Guest post by Penelope PratleyIllustrator | Emerging Writer | Educator| harp player. It’s now two weeks after KidLitVic Conference 2017. The air has cleared and most of us have returned to our experience of reality. Cleaning the house, washing clothes, running around after children telling them to put clothes on, picking clothes up, putting clothes away, trying to feed the children who are supposed to be wearing said clothes, and so on. (Not to mention chasing a bunny, herding chickens and making sure the arthritic guinea pig is alive). The Conference KidLitVic Conference is a wonderful gift conceived by people who truly care about sharing their love of Books, Publishing, and Illustration, with complete newbies, established veterans, and everything in between. It’s a gift of information that you can choose to put in a cupboard and forget about, or it’s a gift you can use. I returned home brimming with determination to use what I had learnt. Upon arrival at the conference, as friends (new and old) mingled, we talked about what’s working and what isn’t, about successes and occasionally, failures. But standing in a room full of delegates who are just as passionate and enthusiastic about this industry as you are makes you think, ‘how do I make myself stand out from all the other incredible writer, author, illustrator types?’ Enter Lisa Berryman! How do I make myself stand out from all the other incredible writer, author, illustrator types? While attending this year’s conference I was fortunate enough to secure a place in Lisa Berryman’s ‘It’s All About Your Brand Workshop’. All the while thinking ‘I’m hoping to be an illustrator. I’m not a brand’. Turns out that’s not true, O’ little self-doubting-whisper. I am finding (as I grow and erm . . . mature) that it’s easier to learn from other’s mistakes rather than making the same mistakes on your own. Having said this, there is an even better way to avoid making more mistakes than necessary. That is to be teachable and receive first hand information from someone within the industry. It's All About Your Brand Workshop by Lisa Berryman Considering Lisa Berryman has been a Children’s publisher at HarperCollins Publishers Australia for seventeen years, I told my doubting whisper to ‘shush’ and headed up the stairs to attend her workshop. While attending this year’s conference I was fortunate enough to secure a place in Lisa Berryman’s ‘It’s All About Your Brand Workshop’. All the while thinking ‘I’m hoping to be an illustrator. I’m not a brand’. Turns out that’s not true, O’ little self-doubting-whisper. I am finding (as I grow and erm . . . mature) that it’s easier to learn from other’s mistakes rather than making the same mistakes on your own. Having said this, there is an even better way to avoid making more mistakes than necessary. That is to be teachable and receive first hand information from someone within the industry. Considering Lisa Berryman has been a Children’s publisher at HarperCollins Publishers Australia for seventeen years, I told my doubting whisper to ‘shush’ and headed up the stairs to attend her workshop. Lisa walked us through several salient points on branding, with wonderful examples of products (and people) that are recognisable within their specific industries. The main focus of Lisa’s workshop was creating your USP. Your Unique Selling Point – which is kinda like an elevator pitch or sound bite, roughly speaking, the ‘base’ for your brand. Your USP/ tagline will communicate your brand’s message in a way that resonates with your ideal audience. I came home with my head swirling with ideas and one off phrases that were too long, off point, rambling, or too vague. I ended up using this formula: Thing that you do + Who you do it for = USP/ Tagline After a day or so I arrived at four options that I thought were suitable. I then posted them online to get some non-familial feedback. Once the decision had been made about my USP it was time to put it to work on Lisa’s second actionable point and make sure my website, and email signature were a true reflection of my brand. I spent the week after KidLitVic Conference re-working my entire website, making it easy to navigate and update. Another key point made by Lisa was to keep your website current and ensure you are present on social media to the right audience. The biggest thing I took away from Lisa’s workshop was to be as true to yourself, compelling, and believable as possible! About Penelope: An artist, illustrator, writer and educator Penelope loves to dance, nap, and teach art. She was a fairy, reads copious books, and co-owns a small menagerie. She is a wife, Mum, harp player, drawer and painter who believes that art should serve others, develop the imagination and create a lasting memory. Her goal is always the same to deliver uncomplicated quality that will bless others. Penelope currently spends her days creating all kinds of lovely images for clients, illustrating her first picture book to be published in 2018 and enabling others to interpret their world through creativity in Art. Check out her redesigned website: Penelopesnest.com Connect with Penelope on Facebook. For previous guest blog posts by attendees to KidLitVic: KidLitVic2017 Lessons by Pamela Uekerman reflects on the conference as a whole. Full Steam Ahead. KidLitVic2017 by Karen Hendriks covers the various panels on the day. KidLitVic2017: A Reflection by Juliet Sampson chats about her observations and the changes in publishing trends. Learn How to Master Manuscript Assessments with Carole Lander. For more coverage and different perspectives: From an organiser's perspective: The KidLitVic 2017- Meet the Publishers Conference Wrap-Up by Nicky Johnson Tania McCartney gives her view of KidLit, along with what she is up too, on her blog, Works-in-progress, KidLitVic and Crystal Kite! Romi Sharp reflects on her experiences on her blog, KidLitVic2017 Reflections Tabitha Page talks about her first KidLitVic experience and how AWESOME it was. If you enjoyed this post feel free to like and share.
