October Contest for PB Critiques 2020
About
Welcome to #PBCritiqueFest 2020! Do you write or illustrate picture books? This MASSIVE one-time picture book critique giveaway celebration is for you! We have 36 picture book critiques to giveaway!
The purpose of this annual event is to celebrate the critique and revision process and to help build our kidlit community. It's my sincerest hope that new connections will be made and that actual, living, breathing books will be birthed out of this process.
The festival is happening October 12th-30th. The deadline to enter the raffle will be October 30th 9AM CST. 36 winners will be randomly selected and then "paired with their person" based on information provided on the registration form. Winners will be announced throughout the day on Saturday, October 31st on Twitter, Facebook, and on a Picture Book Spotlight blog post.
Help spread the word by using our festival hashtag! #PBCritiqueFest
Have any questions? Tweet at me! @BrianGehrlein
Enter the giveaway
To enter the celebration for your chance to win a picture book critique by any of our fabulous participants, simply subscribe to PB Spotlight AND register yourself by clicking the links below. Once you have subscribed and registered, you may log additional entries using the green button throughout the 3-week festival to increase your chances (see guidelines below).
REGISTRATION BEGINS OCTOBER 12TH, 2020
Only register ONE time
Additional entries guidelines
To increase your chances of winning a critique, you can log additional entries by participating on social media and promoting the authors, illustrators, and agents. Each time you complete an activity, simply log what you did on the additional entries form. This year, the form will email you a receipt to help you keep track of what you've logged. You can earn up to 100 additional entries! Talk about an increased chance of winning!
Picture Book Spotlight ©2020 Proudly created by Brian Gehrlein with Wix.com
March SpringMingle 2019
Illustrators’ Day Intensives: Friday, March 15
Conference: Friday, March 15-16
Decatur, Georgia
Serving Alabama, Georgia, and The Florida Panhandle
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
Conference Registration: https://bit.ly/2Qfsd49
Hotel Reservations: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory, https://bit.ly/2CGNLTw
2 | SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2019
Illustrators’ Day
Friday, March 15, 2019
COST: SCBWI Members: $95.00 Students: $115.00 Non-Members: $125.00
LUNCH: $8.50 (or you may bring your own or go into Decatur if you prefer)
Illustrators’ Day Locations: All Sessions Held in the Decatur Library Auditorium
8:30 AM-4 PM PORTFOLIO DISPLAY
8:00-9:00 AM ANNOUNCEMENTS AND FACULTY INTRODUCTIONS
9:00-10:00 Mark Braught | Self promotion – Creating Art Outside of Client Projects
So you want to do a piece for yourself? This will be an insightful presentation, exploration and discussion regarding the difficult process of creating an illustration for yourself. Why do it, what to do and some thoughts on how to approach this daunting challenge.
10:00-11:00 Maria Middleton | Quick on the Draw! Hands on Workshop & Critique
Illustrators need to work fast in this ever-changing industry. Bring your pens, pencils and sketch pads to gain valuable feedback from Art Director Maria Middleton as she takes you through a hands-on activity and brief review of your work.
11:00-12:00 Maria Middleton | Drawing on Discovery
This session will take a close look at the process of discovering the magical, terrible, wonderful, and shocking world of characters for your next story. The art director will provide a live review of Picture Book spreads and Middle Grade covers created in the Illustration Mentorship. This is a great session for any author-illustrator seeking to learn more about the art of storytelling.
12:00-1:00 PM LUNCH AT CHURCH (ADJACENT TO LIBRARY)
1:00-2:00 Kevin Lewis | Things Art School Will Never Teach You: Publishing Insights for Illustrators (Especially Those Who Endeavor to Write)
Hints based Kevin’s personal experience as an editor to Loren Long, Tony DiTerlizzi, LeUyen Pham, Kadir Nelson, Cynthia Rylant, Matt Cordell, Brian Pinkney, Antionette Portis, and Dav Pilkey, as an author, and as a picture book fanatic.
2:00-3:00 PM LIZ CONRAD SCHOLARSHIP & QUICKFIRE PORTFOLIO REVIEW
3:00-4:00 Q&A SESSION WITH THE FACULTY
4:00-5:30 BOOK SIGNING Published members from 4-5, faculty from 5-5:30
6:30-7:30 PORTFOLIO SHOW AND RECEPTION
Conference Registration: https://bit.ly/2Qfsd49
Hotel Reservations: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory, https://bit.ly/2CGNLTw
SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2019 | 3
Optional Activities
Friday, March 15, 2019
ILLUSTRATORS’ DAY MENTORSHIP
COST: $45.00
Maria Middleton: Drawing on Discovery (SOLD OUT)
This is a pre-conference activity for individuals registered to attend Illustrators Day. Projects will be presented at ID in a general session for discussion and comments.
(NOTE: even though this activity is sold out you can do the exercises!)
