Advice from Children's Book Editors, Art Directors, and Agents

Highlights from the 2023 SCBWI Virtual Summer Conference

I was delighted to be an SCBWI Team Blog member for the recent SCBWI 2023 Summer Virtual Conference, an event for children’s book writers and illustrators. Team Blog this year: Jolie Stekly (leader), Jaime Temairik, Justin Campbell, and me.

In 2010, the SCBWI Summer Conference was the conference where Justin Chanda discovered my work at Simon & Schuster, and I try to attend every year. No matter what level of experience or stage of my career, I am always re-energized and inspired by these events.

You can find a summary of Team Blog’s posts for the event on the SCBWI Conference Blog, but here are just some of the takeaways and highlights. Psst: it’s not too late to register! Registrants get access to all video replays Aug. 11-Sept.10th, 2023.

Portfolio Showcase For Illustrators

Congrats to the winners of the Portfolio Showcase this year! And congrats to all who submitted their portfolios. Even if you didn’t win an award, be assured that many industry pros are looking at your art. Many of my kidlit illustrator and writer-illustrator friends have found agents and work as a result of entering the Showcase; some were contacted weeks or months after because an art director had made a note of their work but was waiting for the right project to come along before approaching them.

You can learn more about the Portfolio Showcase, a list of participating illustrators this year, and more about the judges.

A few takeaways and highlights

You can click through to see the full blog post. Please note that the SCBWI Conference Blog posts are meant to give a taste of speakers’ content, not give away their entire talk (especially submission info). However, also note that it’s not too late to register! Even though the live event is finished, registrants can access all 50 session replays for a month after the conference.

Always keep learning, suggests Cecilia Yung (art director, Penguin). Stay humble, learn to LISTEN. Refrain from assuming you have all the answers or know everything. Cecilia says she still takes notes at conferences.

One common mistake in portfolios by new illustrators is having just character studies or portraits. Lauren Rille (art director, Simon & Schuster) suggests always having some kind of narrative, showing you can convey a story with your art.

Many people mistakenly believe that when a book is banned, there is always a sales bump for that book. While this sometimes happens, it is not the norm. - Alexandra Aceves (Editor, Holiday House).

Another misconception: In terms of picture books, some believe editors prefer to find those who are both authors and illustrators. Sara Sargent (Random House Children’s Books) says this isn’t true, that they acquire picture book text from writers who don’t also illustrate. Sara reminds picture book writers that finding someone to illustrate their work is not up to writers.

In your portfolio pieces, think cinematically. Don’t just have front-facing work. - Miranda Paul (Erin Murphy Literary Agency)

Editors, agents, and art directors are still actively acquiring and seeking out up-and-coming talent! Deeba Zargarpur (Simon & Schuster, Salaam Reads), for example, is acquiring commercial books that empower young people from diverse backgrounds.

Cecilia Yung (art director, Penguin) advises illustrators NOT just to post everything but be selective. She relies on websites rather than social media to find illustrators because she wants to see how illustrators curate their own work. (Debbie note: this is an interesting contrast to Lauren Rille (art director, Simon & Schuster), who said she prefers social media, esp Instagram, because illustrators tend to post more recent work.)

Don’t write to trends. By the time your book enters the market, chances are good that the trend will be over. - Foyinsi Adegbonmire, Feiwel & Friends

When working on a picture book biography, don’t just include facts. Look for an emotional heart and a personal connection, elements that kids can relate to. - Selina Alko

Above: SCBWI Team Blog for the Summer Conference!

So many more takeaways and highlights I could include here! Feel free to browse all the 2023 SCBWI Summer Conference blog posts. Note that these represent just a fraction of all the sessions. It’s not too late to register! All registrants have access to video replays from Aug. 11th-Sept. 10th; you can watch and rewatch as much as you’d like in that period.

Are you an up-and-coming picture book writer or illustrator? I invite you to browse my Picture Book 101 series on Substack. I have four issues posted so far: Getting Started - Beginner Tips For Illustrators - Understanding Picture Book Format and Construction - To Rhyme Or Not To Rhyme?

Did you find any of these takeaways helpful? If you’re a publishing pro, feel free to offer YOUR one piece of advice for up-and-coming children’s book creators.