees a lot of the philanthropic aspects of Amazon (and they've become a key player in children's publishing.)  He's the liaison between Amazon and the author/illustrator community, serving as Director of Author & Publisher Relations.

Jon Fine

In terms of the changes happening now in publishing, Jon is optimistic, saying

"I view this as an incredible time of opportunity for writers and readers."

He speaks of the biggest challenge we writers and illustrators face,

Tell your stories as well as you can and then
the real key is discoverability - how can people find your books?

And gives a shout-out,

"There is no group more supportive of its aspiring members than SCBWI."

Of independent bookstores, Jon says,

"A robust independent bookselling community is absolutely crucial.  What a bookstore looks like will change over time." And there's a discussion across the panel of the resurgence of the bookstore, and a growing appreciation and understanding of the importance of the community around books.

He talks about transmedia, subscription services, serials, interstitial works, keywords and other tools to get the word out, his take on current trends and the age at which it's okay for your kid to read "Hunger Games" (it's dropping), skype author visits, and even predicts some trends yet to come...

Yet putting it all aside, he reminds us that the core issue is to tell a great story.

"It's all about the story.  It's all about reading."

The panel is a fascinating view of the side of the business AFTER your book is published!

What's Selling Now: Robert Brown

You maybe also plan your vacations around places to visit that have awesome bookstores? One of my dream roadtrips involves a stop at Books, Bytes, & Beyond in New Jersey, and Robert Brown is one of the reasons it's such a great, independent bookstore. Now Bob is shining up Scholastic Book Fairs, get to know him a little with Martha's great, pre-conference interview.

My favorite part of Bob's intro: How important it is to him to help children find the books that are right for them. Bob did this at his bookstore, and now with Scholastic he helps 35 million (!) kids via school book fairs find thousands of fiction and nonfiction titles.

Bob's answers to some of Lin's bookish questions:

Lin asks the panel to take the market's temperature:

Bob is upbeat about the children's book publishing industry. The biggest challenge is to get kids to read more. The book fairs provide unfettered access for kids to be in direct contact with new books, not only the bestseller listers, but wonderful midlist titles as well. In addition, it's a community event, families come to the fairs and the events continue to be well attended, with robust sales and enthusiasm on all sides.

How are Scholastic Book Fairs getting into the electronic book world?

Bob recommends checking out Scholastic's Storia, an app for Windows, iPads and Android designed for kids learning to read as well as readers and parents looking for a a curated set of great books.

Dream book type for Scholastic Book Fairs?

Contemporary multicultural!

What's Selling Now: Mary Brown

Mary Brown owns Books, Bytes & Beyond, a children's bookshop on Glen Rock, New Jersey.

In her 20 years as a bookseller, she's hosted hundreds of author events and is also an expert in developing leveled libraries for use in classrooms. She talked to us about the market today and emerging opportunities for authors, particularly with the introduction of Common Core standards.
 
On the market: Things have changed a lot for bookstores over the years: "We've seen our walk-in, retail business change a little bit," she said. "Now, about 70 percent of our business is school and library." Sales are good, especially in the school and library market. They're less likely to be hit-driven, buying hundreds of titles across the board. "There are a lot of opportunities out there."

On common core standards: Schools are just now starting to get into it. "All of you need to become familiar with these standards." Illustrations, glossaries, and nonfiction elements can all help your book align with these standards. (Learn more about them here.)

What schools are buying: Schools buy mostly in paperback for classrooms, which helps mid-list authors and with back-list sales.

Mary also talked about trends that schools are hungry for in response to the Common Core and what the market wants less of, as well as some specific books that are doing really well in this new environment.

Here's what the inside of Books, Bytes & Beyond looks like.

Follow Books, Bytes & Beyond on Twitter
Like the store on Facebook

The Booksellers Panel Begins!

From Left to Right: Mary Brown, Robert Brown, Jon Fine and Lin Oliver standing at the podium.  (Peter Glassman has been delayed.)

Meg Rosoff: So When Are You Going to Write a Real Book, You Know, For Adults?

Meg Rosoff, the award winning author of THERE IS NO DOG, PICTURE ME GONE, and HOW I LIVE NOW (soon to be a feature film), is the opening keynote of the SCBWI Winter Conference. Which, by the way, has an amazing title: So When Are You Going to Write a Real Book, You Know, For Adults?

