Rajani LaRocca (Opening Keynote)
Saturday, March 29, 2024
9:30 a.m.
Award-winning author Rajani LaRocca will deliver our morning keynote, sure to inspire us for the day ahead.
Ebony Glenn (Closing Keynote)
Saturday, March 29, 2024
3:30 p.m.
Children’s book illustrator Ebony Glenn will close with "Create from the Heart"
The day's events will include three panels that feature industry professionals:
· First Pages Picture Book Panel (for writers)
· First Pages MG & YA Panel (for writers)
· Quickfire Portfolio Review Panel (for illustrators)
Mina Chung (associate art director)
Building and Presenting a Portfolio that Will Catch Publishers' Eyes
There might be no such thing as a perfect portfolio, but there are certainly great portfolios that will catch publishers' eyes. Selecting 10-12 pieces for a portfolio is not an easy task. Based on my experience as an art director who receives numerous portfolios every day from agents and artists, I will talk about practical tips for building a great portfolio such as what to include, what not to include, what kind of pieces showcase one's ability to carry on the entire book, and so on. Come with burning questions about building a portfolio!
AND
Art of Dummy Book Making for Picture Book Creators
Dummy Book Making is a vital part of making a great picture book. In this session, I will talk about the basic structure of picture books using book maps for various page counts, reviewing the flow of the story, and sharing examples of why we should always make dummy books as a process. Advanced tips on what to do and what to avoid when making dummy books will be discussed.
Pat Zietlow Miller (author)
How to be Inspired by the Masters
I love reading books by other authors. And when they’re books I adore, I love looking to them for inspiration. I’ll show you how two of my own books were directly inspired by two books I love, even though they ended up being nothing like them. It’s a technique you can use to brainstorm ideas and improve your writing.
AND
My Writing Apprenticeship
When I decided I wanted to be an author, I was a middle-aged Midwesterner with no connections in the writing world. Four years later, I was still Midwestern and even more middle-aged, but I’d sold my first book to a Big Five publisher. I then sold 19 more titles in the next nine years. I’ll share the writing apprenticeship I put myself through that helped me make the sales.
Rajani LaRocca (author)
Writing the Verse Novel
Novels in verse for young people are becoming more popular among publishers, schools, and readers. Shorter than their prose counterparts, yet not as intimidating to some as pure poetry, verse novels can be a bridge for reluctant readers and can tackle difficult subjects in a way that is accessible rather than overwhelming. But how do you write a novel in verse? Rajani LaRocca, Walter Award and Newbery Honor-winning author of Red, White, and Whole (Quill Tree/HarperCollins, 2021) and Mirror to Mirror (Quill Tree, 2023) will talk about how to approach writing a verse novel, including: Advantages and limitations to the verse novel format , what types of stories are best suited for verse, balancing character, voice, and plot, poetic forms and how to use them, how to write the most powerful “chapters”, imagery and theme, and verse novels to study.
AND
Productivity for Writers
Rajani is a prolific writer with over twenty books under contract over five years and more on the way, all while working at a demanding day job and caring for her family. Rajani will share her best tips for being a productive writer in the midst of busy and difficult times.
Eileen Robinson (editor)
Who Should Tell the Story: Choosing the Right Point of View for Your Picture Book
Writing a picture book is so exciting! You get to write a story in a limited number of words, so each one counts. But, how do you decide who’s telling the story? Should it come from a character or a narrator? In this presentation, you will learn about different aspects you need to think about when choosing your point of view; compare the benefits of each; and consider how character age, historical setting, and desired audience affects who tells the story, to make sure you provide your readers with the best reading experience.
Ebony Glenn (illustrator)
Fueling your Creativity
This presentation will address the importance of protecting and nurturing our creativity as artists, how to keep our creative juices in abundance, what robs our creativity, and ways to combat dry spells and stay inspired.
Zoie Konneker (editor)
Crafting Believable Characters for Children's Books
From composing an authentic voice and establishing relatable, compelling motivations, to refining your craft to make your characters shine, this workshop will address all things character-related in children's books. We will cover the role of the narrator, discuss the difference between flat and round characters, and have several opportunities for class participation where we will use what we've learned to build genuine, believable characters that young readers will love.
Lisa Stauffer (author)
Make your book a lean, clean, selling machine: Exercises to trim and tighten your text
Whether you're entering a contest with a tight word count, polishing your picture book, or preparing your first chapter for submission, eliminating unnecessary words can be hard. In this workshop, bring your PB text, contest entry, or first novel chapter. We'll work through techniques to make your story sing.
Rebecca Rodd (agent)
A Peek Behind the Curtain: When Your Book is on Submission
Have you ever wondered how agents decide the best editors for your projects? Or the rules and etiquette involved in the submission process? Learn about what happens during the acquisition process, the benefits and drawbacks of exclusive submissions and how an auction works--as well as the current response times in kidlit publishing.
McCall Hoyle (author)
A Roadmap for Pre-Published Authors Navigating the Journey to Traditional Publication
Join best-selling author McCall Hoyle for step-by-step instructions on how to avoid common pitfalls on the path to traditional publication, what to do when the journey to publication stalls, and when to change course and try a new route. McCall will share her passage from the query trenches, to published YA author, to reinventing herself and writing middle grade. McCall will provide tips on querying, selecting craft resources, joining and leaving critique groups, building a platform, and planning SMART writing goals. Participants will be invited to ask questions in a friendly, safe environment and will leave with practical advice, personal goals, and lists of resources to help them press forward on their own journeys to publication.