Oi vey, but I am slow. It has taken me over a week to process and parse out my thoughts and experiences from the New England SCBWI Conference. Here, finally, are the last of my meditations …
Yolanda LeRoy, Editorial Director, Charlesbridge Publishing
First of all, Yolanda can sing … I mean REALLY sing; her performance at the Friday night cabaret was stupendous. And her workshop on matching manuscripts to editors and publishing houses would be especially useful to the beginning writer. Here’s a link to Charlesbridge’s submission guidelines and to their new blog.
Theresa Howell, Managing Editor, Rising Moon and Luna Rising (Northland Publishing)
Theresa used her workshop to make a (very solid) case for working with small to medium sized publishers. She values artistic merit, literary integrity, and creative, fresh voices (what editor doesn’t?), and she is on the prowl for boy books with social impact. Be sure you study her tightly focused lists before submitting.
Finally, I had some lovely and kind responses to the copy of TRACKING TRASH I displayed on the Member’s New Books table at the conference. Perhaps the oddest compliment came on Sunday, when the book disappeared … as in, someone took it. I have decided to embrace this small theft as a most sincere form of appreciation!
Here’s to next year’s conference, which will be held April 11 and 12, 2008 and will feature Laurie Halse Anderson as the keynote speaker. Looking forward to that …