Meg is hilarious--starting off by uttering the words that many authors cringe when hearing: "If all else fails, I'll write a kid's book" or "If I had time, I'd write a kid's book." And then Meg mentioned some of the people she would punch in the face (if only in her imagination).

The entire room erupted in hysterical laughter as Meg read from such classics as IF ROAST BEEF COULD FLY by Jay Leno and FIFTY SHADES OF GREY by E.L. James.

Meg is a highly acclaimed author, but her journey is fascinating and inspiring. She talked of failure, of bad reviews, and of writing. Meg discussed the stigma that sometimes comes along with writing for children.



When asked by students about the best book she's ever read, Meg replies that the best books she's  read were read before her twenties. Because as a teenager, she was at the exact right age to have her life changed by books. Meg read from an email that she received from a reader, and it's the reason she writes for teenagers. 

Some people think of young readers as lesser versions of adults. They don't get it. As an author, you must write truthfully. You shouldn't apologize for writing for teens or children! You're writing about the emerging people your readers will become. And you're changing lives.

Welcome to New York!

The room is buzzing with anticipation as Stephen Mooser takes the stage at this year's 14th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference.

We are starting the conference with a song: Happy Birthday to the effervescent Lin Oliver.

Of course Lin has the room giggling almost immediately.

Who is here?

The thousand attendees come from 17 countries, and from 45 states. There are 796 woman, 138 mean, and 65  undeclared. Of that, 287 are published authors and illustrators. Some of the interesting professions (other than writer or illustrator): architect, child therapist, clown, floral designer, and even a bug taxidermist.

Lin always welcomes those attending with such warmth and a true sense of community.

Let's get this party started.

The ballroom fills up as #ny13scbwi is about to begin!

The room is abuzz!

Pre-#NY13SCBWI Interview with Shaun Tan

Shaun Tan grew up in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia, and currently works as an artist, author and film-maker in Melbourne. Books such as "The Rabbits," "The Red Tree," "Tales From Outer Suburbia" and the acclaimed wordless novel "The Arrival" have been widely translated and enjoyed by readers of all ages. Shaun has also worked as a theater designer, feature film concept artist, and wrote and directed the Academy Award-winning animated short "The Lost Thing."  In 2011 he received the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in Sweden for his body of work. His most recent publication is "The Bird King."

Shaun will be giving a Keynote address the Saturday February 2, 2013 of the upcoming 14th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference, titled "Internal Migrations."

I was so fortunate in this interview with Shaun to ask him about working in the magical space "between familiarity and strangeness," find out what he does when he has a creative emergency, get his advice about endings that resonate, and so much more! 

I'm in awe of his work, and now I'm even more excited to see Shaun speak in person!

How about you?  There are a limited number of spaces still available for the Saturday and Sunday of the 2013 SCBWI Winter Conference (the Friday intensives have sold out.) You can find out more details and register here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Pre-#NY13SCBWI Interview with Matthew Kirby

Matthew Kirby is the award-winning author of The Clockwork Three, Icefall, and book five of the forthcoming Infinity Ring series. He was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start, and has been nominated for the Edgar Award, the Agatha Christie Award, and won the Parents’ Choice Award Gold Medal.

He'll be on faculty at the upcoming 14th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City, February 1-3, 2013, presenting as part of the sold-out Friday intensive ELEMENTS OF THE NOVEL: A WORKSHOP FOR WRITERS, giving a talk titled: "Form Not Formula."

In this excellent interview with Matthew, Jolie Stekly found out about his shift from writing for adults to writing for young people, how Ursula Le Guin has influenced him, and gets Matthew to describe the best and worst parts of his writing process. There's even a quote from Richard Peck!

While the Friday Intensives are sold out, there are a limited number of spaces still available for the Saturday and Sunday of the 2013 SCBWI Winter Conference.  You can find out more details and register here. 

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Pre-#NY13SCBWI Interview with Robert Brown

Robert Brown is National Sales and Program Manager at Scholastic Book Fairs. In 1987 Bob founded Cornerstone Books, Incorporated (d/b/a Books, Bytes & Beyond), located in Bergen County, New Jersey. He joined Scholastic Book Fairs in August 2012. A graduate of the University of Virginia and Dartmouth’s Tuck Business School, Bob has a strong commitment to education, and a desire to help children become lifelong readers.

Bob will be on the Saturday morning (February 2, 2013) Bookseller's panel with Mary Brown, owner, Books, Bytes and Beyond; Jon Fine, Amazon.com, and Peter Glassman, owner, Books of Wonder.  They'll be talking about "What's Selling?"

