Illustrators' Day Intensives: Friday, March 13 Conference: Friday-Saturday, March 13-14 - Society of ...
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Intensives: Friday, March 13
Conference: Friday-Saturday, March 13-14
Homewood, Alabama
Illustrators’
Day
Serving Alabama, Georgia, and The Florida Panhandle
Society of Children’s Book Writers and IllustratorsIllustrators’ Day
Friday, March 13, 2020
Cost: SCBWI Members: $100.00 Non-Members: $140.00
LUNCH: $9.00 (or you may bring your own or go into Homewood if you prefer)
Illustrators’ Day Locations: All Sessions Held in the Homewood Public Library
8:30 AM-4 PM Portfolio Display
8:45-9:00 AM Announcements and Faculty Introductions
9:00-10:00 Vanessa Brantley-Newton | Collaging from the Edge
In this hour-long class each student is asked to bring any kind of collage paper
they can find to share. It can be anything from old newspaper, handmade pa-
per, magazines, books, etc. It can even be something you designed and printed
out. Take the time to find interesting text or textures and colors.
We will have fun sharing papers and adding them to create a one of a kind
collage illustration. Everyone is asked to bring your own art supplies, such as scis-
sors, glue sticks, crayons, makers, pastel, anything you want. We want you to be
comfortable with the supplies that work for you. You can even do this on your
iPad if you have one. Come ready to be inspired and stretched to try something
new through collaging from the edge.
Supplies needed for this class: Open heart and mind, a collage paper of your
choosing, your own art supplies such a scissors, pens, colored pencils, crayons,
watercolor, Gouache, acrylics, markers, pastels etc. One sketchbook or paper
to apply your collage to.
10:00-11:00 Saho Fujii | Cover Art
A cover is the most important part of the book as that is the first thing that the
potential buyer would see when they walk into stores. In this presentation, I will
talk about what goes into making covers that stand out from the crowd.
11:00-12:00 PM Saho Fujii | Mentorship Review
Little, Brown and Company Art Director, Saho Fujii, will present a picture book cover
art workshop to wrap-up our annual Illustration Mentorship. Each participant was
tasked to create a book cover based on a classic fable. Saho will review the final
work of this year’s mentees in front of the audience allowing everyone to come
away with nuggets on how to create eye-catching book covers.
Conference Registration: https://southern-breeze.scbwi.org/events/wik-2020/
Hotel Reservations: Aloft Birmingham Soho Square http://bit.ly/2PFXEpP
2 | SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2020 Click on addresses to open the website!12:00-2:00 Lunch (pre-purchased boxes or on your own in Homewood)
2:00-3:00 Kait Feldman | Reading Images
In this breakout for picture book writers, we’ll examine the ins and outs of effective
picture book text, including elements like rhythm, pacing, and pagination. We’ll
also dip into the POV of the illustrator to understand how the form of the book im-
pacts the reading experience and talk about what’s up with that barrier editors like
to put between the author and illustrator.
3:00-4:00 Rubin Pfeffer | Let’s Dissect Some Dummies
Rubin will discuss the value of dummies in the context of the submission and acquisi-
tion process for picture books, look at actual dummies as they evolved from thumb-
nails, and dig into submissions and how the dummy was used as a key component.
4:00-5:00 Liz Conrad Scholarship & Quickfire Portfolio Review
Conference Registration: https://southern-breeze.scbwi.org/events/wik-2020/
Hotel Reservations: Aloft Birmingham Soho Square http://bit.ly/2PFXEpP
Click on addresses to open the website! SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2020 | 3Optional Activities
Friday, March 13, 2020
illustrators’ day Mentorship
Cost: $55.00
Saho Fujii: Picture Book Cover Art
Little, Brown and Company Art Director, Saho Fujii, will present a picture book cov-
er art workshop to wrap-up our annual Illustration Mentorship. Each participant
was tasked to create a book cover based on a classic fable. Saho will review the
final work of this year’s mentees in front of the audience allowing everyone to
come away with nuggets on how to create eye-catching book covers.
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 Wik’20 may display their port-
folios at the Portfolio Show on Friday afternoon. 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 Wik’20 Conference.
Deadline: January 1, 2020. Judge: Christy T. Ewers, the CAT Agency.
For application instructions, visit https://southern-breeze.scbwi.org/for-our-illus-
trators/liz-conrad-portfolio-scholarship/.
Conference Registration: https://southern-breeze.scbwi.org/events/wik-2020/
Hotel Reservations: Aloft Birmingham Soho Square http://bit.ly/2PFXEpP
4 | SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2020 Click on addresses to open the website!Optional Activities
Friday, March 13, 2020
Private Portfolio Reviews $45.00
Formal Critiques $45.00
Consultation with a Literary Agent $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.
Kurestin Armada began her publishing career as an intern with Workman Pub-
lishing and spent time as an assistant at The Lotts Agency before joining P.S. Liter-
ary. She holds a B.A. in English from Kenyon College, as well as a publishing cer-
tificate from Columbia University. Kurestin is based in New York City and spends
most of her time in the city’s thriving indie bookstores. She reads widely across
genres and has a particular affection for science fiction and fantasy, especially
books that recognize and subvert typical tropes of genre fiction.
Erin Clyburn is an Associate Literary Agent at The Jennifer De Chiara Literary
Agency. She has worked in the book and publishing industries for nearly 15 years,
as copy editor and recipe editor for Meredith and general manager and direc-
tor of collection development for Turtleback Books. She received her BA in Eng-
lish Literature from Mississippi State University and her MA in Children’s Literature
from Hollins University.
Rebecca Angus (remotely) is a Senior Literary Agent, and romance author who
has been working in publishing since 2015. She started as an editorial and sub-
missions intern at Entangled in 2014, and from there she moved into an intern po-
sition at Golden Wheat Literary. After interning on both the publishing side and
the agent side, she set her sights on becoming a Literary Agent and found her
home at Golden Wheat Literary. Rebecca graduated from Texas A&M University
and has since continued her education in Children’s Literacy and a Master’s
degree in Education and Literacy. Rebecca is excited to work with new authors
and illustrators and is a supporter of diversity and inclusion in publishing.