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Guest blogger, Carole LanderJournalist and author KidLitVic–Meet the Publishers–number 2 What can I say? The adrenaline ran high all day. I'm an emerging writer with several published short stories and one chapter book. But I aspire to have a novel published by one of the 'big' names–the ones who come along to talk to us at KidLitVic. I'm a member of SCWBI and attend Writers Victoria workshops where I often hear it said that to have your work in front of one of these publishers is 'gold'. So for me, the highlight of the KidLitVic days are the manuscript assessments. The organisers of the day give you very clear directions on what to submit. This year it was: author bio (max 300 words); story synopsis (max 50 words–which is very short and forced me to condense my story line into the key points); first 10 pages of manuscript (double-spaced). The assessment fee is $80 and you have to be on the computer at the moment the applications open if you want to secure a particular publisher! I'm sure I don't need to tell you that finding out the best person for an assessment is by researching the publishers' websites to see what kind of books they produce. Visit bookshops and libraries too. How to pick your publisher My 'brand' (to quote Lisa Berryman from Harper Collins) is diversity. In my chapter books, I put this front and centre. Jen Storer told me that I should aim for publishers who accept books of an educational nature. That's why I chose a publisher who publishes educational books last year. The publisher gave me valuable feedback on paring back my words and this taught me a lot about 'showing' rather than 'telling'. She encouraged me to keep going and expressed interest in seeing the finished work. That was extremely encouraging! This year I chose someone else entirely for my assessment. I walked into the room–which is quite small and filled with publishers at small tables–found my publisher and sat down in a state of high excitement! She welcomed me warmly (as did the publisher from last year) and praised my writing. I recall being told so many times to always praise a colleague's writing before adding the criticism! She also couched her criticism in a friendly way, pointing out that I would be advised to cut down the number of voices telling my story. Unfortunately, she didn't suggest that I send her the finished work but I can live with that. I'm fully aware of the competitive field we're all in. An opportunity not to be missed To sum up the experience of these manuscript assessments, they're well worth it because they provide rare opportunities to hear from the experts and that beats sending in submissions to slush piles and never hearing a thing in response. And I'm also told that they like doing them because they're always looking for new authors and may find one at KidLitVic. It's important not to be daunted by comments from publishers at these assessments. My advice is to accept the positive ones with grace, take note of the less positive ones and keep writing, revising and pitching. When I looked around the room at all those writers and illustrators I realised once again what a competitive field this is. However, if we have that creative urge, we must keep going. Good luck to everyone! And if you would like to read more on this topic, I have a recent blog article on Creative Kids Tales , Aiming for Perfection -- As it Applies to Fiction Writers. About Carole: Carole Lander discovered her passion for writing for children when she trained as a writer and editor at RMIT in Melbourne (2010–2012). After many years as an actor and drama teacher, it came as no surprise that her imagination could run wild on the page – as well as on the stage. By sheer coincidence, she has written several books and articles on the topic of disability. It started when she agreed to write and publish a book about people who live with conditions of dwarfism (Little People Big Lives). Raising awareness about contemporary issues is what she often does as a journalist and, in her children’s fictions she introduces diversity through the narrative without making the stories overtly about social issues. Full details of her publications can be found on her website: Writing With Checkword For previous guest blog posts by attendees to KidLitVic: KidLitVic2017 Lessons by Pamela Uekerman reflects on the conference as a whole. Full Steam Ahead. KidLitVic2017 by Karen Hendriks covers the various panels on the day. KidLitVic2017: A Reflection by Juliet Sampson chats about her observations and the changes in publishing trends. For more coverage and different perspectives: From an organiser's perspective: The KidLitVic 2017- Meet the Publishers Conference Wrap-Up by Nicky Johnson Tania McCartney gives her view of KidLit, along with what she is up too on her blog, Works-in-progress, KidLitVic and Crystal Kite! Romi Sharp reflects on her experiences on her blog, KidLitVic2017 Reflections Tabitha Page talks about her first KidLitVic experience and how AWESOME it was. If you enjoyed this post feel free to like and share.
