HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

I’m going to try and convey some of what I took in at the SCBWI Conference in NY. Overall, I had a wonderful time. I must confess I’m not very good at taking notes, and I’m worse at taking pictures! So I have scattered impressions and quotes, and no photos of the luminaries who spoke.

**I already wrote about how the conference got off to a bumpy start, due to a minor fire. It was scary for some, annoying for others, and a good omen for me!

**Nikki Grimes spoke about poetry. I was mesmerized by how seamlessly she intertwined comments about poetry with excerpts of her own poetry. She is a commanding, graceful speaker. As a poet, I loved that the conference kick-off was an address by a poet! It can be daunting to hear over and over that poetry is “a hard sell,” so to start off the conference listening to a poet of such esteem gave me a real boost.

**I have to admit I’m not a big fan of the editor break-out sessions. I think it’s a bit depressing to sit in a room with 50-100 other writers, all furiously writing as the editor expounds about “what we publish.” I will pass on some of the things shared by Nancy Siscoe, editor at Knopf & Crown…
…We get a lot of bad rhyming submissions-- things that don’t scan
…She’s looking for strong stories over concept books
…She’s looking for things of ‘high literary quality,’ and for an author they can take on and work with over a long term
…She has a harder time finding good middle grade fiction, something you can hand to a pre-teen, in which the content is not too mature. She gave SHREDDER MAN as an example of a ‘young middle grade for ages 7-10.’
…Nancy said she loves mysteries, and snappy pace. ‘I love story!’
…She said that 60% of her stuff comes through agents. She strongly advocates getting an agent.

**At the luncheon on Saturday, the two winners of the Kimberly Colen Grant were announced. In the picture book category, Jessica Dimuzio won for her manuscript BARK, BARK, BARK FOR MY PARK. Sandra Jackson-Opoku won the grant for her middle-grade novel of historical fantasy, SEA ISLAND SUMMER. Because I was one of the winners of the Colen Grant last year, I got to know both Jessica and Sandra a bit, and I will post more about that at a later time. Congratulations to both!

**In the afternoon break-out session, I listened to editor Molly O’Neill talk about the newest imprint at HarperCollins, Bowen Press.
…Molly is Assistant Editor, and Brenda Bowen is VP & Publisher of Bowen Press
…The launch list will be published in Winter 2009, and will include 15-20 books
…Their mantra is “Start as you mean to go on,” and they are looking for: Books about cultural trends and matters, literary fiction, popular fiction, bold and arresting picture books, graphic books, and first novels by new talent.

**The Saturday afternoon panel by agents included the following:
--Tracey Adams of Adams Literary
--Miriam Altshuler of Miriam Altshuler Literary
--Elizabeth Harding of Curtis Brown Ltd.
--Barry Goldblatt of Barry Goldblatt Ltd.
--Jody Reamer of Writers House
Their comments ranged far and wide. A few snapshots…
…Picture books are the hardest market right now. Middle grade novels are being sought.
…The PB’s in demand right now are short, snappy, and character-driven, like FANCY NANCY and OLIVIA.
…Each editor has his/her own preferences for receiving submissions. Research carefully to determine if they want query only, query and partial manuscript, no e-mail submissions, etc.
…Personalizing the query to an agent makes a huge difference. Many agents mentioned getting queries that felt like form letters, or had the wrong name or a misspelled name. Personalizing the query, including information that conveys you have researched this agent a bit, is key.

**Susan Patron spoke on Sunday morning about her experience as a Newbery winner. She was funny, self-effacing, and her words were very moving. What a fabulous speaker.

**The Picture Book panel featured Scholastic editor Arthur Levine, PB author Jonah Winter, and others. Many people came out of the session feeling down about the picture book market, although Arthur asserted that the glum forecast of the picture book market is greatly exaggerated.

**Richard Peck was the closing keynote speaker, and an illuminating and majestic speaker he is. I can’t possibly convey the power of his address, but I am hoping that perhaps the SCBWI might publish his speech in a Bulletin. I’d love to experience it all over again!

**As always, there are two elements that keep me coming back to the SCBWI conferences: inspiration and friendship. I find myself mulling over the words of keynote speakers months later; their words about the writing process, the path to publication, and the impact of writing for children sustain me. I also am buoyed by my writing friendships, new and old… I cherish the friendship of fellow travelers on this steep and winding path of writing.

The lobby of the New York Hilton... it never looks this empty!