Rubin Pfeffer served as President and Publisher of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
Trade, working with world-renowned writers and illustrators of Adult and Chil-
dren’s literature including Alice Walker, Umberto Eco, Virginia Hamilton, Wendell
Minor, Don and Audrey Wood, Janell Cannon, among many others. As SVP and
Chief Creative Officer of Pearson, Inc. Pfeffer coordinated programs between
the Penguin imprints and Pearson’s educational products and services. Later,
he joined Simon & Schuster as SVP and Publisher of Children’s Books overseeing
such fine imprints as S&S BFYR, Atheneum, McElderry Books and the launching of
Beach Lane Books. Pfeffer founded Rubin Pfeffer Content, LLC, a literary agency
focused on children’s content, representing industry luminaries, award-winners,
and exciting new talents.
Conference Registration: https://southern-breeze.scbwi.org/events/wik-2020/
Hotel Reservations: Aloft Birmingham Soho Square http://bit.ly/2PFXEpP
Click on addresses to open the website! SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2020 | 5Optional Writing
Intensives Schedule
Friday, March 13, 2020
Cost: SCBWI Members: $100.00 Non-Members: $140.00
All intensive sessions held at the Homewood Public Library.
8:30 – 9:00 AM Registration • coffee • new attendee orientation |
9:00 – 5:00 picture book intensive
9:00-12:00 Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple | Picture Book 101, part 1
Jane and Heidi talk about the basics of creating a picture book, from beginning
to end. How to elevate your picture book manuscript by looking at the nuts and
bolts of the form itself.
Homework: Bring a manuscript that isn’t working and one that is either a poem
trying to be a picture book or a text that is trying to be more poetic.
12:00-2:00 Lunch (pre-purchased boxes or on your own in Homewood)
2:00-5:00 PM Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple | Picture Book 101, part 2
How to Make Your Picture Book More Poetic: What is the difference between
a poem and a poetic picture book? Can you make your poem into a picture
book? And, how do you make your ordinary text more poetic, lyrical, and ready
to stand out?
9:00 – 5:00 novel intensive
9:00-11:00 Kurestin Armada | A Look at Attendee First Pages
Tracing three specific elements through example pages, drawing conclusions,
and then an exercise where attendees trace those elements in their own work.
Pages submitted in advance may be shared as part of the program. Attendees
interested in having their pages included should submit their first two pages (500
words) as a word document attached to an email sent no later than midnight,
March 2, addressed to SBreezeFirstPages@gmail.com.
11:00-12:00 Kait Feldman | Roundtable Q & A
Q & A with the editor, bring your burning questions, or submit them in advance
via email sent to Southern-Breeze@SCBWI.org with “Feldman Questions” as the
subject line. There will be no Q&A session at the conference this year, so this is
your only chance to get your questions answered by Ms. Feldman.
12:00-2:00 Lunch (pre-purchased boxes or on your own in Homewood)
Conference Registration: https://southern-breeze.scbwi.org/events/wik-2020/
Hotel Reservations: Aloft Birmingham Soho Square http://bit.ly/2PFXEpP
6 | SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2020 Click on addresses to open the website!Optional Writing
Intensives Schedule
Friday, March 13, 2020
2:00-5:00 PM Janice Hardy | Plot, Setting, Scene: Building a Strong Foundation for your
Novel
Stories might be about characters, but those characters need things to do and
places to do them in. Creating a compelling plot with strong conflicts played
out in an interesting setting is half of writing a great novel, and the foundation for
your entire story. In this workshop, writers will learn how to use internal and exter-
nal conflicts to plot, and how to tell if they need a character arc or not. They’ll
also learn tricks to bring their setting to life, discover how to use background
details to enhance the setting, and show, not tell, their story world. And finally,
they’ll dig deep into the mechanics of scene and its troublesome partner, the
sequel, and learn how to use this pairing to drive the story and create plots (and
novels) readers won’t be able to walk away from. This workshop is packed full of
exercises, so bring your laptop and pages.
9:00 – 5:00 pro intensive
9:00-11:00 Lisa Churchill | Best School Visits Ever!
10 things you can do to ensure students are engaged when you visit.
11:00-12:00 Rubin Pfeffer | Roundtable Q & A
All the burning questions, things that you’ve always wanted to know but were
afraid to ask—small and big, specific and general. No question will be turned
down. If it matters to you, it probably matters to many. Anything goes!
12:00-2:00 Lunch (pre-purchased boxes or on your own in Homewood)
2:00-3:00 PM Mekisha Telfer | Raising the Stakes
Working With Editors: How can authors and publishing professionals communi-
cate more effectively? What sort of relationship should you expect with an edi-
tor? An editor or agent likes your work, but she asks you to make changes in it.
Should you do it? Can you push back? What if the editor doesn’t get the cultural
content in the book?
3:00-4:00 Mekisha Telfer | The Hope of Every Child
A session on writing/illustrating for all children including how to handle charac-
ters outside your culture, gender, religion etc.
4:00-5:00 Roundtable discussion
Conference Registration: https://southern-breeze.scbwi.org/events/wik-2020/
Hotel Reservations: Aloft Birmingham Soho Square http://bit.ly/2PFXEpP
Click on addresses to open the website! SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2020 | 7Writing and Illustrating
for Kids
Friday March 13
free public events
3:30 – 5:00 R. Gregory Christie | Public book-making activity for children and families
Co-sponsored by the Homewood Arts Council.
5:00 – 6:30 Public Book Signing and Portfolio Show Homewood Public Library
conference attendees only
7:30 – 9:00 Dessert Party Aloft Hotel Lobby
Cake and gluten-free desserts provided; snacks and drinks available for pur-
chase from the hotel
Conference Registration: https://southern-breeze.scbwi.org/events/wik-2020/
Hotel Reservations: Aloft Birmingham Soho Square http://bit.ly/2PFXEpP
8 | SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2020 Click on addresses to open the website!Writing and Illustrating for Kids
Saturday March 14, 2020
Cost: SCBWI Members: $180.00 Non-Members: $215.00
Early Bird Discount $25.00 for registration prior to January 1, 2020!