QUICKFIRE PORTFOLIO REVIEW
The first 25 to register for this FREE activity will have their portfolios reviewed by the Illustrators’ Day faculty. Each portfolio will be displayed for the audience, and comments will be made by the faculty. Time for each portfolio is limited to no more than two minutes each. You’ll be surprised how much they cover in two minutes.
PORTFOLIO DISPLAY
Illustrators who are registered for Illustrators’ Day or Springmingle may display their portfolios at the reception on Friday. Portfolios should be brought to the conference. Please do not bring original art. For more information about preparing a portfolio, please visit http://sbillustrators.blogspot.com/p/portfolios.html.
LIZ CONRAD SCHOLARSHIP
Open to Southern Breeze SCBWI members only, this scholarship provides funds for one budding illustrator to attend our Illustrators’ Day and Springmingle Conference. For application instructions, visit https://southern-breeze.scbwi.org/for-our-illustrators/liz-conrad-portfolio-scholarship/. Deadline: January 1, 2019. Anne Moore Armstrong.
Conference Registration: https://bit.ly/2Qfsd49
Hotel Reservations: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory, https://bit.ly/2CGNLTw
4 | SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2019
Optional Activities
Friday, March 15, 2019
ONE-ON-ONE WITH A LITERARY AGENT
COST: $55.00
One-on-One sessions occur throughout the day on Friday March 15.
NOTE: You may have to miss portions of Illustrators’ Day, the Writers Intensive OR conference sessions to participate in consultations and critiques.
Kevin Lewis is an agent with the Erin Murphy Literary Agency, primarily focusing on writer-illustrators and diverse voices. Kevin has been a publishing professional for more than 25 years and has held positions at Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, and Disney. He has edited such best-selling and award-winning writers and illustrators as Cynthia Rylant, Mark Teague, Dav Pilkey, Angela Johnson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Matt Cordell, Lauren Thompson, Derek Anderson, Jane Dyer, Tony DiTerlizzi, Holly Black, Loren Long, LeUyen Pham, and Kadir Nelson, to name but a few. In addition to editing, he has written close to a dozen picture books, including Chugga Chugga Choo Choo and My Truck Is Stuck.
Monica Odom is an agent at Liza Dawson Associates, where she represents a variety of nonfiction, literary and upmarket fiction, and illustrators. Monica earned her Masters in Publishing: Digital & Print Media from New York University in 2014, and has a B.A. in English from Montclair State University. She was also schooled in book selling and event coordinating at her local indie, Watchung Booksellers. She loves to see a personal project turn into something original and surprising, and is committed to the expansion of diversity and inclusivity in the publishing industry.
Alexandra Penfold is a Literary Agent with Upstart Crow Literary Agency and the New York Times Bestselling author of All Are Welcome, illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman. She represents works for all age ranges and across genres. Some of the books Alexandra has represented include SCBWI Golden Kite winner Boats for Papa by Jessixa Bagley (Roaring Brook), Be the Change by Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus, illustrated by Evan Turk (S&S), and the 2017 Jumpstart Read for the Record Book, Quackers by Liz Wong (Knopf). Clients include New York Times Best Selling illustrator, Elizabeth Baddeley, Meghan McCarthy, Adam Lehrhaupt, and Suzanne Kaufman, among others. In addition to her work as an agent, Alexandra is the author of several books for children: Eat, Sleep, Poop, illustrated by Jane Massey, We Are Brothers, We Are Friends, illustrated by Eda Kaban, The Littlest Viking, illustrated by Isabel Roxas, and Food Truck Fest, illustrated by Mike Dutton. Find her on Twitter @agentpenfold or www.alexpenfoldbooks.com.
Conference Registration: https://bit.ly/2Qfsd49
Hotel Reservations: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory, https://bit.ly/2CGNLTw
SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2019 | 5
Optional Writing Intensives Schedule
Friday, March 15, 2019
COST: SCBWI Members: $95.00 Students: $115.00 Non-Members: $125.00
Early Bird Discount $25.00 for registration prior to January 15, 2019!
8:30 – 9:00 AM REGISTRATION • COFFEE | Library
NOON–6 PM BOOKSTORE OPEN | Decatur Library Conference Room
8:00 – 8:30 FORMAL CRITIQUES | 4th Floor
NOTE: Three Writing Intensive tracks will be offered on Friday, March 15th: Picture Books, Novels, and Pro. Participants will register for the full day but may choose different tracks in the morning and afternoon. Each track will include multiple topics and faculty. Please check the conference schedule and brochure for specific topics and faculty featured in each track.
9:00 – 10:00 PICTURE BOOK TRACK MORNING
Miles & Merissa Davis & Sucheta Rawal | Being Your Own Boss
The Davis team and Sucheta Rawal have successfully launched their own picture book series. This panel will discuss not only the creative side of indie publishing but also the marketing side of the picture book business.”
