white rabbits, dead animals and the publishing fairy
Last weekend I attended the SCBWI WA conference in Seattle, and I’m probably the very last attendee to blog about it. I picture the white rabbit holding out his lovely pocket watch to remind me, “You’re late! You’re late!”
So to bansih the rabbit…and share a few standout moments for me…
Deb Lund’s wonderful poem about her inner critic. We all have one, some of us have several who show up in different disguises. Tame that critic,; get her to work for you! Hopefully Deb will post her poem.
Krista Marino , editor at Delacorte, and Nathan Bransford, agent, did a remarkable job with first pages critiques, sharing some of their personal dislikes: they shy away from first person present voice, and some of what they both love: beautiful language, voice, interesting settings and great details.
Krista was one of the reasons I came to the conference. She’s a sharp, insightful editor who ” doesn’t do cute,” loves a classic storytelling feel, and quirkiness with a bit of wit. She has a keen sense for picking the right books.
Sarah Shumway, Katherine Tegen Books, informally polled editors about characteristics they look for in writing. No surprise, the #1 answer was voice, followed by writing style and execution. In submissions, editors look for promotion connections and knowledge of the market. Writers need to be business savy.
Who can resist editor Connie Hsu when she says ,“I only like stories with dead animals…There are plenty of other editors who like their animals, you know, breathing.”
Nancy, librarian action figure, Pearl shared the best ways to get your book reviewed and reminded us all that luck is a part of the success equation for writers. Sometimes the publishing fairy drops a little fairy dust on a writer’s head and her books become magic. Nancy looks for beautiful language, an emotional connection and character driven novels. A bit of cleverness helps too. She says writers should “learn from the best,” not just follow trends, and read widely.
Upcoming writers to watch: Claire Willey. She is polishing up a YA dystopian manuscript with an intriguing and very original plot. Watch for her.