Features
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 [...]
Drawing In a Crowd: Reviewing Portfolios with Patrick Collins
On January 12, 2010, at the SCBWI Tuesday Professional Series, Patrick Collins, the Art Director of Henry Holt, put everyone at ease with his relaxed, comfortable approach to portfolio reviews. Conducting the reviews as if they were meeting one-on-one in Collins’ office instead of a crowded room, Collins started by getting to know each of [...]
Secrets of Voice and Plot: A Panel on YA Novels with Editors Krista Marino and Lexa Hillyer
by Emily Goodman Krista Marino, Senior Editor at Knopf Doubleday Dell (Random House) and Lexa Hillyer, Editor at Razorbill (Penguin) divulged some secrets of YA novels at the December SCBWI Metro New York Tuesday Professionals Series. “A well-developed plot, believable characters and a strong voice: It’s surprisingly hard to find books that have all three,” [...]
A Diamond in the Slush: What Picture Book Editors Are Really Looking For
by Melanie Hope Greenberg Alexandra Penfold, Associate Editor from Simon and Schuster and Alisha Niehaus, Editor from Dial Books for Young Readers spoke to and answered questions from a full audience at the October SCBWI Metro New York Professionals Series. They had handouts with lists of what they are looking for when a book project [...]
2009 Agents’ Panel
by Andrea Fooner What are agents who specialize in children’s books actively looking for? What makes them eager to sell your manuscript? How do they work with authors and editors? At the November SCBWI New York Metro Tuesday Professionals Series, three members of the profession – Sarah Davies, head of The Greenhouse Literary Agency, Joe [...]
An Evening with Patricia Reilly Giff
by Newsletter staff “If I published, anyone can publish,” two-time Newbery Honor Winner Patricia Reilly Giff declared at the SCBWI Metro New York Tuesday Professionals Series in April. “When I began, I never thought it could happen to me.” A lifetime of professional success later, she has learned otherwise. “It’s hard work,” she said. “But [...]
Rachael Cole on the Art and Design of Children’s Books
by Melissa Guion Ah, January in New York. The cold. The eternal dark. The F train that smells like a combination sheep shearing and fish fry. What could possibly lure a book artist out the door on such a night? How about free coffee, the friendly companionship of your colleagues and the chance to linger [...]
In a Weak Economy, Agents Look For Safe Books
by Vicki O. Wittenstein “The good news is that books are still being published and people are still selling first novels,” Linda Pratt said to the relief of the writers who attended the SCBWI Metro New York Tuesday Professional Series in March. Pratt, an agent at Sheldon Fogelman Agency, joined agent Maya Rock from Writers [...]