PRO TRACK MORNING
Alexandra Penfold | Publishing Talk: Communication Strategies for Authors/ Illustrators and the Author/Agent Relationship
Penfold shares strategies on how marketing money is distributed/spent by publishers, how to get more marketing money for their books, and how to make the most of what they have to spend (what works and what doesn’t which social network platforms are reaching buyers, etc.). Plus career development and longevity tips – how to build your platform and keep making money.
NOVEL TRACK MORNING
Aubrey Poole | Getting Outside Your Zone of Comfort: The Hero’s Journey Applied to Character Development
A well-drawn character is just the beginning – because if he or she is the same character at the end of the novel, then you haven’t done your job. In this workshop, Editor Aubrey Poole will discuss the importance of character development and how the character arc ties into the plot. 6 | SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2019
Conference Registration: https://bit.ly/2Qfsd49
Hotel Reservations: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory, https://bit.ly/2CGNLTw
10:00 – 11:00 PICTURE BOOK TRACK MORNING
Kevin Lewis | The Truth About Trucks, Trains, and Toddlers, Part One
Insights into writing for the youngest members of our audience, focusing on writing techniques like rhythm and rhyme, developmental considerations, industry standouts, and his own personal experience as both editor and writer. Part one.
PRO TRACK MORNING
Ellen Hopkins | Building Blocks of Marketing
Hopkins has successfully marketed her books to both young adults and adults, with a career spanning several decades. She’ll discuss how you can successfully build your platform and market like the pros.
NOVEL TRACK MORNING
Jessica Anderson | Finding Incredible Moments of Beauty and Heartbreak
No information available at this time.
11:00 – 12:00 PICTURE BOOK TRACK MORNING
Kevin Lewis | The Truth About Trucks, Trains, and Toddlers, Part Two
Insights into writing for the youngest members of our audience, focusing on writing techniques like rhythm and rhyme, developmental considerations, industry standouts, and my own personal experience as both editor and writer. Part two.
PRO TRACK MORNING
Aubrey Poole | Creating Successful Series
The structure of your series as a whole is just as important as the structure of individual novels. Editor Aubrey Poole will talk about the editorial concerns that go into selecting a series for publication, as well as the craft behind choosing the type of series you want to write, shaping each individual book, and making the overall series a satisfying reading experience.
NOVEL TRACK MORNING
Jessica Anderson | Revision Tips & Tricks and Knowing When Your are Ready to Submit
No information available at this time.
12:00 – 1:00 LUNCH
Optional Writing Intensives Schedule
Friday, March 15, 2019SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2019 | 7
Conference Registration: https://bit.ly/2Qfsd49
Hotel Reservations: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory, https://bit.ly/2CGNLTw
1:00 – 2:00 PICTURE BOOK TRACK AFTERNOON
Alexandra Penfold | The Joy of Revision, Part One
Go over strategies for revision with real life examples from published books. Please prepare for the class by making a list of your 5 favorite picture books. At least 3 of the 5 must be from the past 5 years. Write out what you think the overarching theme is and what elements of the story: plot, characters, dialogue, humor, etc that made it a favorite for you and why. hands-on exercise. Penfold will show revisions she did for one of her books and pass out copies of the early manuscript before she revised it. Attendees will spend 15 minutes making revisions to it based on the notes she received from her editor then she will show her revisions. Part one.
PRO TRACK AFTERNOON
Joe Davich | Insider Info from a Librarian
Joe Davich, with the Decatur Library, as well as the Georgia Center for the Book, will share information on the process of library acquisition for your books. He’ll also discuss national, state, and regional book awards, how to get them for your books, and why and how book awards can make a difference.
NOVEL TRACK AFTERNOON
Ellen Hopkins | The Power of White Space
Hopkins looks at the power of white space on the page and how you can make this power work in your manuscript.
2:00 – 3:00 PICTURE BOOK TRACK AFTERNOON
Alexandra Penfold | The Joy of Revision, Part Two
This session will go over strategies for revision with real life examples from published books. See Part One for details.
PRO TRACK AFTERNOON
Jessica Anderson | TBD
No information available at this time.
NOVEL TRACK AFTERNOON
Ellen Hopkins | A Different Look at Sensory Detail
Hopkins continues her discussion of the power on the page and how authors can play with the senses to create powerful impressions on readers.
3:00 – 4:00 ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS
Optional Writing Intensives Schedule
Friday, March 15, 2019 8 | SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2019
Conference Registration: https://bit.ly/2Qfsd49
Hotel Reservations: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory, https://bit.ly/2CGNLTw
Springmingle
Saturday, March 16, 2019
COST: SCBWI Members: $190.00 Students: $200.00 Non-Members: $225.00
Early Bird Discount $25.00 for registration prior to January 15, 2019!
8:00 – 8:30 AM REGISTRATION • COFFEE | Library Lobby
9 AM –4:30 PM BOOKSTORE OPEN | Library Conference Room
8:00 – 8:30 FORMAL CRITIQUES | 4th Floor
8:30 – 9:30 Opening: Start with a Pitch!
