BO O K Five questions: Children’s book writers and illustrators conference
SUNDAY, APRIL 10, 2016
Oklahoma’s chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators will hold its spring conference on Saturday in Oklahoma City.
The nonprofit group boasts more than 70 regional chapters and has more than 22,000 members worldwide, making it one of the largest organizations for children’s authors and illustrators ... as well as for would-be authors and illustrators.
According to the SCBWI website, the group “acts as a network for the exchange of knowledge between writers, illustrators, editors, publishers, agents, librarians, educators, booksellers and others.”
The Oklahoman asked Regina Garvie, publicity coordinator for SCBWI Oklahoma, to answer five questions about the nonprofit and the upcoming conference at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 1815 S Meridian.
Q: Tell us about SCBWI. A:
Our local organization ... offers opportunities across the state for networking, education and improving the craft of writing and illustrating for children and young adults. We have monthly meetings in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, focusing on such topics as pitching your story, opening pages, finding an editor or agent, query letters and more. We also have a large spring conference, bringing a number of industry professionals from New York publishing houses and literary agencies to Oklahoma, and intensive fall workshops with classes focusing on taking writers and illustrators to the next level.
Our membership includes well-known authors Darleen Bailey Beard, Hannah Harrison, Gwendolyn Hooks, Anna Myers, Tammi Sauer, illustrators Jerry Bennett, Jonathan Koelch and Ruthie Blalock Jones, and many, many more. These professionals are active in our membership, helping to teach other writers and illustrators on the path to publication.
Q: What are some things people will learn from the conference?
A:
How to improve your craft. How to get your work in front of an agent, editor or art director. Polishing your work to be the best it can be. What today’s publishing industry is looking for.
Q: Are there any extra-special activities or speakers? Tell us about them.
A:
Our amazing speaker lineup includes three editors, two agents and one senior designer.
Sara Sargent is an executive editor at HarperCollins Children’s Books, where she focuses on fiction and nonfiction in the picture book, middle grade and young adult categories. Previously she was an editor at Simon Pulse, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Sargent has worked with New York Times best-selling author Abbi Glines, National Book Award finalist Deb Caletti, Jennifer Echols, Julie Cross, Aaron Karo and Martina Boone, among others.
Carter Hasegawa is an associate editor at Candlewick Press. Candlewick, an independent publishing house, has printed more than 3,000 books, including the classic pictures books “Can’t You Sleep, Little Bear?” and “Guess How Much I Love You” and the recent New York Times best-seller “I Want My Hat Back” by Jon Klassen.
Karl Jones is an associate editor at Grosset & Dunlap/Price Stern Sloan/ Cartoon Network Books, Penguin Young Readers. Jones works on a variety of licensed and original middle grade and activity books, as well as some early Young Adult projects. He is currently interested in realistic middle grade and YA fiction and format-bending storytelling projects.
Jodell Sadler is the founder of Sadler Children’s Literary, a boutique literary agency with a focus on craft, learning, fun and working with writers and illustrators to create beautiful, memorable books for young readers. Sadler is passionate about helping writers pace their stories well, because it allows writers the opportunity to enhance emotional resonance, tension and find exciting ways to improve story arc.
Vicki Selvaggio is an associate agent with the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency. Drawn to the publishing scene first as an author writing all genres, her passion for honing the craft carried over into reading manuscripts for JDLA. She is currently looking for compelling manuscripts that will resonate with her long after she’s done.
Jason Henry is a senior designer at Dial Books for Young Readers with more than 15 years professional experience designing books for young readers. Henry has won awards for his designs from the Book Industry Guild in New York and designed numerous New York Times best-selling books, including Brad Meltzer’s “Ordinary People Change the World” series.
Registration for the SCBWI Oklahoma spring conference also gives writers and illustrators the ability to submit to these professionals, even when their publishing houses or literary agency is closed to unsolicited submissions. This alone is worth the price of the conference.
Q: Talk about some of the group’s success stories — writers or artists who have gone on to great things.
A:
One author we’re especially proud of right now is Gwendolyn Hooks, the author of 20 books for children (who) believes that every child should be and can be a passionate reader like her. Her most recent book is “Leona Mitchell — Opera Star,” a picture book biography published by Oklahoma Heritage Association Publishing and spotlighting the life of the famous opera vocalist who grew up in Enid, Oklahoma.
This spring, Hooks’ newest book will be released — “Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas.” The book is illustrated by Colin Bootman, a Coretta Scott King Honor Book Award winner. “Tiny Stitches” tells the story of a man who overcame racism and resistance from his colleagues to usher in a new era of medicine: children’s heart surgery. Kirkus recently gave “Tiny Stitches” a favorable review, calling the book “A rousing tribute to a man unjustly forgotten.”
We’re also very proud of award-winning author/ illustrator Hannah Harrison, who recently was named a finalist in the 2016 Oklahoma Book Awards in both the children/ young adult category and the design/illustration/ photography category for her latest book, “Bernice Gets Carried Away.” Her first book, “Extraordinary Jane,” was published in 2014 by Dial Books for Young Readers. A third book is set to be released this year.
Q: How can people find out more, join SCBWI and sign up for the conference?
A:
More information about the conference and our other activities can be found on our website, www.oklahoma.scbwi. org. Visitors can also check out the main SCBWI website from there and discover all the benefits of joining SCBWI.