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Session Descriptions
| 7:50 – 8:20 | Dummies for Beginners – Lori Kiplinger Pandy So you've put together a nice portfolio and you're marketing your work to publishers - but are you truly ready to accept an assignment? What if they say 'yes!' and hand you a manuscript? What do you do now?! If you haven't gone through the steps of creating a couple of book dummies, you may not be ready at all! Join Lori and learn the steps to creating dummies and understand the process of designing that book. What you learn along the way will be invaluable for future jobs. |
| 8:45 – 9:45 |
A Pencil? I Know I Have a Pencil. It’s Right . . . Hey, the Lead’s Broken – Carol Lynch Williams Join award-winning author Carol Lynch Williams as she takes us through the ups and downs of her journey, traveling with her as she navigates tight markets and finds a new home for her work. She will delight and inspire us as she shares her journey and more importantly, her secrets of how to be happy with who we are as creative people whether we are publishing or not. |
| 10:00 – 11:00 | Out of the Ashes: One Writer's Cinderella Story – Hilari Bell Award-winning author Hilari Bell is the poster child for perseverence. The first novel she published was the fifth she'd written. By the time it sold (after 17 years of writing), she was working on novel #13. Her advice to new writers: "If you can find a faster, easier path to publication than mine, take it!" On the other hand, if you want to talk to someone who's paid her writer's dues (and paid them and paid them), come listen to her story. Hilari can tell you what happens when the luck turns, perseverance pays off, and the fantasy comes true. She now has five books in print, four more delivered to her publishers, and six more under contract after that! The culmination of her dream come true? She quit her day job this past January. Hear the lessons learned along the way in Hilari's Cinderella story. From the Bottom Up – Eugene Gagliano Take a journey with Gene as he shares the ups and downs of his writing career. Find out what keeps him dancing on the desk, motivated and actively pursuing the challenging arena of children’s publishing. Learn his definition of success and where he hopes the road to the future may take him. First Successes Panel – Mary Bartek, Nancy Oswald, Kathleen Pelley, and Denise Vega What happens when your first book is published? Four authors will reveal how their books were acquired, what the editing process was like, and how success has affected them. Freelancing: An Insider’s Guide to Surviving -- Anna-Maria Crum In this session you’ll learn the ups and downs of making a living in the educational market for children’s books. Topics will include writing for the grade school reading market (how to research topics and make them kid friendly, and how to write for grade levels); illustrating for the educational market (subject matter, turnaround time, and portfolio samples); and typical contracts (the pros and cons of work-for-hire). Educational publishing can be the key to survival if you want to make a living in children’s books. |
| 11:15 – 12:15 | From 1 to 125 – Debbie Dadey Award winning author Debbie Dadey will share insight into how she began writing and how her first book turned into a series of over sixty books, with over 125 books total. Find out her mistakes, what she would have done differently, and what she would recommend for beginning and advanced writers. Midway in a Nonfiction Career – Carolyn Gard Carolyn will share with you how she started in children's writing, her first successes, and how she came to discover that nonfiction was her area of expertise. She’ll describe the ups and downs of this journey, emphasizing the ups more than the downs. She finds nonfiction easier to write than fiction, and the amount that she has learned from research and interviews is incredible. Although more nonfiction is sold than fiction, that doesn’t mean nonfiction is easier to sell. Carolyn will discuss the challenges of selling nonfiction and what she envisions for her career moving forward. Action is the Antidote to Despair – Laura Deal How can an aspiring writer stay motivated after years of rejection letters and no book contracts? Laura sent out her first picture book manuscript in 1985, finished her first novel in 1987, and started seriously pursuing a fiction writing career in 1999. With only one short story sale since, Laura has a lot of practice enduring dry spells. She'll suggest concrete actions you can take to keep despair at bay while you hone your craft and rise through the ranks of rejection letters. Media Exploration – Lori Kiplinger Pandy Have you ever wanted to try that new sheet of paper were reluctant to spend $$ on a whim of an idea? Here's your chance to explore new tools of the craft! We've contacted some of the biggest manufacturing names in the business and they've responded with generous contributions of samples. Test out the different properties of Golden, Liquitex and Strathmore and more! We'll have samples of different products available to try. Learn new techniques and styles of painting. . .discover new products and feel your creativity explode with new ideas. Your portfolio will thank you! |
| 1:30 – 2:30 | Building and Maintaining Your Career Panel -- Carol Lynch Williams, Hilari Bell, Debbie
Dadey, and Caroline Stutson What is life really like in the publishing limelight? Four authors will share their experiences and lessons learned, plus offer advice on things to seek or to avoid. The Software Solution – Anna-Maria Crum In this session you’ll learn how the computer can streamline your illustration process. Demonstrations in Photoshop, Illustrator, Streamline, and QuarkXpress will highlight a variety of ways to quickly compose, and adjust illustrations, then import them into a book dummy layout. You’ll also learn how to scan drawings and finish the illustrations in Photoshop or Illustrator. You’ll be amazed to see how these programs can release your creativity. |
| 2:30 - 3:00 |
Instructions
for Portfolio Showing |
| 3:00 – 4:30 | The Passionate Creator: Maintaining the Spark – Cynthia Morris Creating for a living is a fun yet challenging job. The demands of creative and professional work can lead to overwhelm and burnout. Join Cynthia Morris for tips on how to stay balanced, focused and passionate about the daily work of creating. Learn how to balance the creative work with the administrative tasks of selling and marketing your writing or illustrating. You’ll leave with a plan for focusing your efforts to achieve more success and peace with your work. |