Bonnie Bader: Nonfiction

For many years Bonnie Bader worked as an Associate Publisher of Frederick Warne & Co., as well as the editor-in-chief of Penguin Young Readers/Early Readers. Today she is a member of the SCBWI Board of Advisors, and the PAW (Published and Listed) point person. 

When she first started in publishing, Bader said that she hated nonfiction. What changed her mind? The narrative voice.

In her session today, Bader spoke about what publishers are doing and what sellers are saying. She also offered tips for authors seeking to write nonfiction. It was a lively interactive session, with high audience participation. 

Here are a few bullet points:

• What sells? Nonfiction pegged to a holiday: First Thanksgiving

• Smaller publishers do well with nonfiction. They tend to have more people designated to target the school library market. 

• Bookstores have seen an uptick in nonfiction sales: biography, weird-but-true stories (Ripley's Believe It or Not!)

Who Was? nonfiction books are hot sellers,
selling more than 20 million copies to date.

• Write about tension in a character's life. 

• Develop your voice.

• Always offer sources for dialog. 

• Write grabby first lines.

• Decide who your audience is. Who are you writing for?

• Pick your subject, explore your own interests. What excites you? What are you passionate about?

• Research, research, research!

Elizabeth Bicknell: Writing Picture Book Text

Elizabeth Bicknell is Executive Vice President, Executive Editorial Director & Associate Publisher at Candlewick Press. She edits picture books, fiction, poetry and nonfiction. Two recent picture book projects include Mac Barnett and John Klassen's Sam and Dave Dig a Hole

and Carole Boston Weatherford and Ekua Holmes' Voice of Freedom

Liz spoke about the different kinds of picture books, using examples of 12 books she's published to, well, illustrate her points. Story picture books, concept books, biography, poetry collections...

It's fascinating that she's able to break those twelve down into six that had an author/illustrator create them, and six books that had different authors and illustrators. (Additionally, eight of the eighteen people were not agented at the time she acquired their work.)

She tells us that she's "a sucker for dog stories," and jokes that now that she's said that, "everyone feverishly changes their main characters to dogs."

Some quotes:

"I am very fond of poetry."

"I like books that are a little bit wicked."

"There are no rules you can never break."

Liz tells us more about what she's looking for, breaks down the reasons she really doesn't like rhyme, and talks about those critical first (and last) lines.

There's lots more good stuff, some handouts, and so much wisdom. Here's one last bit of wisdom:

"If the ending isn't working, really the whole thing isn't working."

Sarah Davies: Writing Salable Middle Grade

Sarah Davies is the founder of The Greenhouse Literary Agency, which represents authors of YA, MG, and picture books.

Sarah loves literary fiction with a strong commercial hook. Middle grade fiction is really the first that immerses young readers in new worlds and introduces them to empathy. These books often are among the most important people read.

We are in a fabulous, golden time for middle grade. Librarians and educators play a bigger role in linking readers with books, and it's sometimes a slow process.

How can you raise the level of your writing and make your manuscript stand out?

She has identified eight common denominators of great, salable middle grade. Here are a few things she looks for:

1. Know your market. What is middle grade? Her submissions inbox tells her a lot of people don't know what they're trying to do or who they're writing for.

At the younger end, it's chapter books that are typically 15,000-25,000 words long and illustrated with line art. Her client Tricia Springstubb writes these. They can be character led or concept driven. Clementine by Sara Pennypacker is an example. The Magic Treehouse is concept driven.

Novels for older middle grade readers run 30,000-60,000 words. (If it's longer, ask yourself why.) These core middle grade novels are about characters from 10 to 13, with a sweet spot of 11 to 13. THE TRUTH ABOUT TWINKIE PIE by Kat Yeh is an absolutely delightful middle grade that received a lot of buzz.

There's also a "tween" category that tends to be pinker and fluffier and deals with crushes, clothes, and friendships. Aladdin does this sort of book well.

2. Know your reader. How is MG different from YA? The YA protagonist is older, with a protagonist who is 15 to 17. But it's not just simply about age. The interior world of the pre-teen child is different from the older teen. If all good fiction has some rite of passage in it, the older teen's right of passage is "who will I be as an adult." For a middle grader, it's about firsts, the beginnings of finding an identity separate from your parents. Asking who am I, what am I?

3. Voice. Her client Mark Maciejewski had a funny voice. His submission needed work, but that voice struck her. Sometimes she can hear the adult behind the voice--and adult who is trying to remember how they think children sound. "Can you access the real thing? If you can, you're two-thirds of the way there. If you can an agent will spot you."