Guest blog by Juliet SampsonSpreading sunshine and inspiration. There was a buzz in the air as I walked through the doors of the State Library of Victoria and into a foyer full of people in the book industry. After months of waiting, the day had finally arrived. I believe the world of a writer is not just about sitting behind a desk, its about networking, meeting and greeting others in your field and understanding your brand. It is about sharing your knowledge and keeping the world of storytelling alive. As the clock struck 9:30am we all gathered in the theartette. KidLitVic – Meet the Publishers Day was about to begin. The opening speaker discussed the importance of books and keeping stories alive. Throughout the day, there were various panels about Chapter and Middle Grade books, an illustration panel, picture book panel and young adult panel. There were also some seminars: It’s All About Your Brand; Presenting in schools; Self-editing; and an illustration seminar. I was lucky to attend ‘It’s All About Your Brand,’ that was presented by Lisa Berryman, children’s publisher at Harper Collins. This was an extremely valuable session. It allowed me to seriously think about my writing and what I stand for. I’m currently writing young adult books but I enjoyed listening to the picture book panel. I aspire to have a picture book published some day as I have been a primary teacher. Sometimes it can get a bit disheartening when you hear that a publisher may only publish three picture books in one year or even if an author is offered a contract, the process can take from eighteen months to two years to see the final product. But we all know in creative professions, it takes time and you do what you love and love what you do. The young adult panel of publishers discussed taboo issues related to Y.A. stories. A point was put across about who reads Y.A.? Yes, it’s supposed to be readers starting from thirteen to eighteen but research has shown that readers as young as nine and many adults, particularly ones in late twenties and well into their thirties are reading these books. It was interesting to hear how much had changed in one year in regards to the trends and what could limit sales from when I attended KidLitVic last year. The day ended with a closing panel, allowing questions to the publishers. It is events like these that bring together the Australian publishing industry and as an author I’m grateful to the people who arrange and make these dreams happen. Times are changing and the world of a writer is no longer just behind the desk, it encompasses so much more. Wishing everyone the best on their journeys. There is no right way and everyone’s path will be different. Happy writing and thank you to Megan for letting me be a guest author on your blog. It was lovely to catch up with you at this event. Here is a happy photo of us celebrating the joy of being in this industry. Thanks also to the organisers of KidLitVic and the publishers for making this event happen. It's been a delight having you, Juliet. About Juliet: Juliet M. Sampson is an award-winning author. Dance Demons, her third novel won 2016 Book of the Year in the Reader’s Choice Awards in the AusRomToday competition. She was also one of ten finalists for 2016 Author of the Year in the same competition. Her other two books are Behind the Mask and Bon Voyage! After seven successful years as a primary teacher, Juliet decided to make a commitment to full time writing and became a novelist as she wanted her stories to reach a wider audience. As well as writing three books, Juliet has written various articles for magazines and online blogs. She loves to inspire others and her quote ‘spread sunshine and inspiration,’ has reached a global audience. Juliet lives in Melbourne near the bay where she is surrounded by family and friends. Her other passions are travelling, dancing, sketching and doing voluntary work for charity. Her fourth novel is to be released later this year. You can follow her on her Facebook Page, and find more about Juliet on her website. So much information was shared at KidLitVic, that many have given their reflections and personal takeaways. There are so many, yet every post is different: Previous posts on KidLitVic2017: Be inspired and informed by Pamela Ueckerman as she shares on my blog her reflections on the KidLitVic2017 - Meet the Publishers Conference. Karen Hendriks takes us on a tour of the panels. For more coverage and different perspectives: From an organiser's perspective: The KidLitVic 2017- Meet the Publishers Conference Wrap-Up by Nicky Johnson Tania McCartney gives her view of KidLit, along with what she is up too on her blog, Works-in-progress, KidLitVic and Crystal Kite! Romi Sharp reflects on her experiences on her blog, KidLitVic2017 Reflections Tabitha Page talks about her first KidLitVic experience and how AWESOME it was. If you enjoyed this post feel free to like and share.
