Saturday Session Descriptions

Location: Green Center, Colorado School of Mines

8:00 – 8:30	Publishing 101 Lite – Denise Vega How do I get started in children's publishing? What's the "slush pile"? What's the difference between a chapter book and a book with chapters? If you are new to the world of children's book publishing, join RMC-SCBWI Co-RA and author Denise Vega in a short informational tour. She'll cover some of the terminology of the industry, the types and levels of children's books, submission etiquette and the process of submitting, manuscript formatting, and anything else she can squeeze into 30 minutes! Come with questions and an empty hand for handouts.
9:00 – 10:00	How to Become an Overnight Sensation in Only Fifteen Years! – Julie Anne Peters The Iliad and the Odyssey (it’s an epic adventure) of sustaining a career in children’s publishing.
10:15 – 11:15	Creating a Series: How to Sell More than One! – Alane Ferguson Integrate Voice, Vision & Vitality into storylines geared to generate multiple titles! Author Alane Ferguson is now penning her third series that Penguin Putnam will launch under a new imprint in 2005. She will share the process of writing, pitching, and selling ideas created specifically for multiple title publication--beginning with work that must stand alone. Learn the pitfalls of a tight market, the joys of an agent, how to navigate a book auction, and what happens when Hollywood comes knocking! Characters for Hire – Linda Arms White A great character is at the heart of every memorable story. Their voices provide richness, depth, and vitality. The best ones stay with the reader for a lifetime. Great characters occasionally happen by accident, but they can always be planned. In this session, we’ll learn to develop characters that stand up off the page, live, and breathe. Do the groundwork and that character will even write your story for you – if you can type fast enough! Do I Want an Agent? What Can an Agent Do for Me? And How Do I FInd the Right One? – Ronie Ann Herman Three important questions that Ronnie will help you answer by helping you find the answers to more important questions: Where am I in my career? Where do I want to go? Am I good at finding the right publishing houses? Can I negotiate a good and fair agreement and do I know how to avoid the pitfalls of publishing contracts? What should I be sending the agents to get them to take me on? What questions should I be asking the agent if they do want to represent me?
11:30 – 12:30	A Word is Worth a Thousand Pictures: The Importance of Text in Picture Books for Children – Mary Lee Donovan Using several published examples, executive editor Mary Lee Donovan will examine the need for and value of precision, patience, and pencils in crafting picture book texts. Beyond the Bookshelf: Developing Your Career by Diversifying Your Portfolio – Jane Maday In this session we'll discuss many aspects of an illustrator's career, from finding an agent, licensing your work, and identifying new markets. The children's book market has slowed down in recent years, and most successful artists have discovered that diversification is the key to generating new assignments. We"ll talk about creating new opportunties for yourself, and re-energizing areas that are stagnant.
1:30 – 2:30	The Ear, Heart, and Psyche Connection: How to Create Reverb between Page and Reader – Cecile Goyette Senior editor Cecile Goyette will explore the issues and elements of voice, universality, subtext, and the so-what factor, and how editors and authors can teach each other to create effective storytelling and writing for children. Putting Together a Great Portfolio – Ronnie Ann Herman and Jane Maday Come to this session to discover what art directors and editors want to see and how to put together a great portfolio that will get you work.
3:45 – 4:45	The Editor's Hour – Cecile Goyette and Mary Lee Donovan Have burning questions you would like to hear an editor answer? Two editors answer? Bring them to this session and hear what they have to say. Each editor will also discuss what their publishing houses are seeking and their submission procedures. The Zen of Voice – Julie Anne Peters In the same way a child learns to speak by listening, a writer learns “to voice” by hearing. You have an inner voice, your writer’s voice, which resonates when you achieve a state of deep, quiet introspection. Honing your writer’s ear will help you to translate your voice to the written page. In this workshop we’ll define what “voice” is, strip it down to its fundamental elements, and listen to writers whose voices transcend the mere mortal. Group Portfolio Review and Critique – Ronnie Ann Herman and Jane Maday The Truth and Nothing but the Truth – that’s what this critique is all about. Artists know how expensive it is to produce, then promote their work. We’ve designed this critique to see if you’re barking up the wrong tree. Is your work better suited to educational publishing rather than trade books? Does your portfolio scream “greeting cards” instead of “children’s books”? Find out now before you spend any more money promoting the wrong work to the wrong clients! Return to Home