When I heard that
Scott Westerfeld was going to give the keynote for KidLitCon Seattle, I was excited because he's a big name in YA and an interactive blogger. But I wasn't personally a fan, thinking that his books were not my style. Then I heard his presentation and was absolutely mesmerized.
He talked about the death of illustrations in books at the hand of the camera. Illustrated panels had been common in books before a new pricing structure for illustrators fell into place, leaving publishers taking the cheaper road to text only, even for children's books. He talked about the mindset of adults changing to promote these books to kids as chances to use their own imagination to create the pictures. (And I've used that line myself, and now it does seem like a line.)
With the
Leviathan series, Scott Westerfeld wanted to bring back the idea of illustrations in a book intended for an older audience. He described the process of working with the illustrator to create the world portrayed in the series, even to the times the artist drove aspects of the story by getting ahead of him. He was influenced by fan art of his other books to realize the importance of the illustrations and also to some of what the readers wanted to imagine in the books. In his words, "That which the camera took away was given back to us through the Internet."
Honestly, after this talk I was a little bit fangirl and made sure that I table-hopped his way during lunch. He was just so
interesting. I also bought a copy of
Leviathan to have signed to my teen. So just an aside to authors that there are ways to sell your book without SELLING YOUR BOOK.
The next session I attended was
The Fantastic New World of Book Apps for Children presented by
Mary Ann Scheuer,
Betsy Bird, and
Paula Wiley. They showed various book apps and explained specifically what made them good, and just as helpful, what made them not good. In evaluating book apps, it's important to look at what moves the story forward or enhances the experience or the learning. Some apps have received good marks, and yet take the reader out of the story by engaging them to draw pictures on an unrelated screen. For more on evaluating book apps, head to
Great Kid Books, the blog of one of the presenters
and the organizer for the Cybils new category for book apps.
While I didn't expect to do more than sit back and get an authors perspective on marketing, I found myself taking copious notes during Holly and Shiraz Cupala's presentation. They shared the concepts and strategies behind marketing
Tell Me a Secret, including blog tours, trailers, videos, and a two chapter booklet. They shared the application of the four P's of marketing: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion - which was noted from the other side as Consumer, Cost, Convenience, and Communication. It was an amazing presentation, and I'll direct you to the
Holly Cupala's website for more information or to book this duo for a presentation near you. Seriously. I will leave you with this tidbit though: Over 75% of
Sure, lots of people like to talk about the conferences that they attended while everyone still remembers that there was a conference. But while everyone is moving on to
Cybils nominations, I'm still here throwing out updates. Let's say it's because I want to keep talking about it. You know, as opposed to me being lazy about writing this week.
Anyone, I left my updates after only the
first session. I sat for the second session -
The Future of Transmedia Storytelling - with no preconceptions about the subject. And boy, did that panel blow my mind! In case you are wondering about the topic, as I kinda was, I'll give a definition. And since I can't remember if this was their words or my notes, I'll put it in quotes to be safe. "Transmedia refers to the delivery of story through a variety of media. Story lines are interwoven and connected, but not repetitive. Each story element is individual, but true transmedia brings things together as one concept. The
Angel Punk group described several types and versions of transmedia. I noted the following: Pottermore, 39 Clues, Inanimate Alice, iDrakula, Cathy's Book, and Skeleton Creek. Being the creators of Angel Punk, they talked the most about that as a combination of film, comic book, novel, and interactive experience with blogs, facebook, and twitter for the characters. I had no interest in this stuff before, but I am really curious now and can't wait to investigate.
