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ŠKristen Kofsky, www.kristenkofsky.com

TRADE WINDS, VOLUME 13-2 Spring 2003
CONTENTS

From Our Co-Regional Advisors--Lynne Wikoff and Sue Cowing
NEWS YOU CAN USE
Beginning to Write for Children
Writing Workshop with Amy Novesky
Breakfast with David Shannon and Allen Say
Allen Say to Appear on the Big Island
Kumu Kahua Theatre & Honolulu Theatre for Youth
Lee & Low New Voices Award
Critique Group Wanted
A "Feast" for the Eyes and Ears: February Conference--Norma Gorst and Dorothea S. Hyde
Following Up on Your Manuscript Submissions--Advice from Viking Editor Elizabeth Law
Market Information
New Links--Submission guidelines and online resources
Kudos and Kredits . . .
EndNotes

A sample article from our recent issue of Trade Winds is posted below.

A "Feast" for the Eyes and Ears: February Conference

SCBWI-Hawaii's most recent conference, held Saturday, February 22 at the Oahu Country Club, offered close to 50 attendees superlative views of Nuuanu Valley and a rich and varied feast of information and advice from children's book professionals. Here's a summary of the program.

Jim Rumford, Author/Illustrator, on Picture Book Biographies (PBBs)

Photo courtesy of E. Shan Correa

Rumford, whose publishing credits continue to grow in number and variety (TRAVELING MAN; THERE'S A MONSTER IN THE ALPHABET; SEEKER OF KNOWLEDGE) describes PBBs as 32-page picture books that tell a person's story.

Picture book biographies, although they can't contain every detail of a life, can be a child's training ground for information gathering. Children memorize details from pictures, he added, while adults will concentrate on the words. The PB life stories do not have to be encyclopedic, but should be stepping stones to further reading, so a good bibliography is important.

How can a writer craft a good PBB? Here are some of Jim's ideas:

• Read, read, read as many books on your subject as you can.
• While reading, search for a picture symbol as well as a word metaphor on which to hang the story. For children, a picture will have greater appeal.
• Be careful to reconcile contradictory facts you find while reading. Discrepancies creep in and are reiterated in later versions of the life and then are taken as the truth by those who do not check facts.

A good PBB results if you

• are engaged with your subject and think deeply about it;
• write a song (words) and paint a picture, compose a metaphoric symphony; and
• pray that what you've written is true! Check and recheck facts.

Samantha McFerrin, Editor at Chronicle Books
Chronicle receives 20,000 submissions a year and publishes only fifty.

Samantha McFerrin has worn several different hats at Chronicle, from assistant in sales and marketing to editorial assistant, assistant editor, and editor. That background schooled her in what Chronicle will publish. Examples are BEAD GIRL, GHOST WINGS, RUBY'S WISH, THE TRUTH ABOUT GREAT WHITE SHARKS, PEEK-A-WHO? In her two talks, Samantha covered the what as well as the how of publishing at Chronicle. Here are some things they look for:

• First-time authors--they're given a chance.
• Excellent writing skills that let the reader enter the story.
• Submissions that fit what Chronicle publishes. Information on what publishers like can be gleaned from their website catalogs, Amazon book reviews, and by going to conferences.
• Distinctive writing, fresh ideas for picture books, board books, craft books, tween and teen self-help books.
• Submissions with illustrations only if the author is a professional illustrator;
• Unagented books are accepted. Agented works may be read first, but that doesn't mean they are better.
• Books with a simple point-of-view.
• Books aimed at both girls and boys. (Boys won't read girl-oriented stories, although girls will read boy-oriented books.)
• Books that can be printed in a 32-page format, or possibly 40 pages.

Submissions are read in the order they are received. An initial reader weeds out the inappropriate ones, and gives the rest to the editor, who reads them, sends good possibilities to other editors in the house, and then to marketing. If a manuscript passes all these hurdles, it is considered by a conference among all departmens--the Board. This is where the editor gets makes a pitch for the ones she likes.

Rejected manuscripte are returned to the author, sometimes with encouragement and suggestions for revision. This is a good sign. Don't refuse revision suggestions, McFerrin emphasized.

McFerrin looks for books that make her laugh or cry, books that can be visualized easily. She helps the author to see the work in a new way. Her editing includes a lot of persuasion, a lot of time spent on word choice, tightening up, and giving the ending universal appeal. She does not rewrite. Revisions must be agreed to by the author. Six or more revisions are not unusual. Preserving or uncovering the magic in the book is her aim.

~By Norma Gorst

G. Brian Karas, Author/Illustrator

Award-winning author/illustrator G. Brian Karas (ATLANTIC, SKIDAMARINK, PRINCESS FISHTAIL, MUNCHA! MUNCHA! MUNCHA!) demonstrated his technique by recreating the cover of his book, SLEEPLESS BEAUTY, during his breakout session.

Photo courtesy of Pearl Maxner

Brian began by transfering his rough drawing onto a sheet of Arche's watercolor paper. He taped the sheet onto a board to prevent buckling, then primed it with gesso to create a light texture.

Brian used a subdued palette of Winsor Newton gouache (opaque watercolors) that included ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, burnt umber, cadmium yellow and cadmium red. He mixed his gouache with an acrylic matte medium to waterproof his underpainting and avoid "lifting" during subsequent layering.

Here he uses colored pencils to define, texturize, and add contrast to his painting.

Karas worked quickly, using a blow dryer to speed up the drying process as he answered questions from the audience.

~Dorothea S. Hyde

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