Unless otherwise noted, all sessions held at the Homewood Public Library.
8:00 – 8:30 AM Registration, Mocha & Mingle, New Attendee Orientation
8:30 – 9:15 Welcome and Pitch Panel
9:30 – 10:15 Breakout one
Rubin Pfeffer and Heather L. Montgomery | A Conversation Between
Agent and Writer
Working with your agent to creatively achieve your goals. Candid commentary
for tips and advice on how to work with an agent for mutual success and respect.
Heather L. Montgomery will join Rubin for this breakout.
Kurestin Armada | Trend Talk
Current trends in publishing including YA/Adult crossover, and how to define what
your market category might be.
Kara Bietz and Sheri Dillard | Nuts and Bolts
The business side of publishing books for young readers, target markets, genre,
typical formats, submitting work to editors and agents, traditional publishing and
indie publishing.
Vanessa Brantley-Newton | My Journey to Becoming an Illustrator
Vanessa Brantley-Newton shares her journey of being a child born during the Civil
Rights movement to becoming an award-winning author-illustrator of multiple
children’s books.
Janice Hardy | Finding the Plot in Your Premise
What starts out as an exciting premise can sometimes leave us banging our heads
against a wall by page fifty, wondering what went wrong. But a little effort before
we start writing can mean the difference between stuck and soaring. In this work-
shop, you’ll learn techniques to test your premise or idea and see if it really does
have what it takes to fill an entire novel. Learn basic plotting tips for both pantsers
and outliners, and discover what you need to start that novel and keep yourself on
track. No matter what your process is, you’ll learn ways to determine if that premise
has the legs to carry the novel in your head. With hands-on exercises, so bring your
laptop or pages!
Conference Registration: https://southern-breeze.scbwi.org/events/wik-2020/
Hotel Reservations: Aloft Birmingham Soho Square http://bit.ly/2PFXEpP
Click on addresses to open the website! SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2020 | 9Writing and Illustrating for Kids
Saturday March 14, 2020
Irene Latham | Writing Tough Subjects
Through a survey of children’s books that explore race and racism, this session will
1) identify strategies for creating books on difficult topics that foster empathy and
tolerance and 2) offer thoughts for discussion on writing PoC while white.
10:30 – 11:15 Breakout two
Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple | Success Stories
Life as a writer, a fireside chat.
Mekisha Telfer | From Submission to Acquisition
Learn about the business of book acquisitions and what editors are doing behind
the scenes between the moment your manuscript lands in their inbox and when
you have an offer in-hand.
Saho Fujii | The Picture Book Illustration Process
The process of making picture books from type samples to reviewing proofs, trends
in the current market and what we look for in artists at Little Brown Books for Young
Readers.
R. Gregory Christie | Drawing on the Masters
Finding inspiration in the work of great artists.
Javacia Harris-Bowser | How to be Your Own PR Pro
How to use blogging, social media, email marketing, and press coverage to build
buzz for your books.
Nathaniel Lachenmeyer | Thinking Graphically
Writing graphic novels.
11:30 – 12:00 PM New Book Launches
12:00 – 1:00 PM Lunch
12:30 – 1:00 PM book signing
Conference Registration: https://southern-breeze.scbwi.org/events/wik-2020/
Hotel Reservations: Aloft Birmingham Soho Square http://bit.ly/2PFXEpP
10 | SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2020 Click on addresses to open the website!Writing and Illustrating for Kids
Saturday March 14, 2020
1:00 – 1:45 Breakout three
Kait Feldman | Picture Book Writing
In this breakout for picture book writers, we’ll examine the ins and outs of effective
picture book text, including elements like rhythm, pacing, and pagination. We’ll
also dip into the POV of the illustrator to understand how the form of the book im-
pacts the reading experience and talk about what’s up with that barrier editors
like to put between the author and illustrator.
Your Regional Team| Making the Most of Your SCBWI Membership
SCBWI has so much to offer if you just know where to look. Find out how your mem-
bership can work for you, from getting published in the Bulletin to improving your
speaker presentations to artwork opportunities and book promotional tips. You
have questions and your Southern Breeze team has all the answers!
Erin Clyburn | Anatomy of a Successful Query
This workshop will take you through the do’s and don’ts of crafting a query letter
that will get the attention of literary agents. From creating the perfect elevator
pitch for your book to knowing what metadata to include to deciding what to put
in your bio, you will learn the basic steps to writing a successful query.
R. Gregory Christie | 3 Essential Things
Have you ever wondered how certain people are able to make it as an artist?
Examine your individual strengths and challenges through drawing exercises. This
hands on creative workshop is a chance to help your art and mind grow as you
find your career longevity by focusing on the three dynamics that I believe are
needed to “make it as an artist”.
Randi Pink | Bringing Characters to Life
Part 1- Create our character. Part 2- Give our character a reason to live. Part 3-
Give our character a world worth living in. Part 4- Write! This workshop takes into
consideration every single participant’s ideas/perspectives. There are never simi-
lar outcomes. In the past, characters created by the class have ranged from a
visually impaired teenage girl to a mid-twenties Russian spy.
Janice Hardy | Public Speaking for Writers who Hate Public Speaking
For many writers, the thought of speaking to a room full of people makes them
break out into a cold sweat. Unfortunately, being an author means at some point,
you’re likely to find yourself in the spotlight. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to
choose events that minimize the fear of speaking in public, tips on shifting focus
off you, and how to stay “in the public eye” even if you never leave your house.
Conference Registration: https://southern-breeze.scbwi.org/events/wik-2020/
Hotel Reservations: Aloft Birmingham Soho Square http://bit.ly/2PFXEpP
Click on addresses to open the website! SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2020 | 11Writing and Illustrating for Kids
Saturday March 14, 2020
2:00 – 2:45 Breakout four
Mekisha Telfer | Voice: How to Turn up the Dial on Voice in Your Novel
How to turn the dial up on voice in your novel and make your characters really
stand out.