By guest blogger Karen HendriksChildren’s author, lover of travel, coffee, and the sea. On the KidlitVic2017 Children’s Author learning train there was anticipation and excitement and we were all ready to journey aboard. Middle Grade Station The welcome roused a happy chorus and the first stop was at the Middle Grade station. Did you know middle grade is subdivided into age groups? 5-6 years, 7-9 years and 10+ years. So, story develops from being heavily illustrated to a much deeper higher level of characterization. The priority is always and foremost your characters and story. The slightly younger readers like to read about slightly older children. So perhaps the upper level reader in this group is ten years old. Three keywords to remember include heart, smart and fart. Stories need to have a connection to the reader, be told skillfully and with a sense of fun. Illustration Panel Then we all chugged along to the Illustration Panel and those clever passengers alighted to a world of colour and design and passion. I sat in a little and one message was ‘Can you illustrate people in all different sorts of ways?’ The most successful illustrators do not just illustrate words. They bring layers of meaning too. Picture Books The next station was Picture Books full steam ahead. Wow! The one everyone thinks is the easiest yet the hardest to do. The play between the text and illustrations is what creates picture book magic. Please don’t patronize a child and do tell your story from a child’s point of view. Does your story have a uniqueness and an emotional connection? Red flags for picture book authors are submitting manuscripts in fancy fonts and colours. Please check your spelling and grammar. Remember the most successful picture books have layers of meaning that play together with the words and pictures. Young Adult Panel Station Back onboard after lunch we headed to the Young Adult Panel station. A little birdie tweeted that adults enjoy these books too although it is listed as 13-15 years old age group. These stories are very narrative driven with a distinctive own voice. YA stories must be authentic. Last Stop: Question Time Group Panel The last stop before home was the Question Time Group Panel. It was a power line of power with all those industry editors and agents. Members of the audience had a chance to ask questions and receive feedback. I did like the question about celebrities writing picture books as they do have the door open to them. It was stated that they are in a different category to children’s authors and that they give an illustrator an opportunity. The fact not many questions were asked is a sign of a good conference. Last but not least after the closing ceremony was the cocktail party to mingle and jingle around the room. The time flew and there just wasn’t enough time to see and do all. Aaah! But there is always next year. The hidden gold was finding others of the same flock and being with your own kind. About Karen Karen Hendriks followed her dream and started writing children’s stories in May 2016. She has written many short stories for children and has had several stories published in eBooks. Her wish to become a writer began when a lecturer at university said she had a talent for writing stories. As a university student, she assisted in the production of an Aboriginal big book ‘Gang-Man-Gang’ at a local Aboriginal primary school. The big book is still used today in local Illawarra primary schools. As a teacher, Karen’s favourite time of the day was sharing stories and teaching students to read. Karen is presently working on several new stories and has started doing author visits in schools. She has a keen interest in travel and has a great love of the local seaside village where she lives. Karen’s writing companion is a little Moodle called Elmo who is a cross between a poodle and a Maltese Terrier. Elmo is cheeky and very lovable. Karen can be found by the sea or in local coffee shops. She has a husband who is a ginger beer (engineer) and a daughter and son who make her world full of smiles. You can find Karen on her author page on Facebook. Previous posts on KidLitVic2017: Be inspired and informed by Pamela Ueckerman as she shares on my blog her reflections on the KidLitVic2017 - Meet the Publishers Conference. For more coverage and different perspectives: From an organiser's perspective: The KidLitVic 2017- Meet the Publishers Conference Wrap-Up by Nicky Johnson Tania McCartney gives her view of KidLit, along with what she is up too on her blog, Works-in-progress, KidLitVic and Crystal Kite! Romi Sharp reflects on her experiences on her blog, KidLitVic2017 Reflections If you like this post feel free to like and share.Guest blogger Pamela