Let your voice shine through in the opening, rather than dumping plot info up front.

Read a lot and listen to children speak and understand their phrasing and logic. "You've got to develop your voice muscle."



The Greenhouse Literary Agency
Follow Sarah on Twitter
Like The Greenhouse Literary Agency on Facebook

Rainbow Rowell and Martha Brockenbrough: Creating Teen Characters

I'm so excited about this session! Rainbow Rowell is the New York Times bestselling author of the Young Adult novels Eleanor & Park and Fangirl and Carry On. She's even received a Printz Honor for Eleanor & Park!*

Martha Brockenbrough is our very own team blogger, author of the YA novels The Game of Love and Death and Devine Intervention.**

They're talking about Creating Teen Characters, and you'd think it would feel like this:

But it really felt like this:

Rainbow and Martha had great, in-depth discussion and we were right there. They spoke about the shift that happens for writing a teen's perspective, and the shift that happens for a teen reader (versus an adult.) Rainbow said,

"I don't think about audience... I can get stalled."

They both worked as journalists, and Rainbow spoke of the good training that was (like how it was great for dialog and made her not so precious about her writing) and the challenges that same background created (her voice got "slammed out.") Rainbow joked about her contemporary realistic novels,

"What I'm doing is journalism, but lying."

Martha played the song "Hast Thou Considered The Tetrapod" by The Mountain Goats so we could all hear a bit of it. Rainbow then told us about how the song (and the whole album) inspired her novel Eleanor & Park, and "how it unlocked me." They spoke about different tools they use to get into the writing. Martha used period photos for The Game of Love and Death. Rainbow uses music as a "shortcut to get back to the emotion of that scene," describing a particular scene from Eleanor & Park and how it had a specific song.

They spoke about diversity of characters, aspirational characters versus real characters, and Rainbow's breakthrough in writing fantasy. It was a great story, about research and tropes (and playing with tropes) and how Rainbow ultimately realized that for fantasy, "I've read enough to find my own voice in it."

There was so much more, and Rainbow also answered questions from the rapt audience.

Two final bits of wisdom:

Speaking about today's teens versus the teens of the 1980s, Martha Brockenbrough said,

"We've been this age, we know what we need to know." 

Telling us of a particular character she found challenging to write, (Agatha in Carry On), Rainbow said,

"As an author, you need to find your way in."

And then she explained how she found her way into Agatha... So fascinating!

Useful. Inspiring. Very special.

What a breakout session!




*Check out all of Rainbow's titles here.

**Check out all of Martha's titles here.

Alvina Ling: Plotting Your Novel

Alvina Ling is vp and editor-in-chief at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

"There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are." ~ W. Somerset Maugham


Aristotle: Character is plot revealed by action.

Alvina believes conflict is the most important element of plot.

The cat sat on a mat is not a story. The cat sat on another cat's mat is a story.

7 basic plots

• overcoming the monster
• rags to riches
• the quest 
• voyage and return
• comedy
• tragedy
• rebirth

3 plots

• boy meets girl (human meets human)
• the little tailor (power to slay giants)
• man learns a lesson

2 plots

• a person goes on a journey
• a stranger comes to town

Know what the rules are, then break them. 

Elements of plot Alvina looks for:

• believability 
• pacing
• high stakes and emotional impact

Jean Feiwel: Children's Publishing Now and in the Near Future panel

Jean Feiwel is a senior vice president and publisher at Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, where her eponymous imprint has published wonderful books such as Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles Series.

She also oversees Squarefish, Swoon Reads, and Henry Holt. (Macmillan has nine imprints in all, including one called Imprint—ha!)

Her career in publishing is incredibly distinguished: at Scholastic she invented the Baby-Sitter's Club series, and published Goosebumps, Animorphs, Harry Potter and other blockbuster series.

And it's not just novels; the picture book On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman was the first title she published at her imprint, and more than 3.5 million copies are in print.

She was one of five editors featured on a panel about publishing and its future.

At Macmillan, the company compiled imprints that had all been independent. "The decision was made to create what I call the Star Wars Alliance," Jean said. This unified their sales and marketing and retained the individuality of the imprints. As a result, their net business has grown 70 percent.

The growth of the industry has changed things, she said. After Harry Potter, it wasn't enough to have a bestselling book. You had to have a phenomenally bestselling book.

