Read, Write, Repeat.

I just got back from a great Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) conference in Bettendorf, Iowa. As always, the conference was full of great tips from editors, agents, writers and attendees.

And, as always, my note-taking skills could not keep up with all the great advice, but here are some highlights and quotable moments.

Brett Wright, assistant editor, Bloomsbury USA

• On his presentation: “I have no PowerPoint, so you’re going to have to look at me. I did shower this morning. You’re welcome.”
• On plotting: “Ask yourself, ‘What warrants a novel in your character’s life?’ If it’s a common what — like moving to a new house or dealing with a loss — it needs a fresh twist or it won’t stand out.”
• On e-books and apps: “At this point, we are looking at every book we acquire as at least going into an e-book.”
• On trends: “Paranormal has been a really saturated part of market. Chapter books are under-represented in the market, but they can be hard to write. They need a strong series appeal.”
• On what he wants to see: “If you can write something that’s Newbery-worthy, that would be perfect.”
• On how he reviews content: “I usually commit to reading the first 20 pages of a manuscript before I decide if I want to keep reading or if it’s a polite ‘no’ for me.”
• On authors having a Web presence: “I think if it’s something you enjoy and can do, it’s helpful. But you shouldn’t do it at the expense of writing your books.”

Marilyn Brigham, editor, Marshall Cavendish / Amazon Children’s Publishing

• On her acquisitions philosophy: “We’re a huge slush-pile publisher. We really love to build talent.”
• On why you should want your book published with her: “A benefit of being a Marshall Cavendish author is that you will be loved.”
• On her reaction when she found out Amazon was purchasing Marshall Cavendish: “I was a little worried at first. Then, I realized, who wouldn’t want to purchase Marshall Cavendish? We so rock.”
• On what she wants to acquire: “No board books. We don’t need picture books or young adults. We do need solid middle-grade fiction and chapter book series. Chapter books should have a strong voice, strong characters and a marketing hook. What will make it sell?”
• On writing overall: “Stories are everywhere.”
• On authors having a Web presence: “By the time a book comes out, they have to have a Web page. That and being active on one other form of social media — Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or a blog — are a good place to start.”

Kari Pearson, editorial assistant, Abrams

• On submitting and acquisitions: “You can’t always predict what will be quite right for someone. There’s always an element of surprise. I like that about publishing. You can’t always account for taste.”
• On waiting to hear back from publishers: “It’s like throwing your life’s work into a black hole or off a cliff. You have to hang out while a group of mystery people think about your work. Any number of things might run through your head during this time because you’ve got lots of time to think about it.”
• On cover letters: “A lot of cover letters sound like a robot sent them in. Feel free to add a little of your personality.”
• On editors: “I think editors are excitable in general. We like to get excited about work.” And, “Editors are creative as well. They love finding that diamond in the rough and helping others see it’s a diamond and not a cubic zirconia.” And, “Editors are really easily confused.”
• On authors having a Web presence: “I went with a friend to hear an author I didn’t know speak. There were teens there who were really excited and dressed in costumes from her books. One of them said, ‘I love her Twitter feed.’ Based on that, they felt like, on some level, she was a friend of theirs.”

Ty King, junior agent, Writers’ House (Who likes to speak barefoot.)

• On her passions: “I’ve always been a lover of story.” And, “Oddly enough, I really love contracts.”
• On being professional: “This is a personal industry. But sooner or later, you and your work become a commodity. So be very present in the process. You don’t want to be the weak link in the chain.”
• On giving back: “Most successful authors do what they can to be good citizens of the children’s book world.”
• On book sales: “Not every book is a New York Times best-seller or an award winner. Every book has its own path. Some are quieter. Some build slowly over time.”
• On tenacity: “The quick and painless path to publications stardom doesn’t exist.”
• On being an informed writer: “We should allow ourselves to be genuinely consumed and curious about what’s going on in the industry. We should be conversant in the world of children’s literature.”
• On revision: “Your first draft is not the draft you show anyone. You put that draft in the bottom left drawer of your desk and let it sit there in shame. Then, you write your second and third drafts. then you show your critique group and get an outside opinion. You don’t show an editor or agent at this stage. You show your writing group. Only send your best most polished work to an editor or agent.”

Jan Blazanin, young adult author of A and L Do Summer and Fairest of Them All

• On backstory: “Every character had a life before your story began. And that story influenced who they are in your story. Even if that backstory doesn’t appear in the novel you write.”
• On character development: I write characters sketches for all my characters because my memory is not that good. That way, I can go back and check things like what color her eyes are supposed to be or what kind of a car he drives.”
• On your protagonist: “She should have a need or want so strong that she keeps going no matter what.” And, “She should be a good person at the core. She may not always do good things or make good decisions, but there should be a reason that people can understand.”
• On writing about your main character’s nemesis: “Your antagonist is not all evil. Some of the scariest antagonists are ones who think they are actually doing good in some way.”

Peter Pearson, conference attendee, Hamline graduate student, techonology guru and wearer of cool children’s literature T-shirts:

• On Facebook: “Facebook is what you do when you don’t want to be doing other things.”
• On Freedom, an online tool that lets you temporarily block Internet access so you can focus on things like writing: “It’s like going back to the 1980s. It’s a useful tool for holding the dogs of the Internet at bay.”

Picture book author Wendy Heinrichs also spoke, but her presentation was at the same time as another one, so I could not attend both. If you’d like to learn more one of Wendy’s books, you can read this review.

Thanks to all the speakers and the conference planners and attendees!