Our panel of agents will give feedback to those lucky enough to be picked. So make sure you sign up during registration. And P.S. It’s FREE!
9:30 – 10:15 Keynote with Ellen Hopkins|Beyond Craft: Inclusion, Social Justice and Activism Matter, too
10:30 – 11:15 FIRST BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Aubrey Poole | Swipe Right: How to Keep an Editor Reading with a Killer Opening.
Do editors ever nix a project based on the first five pages? In theory, we’d like to say ‘no.’ But in practice, the answer is ‘yes.’ Just like a first date, the opening pages of a manuscript is your opportunity to make a good first impression. Can a bad opening be overcome?
Alexandra Penfold | Picture Book Writing: Engaging Picture Books
Go over the anatomy of an engaging picture book and talk about how pacing and page turns come together to create stories that demand repeat reads.
Jessica Anderson | First Impressions: The Art of Effective Positioning
This session explores strategies in pitching and positioning through a series of case studies, from picture books through YA, fiction and nonfiction. An insightful exercise for children’s book creators eager to command readers’ attention–from agents to editors and beyond–and make a memorable first impression with their work.SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2019 | 9
Conference Registration: https://bit.ly/2Qfsd49
Hotel Reservations: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory, https://bit.ly/2CGNLTw
Monica Odom | Creating Nonfiction for Young Readers: Prove Your Idea with a Proposal
Nonfiction books are typically sold to publishers (and submitted to agents) via a proposal document and sample pages. Nonfiction authors also need to have some kind of platform to help publishers spring board a nonfiction book to success. Learn all of the elements that go into a proposal, what kind of sample material to present, and how to define your platform to agents and publishers. Ultimately a proposal will help you prove to agents, editors, publishers, and yourself that this is a book that will have substantial, important, interesting and entertaining content, that this book should be published, and that you’re the one to write it!
11:30 – 12:30 PM LUNCH
12:30 – 1:00 PM NEW BOOK LAUNCHES, ANNOUNCEMENTS
1:00 – 1:45 SECOND BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Alexandra Penfold | Picture Book Writing: Engaging Picture Books
Go over the anatomy of an engaging picture book and talk about how pacing and page turns come together to create stories that demand repeat reads.
Aubrey Poole | To Do or Not To Do a Small Press
No information available at this time.
Lori Nichols | The Growth of a Picture Book
Lori Nichols shares the organic and quirky origins of her debut picture book Maple. See how her love of nature, family and other inspirational sources helped Maple grow into the award-winning series of Maple & Willow.
Kevin Lewis | Looking Back to Look Forward: Rethinking My Experience of Race, Religion, Gender and Sexuality in Publishing
A look at the ever evolving role identity and representation play publishing, covering topics like #OwnVoices, cultural appropriation, and othering.
Springmingle
Saturday, March 16, 2019 10 | SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2019
Conference Registration: https://bit.ly/2Qfsd49
Hotel Reservations: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory, https://bit.ly/2CGNLTw
2:00 – 2:45 THIRD BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Ellen Hopkins | Juggling Life and a Writing Career
No information available at this time.
Maria Middleton | A Day in the Life of an Art Director
Ever wonder what an art director actually does? At this workshop you’ll get an inside look at how an art director finds, hires, and works with illustrators to ultimately create an entire book package from cover to cover.
Jessica Anderson | Behind the Scenes of a Middle Grade Novel: From Submission to Finished Book
This session explores an editor’s role, with a comprehensive look at the life cycle of a middle grade novel–from submission through acquisition, early editorial development, copyediting, design, proofing, and selecting final production specifications. A detailed behind-the-scenes perfect for children’s book creators seeking to know more about the journey to a finished book.
Lori Nichols | Portfolio Prep
Getting ready for SCBWI NY and LA
3:00 – 3:30 BOOK LAUNCHES | Auditorium
3:30 – 4:30 FIRST PAGES PANEL | Auditorium
4:30 – 5:00 CLOSING REMARKS & DOOR PRIZES | Auditorium
5:30 – 6:00 BOOK SIGNING | Auditorium
5:30 – 6:30 INFORMAL CRITIQUES | Hotel Lobby
6:30 – 9:30 GALA | Taiyo Restaurant
Springmingle
Saturday, March 16, 2019SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2019 | 11
Conference Registration: https://bit.ly/2Qfsd49
Hotel Reservations: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory, https://bit.ly/2CGNLTw
Additional Information
FIRST PAGES - FREE
This activity occurs only at our Springmingle conference, and offers a quick critique by the faculty panel of first pages which are presented anonymously in a general session. There is no additional fee for this but registration is limited due to the limited time available for the activity.
First Pages – After registering for this optional activity, please submit the first page, up to 250 words, in the same format as manuscripts submitted for formal critques.
Submit your title, genre, and the first page of text as a word document attached to an email sent no later than midnight, March 2, addressed to first8lines@gmail.com. Please do not put your name or other identifying information on the document.