"If your bar is that high, you can miss a lot of things happening under that bar," she said. At Macmillan, they're supposed to grow by a certain percentage overall, and they're supposed to make great books.

"Slow and steady wins the race. It's pressure, but it's not the kind of pressure that's a carrot on a stick getting higher and further away."

Jean described different kinds of excitement. One is when you place a big bet on something—as she did with Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles. It's the No. 1 bestselling series on the NYT list this week.

There are other kinds of risks—like a book called MY BIG FAT ZOMBIE GOLDFISH. "It's whizzing along nicely."

She loves being able to build things from the ground up. Risk-taking and developing new ideas is the hallmark of what Macmillan loves to do, she said.

She urged writers to do what they do best, and do it well. Stick to it and believe in it. It's not about trying to write to a trend.

Starting a crowdsourced imprint, Swoon Books, let her see a broader variety of manuscripts than agents were sending (they were too swamped for a slush pile). Seeing a range of submissions and mining self-published work is interesting and useful for publishers.


MacKids: the homepage of Macmillan Children's Publishing
Feiwel and Friends website
Feiwel and Friends on Facebook
Follow Feiwel and Friends on Twitter

Laurent Linn: Illustrating for Middle Grade, Graphic Novels, and YA

Laurent Linn is an Art Director at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, designing up to 40 books at a time. In addition, he's the author and illustrator of an upcoming teen novel called DRAW THE LINE (Simon & Schuster, May 2016).  His breakout session was a standing room only event of published and pre-published illustrators, authors and graphic novelists.

Linn offered a few key points: 

What’s the next big thing in children’s books: Illustration! It’s a great time for illustration and to be an illustrator. 

Kids are more visually astute today, because there is so much imagery out there competing for their attention. So feel free to break boundaries. Your art director will reel you in, if necessary.

For middle grade novels, the text drives the story. However, an illustrator can use art to enhance key moments in a story. Don’t simply illustrate a scene, go deeper. Think of yourself as a designer, consider the placement of text with the illustration. Use illustration to punctuate a story. 

For young adult novels, remember that the art is often meant to represent art that is "drawn" by the characters in a story. Channel the character's personality. Ask yourself how he/she would draw this. For example, Sherman Alexie's THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN.

Graphic novels are now being recognized as legitimate pieces of literature, as with Cece Bell's El Deafo winning a Newbery.

From his upcoming teen novel DRAW THE LINE

Jacquelyn Mitchard: How to Wow an Editor: You Have Three Pages to Win Me Over

Jacquelyn Mitchard is the number one New York Times best-selling author of ten novels for adults, seven novels for teens, and five children's books. She is also editor-in-chief of Merit Press, a realistic young adult imprint.

Make your cover letters personal and smart. Don't make it to artsy and elevated, but show me who you are from the first word.

You have a chapter, maybe ten pages to win her over. When you start that conversation with her in those first pages of the book, she wants to be unable to stop reading.

"I need to recognize the emotionally validity of the story right away."

"Why do something this difficult if your not going to publish?...The dance isn't completed until the reader takes your hand."

Jacquelyn says, as writers, we need to do what it takes.

Megan Tingley: The Big Picture: Children's Publishing: Now and in the Near Future

Megan Tingley is the executive VP and publisher of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. She oversee the entire Young Reader's publishing program as well as acquires and edits a small list of titles for her own list.

Little, Brown has one division and they all work collaboratively to publish board books to young adult.

Mission statement : Publish great books well. They are committed to growth, innovation, and transparency.

The children's book division has gone from being the stepchild to the favorite child in their larger companies, and they are leaders in the diversity of their lists.

The huge successes in the children's book industry are very noticeable and people are then asking where is the next one. But this has also shown that children's books can behave like big adult titles. This gives children's publishing an opportunity to make more decisions.

This is an incredible time to be in publishing. The business has changed so much. The opportunity to get representation is better than before, there's far more exposure with social media, as well as a lot more media stories about the industry. Seeing a picture book win the Newbery and graphic novels winning awards shows an openness to different formats that are a great opportunity.

The notion that print books are going to go away, nobody is worrying about that.

Book creators often wonder, what is the measure of success?

Megan says the thing editors love most to do is discover new talent. Success can be becoming a New York Times bestseller or winning a Newbery or Caldecott, but don't see those as the only markers. Megan discovered a young artist Naoko Stoop walking in Brooklyn when Noako's paintings in a widow caught her eye. She then saw her work on Etsy and met with her about creating a book for kids. That book became Red Knit Cap Girl, both a personal and professional success.