Kurestin Armada | Do’s and Don’ts in Communications with Agents
Beyond the pitch and the manuscript—the importance of researching agents/
agencies wish-lists and websites, following query and submission guidelines, and
being prepared for the business side of the business.
Jo Kittinger | Picture Book Pacing
A look at picture book structure and layout, and what keeps the pages turning.
Vanessa Brantley-Newton | An Artist’s Pep Talk
Vanessa Brantley-Newton will take participants through an artistic and meditative
journey to discover what’s blocking your success and give you tools to move you
forward on your creative path.
Laynie Bynum | Creating Believable YA Characters
Creating characters that are realistic and flawed is hard. Creating believable
teenage characters when you are an adult can be even harder. Learn how to
craft characters that teens want to read and avoid the age-gap pitfall.
Heidi E. Y. Stemple | Finding Your Nonfiction Voice
Discover how to find your voice in your nonfiction projects.
3:00 – 4:00 Closing Keynote from retiring RA Claudia Pearson | Door prizes,
and announcements
4:00 – 5:30 formal critiques | Homewood Public Library
4:00 –5:30 informal critiques | Hotel Lobby
Conference Registration: https://southern-breeze.scbwi.org/events/wik-2020/
Hotel Reservations: Aloft Birmingham Soho Square http://bit.ly/2PFXEpP
12 | SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2020 Click on addresses to open the website!Additional Information
pitch Panel
To participate, indicate your interest when registering. Then, between now and the conference, pre-
pare a thirty-second pitch. Participants will be chosen by lottery at the time of the event. We antici-
pate 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 February 10, 2020. PLEASE NOTE: SCBWI Headquarters has opened this optional ac-
tivity 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.
Conference Registration: https://southern-breeze.scbwi.org/events/wik-2020/
Hotel Reservations: Aloft Birmingham Soho Square http://bit.ly/2PFXEpP
Click on addresses to open the website! SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2020 | 13Our Faculty
Rebecca Angus is a Senior Liter- ees interested in having their pages included
ary Agent, and romance author should submit their first two pages (500 words)
who has been working in publish- as a word document attached to an email sent
ing since 2015. She started as an no later than midnight, March 2, addressed to
editorial and submissions intern at SBreezeFirstPages@gmail.com
Entangled in 2014, and from there she moved
into an intern position at Golden Wheat Liter- Saturday breakouts: “Trend Talk” Current trends
ary. After interning on both the publishing side in publishing including YA/Adult crossover, and
and the agent side, she set her sights on be- how to define what your market category
coming a Literary Agent and found her home might be.
at Golden Wheat Literary. “Do’s and Don’ts in Communications with
Rebecca graduated from Texas A&M Univer- Agents” Beyond the pitch and the manuscript
sity and has since continued her education in – the importance of researching agents/agen-
Children’s Literacy and a Master’s degree in cies wish-lists and websites, following query and
Education and Literacy. submission guidelines, and being prepared for
the business side of the business.
Rebecca is excited to work with new authors
and illustrators and is a supporter of diversity Kara Bietz grew up in New Eng-
and inclusion in publishing. She welcomes sub- land but now resides near Atlanta,
missions from authors of all backgrounds. Georgia with her husband, two
kiddos and three dogs. She’s been
Kurestin Armada began her pub- dreaming up stories as long as she
lishing career as an intern with can remember; sometimes she puts them on
Workman Publishing and spent paper and sometimes they just live in her head.
time as an assistant at The Lotts Her first literary credit was a poem about her
Agency before joining P.S. Literary. Dad, published on Father’s Day in her home-
She holds a B.A. in English from Kenyon College, town newspaper when she was 8. Kara is rep-
as well as a publishing certificate from Colum- resented by Courtney Miller-Callihan at Hand-
bia University. Kurestin is based in New York City spun Literary. Her debut novel, Until I Break, was
and spends most of her time in the city’s thriv- released in November, 2016 and is a Spirit of
ing indie bookstores. She reads widely across Texas Reading List selection for 2018. Her next
genres and has a particular affection for sci- novel, Sidelined, is scheduled to release from
ence fiction and fantasy, especially books that Disney/Hyperion in Fall 2020.
recognize and subvert typical tropes of genre
fiction. Saturday breakout: “Nuts and Bolts” The busi-
ness side of publishing books for young read-
Novel Intensive session: “First Pages” Tracing ers, target markets, genre, typical formats, sub-
3 specific elements through example pages, mitting work to editors and agents, traditional
drawing conclusions, and then an exercise publishing and indie publishing.
where attendees trace those elements in their
own work. Pages submitted in advance may
be shared as part of the program. Attend-
Conference Registration: https://southern-breeze.scbwi.org/events/wik-2020/
Hotel Reservations: Aloft Birmingham Soho Square http://bit.ly/2PFXEpP
14 | SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2020 Click on addresses to open the website!Our Faculty
Vanessa Brantley-Newton attend- its way into her art. The children she draws can
ed both SVA and FIT of New York, be seen dancing, wiggling, and moving freely
where she studied fashion and chil- across the page in an expression of happiness.
dren’s illustration. An artist swathed Music is a constant celebration, no matter the
in retro chic, she loves all things vin- occasion, and Vanessa hopes her illustrations
tage—especially books and clothes from the bring joy to others, with the same magic of a
40s through the 60s—and it shines through in beautiful melody.
her designs, which run the gamut of fun and
whimsical to stylish and sophisticated. She Illustrator Day session: “Collaging From The
loves to add unique touches to her work, in- Edge” In this hour long class each student is
cluding mixed media accents, collage, and asked to bring any kind of collage paper they
hand lettering. can find to share. It can be anything from old
newspaper, handmade paper, magazines,
Vanessa was born during the Civil Rights move- books, etc. It can even be something you de-
ment, and attended school in Newark, NJ. Be- signed and printed out. Take the time to find
ing part of a diverse, tight-knit community dur- interesting text or textures and colors.