UeckermanPamela Ueckerman grew up as much in Avonlea, Middle Earth and Narnia as she did in England. She also had a love affair with Spike Milligan’s limericks. She now lives in Melbourne and is the mother of two boys. Pamela teaches creative dance and writes stories that are infused with the magic of childhood. After six months of looking forward to Kidlit Vic 2017, I almost didn’t make it as one of my children fell sick the day before. The stress! But, make it I did and oh my, it didn’t disappoint. Being in the same building with so many talented and caring authors, illustrators, editors and publishers for a whole day was incredibly inspirational. The networking was priceless and the panels very informative. The 15-minute one-on-one assessment that I booked was worth every dollar and every minute of stress trying to decide what to submit. I didn’t book myself into any of the workshops this year as I wanted to attend the panels, but I intend to next year. If you missed out on a ticket, do get yourself one next year as nothing can compare with being there. But, for those that did miss out and would love a taste of what we learned, here are some of the most interesting points that I took away from the panels. Forgive me for this being quite author-focussed, it’s what I do, and remember that these are the views of a small selection of publishers and editors; in some cases, it’s one person’s opinion.
I highly recommend to all aspiring and emerging authors and illustrators to book a ticket to next year’s event and fully immerse yourself in it. You can find more out about Pamela over on her website: www.ueckerman.net For more coverage and different perspectives: From an organiser's perspective: The KidLitVic 2017- Meet the Publishers Conference Wrap-Up by Nicky Johnson Tania McCartney gives her view of KidLit, along with what she is up too on her blog, Works-in-progress, KidLitVic and Crystal Kite! Romi Sharp reflects on her experiences on her blog, KidLitVic2017 Reflections If you like this post, feel free to like and share.I love reflecting on the past year as I eagerly focus ahead for the coming year. It is a time that I take stock of the great experiences that I've had, as well as having a good hard look at the lessons that I have learned from the tough and challenging times as well. In the past couple of weeks I have read over past blog posts and have picked out the most popular blog posts of 2016, counting down to the most popular. 10. At a writer’s workshop in my local writer’s group, find out what we learnt about using similes and metaphors to make your writing sing. Interesting stories are included. 9. Ester de Boer’s illustrator school visit is a success. Find out what she got up to at a local primary school that had them giggling. 8. Ever wondered if you should attend a Creative Weekend? Find out what happened when I took the plunge at a Creative Workshop Weekend in Bright, Victoria. The same might happen for you. 7. Check out my interview with Karen Tyrell and her latest book, Song Bird: Superhero, and find out why it should be on your kids 'to be read list'. 6. Have you ever wondered what it is like to live on the Autism Spectrum. Get some insight from my son, Brandon, as he chats candidly about living with Asperger’s in a Neurotypical world and not giving up. 5. Have you ever wondered what it is like to pursue a writing career and be a single parent? Is it even possible? Find out from someone who knows. Meet Robert Vescio, a children’s author and single parent. 4. The life is tough. The writing life can be tough. Have you ever wanted to give up? I have. Find out why, and how I fought back. I hope these tips will encourage you on your life journey. 3. Author school visits are all part of an author’s life. Find out about how I prepared for my first school visit, and how it went. 2. Wondering whether you should go to the KidLitVic2017 Meet the Publishers Conference in Melbourne next year? Don’t know what to expect? Find out about my take on the conference, as well as links to other authors' blog posts who went too. And the top post for 2016… 1. The exciting announcement that Ester and I have our book, Raymund and the Fear Monster, coming out late 2017. It is a book about overcoming fear. 2016 has been an amazing year. I thank you all for being such wonderful supporters of my blog. I appreciate the time it takes to click and share; to post a comment either here, Facebook, or Twitter; or to send me an email. If you want me to tackle something in particular, please email me, or pm me on Facebook or Twitter. I have some new topics lined up, and some authors are coming for a visit. So stay tuned. Look out 2017, here we come. Like this? Please share with your friends.