Because of technology the industry has a chance to move more quickly and jump on trends.

Jon Anderson: Big Picture Panel, Simon & Schuster

Jon Anderson, President and Publisher of the S&S Children's Division, has been at his job for seven years, but in the book business since high school—as a B Dalton bookseller!

At Simon & Schuster Jon presides over the nine different children's imprints, which publish for toddlers to teens: There is Little Simon, which is predominantly preschool/boardbooks, all the way up to Simon Pulse, which is the S&S teen imprint.

Jon says S&S has five publishers who oversee the nine children's imprints. Each imprint reflects the tastes of their individual editorial directors. The nine editorial directors also share a sales force and two marketing teams. The editorial directors are nine, living/normal human beings, not to be confused with any other famous group of nine, they are absolutely not Tolkienian ring-wraiths—could a person as delightful as someone like Justin Chanda ever be allied with something as evil as Mordor? I don't think so.

Justin Chanda works for Jon, this is how he greets Jon at the office every day.

Lin asks about the health of the market:

Jon says his adult colleagues are very jealous of the never-ending revenue stream that is a children's book publisher's backlist.

Lin asks for Jon's interpretation of the S&S mission statement and it is:

Do good books. 

"We always look for quality first. We have a huge commitment to cover diversity with our books, cover all age ranges with our books."

All of the presidents/publishers on the panel ask for authors and illustrators to have realistic expectations in all areas of publishing: advance amounts, marketing, potential sales...

Jon mentions a surprise success story, a book that everyone on the publishing team loved, but was bought for not too much money (a realistic amount) as it was considered a bit of a niche book that would only reach a certain sales level. But that book—look at all the awards it's got on its cover(!)—has gone on to sell over 200,000 copies.

How do you break in and/or succeed in a children's book career? Jon says attending events like this can help, not only because there are opportunities to learn about the craft and the competition, but to be in proximity to the industry professionals and gatekeepers. And at events like this, you are much more likely to meet those people in person in organic ways (unlike the less organic way of accosting an editor in a bathroom at a tradeshow like BEA).

Maybe, if there is time for Q&A, Jon will finally clear up the age-old riddle: Is this a picture of Simon? OR SCHUSTER?

Mallory Loehr: The Big Picture Panel: Children's Publishing Now and in the Future

Mallory Loehr is Vice President, Publishing Director for the Random House, Golden Books and Doubleday children's imprints--representing everything from board books to young adult hard covers and trade books to licensed books.

With Random House Books for Young Readers since 1990, she's edited household name titles and authors including Dr. Seuss books, the Magic Treehouse series, Bruce Coville and Tamora Pierce!

Some highlights from what Mallory shared:

On the advantage Children's publishing has over adult publishing:

"Children's books backlist, which means they live on and on and on."

On Random House Books for Young Readers' mission, how they're

"thinking about that kid reader, wanting them to be totally engaged... and make them a reader for life."

and when asked what defines success for her, Mallory tells the room about an illustrator/author she discovered on Etsy, Emily Winfield Martin.

Mallory Loehr on screen talking about E

Mallory speaks of how Emily's career has grown, defining success as the growth of an author/illustrator's career. Emily's first book, a middle grade, did well but wasn't huge, her next book, a picture book, sold less than they'd hoped, and it's her current, third book, the picture book, The Wonderful Things You Will Be, that hit the Best Seller lists and has been there for 20 weeks! So it's not just the single book's success, but the growth of this author/illustrator's career--and how success will continue to happen for her--that Mallory defines as success.


The optimistic panel also discusses changes in the retail environment, ebooks, publisher expectations of their authors and illustrators and much more.

It's an amazing window into children's publishing today!

Andrea Papenheimer: The Big Picture: Children’s Publishing: Now and in the Near Future, panel discussion

“The Big Picture” was a unique panel made up of publishing's biggest big-wigs, leaders of the children’s divisions of their publishing houses. 

The takeaway: Children’s books at publishing houses are now the most important revenue stream, they are no longer seen as the “publishing stepchild.” 

Andrea Pappenheimer, director of sales and associate publisher at HarperCollins Children’s Books, spoke about how children’s divisions are the innovators, demonstrating the most growth—back lists and big hits. 

When describing the mission statement at HarperCollins, Pappenheimer spoke about not only making great books, but being an author focused company. HarperCollins produces great books by attracting the most talented writers and illustrators.

