Because writers are the ones who can fill the gap

Two new opinion pieces in the New York Times, the first by Christopher Myers and the second by Walter Dean Myers, thoughtfully renew discussion regarding the glaring gap of characters of color in children’s literature. Both are well worth a read.

— Contributed by Kjersten Anna Hayes

Roundtable faculty profile: Mandy Hubbard

Mandy Hubbard is a Tacoma-based literary agent for D4EO Literary, where she represents authors of middle-grade and YA fiction. She is also the author of Prada & Prejudice, You Wish, But I Love Him, and a number of other YA novels. In her blog, Mandy shares that she writes under her own name, as well as the pseudonym Amanda Grace. And that she grew up on a dairy farm in Enumclaw. And that after she first read a Regency romance, The Bride's Necklace, she was hooked on period literature and all the royal trimmings.

Mandy was a featured speaker during our Professional Series Meetings last year, discussing her take on trends in YA and middle-grade books, and she will be a stellar addition to our upcoming conference as a Roundtable faculty. As both a writer and an agent, she will certainly be able to view your work through two lenses. 

For an overview of Mandy's tastes and opinions, as well as a history of interviews and agent-related blog posts, please see this feature spotlighting her as an agent.

Roundtable faculty profile: Kathleen Ortiz

Kathleen Ortiz, an agent at New Leaf Literary & Media, joins our fray as a roundtable critique leader on Saturday, April 12, as part of our pre-conference opportunities. Kathleen is the director for subsidiary rights, which means she deals with audio and translation rights for her clients' work.

Her client list is primarily YA, and within that scope she particularly likes strong world-building, according to the agency website. In the agent spotlight Literary Rambles, Kathleen indicates that she's pulled toward darker YA projects, such as paranormal and dystopian subjects. In her blog, Kathleen lists her small but well-rounded client list, which includes visual artists and authors.

She's sought after for many conferences all over the country, and recently attended the 2014 Missouri Writers Guild conference, which blogged her appearance. So take note, before you show her those 500 words!

Master your craft!

Our Writing and Illustrating for Children Conference in April is barely a month away, and the seats are filling fast! Remarkably, there's still a seat or two available in nearly all of our 3-hour master classes on Saturday, April 12. First come, first served for these hands-on workshop opportunities:

• Character, Character, Character with associate art director Lauren Rille
• Drawing from Experience with illustrator Renata Liwska (who will be joined by special guest instructor Nina Laden!)
  
• The Art of Picture Book Pacing with agent Alexandra Penfold
• You've Got a Contract; Now What? with publisher Justin Chanda

See more details about each workshop and prices. If you're already registered for the conference, add a master class by using the link in your confirmation email to modify your registration. And if you're not, you can register for the whole shebang at the link above.

Last chance to submit your 2013 books for the Crystal Kites

PAL members who haven't yet added their 2013 publications to their profiles at scbwi.org still have a few days to do so and flag them for inclusion in this year's Crystal Kite awards, our SCBWI peer awards. Hit up scbwi.org for details.

Voting for the awards, which are given by broad geographical region, is expected to begin in early April. We'll let you know. In the meantime, you still have time to read all our region's latest titles. Ask your local indie bookseller for help. And congratulate Kim Baker, the 2013 winner for the West for her middle-grade novel Pickle, next time you see her!

Conference: Spots still available for Master Class for Illustrators

Illustrators! 

Don’t miss out on an opportunity to learn from one of children’s books most acclaimed illustrators. The wonderful Renata Liwska will be teaching a master class at SCBWI Western Washington’s Annual Conference, April 12–13, and there a still a few spots open in this limited-seating event.

Renata is the phenomenal talent behind the illustrations in two wondrous New York Times best- sellers by Deborah Underwood: The Quiet Book, and The Loud Book. She has also penned and illustrated her own beautiful picture book, Red Wagon. Most recently, she illustrated the critically acclaimed and lovely picture book by our own Nina Laden, Once Upon a Memory. Nina, who is an illustration phenom in her own right (Peek-A-Who?), will assist Renata with the master class, so this is a double-header opportunity for illustrators––learn from two masters for the price of one!

Before I go much farther, I suggest you:

1) Head to your nearest indie bookstore, or their website, and order your very own copies of all of these books, because they need to be in your library. There is much to learn from studying closely Renata's subtle and luminous technique, and her careful attention to emotion and storytelling.

2) Head to Renata’s blog to learn more about her.

3) Take a look at this amazing little movie, highlighting Renata’s incredible mountains of sketchbooks, which are testimony to her diligence and dedication in becoming the amazing illustrator that she is. 