ing such turbulent times, Vanessa learned the
importance of acceptance and empower- We will have fun sharing papers and adding
ment in shaping a young person’s life. When them to create a one of a kind collage illustra-
she read Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, it was tion. Everyone is asked to bring your own art
the first time she saw herself in a children’s book. supplies, such as scissors, glue sticks, crayons,
It was a defining moment in her life and has markers, pastel, anything you want. We want
made her into the artist she is today. As an illus- you to be comfortable with the supplies that
trator, she includes children of all ethnic back- work for you. You can even do this on your iPad
grounds in her stories and artwork. She wants if you have one. Come ready to be inspired
all children to see their unique experiences re- and stretched to try something new through
flected in the books they read, so they can feel collaging from the edge.
the same sense of empowerment and recog- Supplies needed for this class: Open heart and
nition she experienced as a young reader. mind, a collage paper of your choosing, your
Vanessa celebrates self-love and acceptance own art supplies such as scissors, pens, colored
of all cultures through her work, and hopes to pencils, crayons, watercolor, Gouache, acryl-
inspire young readers to find their own voices. ics, markers, pastels etc. One sketchbook or
She first learned to express herself as a little girl paper to apply your collage to.
through song. Growing up in a musical family, Saturday breakouts: “My Journey to Becoming
Vanessa’s parents taught her how to sing to an Illustrator” Vanessa Brantley-Newton shares
help overcome her stuttering. Each night the her journey of being a child born during the
family would gather to make music together, Civil Rights movement to becoming an award-
with her mom on piano, her dad on guitar, winning author-illustrator of multiple children’s
and Vanessa and her sister, Coy, singing the books.
blues, gospel, spirituals, and jazz. Now when-
ever she illustrates, music fills the air and finds
Conference Registration: https://southern-breeze.scbwi.org/events/wik-2020/
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Click on addresses to open the website! SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2020 | 15Our Faculty
“An Artist’s Pep Talk” Vanessa Brantley-Newton ples will be shown of the aesthetic of art by
will take participants through an artistic and artists such as Basquiat and Caravaggio with
meditative journey to discover what’s blocking the goal of appreciation for the “it factor”.
your success and give you tools to move you Discipline. It’s the focus needed and organiza-
forward on your creative path. tional ideas that are helpful to friends and col-
leagues. Luck. Good or bad, luck is the idea
Laynie Bynum is a Young Adult au- that things happen beyond your control after
thor from Birmingham, Alabama. you’ve set some things into place. We’ll also
Her full length debut, Adeline’s Aria, address the statement “The Harder you work...
released in February 2020 and her the luckier you are.” Overall the workshop is
short fiction has appeared widely a means to check or reaffirm one’s thinking. I
in various box sets and anthologies. When she personally believe that artists fail or succeed
isn’t crafting characters who reflect her never- based upon their mindset. One way of thinking
ending wanderlust and love of music, she is is to understand that everyone has 4 walls so
the Marketing Manager at Magnolia Press and there’s a potential to sell some art. The lecture
the Vice President of Communications for the will focus on selling to the public while waiting
Young Adult chapter of Romance Writers of on that book deal.
America.
“Drawing on the Masters” Finding inspiration in
Saturday breakout: “Creating Believable YA the work of great artists.
Characters” Creating characters that are re-
alistic and flawed is hard. Creating believable Lisa Churchill is a retired K-12
teenage characters when you are an adult school librarian in Birmingham,
can be even harder. Learn how to craft char- Alabama, where she created,
acters that teens want to read and avoid the planned, and prepared successful
age-gap pitfall. library programs, which included
author visits. She graduated from the University
R. Gregory Christie is a Multi-Award of Montevallo in 1980, with a bachelors degree
winning illustrator of more than 60 in Speech and Theater and a minor in Eng-
children’s books. Owner of GAS- lish. After graduation she taught speech and
ART GIFTS a traveling autographed coached debate. She enjoyed many hours in
children’s bookstore, based in libraries teaching and guiding her students to
Georgia, offering products and art services to that perfect piece of literature. She witnessed
groups. numerous students have that “aha moment,”
Saturday breakouts: “Three Essential Things Il- and the aha moments are what led her to pur-
lustrators Should Know” Have you ever won- sue a masters in Library Science. In 1984 she
dered how certain people are able to make became a high school librarian; in 1986 she
it as an artist? This hands on creative workshop was an elementary librarian; and in 1988 she
is a chance to help your art and mind grow as moved and remained a middle school librar-
you find your career longevity by focusing on ian until retirement in 2010.
the three dynamics that I believe are needed
to “make it as an artist”. Craftsmanship. Sam-
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16 | SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2020 Click on addresses to open the website!Our Faculty
During her career she won the Carrie C. Rob- Sheri Dillard has been a preschool
inson Award for having “Alabama’s Outstand- teacher for several years and now
ing School Library Program 1989,” which was is a preschool librarian. When she
given at the annual A.E.A. state convention; was teaching, storytime was her
she was asked twice to present at AASL (Amer- favorite part of the day, so when
ican Association of School Librarians) national she was offered the spot of librarian, she hap-
conference, first in 1990 - Baltimore and then pily took it!
in 2005 - Pittsburgh; and she was named a Na-
tional Board Certified Library Media Special- She’s also a writer. Her work has appeared in
ist in 2007. She has received local, state, and Highlights, and she’s also written nonfiction for
national recognition for two of her library pro- the school and library market. Cowhide-And-
grams, “Readers Meet Writers in the Middle” Seek is her first book.
and “Readers and Writers Review.” Sheri lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband
Pro Intensive session: “Best School Visits Ever!” Mark, three sons, and a 100-pound puppy
10 things you can do to ensure students are named Captain.