Submissions will be read aloud at the conference. Because First Pages is a popular activity, registration is limited and we typically do not have time to read and review all of the submissions which are received. There is no guarantee that all submissions will be reached or that the full page you submit will be read.
PITCH PANEL
To participate, indicate your interest when registering. Then, between now and the conference, prepare a one-minute pitch. Participants will be chosen by lottery at the time of the event. We anticipate more pitchers than available pitch slots, so signing up does not guarantee participation.
BOOK LAUNCH
SCBWI members who register prior to February 2 are eligible to register for a three-minute “launch” of their new books, published in the previous twelve months. These book launches will be scheduled during the conference, please see the schedule for more details. Space is limited and will be filled by the first to register for this activity.
PUBLISHED MEMBER BOOK SALES/SIGNING
Southern Breezers are invited to participate in our book sales and signing at our conferences.
Book Sales: SCBWI Members who are not speaking at a conference may designate ONE title to be included in the bookstore, with publisher, date and ISBN by completing the book sales form no later than 30 days prior to the conference. PLEASE NOTE: SCBWI Headquarters has opened this optional activity to all members, and it is no longer limited to PAL members only. Due to space limitations for the bookstore, the number of members who may sell books is limited and the available slots will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis.
BOOK STORE HOURS
Friday: Noon - 6:30, Saturday: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Location: Library Conference Room12 | SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2019
Conference Registration: https://bit.ly/2Qfsd49
Hotel Reservations: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory, https://bit.ly/2CGNLTw
Our Faculty
Jessica Anderson, assistant editor at Christy Ottaviano Books, an imprint of Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, works on a wide range of picture books, middle grade and YA fiction. She is on the lookout for lyrical picture book biographies, quirky middle grade fiction, and gritty contemporary realistic YA. She is the editor of the YA debuts The Spaces Between Us by Stacia Tolman; Wrong in All the Right Ways by Tiffany Brownlee; and Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown, as well as the picture book biographies Brave Ballerina: The Story of Janet Collins by Michelle Meadows, illustrated by Ebony Glenn, and Samuel Morse, That’s Who! by Tracy Nelson Maurer, illustrated by El primo Ramón, among others. She holds a bachelor’s degree in comparative literature from Columbia University.
Sessions: Novel intensive: Revision Tips & Tricks and Knowing When Your are Ready to Submit; Finding Incredible Moments of Beauty and Heartbreak; Pro Track: Content and Pacing (Advanced); Breakout: Behind the Scenes of a Middle Grade Novel: From Submission to Finished Book; First Impressions: The Art of Effective Positioning.
Anne Moore Armstrong is an agent with the Bright Agency. Curating a boutique list of artists who illustrate picture books, young fiction and YA covers, Anne specializes in trade children’s book publishing, having worked in the industry for over 20 years at Little, Brown and Candlewick Press as a book designer and art buyer. Anne is visually adept in helping clients find an artist who can meet both their aesthetic needs and printer deadlines. She continuously develops her artists’ portfolios building upon their strengths and looks for new talent who she can mentor into strong children’s book professionals.
Judge for the Liz Conrad Award.
Mark Braught is an illustrator and graphic designer that has, over the past 40 years, created award winning visual solutions for various corporations, publishers, advertising agencies and design firms in this country and others. He has taught at the Atlanta College of Art & Design, Portfolio Center (Atlanta), The Creative Circus (Atlanta), Hollins University and Ivy Tech (Columbus, IN) as well as presentations & workshops for numerous professional organizations, universities, high schools & elementaries.
Sessions: Illustrators’ Day: Self-Promotion – Creating Art Outside of Client Projects.
Merissa Corbert Davis grew up captivated by the creative arts. From a young age, she enjoyed crafting, music and technology. Her passion for the graphic arts drove her to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Georgia, and she now serves as co-founder of three creative endeavors.
Miles Davis fueled his fertile imagination with books, cartoons, and comics while traveling as a child of a military family. Drawing became an escape and a way to pass the time on long layovers and soon blossomed into a lifelong passion for art and SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2019 | 13
Conference Registration: https://bit.ly/2Qfsd49
Hotel Reservations: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory, https://bit.ly/2CGNLTw
storytelling. Miles earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Auburn University in 2003, where his passion for art brought him to Atlanta to start his career.
Miles and Merissa joined creative forces in early 2005 after graduating from college. Shortly thereafter, the pair co-founded Massive Burn Studios, a fine art studio based on Miles’s pop-surrealist works. A few years later, they developed Butterpup & friends™, a children’s character brand aimed at recapturing the magic of childhood and introducing young audiences to imagination and creative play. The first four adventures in the Butterpup & friends™ picture book series launched in 2017 as their first published book series.
They are currently working on the next two books in the Butterpup & friends™ series, as well as a new book independent of the series. They also selectively illustrate and design books for independent authors with intriguing manuscripts. Miles and Merissa continue to learn, explore, create, and play just outside of Atlanta, Georgia with their instafamous pup Pica, source of much inspiration.
