SCBWI BI's
Third Conference
for Writers
& Illustrators
13-14 Nov 2010
The Stripe Complex
King Alfred Campus
University of Winchester
SO22 4NR
Friday, November 12, 2010
Critique Meet (Optional Fringe Event)
6.00pm
Coffee and Nibbles
6.30pm
Critique
Session begins (ending 8.00pm)
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Portfolio, Manuscript and Website Reviews will be held
between 1.00pm to 3.00pm
and 4.30pm to 6.30pm. Some Website reviews will be held during registration (you will be contacted ahead of the day)
8.30am to 9.15am
Registration, Coffee and Book Sales
9.15am
Welcome Remarks
Natascha Biebow
SCBWI BI Regional Advisor
9.30am to 10.30am
Keynote: Marcus Sedgwick
Backwards and Downwards!
As an author, being boring is the worst thing you could be. Award-winning author Marcus Sedgwick manages to skirt the issue because he's drawn to write about the unusual, the odd, the unexpected. And here lies the theme of his keynote:Backwards and Downwards! Into the dark depths of the imagination.....
10.30am to 11.00am
Coffee Break, Book Sales
11.00am to 12.00pm
Break-out Session 1 - Saturday morning
Rooms to be posted on the day. Please include your preferences on the registration
form.
a. Mini Grey
First Catch Your Idea ... putting a story together in words and picturesWhere do stories come from? How do we gather together our ideas and turn them into something publishable? In this workshop we will investigate ways to start inventing picture book stories, ways to collect ideas, and what to do if you’re stuck. Strategies will be offered as well as open discussion on your own experiences.
b. Linda Chapman
Letting the Genie Out of the BottleChildren love magic and introducing magical elements into young fiction gives the writer greater possibilities. But what are the rules to writing about magic? And what are the pitfalls? How do you write a really great magical story? And what are the additional challenges of writing a series with magical elements in it?
c. Bridget Strevens-Marzo
Expanding Horizons for IllustratorsSharing her own experience of working internationally and in different formats for young children, Bridget Strevens-Marzo will discuss ways to survive and develop as a children's illustrator. How and where can we widen our hunting ground as illustrators, develop our repertoire and get paid for it?d. Lucy Coats, Nina Douglas, Jon Mayhew, Sarah McIntyre
Pulse: How to Sell your Book
You got the agent. Then you got the book deal. Then the book came out. Then what? Suddenly it's not about craft or schmoozing agents and publishers anymore. You've scaled the mountain only to discover that there is yet another peak to climb. Our panel - which includes three authors Lucy Coats, Jon Mayhew and Sarah McIntyre as well as real life publicist Nina Douglas - dispenses down-home wisdom on how to sell your book in this brave new world where authors have to be their own publicists.
e. Ellen Renner
Writing for SuccessWhether you're just starting out or have been submitting for years, it's never been harder to break through and get that first deal. Ellen Renner explains how to take your writing to the next level and increase the chances of getting your manuscript out of the slush pile and onto an agent or editor's desk.
12.00pm to 1.00pm
INDUSTRY PANEL
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Bella Pearson, editorial director (David Fickling Books)
Rebecca Hill , fiction director (Usborne)
Sarah Lilly, editor (Orchard)
Tom Truong, art editor (Stripes)
Kayt Bochenski, senior designer (Harper Collins)
Brenda Gardner, MD and Publisher (Picadilly)Our panel of industry insiders explains the various decisions, expectations and creative directions that go into making a chidren's book and reveal how best to work with them at each stage of the process. Moderated by Candy Gourlay
Note: Megan Larkin, originally announced as our panelist from Usborne has been replaced by Rebecca Hill after her move to Orchard Books as publishing director.
