Get to know Ruta Rimas

She'll be at our fall retreat on the water. Here's what she had to say to Terry Pierce:

My role is to be the champion of my authors/illustrators, through every step of the process. From our Balzer + Bray team meetings, to the oft scary Acquisitions meetings with sales, to Cover Strategy meetings, and our seasonal launch meetings, I advocate, advocate, advocate. And then, I advocate some
more.

Read the rest!

Retreat on the Water

Time is running out to apply to our fall retreat for writers and writer-illustrators of children's books. WEEKEND ON THE WATER takes place Friday, Nov. 6, to Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, at the luxurious Alderboork Resort & Spa, nestled on the scenic shores of Hood Canal less than two hours west of Seattle.

In an intimate, craft-focused retreat, Cheryl Klein, senior editor with Arthur A. Levine Books at Scholastic, and Ruta Rimas, assistant editor with Balzer + Bray at HarperCollins, will bring their considerable editorial and teaching experience to bear on the challenges of “Going Deeper,” including the interactions between character development, plot development, and theme.

Application is open from July 7 – July 31, 2009. Don't put it off till the last minute, though. You must have your properly formatted manuscript pages sent to our post office box by the 31st. More information is on our registration page.