Last year when I decided to take the plunge and take my writing seriously, I would never have dreamed of the places I would go or the people that I would meet. One year ago, I would not have dreamed of having just spent the weekend in Melbourne attending an awesome and amazing writer’s conference. I did not imagine that I would meet and chat to children’s book authors, both emerging authors (like myself) and established authors that I had met on Facebook, or read their books, as well as the many varied and talented illustrators. In my wildest dreams I did not imagine that I would have the opportunity to have two of my picture book manuscripts assessed by a publisher that I would otherwise have needed an agent to get near. I did not think that I would ever be sitting in a conference hall at the Victoria State Library and listening to panels of publishers, editors and an agent, answer our myriad of urgent, crucial questions at the first Meet the Publishers Conference. And yet that is where myself, along with 159 other delegates found ourselves last Saturday, 7th of May 2016. It was a mild May Melbourne morning - we were standing outside the Victorian State Library in the surprisingly warm sunshine. The atmosphere while standing in line was one of warmth, friendliness and excitement, and it set the tone for the rest of the day.The doors opened. We crowded in and received out lanyards with our names and sweet illustrations on it. I spotted various ladies wearing lovely cardboard crowns on their heads, working busily handing out lanyards and making sure everything was running smoothly. They were the lovely and amazing organisers and their team – Alison, Dee, Nicky, and Jaquelyn. Alison's husband ran the assessments. (He was not sporting a crown). Nine o’clock came around and I left to find the Just Write For Kids Group at the Mr Tulk Café right next door, where we had organised to meet. We greeted each other like old friends, many of us feeling like we knew each other from our chats on Facebook. After a quick chat, a promise to try to catch up later, and the excitement of swapping of business cards, we headed off to the Library’s Conference room. The atmosphere in the room was electric. I could scarcely contain my excitement. Here we all were; presented with the opportunity to hear twelve publishing professionals, in various panels, answering our most burning questions. We were looking forward to an amazing and full day with the Picture Book, and Chapter and Middle Grade Panels before lunch, and the Illustration, Young Adult and Question Time Group Panel after lunch. Spread throughout the day were assessments and pitch sessions for authors and illustrators. And we were not disappointed. Michael Wagner was MC and did a great job. He kept us entertained throughout the day with his questions of the various panels, and his wry sense of humour. There were some questions that, when answered, brought a collective gasp of disbelief and people looking at each other shaking their heads. One time was during the Picture Book Panel when the publishers were asked about word count and they all just looked at each other.
This was so different to what had been drummed into my head in recent months.
Imagine my relief, along with many others, to be given permission to just write the story that is blazing within us to be told. It will fit somewhere. Yay! Another Picture Book Panel question was regarding rhyming books. As long as it is good rhyme it is fine. (Sorry. I couldn’t help myself). But it has to be very good rhyme. As an emerging Picture Book author, I did pay more attention to this particular panel, the publisher’s likes and dislikes etc - I know now where to send at least two of my manuscripts to. However, I think that - except for the bit about illustrations - the following is applicable across all age levels. The panel shared what, to them, makes a picture book great:
What is a big NO in picture book stories?