Sessions: Indie Published Panel
Ellen Hopkins is a former journalist, poet, and the award-winning author of 20 nonfiction books for young readers, 14 NY Times bestselling young adult novels, and four novels for adult readers. She lives near Carson City NV with her extended family, one exceptional German shepherd, a lazy rescue cat, and two ponds (not pounds) of koi.
Sessions: Novel Intensive: “\The Power of White Space and A Different Look at Sensory Detail. Pro Track: How to Market Your Books; Keynote: Beyond Craft: Inclusion, Social Justice and Activism Matter, Too; Breakout: Juggling Life and a Writing Career.
Kevin Lewis is an agent with the Erin Murphy Literary Agency, primarily focusing on writer-illustrators and diverse voices. Kevin has been a publishing professional for more than 25 years and has held positions at Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, and Disney. He has edited such best-selling and award-winning writers and illustrators as Cynthia Rylant, Mark Teague, Dav Pilkey, Angela Johnson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Matt Cordell, Lauren Thompson, Derek Anderson, Jane Dyer, Tony DiTerlizzi, Holly Black, Loren Long, LeUyen Pham, and Kadir Nelson, to name but a few. In addition to editing, he has written close to a dozen picture books, including Chugga Chugga Choo Choo and My Truck Is Stuck.
Sessions: Illustrators’ Day: Things Art School Will Never Teach You. Picture Book Writer’s Intensive: The Truth about Truck, Trains, and Toddlers: Creating Enduring Works for the Very Young. Breakout: Looking Back to Look Forward: Rethinking My Experience of Race, Religion, Gender and Sexuality in Publishing .
Maria Middleton is the Art Director for Imprints at Candlewick Press and Walker Books US. She began her career at HarperCollins and spent more than a decade designing award-winning books for Abrams Books and then for Random House Children’s Books. Maria works across a variety of formats and genres for kids of all ages, in
Our Faculty14 | SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2019
Conference Registration: https://bit.ly/2Qfsd49
Hotel Reservations: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory, https://bit.ly/2CGNLTw
cluding board books and picture books, middle-grade and young adult fiction, graphic novels, and non-fiction. Most notable are Max & the Midknights by Lincoln Peirce, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty, and Inkling by Kenneth Oppel. Maria is drawn to out-of-the-box thinking, hand-lettered typography, and quirky but lovable characters. She’s a southerner at heart, a New Yorker by choice, a fan of serial commas, strong coffee, and the color red. You can find her at mariamiddleton.com and follow her on Instagram and Twitter @mariatmiddleton.
Sessions: Illustrators Day: Drawing on Discovery; Breakout: Quick on the Draw!; A Day in the Life of an Art Director.
Lori Nichols began illustrating in the second grade, when she won the Humane Society poster contest at her school. She awed the judges, won first place and hasn’t looked back since. She grew up in Western Pennsylvania marveling at everything from acorns to frogs to big sisters and now makes books about them all.
She is the author and illustrator of the award-winning picture book, Maple, under Penguin’s Nancy Paulsen Books imprint. Its companion books include: Maple & Willow Together, Maple & Willow Apart and Maple and Willow Christmas Tree.
Her illustrations can also be seen in: This Orq. (he cave boy.), This Orq. (he say ugh.) and This Orq (he number one) by David Elliott, as well as No, No, Kitten! by Shelley Moore Thomas. Also look for Go Sleep In Your Own Bed by Candace Fleming.
Lori’s accolades include winning the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators New York Winter conference portfolio award in 2014, the Alabama Library Association’s 2015 “Alabama Author” award and the Michigan Library Association Mitton Award in 2016. Her debut book, Maple, has been recognized as a “Best Children’s Books of 2014” by Amazon, a 2014 Giverny Award for “Best Children’s Science Picture Book” and selected to represent the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in 2015 and 2016. Both Maple and Maple and Willow Together were named “2015 Best Children’s Books of the Year” by the Children’s Book Committee.
Sessions: The Growth of a Picture Book; Creating a portfolio for SCBWI NY/LA.
Monica Odom is an agent at Liza Dawson Associates, where she represents a variety of nonfiction, literary and upmarket fiction, and illustrators. Monica earned her Masters in Publishing: Digital & Print Media from New York University in 2014, and has a B.A. in English from Montclair State University. She was also schooled in book selling and event coordinating at her local indie, Watchung Booksellers. She loves to see a personal project turn into something original and surprising, and is committed to the expansion of diversity and inclusivity in the publishing industry.
Monica is looking for: Nonfiction by authors in the following categories: Advice/Relationships, Self-help/Self-Reflection, How-To, Crafting/Creativity, Food and Cooking, Humor, Pop Culture, Lifestyle, Fashion & Beauty, Biography, Memoir, Narrative, Business, Politics and Current Affairs, History, Science, Social Studies, in
Our FacultySCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2019 | 15
Conference Registration: https://bit.ly/2Qfsd49
Hotel Reservations: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory, https://bit.ly/2CGNLTw
cluding topics of: identity, race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomics, civil rights and social justice, Literary fiction and upmarket fiction. Monica does not represent genre fiction.