4) Get yourself registered for this fantastic opportunity, quickly, before it’s too late! 
(NOTE: If you are already registered for the conference and would like to add this class, just follow the directions in your confirmation email for modifying your registration.) 

See you there!

Roundtable faculty profile: Bree Ogden

 Roundtable faculty member Bree Ogden is a renaissance woman. She's an agent at D430 Literary Agency. She has a Master's degree in journalism. She writes comics––and among her many self-described talents, she includes "stick-figure artist." She frequents cemeteries. She judges horror comic awards. Her blog says she's a "modern-day Wonder Woman, with none of the power, strength, or feminist sensibilities."

At D430 Literary, Bree's interests range from children's to YA. She's definitely into genres (horror, noir, romance), and she's actively interested in nonfiction for all ages. Bree will grace us with her presence for the roundtable critique sessions on Saturday, adding her distinctive opinions to the mix of submissions. In an interview from 2013, Bree shares what makes her tick, and how she came to be an agent from a lifelong passion for graphic novels.

Countdown to a crafty, casual, cozy weekend!

Our Writing and Illustrating for Children Conference in April is barely a month away, and the seats are filling fast! If you're attending (and if not, why the heck not?), don't miss the chance to make a great weekend of it with your tribe by getting a hotel room at the Marriott Redmond Town Center, our conference hotel, for a night or two. Share the room with pals to cut the already good rate and double the fun.

If you're like many participants, that April weekend may be one of your few chances this year to take a break from other responsibilities and really focus on your writing or illustrating goals... or even accomplish some work. Interested? Find the details and a link to reserve your hotel room under the "Travel and Lodging" tab.

Conference faculty profile: Susan Hawk

Literary agent Susan Hawk wants to laugh. She wants to be moved. And she wants to read stories that make her feel a flurry of emotion. In short, she's a stickler for what she likes, and isn't afraid to say so. In her profile on her agency's blog, she says, "I want a book to stay with me long after I finish reading, and I’m looking for powerful, original writing."

An agent with The Bent Agency in Brooklyn, NY, Susan comes to the fold with a background in book marketing for Henry Holt Books for Young Readers. She's developing her list, which includes middle-grade, YA, and picture/chapter books.

In her agency profile,  Susan says her interests lie "at the intersection of literary and commercial." Her blog, Susan Says, now comes as part of the Bent Agency's Bent on Books blog, but there are plenty of archives galore to sift through.

Susan has her hands in many projects, of all kidlit genres, and should have plenty of insider knowledge to share with everyone.

 

Conference faculty profile: Lauren Rille

Lauren Rille will be one of the master class instructors and roundtable critique leaders at SCBWI Western Washington's 23rd Annual Writing and Illustrating for Children conference, which will be held April 12-13, 2014, at the Marriott Redmond Town Center. (Get registration info.)

Lauren is associate art director for the Simon & Schuster (S&S), Beach Lane, Atheneum, and McElderry imprints at S&S. Before joining S&S, she was a designer at Sterling and Harcourt Children's Books. Books she's designed include Sophie Peterman Tells the Truth by Sarah Weeks and illustrated by Robert Neubecker; Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin, Jr. and illustrated by Lois Ehlert; Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas, and the New York Times bestselling Puff the Magic Dragon by Peter Yarrow. She has a wonderful, if slightly dated blog with posts about the collaboration process. In this SCBWI interview, she discusses how designers bring a book to life.


— Contributed by Suzanne Kaufman

Conference faculty profile: Claudia Gabel

Claudia Gabel is a double-threat. She's one of those enviable people in the book world who writes AND edits. In the context of our conference, she'll be wearing her editor's hat, as the executive editor at Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. She's worked at HarperCollins, Crown, Random House as well.

Some of her early editorial clients included Derek Jeter, a WWF wrestler, and the rock singer Meatloaf. We're so lucky to have Claudia share her perspective from both sides of the editorial table!

As a writer, Claudia has published a number of young adult novels (the four-book In or Out series; Romeo and Juliet and Vampires; and the upcoming Elusion, co-written with Cheryl Klam). For more about her writing, and her approach to storytelling and finding that perfect submission, please look at her website or read this interview from 2012.































 

Fast Fiction book launch

Member Denise Jaden has recently released a new book for writers called Fast Fiction: A Guide to Outlining and Writing a First Draft Novel in Thirty Days.

Denise, who drafted her two published young adult novels during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month in November), created Fast Fiction to shows other writers how to do what she did, step-by-step. Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park will be hosting a book launch, including a talk by Denise and a signing, on Tuesday, March 18, at 7:00 p.m. Check it out and get prepped for November.