"It's an exciting time for children’s books," Pappenheimer said. She spoke about how more space for children's books are being allotted at outlets like Target, Walmart and bookstores in general.

She also spoke about the resurgence of independent bookstores, and how at one time they were closing, new stores are now opening, Amazon being an example. "We'll have to see what happens with that," she said. "But it means there is a market."

The #NY16SCBWI Publisher Panel Begins!

From Left to right, SCBWI's Lin Oliver (at podium), Megan Tingley (Executive Vice President and Publisher, Little Brown Books for Young Readers), Andrea Pappenheimer (Senior Vice President, Director of Sales/Associate Publisher HarperCollins Publishers), next at the table and shown on screen is Mallory Loehr (Vice President, Publishing Director, Random House/Golden/Doubleday Books for Young Readers), Jean Feiwel (Senior Vice President and Director, Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan Children's Publishing Group), and Jon Anderson (President and Publisher, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division.)

William Joyce: Books are Like the Ice Cream Sandwich: How New Technology Doesn't Change Much of Anything but it's all Kinda Cool

William Joyce, the creator of so many amazing books and now movies, is here! You may remember The Leaf Men, Dinosaur Bob, Santa Calls, Bentley & Egg, A Day with Wilbur Robinson, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore???

Joyce compares a traditional printed book to an icecream sandwich: The hard stuff's on the outside, the good stuff is in the middle.

When asked by technology companies to help them achieve true interactivity with their products, Joyce asks them what the hell they think happens when a kid opens a book.

Joyce appreciates the apprenticeship style of the publishing industry like he felt he received decades ago. Getting the time, maybe 5 or 6 years, to get to know the people working at a publisher, getting to learn how to craft a book with them by working on smaller books, forging creative projects together.

Joyce's advice: Befriend/understand/know the problems/trials/process of the people publishing your book.

"Most of the people in publishing are in it for the same reason you are, they love books."

Joyce talks about getting a phone call from a guy named John Lasseter. He knows we understand how solitary the typical children's book creator's creative daily life is. But with his film work, Joyce was excited by the collaborative nature of such projects and finds balancing both makes a much nicer work life.

After his time in Hollywood, Joyce decided he might try his hand at his own film production company, but closer to home, which is when Moonbot Studios became a reality. The idea of making an animated movie in Louisiana, he says, would have gotten you escorted from the room [to a looniebin]. But Joyce and his partners wanted to prove it could be done in Shreveport, and so they did, and in 2012 it won the Oscar for Best Animated Short. (Fun fact! They made FIVE THOUSAND MINIATURE BOOKS for this short!)

Bill describes their (Moonbot's) thought process behind making their Lessmore story app unique from both the paper book and animated short. He shares a mini tirade with us about simulated page gutters that's pretty entertaining.

Bill's advice for bookmakers looking to develop online versions of their work:

"Don't just regurgitate what you've done. Make it separate, make it special."

Check out his delightful Instagram feed! Here's a cool piece, don't you want to know what happens to the snowman??!!

Hey nerds! How about some conference statistics?

Children's authors and illustrators are well known around the world for their love of math, which is why we start each conference with some statistics about our attendees.

Here's how this New York international conference breaks down:

• 1,151 attendees - a record numer
• 337 are published authors and illustrators
• 813 pre-published

Yes, we know these numbers don't quite add up. "We're one number off and I'm damn proud of it," SCBWI founder Lin Oliver said.

Attendees travel from 48 states. The missing ones? Hawaii and North Dakota.

They also traveled from 19 countries including the United States.

And we come from many different professional backgrounds, including a ventriloquist, a psychic, and a dressage trainer. (But these are not the same person.)

Welcome, from SCBWI Team Blog

We're so glad you're here -- in person and/or following along on this blog.

SCBWI Team Blog, from Left to Right: Jolie Stekly, Martha Brockenbrough (standing), Lee Wind, Don Tate and Jaime Temairik

Welcome to #NY16SCBWI, the 17th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference!

#NY16SCBWI is about to begin!

The air

is humming

And something great is coming!

(If you know the musical that's from, you can chime in--or sing along--in comments!)

Team Blog's Don Tate Interviews Caldecott-Winning Illustrator (And Author!) Sophie Blackall

This interview Don did with Sophie Blackall is SO good. 

They cover juggling projects, writing, and Sophie gives us a glimpse into what she'll be talking about at the conference: how to make a living doing what you love.

Illustrate and Write On!
Lee

Team Blog's Don Tate Interviews Award-Winning Illustrator (and author!) James Ransome

Check out Don's interview with James Ransome!