Illustrators with demonstrable platforms, preferably author/illustrators, working on nonfiction, graphic memoirs or graphic novels.
Sessions: Breakout: Creating Nonfiction for Young Readers.
Alexandra Penfold is a Literary Agent with Upstart Crow Literary Agency and the New York Times Bestselling author of All Are Welcome, illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman. She represents works for all age ranges and across genres. Some of the books Alexandra has represented include SCBWI Golden Kite winner Boats for Papa by Jessixa Bagley (Roaring Brook), Be the Change by Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus, illustrated by Evan Turk (S&S), and the 2017 Jumpstart Read for the Record Book, Quackers by Liz Wong (Knopf). Clients include New York Times Best Selling illustrator, Elizabeth Baddeley, Meghan McCarthy, Adam Lehrhaupt, and Suzanne Kaufman, among others. In addition to her work as an agent, Alexandra is the author of several books for children: Eat, Sleep, Poop, illustrated by Jane Massey, We Are Brothers, We Are Friends, illustrated by Eda Kaban, The Littlest Viking, illustrated by Isabel Roxas, and Food Truck Fest, illustrated by Mike Dutton. Find her on Twitter @agentpenfold or www.alexpenfoldbooks.com.
Sessions: Picture Book Writer’s Intensive: The Joy of Revision: Precision Makes Your Manuscript Shine. Pro Track: Publishing Talk: Communication Strategies for Authors/Illustrators and the Author/Agent Relationship. Breakout: Picture Book Writing: Engaging Picture Books.
Aubrey Poole, editor at Hachette’s JIMMY Patterson Books imprint, is acquiring children’s and young adult projects. She is the editor for James Patterson’s bestselling Max Einstein, Pottymouth & Stoopid, and Crazy House series, as well as IndieNext pick and Seventeen Best YA Book of 2018 Gunslinger Girl by Lyndsay Ely and forthcoming Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy. Prior to joining JIMMY, she worked with a number of award-winning and top-selling authors at Sourcebooks, Inc. such as Texas Bluebonnet nominee Nancy J. Cavanaugh; Emma Shevah, author of Dream On, Amber which received four starred reviews and is a Booklist Top 10, a Kirkus Reviews Best Book and an NYPL Top 100 of 2015; USA Today bestseller and RITA winner Juliana Stone; and award-winner Jen Calonita. She’s looking to acquire commercial picture book, middle grade, and YA projects. Books with authentic, diverse voices, strong commercial hooks and taut pacing. Books that fulfill the JIMMY imprint’s mission statement: We want every kid who reads a JIMMY title to say: “Please give me another book!”
Sessions: Novel Writer’s Intensive: Getting Outside Your Zone of Comfort: The Hero’s Journey applied to Character Development. Pro Track: Creating Successful Series; Breakout: Swipe Right: How to keep an editor reading with a killer opening.
Our Faculty 16 | SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2019
Conference Registration: https://bit.ly/2Qfsd49
Hotel Reservations: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory, https://bit.ly/2CGNLTw
Sucheta Rawal is an award-winning food and travel writer contributing to Creative Loafing, Travel+Leisure and CheapOAir. She has traveled to 80+ countries with a focus on culinary, sustainable and volunteer travel.
Born and raised in India, Sucheta graduated from Georgia State University with a Masters in Finance and worked in investment banking, market research and human capital consulting, before realizing her true passion was learning and giving back. Sucheta founded the nonprofit, Go Eat Give, that promotes cultural awareness through travel.
She has authored ‘Beato Goes To’ children’s picture books based on her own travels to educate kids about the world’s cultures. Beato is her real cat who lives in Atlanta and the main character in the books. Beato Goes To Greenland, Israel, Indonesia & Japan are her first four books in the series. Her next book, Beato Goes To Brazil will release in Fall 2019. Sucheta also has an augmented reality 3-D based on her book Beato Goes To Greenland that encourages kids to read & learn using technology.
Sucheta was named “one of top 30 travel bloggers in the world” at Travel Blogger Conference Asia in 2018, “Georgia State University’s 40 Under 40 alumna” in 2018, and nominated for “Georgia’s Author of the Year 2018.”
Sessions: Indie Published Panel.
Our FacultySCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2019 | 17
Conference Registration: https://bit.ly/2Qfsd49
Hotel Reservations: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory, https://bit.ly/2CGNLTw
Critiques
FORMAL CRITIQUES
Cost: $55.00
Submission Deadline: February 7
Southern Breeze offers three formal critique options: Face-to-Face Manuscript Critique, Face-to-Face Portfolio Review, Written-Only Manuscript Critique. Formal critiques are conducted by conference faculty (editors, agents, authors, illustrators) or other industry professionals who may or may not be in attendance. All written-only critiques are conducted by editors or agents. Face-to-Face critiques consist of a 12-minute meeting with the critiquer. Critiquers are asked to use the SCBWI Gold Form to ensure thorough critiques. Critiques are only available to registered conference attendees.
