October 25, 2008
All-day conference
on writing for children
Mills
College
Lucie Stern Hall
5000 MacArthur
Blvd
Oakland
| Maps and Directions |
Early Registration
$75
Two Editors, Two Agents
The deadline for manuscripts to be postmarked is August 15, 2008. The cost is $50. Please send the entire text for a picture book (up to 10 pages). For a longer work, send 10 pages (12 point type, double spaced, 1-inch margins, name on page 1 plus page number and title on all the other pages) of a longer work. You must be registered for the conference to receive a critique. Send your manuscript plus the $50 check (made out to SCBWI) to SCBWI C/O Jackie Baldwin P.O. Box 446, Sonoma, CA 95476.
| Schedule | ||
| UnMask Your Characters: Reveal Your Story | ||
| 8:30 | Registration opens | |
| 9:00 | Keynote address by Elizabeth Partridge, author of biographies of John Lennon, Woody Guthrie, and Dorothea Lange Chance Favors the Prepared Mind As an author, it's easy to feel like an outsider in the publishing business. I'll talk about how to increase your chances of being published, get reviewed in important places, pull off a kick-ass marketing campaign, and win awards. I'll share with you how I manage my career, my mistakes and smart moves. | |
| 9:30 | Gretchen Hirsch, editor at HarperCollins
First pages that I bought Gretchen will read first pages from books that she's edited and will discuss why she's passionate about them. |
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| 10:15 |
Break
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| 10:30 | Erin Murphy of Erin Murphy Literary Grab'em From The Very Start: Crafting Successful Queries Join literary agent Erin Murphy for a look at that most important piece of correspondence: The query letter. What elements do you need in order to grab an editor or agent's attention and keep it long enough for them to want to read more? How do you find the balance of personal and professional? See examples of query letters that were missteps, and those that got Erin's attention in a good way. |
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| 11:15 |
Break
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| 11:30 | Question and answer session for Gretchen Hirsch and Erin Murphy | |
| 12:00 |
Lunch
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| 1:45 |
Julie Romeis, editor at Chronicle Books
Evolution of a Story: The Making of Lisa Klein's Ophelia In this multi-media presentation, Julie Romeis will relate the story of one first-time author's novel, from acquisition to development and publication. She will discuss what stood out about this particular submission, how the author and editor worked together to revise, and give an inside glimpse into the cover design process. Writers will have the chance to learn what an editor looks for in a submission, what to expect in revision, and why this book has been successful in the marketplace. |
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| 2:30 | YA Panel with authors Carrie Watson (Quad), Leigh Purtill (Love Meg), and Elizabeth Partridge Three YA authors discuss their experiences in the wide-open field of young adult books. | |
| 3:15 |
Break
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| 3:30 | Jennifer Laughran Is This The Golden Age for YA? An Agent's Opinion In this State-of-YA Address, Jennifer will discuss the trends in the YA field -- more packed, but also more diverse and amazing, than it has ever been before. She'll also touch on such hot topics as what publishers are looking for and what they've seen enough of, common mistakes writers make when querying, and how you can get out of the slush and onto the bookshelves! | |
| 4:15 | Question and answer session for Julie Romeis and Jennifer Laughran | |
| 4:45 | Closing remarks | |
| This Program is subject to change. | ||
| Fees: | ||
| Members | Before August 15 | $75 includes lunch |
| After August 15 | $99 includes lunch | |
| After Oct. 1, register at the door | $109 but does not include lunch. | |
| Non-members | Before August 15 | $95 includes lunch |
| After August 15 | $119 includes lunch | |
| After Oct. 1, register at the door | $129 but does not include lunch. | |
Registration for the Oct. 25 conference
Regional Advisor: Margaret Speaker Yuan
E-mail:books4women@yahoo.com
Assistant Regional Advisor: Colette Weil
Parrinello
E-mail: mvpurpleleaf@yahoo.com
Refunds cannot be made but if you are unable to attend the event, you may obtain a credit for a future program by emailing Margaret Speaker Yuan at books4women@yahoo.com.
Thanks to Chad Cameron (www.chadcameron.com) for the logo design, and to Sara Kahn (www.sarakahn.com) for faithfully designing and maintaining our web site.