Features
First Pages Panel
by Emily Goodman Kate Sullivan, associate editor at Little, Brown, and Noa Wheeler, associate editor at Henry Holt, critiqued randomly chosen first pages of works in progress submitted by audience members March 8 at the Tuesday Professional Lecture Series. The advice that came up most often: Establish character and setting before starting the main plot, [...]
“You Can’t Make this Stuff Up” – The Truth about Nonfiction, with Deborah Heiligman
by Emily Goodman Members of the Metro-NY SCBWI who braved the cold on December 13, 2010, were treated to an intimate and inspiring talk with writer Deborah Heiligman on how to craft narrative nonfiction from primary sources, as part of the Tuesday Professional Lecture Series. Heiligman, who was filling in for the originally scheduled speaker, Ellen Levine, [...]
Portfolio Critiques with Mela Bolinao
by Karen DelleCava On January 11, three lucky artist’s portfolios were selected in a drawing for an on-the-spot critique by Mela Bolinao, illustration agent of MB Artist. All in attendance benefitted from her insightful comments. Mela looks for 8-10 images of one style—the artist’s signature style. She says, “It’s important to explore many styles before [...]
A Night with Three Agents
by Melanie Hope Greenberg Children’s book agents Stephen Barbara, Jennifer Laughran, and Marietta Zacker addressed a full house at the November SCBWI Metro New York Tuesday Professional Series. Stephen Barbara has been with the Foundry Agency for two years. Drawn to writing with a strong voice that blends commercial fiction with a literary slant, Barbara [...]
Re-visioning Your Manuscript with Cheryl Klein
by Emily Goodman Cheryl Klein, senior editor at Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, shared “Twenty-Five* Revision Techniques (*Subject to Revision)” to a full house at the SCBWI-New York professional lecture series on October 12, 2010. “This talk grew from seeing how different writers approach the process of revising their manuscripts,” Klein said. She stressed that not [...]
Getting Past the First Reader
On Tuesday, May 18th, Katherine Jacobs, Associate Editor at Roaring Brook Press and Grace Elizabeth Kendall, Editorial Assistant for Blue Sky Press, provided valuable information on manuscript selection and the acquisitions process in their talk on “Getting Past the First Reader.” The two editorial insiders discussed ways successful manuscript submissions captured an editor’s attention. [...]
Marketing to the Max
by Janis Seminara Susanna Reich, author and publicist, and Melanie Hope Greenberg, author and illustrator, are hands on, serious self-marketers, not afraid to contact whomever they need to get their books noticed. In their June 8th talk, they offered examples, tips, and advice on how to “market to the max.” In today’s depressed economy, both feel [...]
Say Yes! with Dan Yaccarino
by Melanie Hope Greenberg Artist, author, and TV animation creator and producer, Dan Yaccarino, spoke to a full house at April’s Professional Series. He cheerfully shared how continuously polishing his skills and keeping a sketch book combined with serendipity and a willingness to say “yes” to new challenges, provided stepping stones along his successful career [...]
Playing God: World-Building with Connie Hsu
by Emily Goodman Connie Hsu, assistant editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, discussed the perils and responsibilities of world-building at the March 16 professional lecture, entitled “How You Get to Play God and Learn to Use Your Powers Responsibly.” The lecture was devised, Hsu said, because Little, Brown receives many fantasy manuscripts and [...]
Passwords to Plot: The Secret of Nancy Drew Mysteries
by Emily Goodman Author Chris Eboch discussed tools for fast-paced plotting in an information-packed talk called “What I Learned from Nancy Drew,” at the SCBWI-Metro New York Professional Series lecture on February 2, 2010. Eboch, author of the Haunted series of middle grade ghost stories and other books, said the most important features of a [...]