After that session, it was lucky that I went to one on blogging the backlist. Here I could settle in with the comfort of a cozy couch on a winter day, because I'm all about the backlist. Especially now that I realize that six months from publication is backlist! Seems surprising that that shiny new book isn't all that new anymore in the publishing industry. Here I didn't take notes, so much as raise hands and shout Amen as
Jen Robinson,
Melissa Madsen Fox, and
Maureen Kearney led the discussion on how both old and new books are important for librarians, for awards, for readers, for each other and for publishers. I say it again,
AMEN!With lots of activity and little sleep, I hit the wall before the next session and had to retire to my room. I was so tired that I missed the free wine in the lobby. Missed. The free. Wine. So I can say that I was completely sober as I attended the Meet-and-Greet that evening, and yet I remember almost nothing about it. I know I saw some friends and conversed with
Melissa,
Sondy, and
Farida. I remember that the appetizers was far more like a buffet than I would have expected, meaning that I did not have to scout out a late dinner. I recall a conversation with
Kevin Emerson, because he seemed pretty cool at the author introductions that were done prior to the eating part. Oh, and I got to say hello to Most Popular,
Lee Wind. And that's about all I can swear to.
Now
At the Hotel Monaco in Seattle, you can request a goldfish for your room. Um, ours died the first night.
See, that's the kind of lead-off you can use when you let everyone else write their KidLitCon Seattle wrap-ups before you. While they talk about the takeaway theme of "relationship," the incredible, informative sessions, and the amazing keynote address of Scott Westerfeld, I can cover the subtle, personal experience. Which was better, the scones or the brownies? (Too close to call.) Were the pens provided by the hotel adequately "clicky?" (They were.) How many slices of carved turkey can one stack on a small slider bun? (Four.)
Then there's the goldfish thing. I was so excited when my roommate, Liz, told me that we could get a goldfish for our room. How cool, right? She turned in before me on that first Thursday night because I was helping conference organizers extraordinaire Colleen Mondor and Jackie Parker-Robinson get presenter giftees ready. (See Colleen? I told you envelope stuffing would be involved!) When I got back to the room, I realized that our fish was swimming in an odd sidestroke unusual to a fish. I knew that guy was goner, but not knowing any fish rescue techniques I went to bed. Liz and I woke up to him floating on top of his tank, and both of us had to pull back on a bit of... glee. Not because we hate pets, but because it was funnier that the fish died.
And this is why I go to KidLitCon. I mean, not to kill goldfish but to be with my people. The friends I rarely see, but who look at life and humor and books with the same feeling. Not always the same opinions, but with a rare meeting of the minds that I find few other places in real life. In fact, as I was making my way to the hotel after a long, annoying, exhausting day of travel I was swearing to myself that I would NEVER cross-country again. I went straight to the KidLitCon Operation Center (otherwise known as Colleen and Jackie's room), and that oath disappeared from my brain as I hugged Colleen, Jackie, Liz, Jen, and Anne, Kelly handed me a glass of wine. And I was home.
Well, except that at home, I don't pay seventeen dollars for three scallops. (WTF?) But was very grateful to my dinner companions for sharing their extras in their more normally priced and generous meals. With team spirit, we headed downstairs to the conference room to set up for the next day. Which seemed like the same day in my mind give my jet-lagged lack of sleep and the sameness of the morning where the same collective headed off to a hardy breakfast at a diner around the corner that I scoped out for the group. I've never appreciated a seven dollar omelet more. After the meal, Jen, Anne, Liz and I walked around Pike's Market while Liz and I fine-tuned our presentation. Meaning that Liz worried that we didn't have enough to fill the time, while I laughed at the idea that Liz and I - either of us who talk for an hour about The Giving Tree - would have any chance of dead air in our presentation.
Small break back at the hotel, and then we were on with our panel Bloggers and Writers and Pubs! Oh My! with our very special guests,
13 Comments on KidLitCon Seattle: The MotherReader Experience, last added: 9/25/2011
I agree: Scott is such an interesting person. And I'll add to that: even though I heard him give pretty much the same exact presentation last Saturday in Austin, he managed to sell it just as well to a huge crowd of teenage fans. (You should have seen the line at the end of the day to get his book signed! Made me glad for KidLitCon.)
Good for Scott Westerfeld for trying to bring back the idea of illustrations in books. I love them, which was one of the reasons I chose to collect old books.
I can't tell you how much I wish I had been at KidLitCon this year. So happy next year is NYC.
That book buying stat is very interesting. And as far as the conference, that sounds like so much fun! I'm envious. :)