engaged when you visit. Christy Ewers has been rooted in
Erin Clyburn is an Associate Literary the children’s literature industry
Agent at The Jennifer De Chiara since her mother, Chris, started the
Literary Agency. She has worked in CAT agency in 1994, and joined as
the book and publishing industries an agent in 2013. Although Christy
for nearly 15 years, as copy editor is not an artist herself, art has been a huge part
and recipe editor for Meredith and general of her life and career, even before joining the
manager and director of collection develop- agency. With a degree in English/Journalism
ment for Turtleback Books. She received her and over a decade of experience in various
BA in English Literature from Mississippi State creative fields, Christy offers a different per-
University and her MA in Children’s Literature spective to the agency, while maintaining the
from Hollins University. enthusiasm and love that her mother brings to
the industry. She works closely with the entire
Saturday breakout: “Anatomy of a Successful “family” of artists, spearheading the promotion
Query” This workshop will take you through the and deals for CAT Agency illustrators, as well as
do’s and don’ts of crafting a query letter that working alongside the authors in the group to
will get the attention of literary agents. From help craft their stories and hone their writing for
creating the perfect elevator pitch for your young readers.
book to knowing what metadata to include to
deciding what to put in your bio, you will learn Aside from writing, her interests include running
the basic steps to writing a successful query. long distances, seaside escapes, very hot cof-
fee and pitbulls. Christy is—hilariously enough
—a dog person.
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Click on addresses to open the website! SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2020 | 17Our Faculty
Kait Feldman is an Editor at Or- Saturday Breakout: “Picture Book Writing” In this
chard Books, an imprint of Scho- breakout for picture book writers, we’ll exam-
lastic, where she is building a list of ine the ins and outs of effective picture book
picture books and graphic novels. text, including elements like rhythm, pacing,
and pagination. We’ll also dip into the POV of
She joined Scholastic in May of 2014 the illustrator to understand how the form of
and gained editorial experience assisting Ex- the book impacts the reading experience and
ecutive Editors Tracy Mack, Michael di Capua, talk about what’s up with that barrier editors
Cheryl Klein, and Andrea Davis Pinkney. A few like to put between the author and illustrator.
of the titles she assisted on include Newbery
Honor-winner Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan, New Saho Fujii is a senior art director at
York Times-bestseller The Marvels by Brian Sel- Little, Brown Books for Young Read-
znick, and The Tales of Beedle the Bard: The ers. She has designed a wide range
Illustrated Edition by J.K. Rowling, with new il- of books including picture books,
lustrations by Lisbeth Zwerger. She also worked board books, activity and novelty
for Arthur A. Levine Books from November 2018 books, middle grade and young adult novels.
until its dissolvement in April 2019. She currently oversees the LBYR’s picture book
list. She has worked with many award-winning
Kait is a founding member of People of Color in illustrators including Jerry Pinkney, Javaka Step-
Publishing, the founder and chair of the Scho- toe, Sophie Blackall, Molly Idle, Bryan Collier,
lastic Diversity Committee, and a member of Mordicai Gerstein and John Rocco. She lives
the Diverse BookFinder Advisory Council. in New York City. http://sahofujii.squarespace.
She was born in Orlando, Florida; raised in com.
Los Angeles, California; and now resides in a Illustrators Day sessions: “Cover Design/Illustra-
hoarder’s paradise in Brooklyn, New York, sur- tion in depth” A cover is the most important
rounded by books. part of the book as that is the first thing that the
Follow her on Twitter @kaitfeldmann. potential buyer would see when they walk into
stores. In this presentation, I will talk about what
Illustrators Day session: “Reading Images: Com- goes into making covers that stand out from
ponents of Visual Storytelling” In this breakout the crowd.
geared towards illustrators and author-illustra-
tors, we will cover some exciting ways to use “Mentorship Review: Book Cover Projects”
art as a narrative form. Come hungry to feast Little, Brown and Company Art Director, Saho
your eyes on lots of picture books and graphic Fujii, will present a picture book cover art work-
novels that play with components like page- shop to wrap-up our annual Illustration Mentor-
turn, gutter, white space, paneling, perspec- ship. Each participant was tasked to create
tive, color, and more! a book cover based on a classic fable. Saho
will review the final work of this year’s mentees
Novel Intensive session: “Q & A Roundtable” in front of the audience allowing everyone to
A casual, candid conversation with editor Kait come away with nuggets on how to create
Feldman eye-catching book covers.
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18 | SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2020 Click on addresses to open the website!Saturday breakout: “The Picture Book Process” el: Ideas and Structure, and the Revising Your
In this presentation, I will go over the process Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft series
of making picture books from type samples to
reviewing proofs. I will also talk about trends in Novel Intensive session: “Plot, Setting, Scene:
the current market and what we look for in art- Building a Strong Foundation for Your Novel”
ists at Little Brown Books for Young Readers. Stories might be about characters, but those
characters need things to do and places to do
Javacia Harris-Bowser is the found- them in. Creating a compelling plot with strong
er of See Jane Write, an award- conflicts played out in an interesting setting is
winning website and community half of writing a great novel, and the founda-
for women who write and blog. tion for your entire story. In this workshop, writ-
She is also a prolific blogger and ers will learn how to use internal and external
freelance writer with nearly 20 years of journal- conflicts to plot, and how to tell if they need a
ism experience. A proud graduate of the jour- character arc or not. They’ll also learn tricks to
nalism programs at the University of Alabama bring their setting to life, discover how to use
and the University of California at Berkeley, background details to enhance the setting,
Bowser has written for a number of local and and show, not tell, their story world. And finally,
national media outlets including USA Today, they’ll dig deep into the mechanics of scene
Good Grit magazine, Birmingham magazine, and its troublesome partner, the sequel, and
The Birmingham Times, B-Metro magazine, and learn how to use this pairing to drive the story
Birmingham’s NPR affiliate WBHM 90.3 FM. For and create plots (and novels) readers won’t
10 years Javacia also worked as an educa- be able to walk away from. This workshop is
tor at the Alabama School of Fine Arts before packed full of exercises, so bring your laptop
leaving the classroom to pursue writing and and pages.
entrepreneurship full-time.