They talk influences, creating in multiple media (oils, acrylics, watercolors, pastels and mixed media with collage) and James' plans to do upcoming books in graphite, gouache, collage as well as digitally), James' evolution as an artist, and much more.

Illustrate and Write On!
Lee

A Pre-#NY16SCBWI Interview with Publisher Megan Tingley

Here's the interview I did with Megan Tingley, Executive Vice President and Publisher at Little, Brown and Company Books For Young Readers.

We talked about the increasing visibility of trans and other LGBTQ stories in children’s literature, what makes her say about a submitted manuscript not only, "YES, this is a Little Brown Book," but "I want this for MY list!”, and Megan even shared her favorite piece of advice for authors.

Thanks, Megan!

Team Blog's Jolie Stekly Interviews Award-Winning Author (And #NY16SCBWI Faculty) Gary Schmidt

It's concise, intriguing, and packs some good advice. Check out Jolie's pre-#NY16SCBWI interview with Gary Schmidt here.

Illustrate and Write On!
Lee

UPDATE on #NY16SCBWI

The intensives are sold out, but the #NY16SCBWI conference still has some remaining spots!

Join us for all the craft, business, inspiration, opportunity and community that the amazing SCBWI Winter Conference offers. With industry-leading editors, agents, publishers, art directors and superstar authors and illustrators on faculty, and a schedule of panels, breakout sessions, a porfolio shows, a party and illustrator, international and LGBTQ Q&A socials, it's a love-your-career way to spend Valentine's Day weekend!

You can get all the conference info and still register here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Pre-#NY16SCBWI Interview: Award-Winning Author Kate Messner Speaks with Team Blog's Martha Brockenbrough

Kate. Martha.

It's a powerful combination.

Check out this interview, where Kate shares some things she wishes she knew when she was starting out, tells us about bullet journaling, and there's even an under 6 minute animated video of Kate giving a TED Ed talk on "Building Fictional Worlds!"

Kate Messner will be giving a keynote speech at the New York SCBWI conference in February with fellow middle-grade author Linda Urban, "Music, Mountains, and Mocha Lattes: Sustaining a Creative Life" that promises to be amazing! We hope you can join us. Here's where you can get all the info on the conference and registration.

Pre-#NY16SCBWI Interview: V.P. and Creative Director David Saylor Speaks with Team Blog's Don Tate

Vice-president and creative director for the Scholastic Trade Publishing Group and the founder of Scholastic’s ground-breaking graphic novel imprint, Graphix, David Saylor shares some great advice with Don Tate.

They discuss what qualities David looks for in a new illustrator, how illustrators can best be 'discovered' by industry professionals, and talk about diversity! As David says,

"It’s up to publishers to reflect the world around us in the books we create. We need to be more aggressive to find and hire illustrators who represent all cultures and communities. It’s heartbreaking when children can’t see themselves reflected in contemporary books. And all illustrators need to think about being inclusive and culturally accurate. If you’re going to illustrate humans in your work, then it’s crucial to paint and represent kids of all cultures and backgrounds, not just your own familiar world."

Check out the full interview at Don's blog here.

David Saylor will be on faculty at the #NY16SCBWI conference, part of the "We're In It Together: How Planning and Collaboration Can Shape Your Career" panel in the Friday Illustrator's intensive. You can find out all the details about the conference (and still register) here!

Pre-#NY16SCBWI Interview: Agent Sarah Davies Talks to Team Blog's Martha Brockenbrough

And the first of our pre-conference faculty interviews is in (and it's awesome!)

Agent Sarah Davies talks with Martha Brockenbrough about middle grade fiction, what makes books "saleable," and when a writer can know their book is ready to submit.

Their interview is packed with great advice and suggestions, like,

"focus on developing the two big ‘C’ words — Concept and Craft." 

and

"Don’t be frightened to be radical — rewriting can be far more powerful than tweaking, as it allows you to pull in fresh thinking in the strongest possible way so the new draft feels fully coherent."

Check it out at Martha's blog here.

Sarah Davies will be on faculty at the #NY16SCBWI conference, giving a breakout workshop Saturday morning and afternoon, "Saleable and Memorable Middle Grade Fiction," and participating in the Sunday main stage panel, "Acquisitions Today: Opportunities and Challenges."

You can see Sarah in person and learn from all the amazing faculty (and fellow writer and illustrator attendees) by joining us at the 17th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference in New York. Registration and details here.