MEMBERS AREA
(coming soon)

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The 13th Annual Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators Fall Philly Conference 2005

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Building Success

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**SOLD OUT**

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Saturday, September 17, 2005
8:15 am - 5:00 pm
Whitford Country Club, Exton, PA

Featured Speakers
David Lubar, Author
Donna Jo Napoli, Author
Matt Novak, Author/Illustrator
Adam Oldaker, Cricket Magazine
Sarah Shumway, Dutton Children’s Books
Tracy Shaw, Little, Brown & Company
Kristin Daly, HarperCollins
Kate Harrison, Harcourt Children’s Books

Registration
From 8:15 to 8:45 am in the Lobby of the Whitford Country Club. As the Whitford is an exclusive club, please honor their dress policy by not wearing jeans. Books by our speakers will be available for purchase throughout the day.

Conference Fees
$90 - SCBWI Member, Please bring membership card to registration
$100 - Non-Member

Optional Critique/Review
Critiques and portfolio reviews will be scheduled throughout the day and will last 15 minutes.

Writers: limit one ms, 10 pages maximum (plus a one page synopsis for longer works).

Illustrators: bring portfolio to the conference. Assigned time, location, and reviewer will be posted at registration. Critiques start promptly at 9a.m.

Make check for $40 payable to: SCBWI, Eastern PA Chapter, and send fee, email address, plus manuscript (writers) and fee only (illustrators) to:

Cheri Hinchman Widzowski
805 Graystone Lane,
Downingtown, PA 19335.

Space is limited; apply early. Deadline is August 15, 2005. Critique questions, contact Cheri at: hinchmanwidzowski@worldnet.att.net.

Dress Code
The Whitford Country Club is a private club and enforces a dress code, which means that blue jeans are not permissible. Casual dress is fine. Denim shirts, etc. are okay, but blue jeans are a big NO NO.

Informal Redeye Critique
Meet for dinner at 5:00 p.m. on Friday evening, September 16th, and then gather in small groups to critique quality peer manuscripts and portfolios. The input is priceless and FREE. Register by August 20, 2005 by emailing your name, address, telephone number, and story type to Marji Ackerman, at ackvitfam@aol.com. Artists should contact Linda Rodgers at LINCAD1@aol.com.

Scholarship/Free-For-All Raffle

Raffle donations generate funds to sponsor scholarships based on need and quality of work to upcoming conferences, other events and worthy causes during the year. Gifts are not limited to books. All donations are most welcome. For questions, contact Raffle Coordinator, Wendy Greenley at wgreenley@comcast.net.

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Distinguished Speakers & Schedule

8:50 - 9:00 Welcome
Cathy Giordiano, Conference Director

9:00 - 9:50 Matt Novak “Pull the Weeds and Make a Great Impression.”

Matt Novak will discuss where some of his ideas came from and how you can nurture and help great ideas to grow. Attendees will learn the process of creating a professional picture book dummy for submission to a publisher and also some tips on submissions.

10:00 - 10:50 Breakout Session I

• Sarah Shumway – “Breaking Ground: Keys to Getting Started Sarah will discuss what every beginner needs to know to understand the publishing world including house preferences, query letters, understanding rejection letters, submission etiquette, and a brief overview of the publishing process.
  
• Donna Jo Napoli - “Framing your story: Research makes it solid.” Two primary reasons for doing research are character motivation and vividness. Characters don't exist in a void; they are the product of their culture. In order to motivate their behavior, the author must invite the reader to understand their world. And in order to allow the reader to experience their emotions, the author must give the sensations the characters perceive in their world. Research provides the bones that support the flesh our readers want to inhabit temporarily.

11:00 - 12:00 Authors Panel
“A Writer’s Toolbox.” Our panel of talented authors will share the tools to their success. This is your chance to pick their brains and ask, “How do you do that?”

12:00 - 1:15 Lunch
After some brief announcements, enjoy a delicious buffet lunch served on site at Whitford Country Club (cost included in your registration fee).

1:15 - 2:00 Adam Oldaker – “Scaling the Tower of Success: Practical Tips for the Children’s Magazine Market.”