Saturday break outs: “Finding the Plot in Your
Saturday breakout: “How to Be Your Own PR Premise” What starts out as an exciting prem-
Pro” How to use blogging, social media, email ise can sometimes leave us banging our heads
marketing, and press coverage to build buzz against a wall by page fifty, wondering what
for your books. went wrong. But a little effort before we start
writing can mean the difference between
Janice Hardy is the award-winning stuck and soaring. In this workshop, you’ll learn
author of the teen fantasy trilogy techniques to test your premise or idea and see
The Healing Wars, including The if it really does have what it takes to fill an entire
Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall from novel. Learn basic plotting tips for both pants-
Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. She also ers and outliners, and discover what you need
writes the Grace Harper series for adults under to start that novel and keep yourself on track.
the name J.T. Hardy. When she’s not writing No matter what your process is, you’ll learn
fiction, she runs the popular writing site Fiction ways to determine if that premise has the legs
University and has written multiple books on to carry the novel in your head. With hands-on
writing, including Understanding Show, Don’t exercises, so bring your laptop or pages!
Tell (And Really Getting It), Plotting Your Nov-
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Click on addresses to open the website! SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2020 | 19“Public Speaking for Writers who Hate Pub- Irene Latham lives on a lake in ru-
lic Speaking” For many writers, the thought of ral Alabama. Winner of the 2016
speaking to a room full of people makes them ILA Lee Bennett Hopkins Promis-
break out into a cold sweat. Unfortunately, be- ing Poet Award, she is the author
ing an author means at some point, you’re like- of hundreds of poems and nearly
ly to find yourself in the spotlight. In this work- twenty current and forthcoming poetry, fic-
shop, you’ll learn how to choose events that tion and picture books from publishers includ-
minimize the fear of speaking in public, tips on ing Penguin Random House, Macmillan, Le-
shifting focus off you, and how to stay “in the rner, Boyds Mills Kane, and Charlesbridge. Her
public eye” even if you never want to leave books have been recognized on state lists and
your house. honored by NEA, ALA, NCTE, SIBA, Bank Street
College and other organizations.
Jo S. Kittinger has authored more
than 35 books for children—fiction Saturday breakout: “Writing About Race and
and non-fiction, picture books, easy Racism” Through a survey of children’s books
readers, and middle grade nonfic- that explore race and racism, this session will
tion. Most notably her picture book 1) identify strategies for creating books on dif-
The House on Dirty-Third Street (Peachtree Pub- ficult topics that foster empathy and tolerance
lishers) was honored with a Christopher Award and 2) offer thoughts for discussion on writing
and an ALA Social Justice Literature Award. PoC while white.
Another picture book, Rosa’s Bus: The Ride to
Civil Rights (Calkins Creek Books), received a Heather L. Montgomery writes
Crystal Kite award from the SCBWI. Jo loves ad- for kids who are wild about ani-
venture and being out in nature! mals. Her subjects range from snail
tongues to snake lungs. An award-
Saturday breakout: “Picture Book Pacing” winning educator, Heather uses
yuck appeal to engage young minds. She has
Nathaniel Lachenmeyer is an a B.S. in biology and an M.S. in environmental
award-winning author of books for education.
children and adults. His published
books include The Outsider, The Since joining SCBWI, Heather has published 15
Origami Master, Octopus Escapes! nonfiction books. Recent titles include: Bugs
and Broken Beaks. His first all-ages graphic nov- Don’t Hug: Six-Legged Parents and Their Kids
el, The Singing Rock & Other Brand-New Fairy (Charlesbridge), Little Monsters of the Ocean:
Tales, was published in 2019 by First Second/ Metamorphosis Under the Waves (Millbrook
Macmillan. Visit his web site at www.Nathani- Press), and Something Rotten: A Fresh Look at
elLachenmeyer.com to learn more about him. Roadkill (Bloomsbury), which is an NCTE Orbis
Pictus Recommended Book, a Junior Library
Saturday breakout: “Thinking Graphically” Writ- Guild Selection, and a VOYA Nonfiction Honor
ing graphic novels Award Winner.
Heather credits her knowledge of the industry
to SCBWI. She has been a Local Liaison, the As-
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20 | SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2020 Click on addresses to open the website!sistant Regional Advisor, and (currently) the PAL and role of literary agents in Children’s Books
coordinator. During volunteer duties for Southern Publishing at such venues as Simmons College
Breeze, Heather met the distinguished agent Ru- Masters Programs, the Highlights Foundation,
bin Pfeffer who now represents her work. Learn Syracuse University, Fashion Institute of Tech-
more at www.HeatherLMontgomery.com. nology, and the SCBWI.
Saturday breakout (with Rubin Pfeffer): “A Con- Illustrators Day session: “Let’s Dissect some
versation between Agent and Writer” Work- Dummies” Rubin will discuss the value of dum-
ing with your agent to creatively achieve your mies in the context of the submission and ac-
goals. Candid commentary for tips and advice quisition process for picture books, look at ac-
on how to work with an agent for mutual suc- tual dummies as they evolved from thumbnails,
cess and respect. Heather L. Montgomery will and dig into submissions and how the dummy
join Rubin for this breakout. was used as a key component.
Rubin Pfeffer served as President Pro Intensive session: “Q&A with Rubin” No
and Publisher of Harcourt Brace question will be turned down. Anything goes!
Jovanovich Trade, working with
world-renowned writers and illus- Saturday breakout (with Heather L. Montgom-
trators of Adult and Children’s lit- ery): “A Conversation between Agent and
erature including Alice Walker, Umberto Eco, Writer” Working with your agent to creatively
Virginia Hamilton, Wendell Minor, Don and achieve your goals. Candid commentary for
Audrey Wood, Janell Cannon, among many tips and advice on howto work with an agent
others. As SVP and Chief Creative Officer of for mutual success and respect. Heather L.
Pearson, Inc. Pfeffer coordinated programs Montgomery will join Rubin for this breakout.
between the Penguin imprints and Pearson’s Randi Pink is a young adult novel-
educational products and services. Later, he ist. Pink’s debut novel, Into White,
joined Simon & Schuster as SVP and Publisher dares to discuss race, one of Amer-
of Children’s Books overseeing such fine im- ica’s most difficult subjects, without
prints as S&S BFYR, Atheneum, McElderry Books tiptoeing around common stereo-
and the launching of Beach Lane Books. types and biases. Pink’s second novel, Girls
Pfeffer founded Rubin Pfeffer Content, LLC, Like Us, weaves a heart-wrenching narrative
a literary agency focused on children’s con- through multiple perspectives that examines
tent, representing industry luminaries, award- life before Roe v. Wade. Girls Like Us hit shelves
winners, and exciting new talents. Among his fall 2019. Randi Pink leverages her unique ex-
distinguished clients are Susan Cooper, Patri- perience with her southern roots when she
cia MacLachlan, Ekua Holmes, Carole Boston writes. She lives in Birmingham with her hus-
Weatherford, Steven Kellogg, Marion Dane band, daughter and rescue pups.
Bauer, Arree Chung, Elana K. Arnold, and oth- Saturday breakout: “Bringing Characters to
ers whose many books are in the publishing Life” Part 1- Create our character. Part 2- Give
pipeline as we speak. He is based in the Boston our character a reason to live. Part 3- Give our
area and speaks about the publishing industry character a world worth living in. Part 4- Write!
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Click on addresses to open the website! SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2020 | 21This workshop takes into consideration every Mekisha Telfer is an associate edi-
single participant’s ideas/perspectives. There tor at Roaring Brook Press, where
are never similar outcomes. In the past, char- she is building a list of picture books,
acters created by the class have ranged from middle-grade, and young adult
a visually impaired teenage girl to a mid-twen- novels. She got her start in publish-
ties Russian spy. ing in 2014 as an editorial assistant with Simon
and Schuster BFYR/Salaam reads and has also
Heidi E. Y. Stemple didn’t want to worked briefly at Glasstown Entertainment.
be a writer when she grew up. In Some titles she’s had the privilege of working
fact, after she graduated from col- on include the New York Times bestselling Emer-
lege, she became a probation offi- gency Contact by Mark H. K. Choi, I Wanna Be
cer in Florida. It wasn’t until she was Where You Are by Kristina Forest, Born to Fly by
28 years old that she gave in and joined her Steve Sheinkin, and We Are Water Protectors by
mother, author Jane Yolen and both her broth- Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Michaela
ers in the family business. Since then, she has Goade. Mekisha is committed to supporting un-
published 20 books as well as numerous short represented voices and is always on the hunt
stories and poems, mostly for children. Heidi for character-driven stories with a mix of humor
lives on an old tobacco farm in western Massa- and heart.
chusetts where she writes, reads, cooks, sews,
and once a year, calls and counts owls for the Pro Intensive sessions: “Raising the Stakes”
Audubon Christmas Bird Count. Working With Editors: How can authors and
publishing professionals communicate more ef-
Picture Book Intensive (Taught with Jane Yo- fectively? What sort of relationship should you
len): “Picture Book 101” Morning: Jane and expect with an editor? An editor or agent likes
Heidi talk about the basics of creating a pic- your work, but she asks you to make changes in
ture book, from beginning to end. How to el- it. Should you do it? Can you push back? What
evate your picture book manuscript by looking if the editor doesn’t get the cultural content in
at the nuts and bolts of the form itself. the book?
Afternoon: How to Make Your Picture Book “The Hope of Every Child” A session on writing/
More Poetic: What is the difference between illustrating for all children including how to han-
a poem and a poetic picture book? Can you dle characters outside your culture, gender, re-
make your poem into a picture book? And, ligion etc.
how do you make your ordinary text more po-
etic, lyrical, and ready to stand out? Saturday breakouts: “From Submission to Acqui-
sition” Learn about the business of book acqui-
Homework: Bring a manuscript that isn’t working sitions and what editors are doing behind the
and one that is either a poem trying to be a pic- scenes between the moment your manuscript
ture book or a text that is trying to be more poetic. lands in their inbox and when you have an offer
Saturday breakout: “Finding Your Nonfiction in-hand.
Voice” “Voice” How to turn the dial up on voice in your
novel and make your characters really stand out.
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22 | SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2020 Click on addresses to open the website!Jane Yolen, often called “the Hans Picture Book Intensive (Taught with Heidi E.Y.
Christian Andersen of America,” Stemple): “Picture Book 101” Morning: Jane
celebrated her 365th published and Heidi talk about the basics of creating a
book in 2018. Her works, which picture book, from beginning to end. How to
range from very young rhymed elevate your picture book manuscript by look-
picture books to novels for adults and every ing at the nuts and bolts of the form itself.
genre in between, have won an assortment of
awards including two Nebulas, a World Fanta- Afternoon: How to Make Your Picture Book
sy Award, a Caldecott, the Golden Kite, three More Poetic: What is the difference between
Mythopoeic awards, two Christopher Medals, a poem and a poetic picture book? Can you
the Jewish Book Award, the Kerlan Award, and make your poem into a picture book? And,
the Catholic Library’s Regina Medal, as well as how do you make your ordinary text more po-
six honorary doctorates from six different col- etic, lyrical, and ready to stand out?
leges and universities. She lives in Massachu- Homework: Bring a manuscript that isn’t work-
setts in the winter and Scotland in the summer. ing and one that is either a poem trying to be a
She writes every day. One of her awards set picture book or a text that is trying to be more
her good coat on fire. poetic.
Saturday break out: “Success Stories – life as a
writer, a fireside chat” (with Heidi Stemple).
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Click on addresses to open the website! SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2020 | 23Critiques
Formal critiques
Cost: $45.00
Submission Deadline: February 10, 2020
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.
• 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
•Picture book dummies must be submitted as jpg or pdf files with two pages per image (double
spreads - first and last pages can be single images)
•Graphic novels with images should be submitted as jpg or pdf files, with maximum of 10 pdf im-
ages. Images can be double spreads.
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 Cri-
tique - [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.
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24 | SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Conference 2020 Click on addresses to open the website!You can also read