In this interview, Martha Brockenbrough finds out more about Bob, what sells best at the book fairs, and how Scholastic Book Fairs manage to reach 35 million kids and their families a year!

While the Friday Intensives are sold out, there are a limited number of spaces still available for the Saturday and Sunday of the 2013 SCBWI Winter Conference.  You can find out more details and register here. 

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

More details on the Saturday Night (post-Gala) Socials at #NY13SCBWI

Here's the latest scoop on the three different organized socials after Saturday night's Gala on February 2, 2013, that will run from 7:45pm - 8:45pm in the conference hotel:

The Illustrators' Social

After the Saturday Night Gala, come to the Illustrators’ Social to meet fellow illustrators, share your insights about the conference and to give us your feedback!

Hosted by the SCBWI Illustrators’ Committee: Priscilla Burris, Pat Cummings, David Diaz, EB Lewis, and Cecilia Yung.

The LGBTQ&A

At SCBWI’s 2008 Summer Conference in Los Angeles, a group of editors, agents, and authors interested in LGBTQ publishing met informally to chat about the submission process, who is interested and what types of stories they are interested in. We’ve continued this conversation at each conference since.

Maybe you’ve written a book about or for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, gender non-conforming or questioning youth; maybe you’re interested in doing so, and you’re just not sure where to begin; maybe you are just curious to learn more about this vital corner of the market for young readers. Whatever your interest in the subject matter, all are welcome. Bring a friend and any questions you may have.

The event is hosted by SCBWI Team Blog’s Lee Wind (your blog host here) and features special guest Jane Yolen, author of almost 300 books for children and teens. For more information on Jane and her incredible and inclusive books visit janeyolen.com.

The New Members or First Time Attendees Social

If you are new to the SCBWI, or if this is your first conference, come to this social and make friends. One of the benefit of SCBWI is participating in our warm and inclusive community, so take this opportunity to dive in.

It’s held after the Saturday Night Gala, and hosted by several of the friendliest SCBWI Regional Advisors you’d ever hope to meet! Join the tribe, become part of us!

Each of these socials should be amazing!  

And while the Friday Intensives are sold out, there are a limited number of spaces still available for the Saturday and Sunday of the 2013 SCBWI Winter Conference.  You can find out more details and register here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Pre-#NY13SCBWI Interview with Françoise Bui

Françoise Bui is executive editor at Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books. She acquires manuscripts for middle-grade and young adult readers and greatly appreciates stand-alone novels.

She will be giving two breakout workshops on the Saturday of the upcoming 14th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City, February 1st-3rd, 2013, WHAT HOOKS ME.

In this interview with Françoise, we discussed first lines, voice, comparing your manuscript to famous movies (and whether or not that's helpful) and she even shared her karaoke song of choice!

While the Friday Intensives are sold out, there are a limited number of spaces still available for the Saturday and Sunday of the 2013 SCBWI Winter Conference.  You can find out more details and register here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Pre-#NY13SCBWI Interview with Molly O'Neill

Molly O'Neill is an editor at HarperCollins' Katherine Tegen Books imprint. She publishes literary and commercial fiction in the picture book, middle grade, and YA categories, and will be giving two breakout workshops on the Saturday of the upcoming 14th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City, February 1st-3rd, 2013, WHAT HOOKS ME.  She'll be talking about her list, and sharing

"...some of what drew me to each of those books, as well as some of the questions I ask myself when I’m thinking about acquiring a project."

On her blog, Martha Brockenbrough interviews Molly and finds out about the market, the types of manuscripts and the quality of writers Molly's looking for...and more!

Thanks Martha and Molly!

Registration for #NY13SCBWI is open (early registration ends January 4, 2013), and space is still available.  Keep in mind, the Winter conference sold out last year.  And the year before... 

Find out more details about the 2013 SCBWI Winter Conference schedule, faculty and registration here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Pre-#NY13SCBWI Interview with Yolanda Scott

Yolanda Scott is the editorial director at Charlesbridge. She has edited over 150 titles, working with authors such as Eve Bunting, Tony Johnston, Kathryn Lasky, David McPhail, Linda Sue Park, Jane Yolen, and the late Martha Alexander. She is a former executive board member of the Foundation for Children's Books and the founder of Pubs in Pubs, a networking organization for children's publishing professionals. She has been a children's literature speaker and mentor at Boston College and Simmons College and has judged the Boston Public Library Children's Writer-in-Residence Program (2008-2011).