Do you want editors to take you and your work seriously? Do you feel as though this goal is out of reach? It doesn’t have to be! With an insider’s perspective, you might just learn a few tips for scaling the tower of success. Join Associate Editor, Adam Oldaker, of the Cricket Magazine Group, as he discusses some "dos and don’ts" of the children's magazine market and provides practical writing and research tips.

2:10 - 3:00 Breakout Session II

• Tracy Shaw- “Blueprints of a Picture Book.” Tracy will describe the role of a graphic designer, the process of making a book, and tips for illustrators on how to get published.
  
• David Lubar – “Home Improvement: The Nuts and Bolts of Revision.” Writing is just the beginning. Revision is where the real magic happens. This workshop offers a close-up look at the art and craft of getting it right the second (or the ninth) time.

3:10 - 4:10 Editors’ Panel – “Knowing the Right House.”

Sarah Shumway, Adam Oldaker, Tracy Shaw, Kate Harrison and Kristin Daly will describe their house’s needs, discuss issues relevant to authors and illustrators touching on what is needed to successfully publish your work. A Question & Answer period will follow.

4:10-4:30 Scholarship Raffle

4:30 - 5:00 Autographs & Goodbyes

Cathy Giordiano, Conference Director
Philip Tietbohl, Assistant Regional Advisor
Laurie Krauss Kiernan, Regional Advisor

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Faculty Biographies

Kristin Daly is an Editor at HarperCollins Children’s Books, where she has worked for three years. She specializes in picture books and easy-to-read books (fiction and nonfiction) at all levels, and would also love to find a great early chapter book series to edit.

Kate Harrison is an Editor at Harcourt Children's Books, where she has worked for the last 5-1/2 years. She publishes everything, from picture books to middle grade and young adult fiction.

David Lubar writes novels and short stories for teens and young readers. His books include Hidden Talents, Dunk, and In the Land of the Lawn Weenies. Curious folks are invited to visit www.davidlubar.com for more information.

Donna Jo Napoli is a professor of linguistics, and has published over 50 children’s books. She has three degrees from Harvard and a postdoc from MIT, none of which have stopped her from making every mistake an aspiring writer can make. She wants to spare you making those same mistakes.

Matt Novak has been writing and illustrating picture books for almost 20 years including Flip Flop Bop, The Pillow War, The Last Christmas Present, and Elmer Blunt’s Open House. His Mouse TV was a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and Newt received an IRA Children’s Choice Award.

Adam Oldaker is an Associate Editor of the Cricket Magazine Group in Peru, Illinois. He evaluates and edits manuscripts for Cricket and Cicada, oversees the production of four Cricket issues a year, and serves as book review editor for the magazines.

Tracy Shaw began her publishing carreer in the production department of Bulfinch Press. She eagerly transitioned over to children's books and began her role as a Designer for Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Sarah Shumway is Assistant Editor at Dutton Children’s Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group. Her acquisitions include YA and upper-middle grade novels, and picture book fiction and non-fiction.

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Lodging/Directions

Arrangements have been made for a special SCBWI member rate of $94 at the Inn at Chester Springs located in Downingtown/Exton, 610-363-1100. The Inn is a few miles from Whitford. The price includes a complimentary continental breakfast. (Additional coupons may be purchased for $5) Register by August 18, 2005 or earlier to guarantee this rate.

Directions to The Inn at Chester Springs

• From the Pennsylvania Turnpike
  Take PA Turnpike to Exit #312 (Downingtown - Exton, Route 100). After the tollbooth take Route 100 South (Pottstown Pike). Go through two traffic lights and past the Inn on your left. At the next light (Gordon), take the jug handle left on Route 100 North
  
• From I-95
  Take I-95 South to Route 322 West (West Chester). Follow Route 322 West to Route 1 South. Make a left onto Route 1 South and follow it one mile to route 202 North. Take 202 North to the Route 100 Exit (Exton). Follow Route 100 North through the intersection of Route 100 and Gordon Drive. The Inn at Chester Springs is on the right.

Directions to Whitford Country Club

From the The Inn at Chester Springs, take 100 North. At the intersection of Route 100 and Route 113, make a left onto Route 113 South. Continue on Route 113 South through 4 traffic lights (about 2 miles). At the fifth light (Wawa on right and Kindercare on left), turn left onto Whitford Hills Road. Follow Whitford Hills Road for one-quarter mile. Whitford Country Club will be on your right.

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