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With so many new people signing up for our various events, some are getting confused on exactly what each one offers.  So I wrote up the descriptions that people could refer to when they had questions on the NJSCBWI events.  I’m sure I have missed things.  If you have attended one of these events and notice something missing, please let me know.

FIRST PAGE SESSIONS:

Everyone who attends gets to hear their first page read.  These areheld during the week, starting at 4pm, ending a little after 6 PM.  There is an optional dinner is provided withthe editors.  Dinner usually ends by 8 PM.  Costs for members: $30, plus $30 for dinner.

All the first pages are read aloud by volunteer readers and two editors/agents give feedback on what they heard.

Everyone brings three copies of a first page of a single manuscript with them. Do not put your name on the paper, but do include a title and indicate the genre (picture book, chapter book, middle grade, young adult, non-fiction).

Your manuscript must fit on a single sheet of paper. If you submit a second sheet, only the first one will be read.

Use standard manuscript formatting—double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman or Courier font, one-inch margins all around, half-inch indents for each new paragraph, single column of text. Start at the top of the page, though, instead of spacing down like you normally would for a first manuscript page.  (This applies to all submissions, at all events)

A first page has 23 printed lines (not sentences!), including the title, of text from your manuscript.  That means if you have a picture book, you will be able to get a large portion of your manuscript on that first page.  It does not mean only the sentence or two
that would appear on the first physical page of the printed book.

If your text rhymes, put each rhyme on a new line. Do not leave a blank line between stanzas.

MENTORING WORKSHOPS

These workshops are one day workshops, typically held on Sundays.  Breakfast is available at 8:15 AM.  Program starts at 8:45 AM.

Everyone attending receives a 20 minute one-on-one critique.  Novel Attendees submit the first 30 pages of their manuscript along with a synopsis, 35 days prior to the workshop.  Picture book people submit their full picture book 35 days prior.

Everyone is placed into Writing Groups for peer critiques.  These are exchanged with your group a month before via e-mail. Each member of the group will read and critique the other group member’s submission prior, so everyone is ready to discuss their critique for each.

When one person in your group is meeting with their editor, someone else’s manuscript is being discussed by the group.

Lunch is provided in the cost of the workshop and attendees get to sit at lunch with the editor/agents.

Before and after lunch we have a First Page Session (Please see above description).

The day ends with a Q & A with the editors/agents.  End time is no later than 5 PM.

WRITER’S RETREAT

This is a small Weekend Workshop. Two editors spend the weekend no more than 18 attendees.  Start time 3 PM Friday.  End time 3 PM Sunday.  All meals are included in the cost of the weekend.  All meals are with the editors/agents.

Everyone receives a 45 minute one-on-one critique with their mentor.  The first 30 pages, plus synopsis or a full picture book text is submitted 35 day prior to the weekend to give the editors/agents enough time to critique.

At this time everyone will e-mail the other people in their group their manuscript, so they also will have time to critique in advance of the workshop.  Novel groups normally contain 5 per group. Each group critique receives 45 minutes, too.

Other things included during the weekend:

First Page Session (See above).

Various Workshops:

Example:  This year we are having Pitch and Blurb Writing

Come out and join us.  I promise you will have a dog gone good time.

The last two Summer Networking Dinners are being held next week on Aug. 23rd and 24th.  We have a spot available for Aug. 23rd and one spot on Aug. 23rd.  If you are already secured your spot for Aug. 23rd, then please look for my e-mail listing your dinner choices.  People on the 24th do not have to make their entree choices in advance.  People on the waiting list for September 8th in Princeton, NJ.  I am working hard to try to add and editor or agent for that dinner, so don’t give up, yet.

Remember you can sign up for the First Page Session taking place at the Wyndham Hotel and Conference Center on September 20th.  Sarah Dotts Barley, Associate Editor at HarperCollin and Ariel Colletti, Assistant Editor at Atheneum/Simon and Schuster will be joining us for the session and dinner afterwards.  Click here for more details.

There are two spots available for the Writer’s Retreat being held at the at the Hyatt Regency September 30th to October 2nd in Princeton, NJ.  Connie Hsu, Editor at Little, Brown, and Company and Heather Alexander, editor at Dial Books for Young Readers will be out mentors.  Click here for more details.  Anyone who has sign up to attend, please make sure you have your manuscripts ready to submit.  The deadline is August 27th.

Don’t forget that about the NJSCBWI Free Craft Day on November 5th.  Space is limited, so you need to register in advance.  There will be a dinner afterwards with the editors and people can chose to stay for dinner and hear our quest speaker, agent Stephen Frazer.

On November 6th, there will be a Mentoring Workshop and Illustrators’ Day.  The Hyatt Regency is giving us a reduced price for anyone who wants to stay over on Saturday night.  Here is the link to more info for this weekend of events.

So many of us know Rebecca Frazer, Aquistions Editor at Jabberwocky/Soucebooks.  I have confirmed that Rebecca has resigned and will be letting me know very soon as to what she has up her sleeve.  In the meantime, it will not help to mail your manuscripts and query letters to Rebecca.  Check back for more details on this turn of events.  We certainly wish Rebecca the best and hope she can still be involved with all of the SCBWI.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Can anyone really write a book in five days? That was my first thought when I saw the advertisement for Tom Bird’s Writing Retreats. Like most would-be novelists I’ve been working on a novel for several years; in fact, I have several folders of would-be books. I’m a NaNo flunky. I even have a short story I’ve been picking at for a year. In an attempt to get past my unconscious blocks I downloaded a self-hypnosis CD a couple of years ago--I’ve listened to it twice. Considering my history I decided I should just concentrate on building my freelance business and put my book on the backburner…still. I forgot all about the retreat until someone suggested I take the course and write about it.

There are two books to read prior to the retreat. One titled You Were Born to Write and the other is You Were Born to Be Published, both written by Tom Bird. Tom believes that each one of us has a book to write; his role is to assist us in overcoming our inner blocks and bringing forth our inner author. Reading these books prior to the retreat helps prepare us for the journey. The books are accompanied by a subliminal CD called "Transitioning Back to the Writer You Were Meant to Be." In addition to this work-at-home material there are 4 webinars to attend; apparently there are writing assignments given during these sessions.

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By: Kathy Temean, on 10/5/2010
Blog: Writing and Illustrating (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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