Yolanda will be giving two breakout workshops on the Saturday of the upcoming 14th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City, February 1st-3rd, 2013, WHAT HOOKS ME.  In it, she promises to reveal "what makes her run, not walk, to the contracts department."

In her pre-conference interview with me, Yolanda shares what makes a writer a dream for her to work with, her advice for mid-list authors, her vision for the future of publishing and even the kind of island she'd most want to be stranded on...

Registration for #NY13SCBWI is open (early registration ends January 4, 2013), and space is still available.  FYI - the Winter conference sold out last year.  And the year before...  Find out more details about the 2013 SCBWI Winter Conference schedule, faculty and registration here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Pre-#NY13SCBWI Conference Interview With Meg Rosoff

Martha Brockenbrough kicks off our pre-conference interviews leading up to the 14th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City, February 1-3, 2013 with author Meg Rosoff!

 
Meg's books have won or been shortlisted for 18 international book prizes, including the Carnegie medal, The Printz and the Orange first novel prize!

In this great interview with Martha, Meg describes how the process of writing each of her books has been different, what fascinates her about "difficult topics," and what she's learned along the way that she wishes she'd known when she started.

Meg will kick off the conference Saturday morning with her keynote,

"So When Are You Going to Write a Real Book, You Know, For Adults?"

Now I'm even more excited to hear her!

You can be there, too.  Early registration is still available.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Get Ready, Registration Opens Tomorrow for #NY13SCBWI, the SCBWI Winter Conference

It's the biggest event of the winter, in New York City!  (Feb 1-3, 2013)

Check out the faculty and schedule announced so far and more details are rolling out...

There will be a private portfolio showcase for illustrators, a Gala Party on Saturday evening, and a new Elements of the Novel intensive on Friday (as well as the Writers Roundtable where you get to read your work to an acquiring agent or editor and the Illustrators Intensive - Lessons Learned: A Candid Conversation about Arriving, Surviving, and Thriving as a Picture Book Illustrator.)

The roster of faculty and keynote presenters is beyond impressive:  Mo Willems! Shaun Tan! Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton! Margaret Peterson Haddix! Meg Rosoff! Matthew Kirby! Lewin! Krista Marino! Floyd Cooper! Barbara McClintock! David Ezra Stein! Jane Yolen! Linda Sue Park!

Registration opens tomorrow (Friday, October 19, 2012) at 10am pacific standard time at scbwi.org
(There's even a discount rate on a block of hotel rooms.)

This Winter Conference will be full of amazing opportunities, craft, business, inspiration and community... and we hope to see you there!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Registration for #NY13SCBWI Opens Friday October 19, 2012

Exciting News!

The 2013 SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City (tweetily known as #NY13SCBWI) is happening February 1st to 3rd, 2013. The conference runs two days (Saturday and Sunday) with an optional Friday intensive.  It promises to be an incredible weekend of craft, business, inspiration, opportunity and community!

You want details?

Here are just some of the Keynote presenters:

Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton

Margaret Peterson Haddix

Meg Rosoff

Mo Willems

and

Shaun Tan

There will also be a Booksellers Panel on "What's Selling Now" and smaller breakout sessions called "What Hooks Me" featuring ELEVEN acquiring editors and art directors from publishing houses including HarperCollins, Scholastic, Penguin, Candlewick, Little Brown and Simon and Schuster.

There are three different Friday Intensives to select from:

The Writer's Roundtable - A small-group critique of your work by an acquiring editor or agent plus two panels.

Illustrator's Intensive - Lessons Learned:  Candid Conversations about Arriving, Surviving and Thriving as a Picture Book Illustrator featuring acclaimed illustrators including Floyd Cooper, Barbara McClintock, David Ezra Stein and Shaun Tan.

Elements of the Novel - A 50-person workshop that will explore and examine the elements of novel writing with Margaret Peterson Haddix, Jane Yolen, Meg Rosoff, Matthew Kirby, Linda Sue Park, Krista Marino and Ari Lewin.

Three days to take your career writing and illustrating for children and teens to the next level!

More details will be released at scbwi.org throughout the week, leading up to registration opening this upcoming Friday, October 19, 2012 at 10am Pacific Time!

Be Aware:  This conference will sell out!

Want more insight into what a SCBWI New York International Conference is like?  Check out the Official SCBWI Conference Blog posts for the SCBWI Team Blog take on the last one! 

Hope to see you there,

Lee for Team Blog