1.00pm to 2.00pm
Lunch
Open Illustrator Portfolio Exhibition
2.00pm to 3.00pm
Breakout Session 2 - Saturday Afternoon
Rooms to be posted on the day. Please include your preferences on the registration form
a. Marcus Sedgwick
A Sense of Place
Marcus' books are often notable for a strong sense of place, and he frequently travels to research new locations, but there's more to place than just a setting for a book - very often it can be the generative force behind much of the story itself.
b. Bridget Strevens-Marzo
Testing your character
You may have lived with your picture book character for some while. But are you taking them for granted? Does your project need a shake up? Bridget will share an exercise designed to make your picture book hero leap off the page and out into the wider world. A hands-on workshop for illustrators & writers of picture books, with a small advance assignment for both writers and illustrators to bring to session.
c. Mini Grey
From Sketchbook to Picture Book ... an inside look at illustration
This workshop focuses on the process of inventing a visual language integral to the picture book. We’ll also look at the nuts and bolts of picture making, from the actual ‘tools’ of creating an image to the essential components that go into the picture book form.
d. Linda Chapman
Letting the Genie Out of the Bottle
Children love magic and introducing magical elements into young fiction gives the writer greater possibilities. But what are the rules to writing about magic? And what are the pitfalls? How do you write a really great magical story? And > what are the additional challenges of writing a series with magical elements in it?
3.00pm to 3.30pm
Coffee Break, Book Sales
Open Illustrator Portfolio Display
3.30pm to 5.00pm
The State of the Nation panel
Keren David, author
David Fickling, publisher David Fickling Books (Random House)
Rachel Levy, librarian and judge for the CILIP Carnegie and
Kate
Greenaway Prizes 2010
John Cook, trade bookseller Waterstones
Clare Poole, children's bookseller, P&G Wells
David Blanch, editor of Carousel
Library budgets are getting slashed. Booksellers are struggling to compete with supermarkets and the almighty Amazon. Publishers are panicking over e-books. Authors are struggling to get reviews. Whither the children's book industry? Author and former journalist Keren David quizzes our panel of representatives from the children's book industry.
7.30pm to 10pm
The Dining Hall
SCBWI's Mass Book Launch and 10th Birthday Party
We are celebrating ALL our good news this year! Find out more
Sunday, November 14, 2010
9.00am
Coffee and Book Sales
9.30am to 11.30am
Break-out Session 3 - Sunday morning
Rooms to be posted on the day. Please include your
> preferences on the registration form
a. Jane Clarke
How to Write a Picture BookMaximise your chances of publication in the enchanting, enticing and sometimes surreal world of picture book writing. A look at the nuts and bolts of picture book writing and a practical workshop on setting out a picture book story. Please bring along a favourite picture book to share at the break.
b. Lynne Chapman
Keynote workshop: Behind the scenes creating picture booksWant a peek behind the scenes? Lynne will talk you through how she goes about developing her characters, giving them individual personalities and believable emotions. With examples of artwork, and roughs at various stages, she will show how her ideas and humour evolve, to keep her picture books sparkling with fun. Lynne will trace the process of creating a book, from the moment the publisher emails her an author's text, through to the shelves at Waterstones, and will share some funny and frustrating examples of how British picture books are affected by foreign markets.
c. Miriam Halahmy
Workshop: Give your plot a faceliftDoes your plot sag? Give your plot a facelift in this writing workshop with ideas to stimulate the creative juices and get you back on track. Everyone welcome, just bring your pen and notebook.
d. Jackie Marchant with Jasmine Richards
An Agent Walks into a BarWhat happens when you meet an agent or an editor? Do you pitch your book with confidence, or do you become a quivering wreck, spouting gibberish about the masterpiece you've sweated blood over? This workshop is designed to give you confidence in verbal pitching, so that when you come across an agent or editor, you can have them begging for the full manuscript. Then you will be given a chance to try out your pitch on a real live senior commissioning editor - Jasmine Richards, senior commissioning editor of OUP! Suitable for anyone who has a finished book to sell. Come with pen, paper and be prepared to participate, including talking about a brilliant book you have read.
Workshop: Writing About the Real - how to make best use of the contemporary world in fictionGritty, relevant and contemporary? Or issue-bound and doomed to instant obsolescence? This workshop helps writers who want to capture the zeitgeist without using ghosts. How do you find a plot that Jacqueline Wilson and Kevin Brooks haven't tackled - and how do you create believable contemporary characters?
11.30am to 12.30pm
Social Networking: a blessing or a curse?
