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Welcome to SCBWI TEAM BLOG coverage of the 2011 Annual Winter Conference. Check in often throughout the weekends as we offer live coverage of the conference as it happens.

Today offers a Writers' Intensive and an Illustrators' Intensive.

Before the Writers' Intensive critiquing kicks off, an agent and two editors are offering advice about handling a critique situation.

Edward Necarsulmer (McIntosh and Otis): Do your best to listen, but also understand that I'm just one guy. There are plenty of books out there that I've passed on that have become bestsellers. (He's found 3-5 novels through SCBWI events.) He gets that the idea of criticism in general can be hard to hear, but it's about turning off the defensiveness, and understand the critique for what it's worth.

Julie Strauss-Gabel (Dutton Children’s Books): The thing that surprises her most is when she asks, "What is this about." She find writers often don't really know what they're writing about--her assessment is very out of line with what the writer thinks she's putting on the page. Critiques are about being open--it's part of your professional process. There's nothing personal about it. At least stop to think about why you are hearing a particular critique or why certain questions were asked. If you're in a ccritique group, remember that they only work if they include honest discussion.

Liz Szabla (Feiwel and Friends): I find gold here. (She's currently working with two writers who she discovered at the SCBWI Winter Conference.) Remember that editors are thinking about your work in terms of the market. Go into a bookstore and really look at what the market is right now. She finds that a lot of writers are really surprised when she talks about market--but market is important. Critiquing with editors and agents, is a way to get another sort of compass as to where you are with your writing.

I walked into a packed room to observe McIntosh and Otis agent, Edward Necarsulmer's speech on contracts. And Jane Yolen was in the crowd too!

First Edward gave us a handout with contract lingo to help us stay on top of the conversation. Some of the finer points he made were to demistify and run us through the process. He talked about foreign rights, and that he thinks that they are an import part of your book contract. He likes to hold on to them because he said, "Other than you and your editor, who better to pitch your book than your agent? And I don't have thousands of other books to push like a publishing house does."

He said having a savvy, business minded agent is crucial. They should know about print runs and price points before going into negotiations.

To be honest, I was impressed with his knowledge of contracts!! I'd never really thought out all the small print before.

My favorite line was when he said that he felt that "matchmaking" in finding a publisher was a lost art. It just showed me how passionate and respectful his was of the industry.

-Suzanne Young