However, one publisher does like stories for children that are on the scary side. So there is at least one exception to one rule. When asked if authors should have an illustrator in mind when submitting, the answer is no. Again there was one publisher, fairly new on the publishing block, that didn’t mind an ‘already working together’ team. But this was also an exception. So it pays to check before sending your manuscript as to their individual guidelines and preferences. When asked what do editors dislike and often receive in the slush pile, the answer was:
If you, and I’m speaking to the authors here, have ever wondered what sort of dream author a publisher would like, the publisher's answer is:
One thing that was interesting to note is that the publishers are calling for stories featuring strong female characters. It seems as if the market has been flooded with stories for boys. And as much as we would like to think that there is no such thing as books for girls and books for boys, there is. Girls are happy to be seen with books featuring a male protagonist (main character). But boys would not be caught reading a ‘girls’ book. “It is our culture,” said one of the panel. So there is a challenge for all the authors out there: to create a story with a strong lead female character that boys will happily read and be seen with in the school yard. Hmmm. Is it possible? I met an emerging author at the conference, who has written a gorgeous Christmas story. It is pure poetry and makes for a great read aloud experience. She was concerned that she would be unable to get a publisher interested. Imagine her relief and delight when she heard from the publishers that they are keen for a commercial hook. Namely, holiday tie-ins like Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and… Christmas. The rest of the day seemed to me at least, to pass in an excited blur. Breaking for a quick morning tea and catching up and meeting so many people, then the Chapter Book and Middle Grade Panel. But, I barely could pay attention. My assessment was coming up. I had managed to get two of my picture manuscripts in front of a publisher. I had two other manuscripts ready to pitch, just in case the first two weren't accepted. I kept going over and over my pitches in my head. Then it was my turn. I wasn't very nervous. I had worked hard. I had planned and prepared as well as I could. I went in with the attitude that I wanted feedback on my stories from someone who knows what is wanted in the industry now. They would know how I can tweak my stories to really make them sing. And I had back ups for the eventuality that the first two were not accepted. I wasn’t disappointed. My takeaways from my assessment:
Lunch was an exciting affair. The food was delicious and the friendly chatter contagious. It was so much fun. I played spot the people I know as friends on Facebook - the smiling faces and excited pointing and, “Oh my goodness! It’s you!” were just priceless. The afternoon went by in a flash. The Illustration Panel; afternoon tea; the Young Adult Panel; The Question Time Panel. And then there was the closing of the conference and the inaugural Meet the Publishers Conference 2016 (kidslitvic2016), was over. Some went to the Cocktail party to chill, relax, to let their hair down and to mingle. Others were heading home or had planes to catch. As for myself, my friend Ester (illustrator), and our new found friend who was staying the same hotel as we were -- we got take away, a bad bottle of wine and headed back to our hotel room to wind down and celebrate an amazing day. We read out loud to each other our stories and works in progress, and talked about the wonderful experiences that we had had that day. Here are the words of this new friend (who had never been in a writer’s group before), with tears in her eyes said, “I’m with my kind of people. You get me. You understand how I feel about writing and my stories.” So if you have never considered going to a writer’s conference before, I would highly recommend it. This post is longer than many of my others, and I have barely scratched the surface of what the publishers said, and the wisdom that was passed on in general conversation from those that have gone before us and are further along in their publishing journey. I didn't mention the many delegates who had flown in from as far away as Queensland for the opportunity that the conference held. I didn’t even talk of the incredible illustrators that had their stunning and varied portfolios on show upstairs. Suffice to say, it was an incredible and wonderful opportunity that Dee White and Alison Reynolds created for us. An amazing time that did not, at least for my friends and I, end at the conference. You and your team did a sensational job. Cheers! Bring on Meet the Publishers Day 2017.
If you are thinking of attending a writing conference aimed at children's authors here are a couple... Upcoming children's author/illustrator conferences: SCBWI Conference to be held in Sydney—September 4-6, 2016 CYA Conference to be held in Brisbane--2nd July 2016 Story Arts Festival to be held in Ipswich—5th September 2016 Please feel free to leave a comment about your own experience of the conference, any questions, comments, observations. I'd love to hear from you. |
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