2011 Conference Series: Editorial & Art Director Faculty: Liz Waniewski

One month until our 20th Annual Writing and Illustrating for Children Conference. It's time to highlight another one of our wonderful Editorial & Art Director Faculty; Liz Waniewski! Liz is the Senior Editor for Dial Books for Young Readers (an imprint of Penguin). She's been with Dial since 2001, and and edits everything from picture books to middle grade and young adult novels. The books she edits are character driven with distinct voices and points of view.

Some of the books she's worked on recently are LADYBUG GIRL AT THE BEACH by David Soma, and Jacky Davis, SAPPHIQUE by Catherine Fisher, FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB by Antony John, and FANTASY BASEBALL by Alan Gratz. Liz first spoke at an SCBWI conference in 2004.

Here's a Q & A from an interview on Author Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen's website.

What advice would you offer an aspiring picture book author? An aspiring novelist? Write what you care about, work on making it as perfect as you want it to be, work on it until you are happy with it, and only then send it in. You have to love it and be proud of it and that will shine though to the editor reading it. Remember that this is a very subjective business and what is not right for one editor may be just right for another.

Liz has another great interview on CYNSATIONS (Cynthia Leitich Smith's blog). If you'd like to add your name to the waiting list for the conference, make sure you visit the event website.