 Guest blogger Michelle LewryAuthor | Story Time and Baby Rhyme Time presenter | Master miso soup maker. So you’re a writer? What’s so special about your writing? Can you sum up what you write in a sentence? No? How about three words? Nope? In her Building Your Brand workshop at the KidLitVic2017 Conference, editor extraordinaire Lisa Berryman asked a room full of rapt writers these same questions (only she wasn’t so thug-like) because ladies and gentlemen, whether we like it or not, today’s publishing world demands authors (emerging or established) to create their own brand. A brand can be described as a "unique and CAREFULLY designed IMAGE which DIFFERENTIATES your product from your competitors.” Sorry about all the capitals but it’s important you understand you are now officially a product, just like a box of cereal on a supermarket shelf. So, are you the earth-friendly oats in the compostable khaki box or the crunchy, punchy, choccy puffs with the goofy gorilla on the front? Let’s find out. Grab some pens, (coloured ones), some paper (a big piece), and put on your best advertising exec suit (or twin set). Write down what you think are your Unique Selling Points — we’ve all got them, the trick is not to take a backward step, don’t be modest, write ‘em down loud and proud. Weed out the daggy bits then write yourself a spiffy one-liner about what you do. Nice! Now take your spiffy one-liner and condense it even further into about 3 or so words. This is the essence of your brand. Kinda scary but exciting at the same time, isn’t it? Build your brand around these words, always be true to them and don’t diss them by acting unprofessionally. Well done, you! You’ll know you’ve got a good brand thing going when your writer’s conference conversations go something like this-- Editor: So, what do you write? You: YA coming-of-age stories with rock’n’roll street cred. Editor (raises an eyebrow): Uh-huh. Working on anything at the moment? You: I’m writing about the sexual misadventures of an over-privileged, under-parented, 16-year-old in 2017, Tokyo. Editor: Really. Can I have a look at it? You: I’ll have it to you tomorrow! Please, if you see one of Lisa Berryman’s workshops advertised at a writing conference near you, GO! Lisa is responsible for publishing and growing the brand of Australia’s top writing talent. You will learn heaps! Good luck! About Michelle Since reading her first book, (about a bear bouncing on a bed) Michelle’s always had a book in her hands or a story running through her head. Surprisingly, Michelle studied painting at university but found awful artists don’t make a living so she travelled to Japan seeking adventure and employment as an English teacher. During her 10 years stint in Japan, Michelle didn’t read any books or write any stories but she did learn how to make a ripper miso soup and offend people with her manly Japanese. She won the 1999 Western Tokyo Karaoke Championship and a second place for the Best Tamborine Solo by a Female, 2001. When Michelle returned to Australia, she went on a book-reading binge. One lonely night, she wrote a picture book manuscript. The manuscript won a prize. Encouraged, Michelle kept writing her stories. Now she writes picture books, middle-grade fiction, plays for children and YA Fiction (so she can swear and talk about rude things). By day, Michelle is an energetic Story Time and Baby Rhyme Time presenter at her local library. She relishes her role in creating excitement around reading for young children. She’s passionate about early literacy, especially for underprivileged families. You can find out more on Michelle's LinkedIn page. 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 another perspective and further information on the author branding workshop, please read the guest post, It’s All About Your Brand by Penelope Pratley. 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. Kris Sheather gives an informative overview of the entire conference in her blog, KidLitVic - In Melbourne. If you enjoyed this post feel free to like and share.
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 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.
 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.  Carole Lander and Megan Higginson at KidLitVic2017 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.  Juliet and Megan at KidLitVic2017 - Meet the Publishers Conference 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  Karen and Megan at LidLitVic2017 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  Pamela Ueckerman catching up with Megan Higginson at KidLitVic2017 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. |
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