Formatting:
• Use 12 point Arial or Times New Roman font, double-spaced.
• Set margins at 1” or larger.
• The header on the first page should include your name, address, telephone, and email.
• The title and byline should appear a third way down the first page with text below.
• Do not include any illustrations or dummies.
• Questions? Read “From Keyboard to Printed Page” found at www.scbwi.org/online-resources/ just-getting-started/.
Length:
• Picture book or short story: submit entire manuscript
• Poetry: submit up to six related poems (no more than ten pages)
• Longer works: submit up to 10 pages, including a one-page synopsis
Submission:
• Portfolios for review should be brought to the conference.
• Manuscript should be in a printable format (.doc, .docx, .rtf, or ,pdf).
• Submit a manuscript for face-to-face critique to sbface2facecrits@gmail.com. For a written-only critique, send to sbwrittencrits@gmail.com. Subject line of email should be: “Formal Critique - [TITLE OF MANUSCRIPT] - Please indicate in the email the genre of your manuscript. Please send file as an attachment.
INFORMAL CRITIQUES
Cost: FREE
Conference attendees will gather in small groups to critique each others’ work. There is no charge for this activity. During online registration, indicate which genre you will be bringing. On the day of the conference, bring at least five copies of your work, no more than 2500 words please.18 | SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2019
Conference Registration: https://bit.ly/2Qfsd49
Hotel Reservations: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory, https://bit.ly/2CGNLTw
Registration
SCBWI SOUTHERN BREEZE SPRINGMINGLE CONFERENCE TUITION
Conference Workshops
SCBWI Members: $190.00 ($15 discount for those attending intensive or ID)
Students: $200.00
Non-Members: $225.00
EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT $25.00 off for registration prior to January 15, 2019
After March 13:
SCBWI Members: $200.00
Students: $225.00
Non-Members: $245.00
Optional Writing Intensive (registration for Springmingle is required)
SCBWI Members: $95.00
Students: $115.00
Non-Members: $125.00
Illustrators’ Day Only (registration for Springmingle is not required)
SCBWI Members: $95.00
Students: $115.00
Non-Members: $125.00
Lunch: $8.50 (or you may bring your own if you prefer)
Gala Dinner: $25.00 (Guests welcome for an additional $25.00 each)
Optional One-on-One Sessions with an Agent (registration for ID or SM is required)
Cost: $55.00
Optional Formal Critiques: $45.00
Submission Deadline: February 7
Informal Critiques: FREE!!!
Book Sales & Book Launches: FREE!!! (Limited registration due to space and time requirements)
To Register, go to https://bit.ly/2Qfsd49SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2019 | 19
Conference Registration: https://bit.ly/2Qfsd49
Hotel Reservations: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory, https://bit.ly/2CGNLTw
Locations and
Hotel Information
CONFERENCE HOTEL
Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory
130 Clairemont Avenue
Decatur, Georgia 30030 USA
Phone: (404) 371-0204
Marriott Central Reservations: (888) 236-2427
Special Conference Block Room Rates: Two Queen Beds or One King Bed, also includes wi-fi, $159.00/night Group Code: SCB
Note: Reserve early! The conference block may fill quickly. https://bit.ly/2CGNLTw
Last day to book at the group rate: February 21, 2019
EVENT LOCATIONS
All Illustrators’ Day and Springmingle Sessions Located at:
Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore Street, Decatur, GA
Decatur Presbyterian Church, 205 Sycamore St., Decatur, GA
Saturday Evening Gala: Taiyo Restaurant, 130 Clairemont Ave., (Inside the Courtyard Decatur Downtown Hotel)
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Registration: Southern-Breeze@SCBWI.org
General: SouthernBreeze.SMCoordinator@gmail.com
Cover and interior illustrations
by Shannon Day
http://shannondayillustration.com/
Writing Contest
Southern Breeze's 2017 Writers' Contest is accepting submissions throughout the month of June. Categories are Illustrated Texts/Nonfiction judged by agent Karen Grencik, MG novels judged by agent Jon Cusick, and YA novels judged by author Jacquelyn Mitchard. Details and submission guidelines can by found here:
southern-breeze.scbwi.org/contests/#Writing
Happy writing and best of luck!
Writing Tips
Writing Tips from Ann Garvin, author of I Like You Just Fine When You’re Not Around
Begin at a pivotal moment
Add an unusual situation.
Add an intriguing character
Conflict
Add an antagonist
Change emotion
Irony and surprise
Make People Wonder
Dread Factor
Keep narrative voice compelling
WIK ’16, Light Your Imagination
Come join the fun. More to come on who’s speaking, who’s leading and who’s teaching. keynote: Bruce Coville: Ripples in the Pond: Why What We Do Matters