Keren David, Candy Gourlay and Sarah McIntyre
To tweet or not to tweet? Is Facebook the death of networking as we know it? Are luddites really getting left behind or are they enjoying the kind of quality of life the 'networked' folk have surrendered in the name of social networking. A lively discussion cum debate about social networking - its blessings and its dark side.
12.30pm to 1.30pm
Lunch
1.30pm to 3.30pm
Break-out Session 4 - Sunday Afternoon
Rooms to be posted on the day. Please include your preferences on the registration form
Workshop: How to make your characters stand up and stand out on the pageTips and writing exercises in this workshop will focus on sharpening your characters into convincing individuals. Everyone welcome, just bring your pen and notebook.
b. Tim Hopgood
A Change of Pace - Working with Image and TextWe will look at the techniques used to create a change of pace in contemporary picture books.
Website surgeryYou've got the website / blog / facebook fan page. What have you got to do to get people to find you? How can you make your website / blog / facebook fan page work harder? Sell more books? Get more traffic? Build your profile? Ideal for those who already have an internet presence - whether you're an unpublished blogger or an author or illustrator hoping to promote an upcoming book.
Writing for Young ChildrenA look at the opportunities for writing fiction for the under 8s, including stand-alones, series, writing for book packagers, and poetry. Plus a workshop on eye-catching openings and racy pacings.
3.30pm to 4.30pm
Lynne Chapman
Illustrator Keynote: Sketching a FutureGood and bad luck play an unavoidable role on the path to success, but it is possible to nudge your luck towards the good. Award-winning illustrator Lynne Chapman will talk about how she began her life as an illustrator and how she got her foot in the door of children's publishing. She will share some of the ups and downs of her career and show how she uses her sketchbooks to keep her love of drawing fresh and alive, 25 years after turning it into a job.
4.30pm
Closing Remarks and Parting of WaysGoodbye ... for now.
Portfolio and Manuscript Reviews
Manuscript critiques and portfolio reviews present a wonderful opportunity to receive one-to-one feedback from a publishing professional. A limited number of 15 minute slots are available and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
For picture book manuscripts please send in full. For longer fiction please send up to 4,000 words only and a 1 page synopsis.
Manuscripts should be typed, double spaced in an easy to read font such as Times New Roman in 12 points. On the first page please include the following information: Your name, Story title, approximate word count of the full manuscript, target age range, your contact details, and your agent's name if you have one. Please number all subsequent pages and display your name and the story title at the top right.
Submission guidelines:
Manuscripts. Submit manuscript along your conference registration form. Making sure you include the
additional payment of £30 for SCBWI/SOA members and £35 for non-members for
your manuscript review. All manuscripts must be sent in by 30 September.
Manuscripts received after 30 September will not be accepted. Please DO NOT
send ms by registered/recorded mail!
Portfolios. Submit a separate cheque for £30 SCBWI/SOA members and £35 for non-members, payable to SCBWI with your conference registration form by 6 November. If you are unsuccessful in obtaining a review slot your cheque will be returned to you. Do NOT send your artwork in advance; bring it to your assigned meeting. You will receive your meeting time and name of the professional reviewing your work at Saturday morning registration. Your portfolio should contain no more than 10-12 representational pieces of your best artwork and any dummies or sketchbooks that you may wish to show.
All illustrators are invited to bring their portfolios for display at the conference during the Open Portfolio exhibition.
Guidelines. Though original artwork is acceptable SCBWI-BI cannot be responsible for any damages. Therefore, we would urge you not to include original artwork in your portfolio. Please label all your artwork and your portfolio case. Promotional pieces/business cards are limited to 50 and must fit inside the portfolio. Please, no boxes or fancy three dimensional set ups that extend beyond the portfolio's dimensions
Sign up to have your website critiqued by Candy Gourlay who is a web designer as well as an author. How can your website work harder? Are Search Engines Finding your website or blog? What does your website need to give it that extra little oomph? Candy will send you a written review of your blog/website before the conference with tips on how to strengthen your content, insights into how to improve it, links to clever apps to amek it look better and work harder for you. At the conference you will have a 15 minute face to face meeting to discuss the report and for Candy to respond to any questions.
Guidelines. Please sign up for the critique by
ticking the relevant box on your conference registration form
