How to use this Page

Elizabeth Rose Staton has good news! She has been offered a contract for her first picture book! HENNY, a story about a young chick who is born just a little different from everyone else in the barn, and learns how to use her special gift to come into her own.

Elizabeth completed the artwork (pencil and watercolor) this past October, and the book is slated to be released early in 2014 (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books).

I asked Elizabeth about the story behind how she landed the contract. This is what she said:

Everything about it happened very quickly…I think my head is still spinning! I attended the SCBWI conference last January in New York, and participated in the portfolio show. A New York agent picked up one of my cards and phoned me about a week after I got home. We discussed my work, and what I was working on (“Henny”) and, next thing I knew, she offered me representation! Just about the time “Henny” was ready for my agent to shop, our regional (Western Washington) conference rolled around. I asked my agent if it would be a good idea for me to take the dummy to the conference and she said, go for it! Long story short, one of the conference faculty, an art director for Simon & Schuster, saw Henny, and the next thing I knew S & S had called my agent and offered me a book deal! I might add… all this was going on around the time of my Illustrator Saturday feature, and I am sure it helped with my “credibility!” So, as you can see, I am totally an SCBWI success story! It has all been such a fun, whirlwind experience and I am really looking forward to getting another book out there

Here is a sneak peak at a piece of interior art from Henny:

Melissa Sarver ( you might have met her at the conference in June) has joined Folio Literary Management as the co-director of international rights and will continue to represent authors in the areas of Young Adult, select literary and upmarket adult fiction, narrative non-fiction, business books and cookbooks. She was previously at The Elizabeth Kaplan Literary Agency.

At Little, Brown, Heather Fain has been promoted to associate publisher, in addition to her ongoing duties as marketing director.

Liz Van Doren has been promoted to editorial director, book publishing at Highlights for Children and Boyds Mills Press.

At Orion, Jane Sturrock has been promoted to editorial director, non-fiction.

Congratulations to all!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy