SCBWI

Society of
Children's Book Writers
and Illustrators

SCBWI Summer Conference 2022 banner

SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2022

4:00pm – 5:00pm PACIFIC/7:00pm – 8:00pm EASTERN
Orientation for Newcomers
Jolie Stekly

FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 2022

8:30am – 8:45am PACIFIC/11:30am – 11:45am EASTERN
Welcome and Introduction
Sarah Baker – SCBWI Executive Director
8:45am – 9:15am PACIFIC/11:45am – 12:15pm EASTERN
Opening Keynote
Dhonielle Clayton
9:30am – 10:45am PACIFIC/12:30pm– 1:45pm EASTERN
Editors & Agents Panel:
The Current Market for Children’s Publishing
Moderated by Emma D. Dryden

Panelists:

  • Elena Giovinazzo – VP & Senior Agent, Pippin Properties
  • Tiff Liao – Executive Editor, Zando
  • James Mustelier – Agent, The Bent Agency
  • Namrata Tripathi – Founder & Publisher, Kokila
11:00am – 12:00pm PACIFIC/2:00pm – 3:00pm EASTERN
Breakouts
(Choose one to Attend – No Advance Registration Necessary)

Guide to Tracks:
  • PROFor published authors and illustrators
  • NFFor Nonfiction creators
  • SPFor self-publishing authors and illustrators
  • ILLFor Illustrators
  • PBFor Picture Book creators
  • GENGeneral session – for all creators
  1. PRO
    Marketing Your Book on a Budget
    Kelly Starling Lyons
  2. NF
    An Exploration of Writing About Historical Events: The Spectrum of Possibilities in Nonfiction
    Elana K. Arnold & Brandy Colbert
  3. SP
    What You Need to Know Before You Self-Publish
    Silvia Acevedo
  4. ILL
    Pushing Your Perspectives: Illustrating Nonfiction When It All Seems Impossible
    Jessica Lanan
  5. ILL
    Taking Your Portfolio to the Next Level
    Leanne Hatch
  6. PB
    Musicality: Crafting Picture Books with Cadence and Rhythm
    Winsome Bingham
  7. GEN
    Living Poetry & The Stories We Keep Alive
    Mahogany L. Browne
  8. GEN
    Creating a Gripping Voice
    Torrey Maldonado
  9. GEN
    Pitch Perfect: Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch
    Margot Wood
12:00pm – 1:00pm PACIFIC/3:00pm – 4:00pm EASTERN
Break
1:00pm – 1:30pm PACIFIC/4:00pm – 4:30pm EASTERN
Keynote
Jessixa Bagley
1:45pm – 3:00pm PACIFIC/4:45pm – 6:00pm EASTERN
Art Directors Panel: The Changing Landscape in Children’s Book Illustration
Moderated by Pat Cummings

Panelists

  • Sophie Paas-Lang – Tundra Books
  • Sharismar Rodriguez – Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group
  • Jasmin Rubero – Kokila
  • Marikka Tamura – G. P. Putnam’s Sons
3:15pm – 4:15pm PACIFIC/6:15pm – 7:15pm EASTERN
Breakouts
(Choose one to Attend – No Advance Registration Necessary)

Guide to Tracks:
  • PROFor published authors and illustrators
  • NFFor Nonfiction creators
  • SPFor self-publishing authors and illustrators
  • ILLFor Illustrators
  • PBFor Picture Book creators
  • GENGeneral session – for all creators
  1. PRO
    Putting Yourself on a Book Tour
    Miranda Paul
  2. NF
    Emotion in Nonfiction: Eliciting Emotion From Your Readers to Make Your Nonfiction More Impactful
    Eileen Robinson
  3. SP
    The Ins and Outs of Self-Publishing
    Michael La Ronn
  4. ILL
    School Visits for Illustrators: Planning, Promoting, Connecting
    Debbie Ridpath Ohi
  5. ILL
    Techniques to Push the Drama of Your Illustrations
    Bryan Collier
  6. PB
    Tips for Your Picture Book Publication Journey
    Valerie Bolling
  7. GEN
    Getting Into the Weeds: How to Analyze Your Work and Edit on a Line Level
    Elana K. Arnold & Brandy Colbert
  8. GEN
    Write Who You Are: The Value of Authenticity
    Ellen Hopkins
  9. GEN
    Decolonizing Fiction: The Nuance of Representation
    Antoinette Van Sluytman
  10. GEN
    An Up-to-the-Date Report on the Children’s Publishing Market
    Deborah Halverson
4:30pm – 5:30pm PACIFIC/ 7:30pm – 8:30pm EASTERN
Illustrators Q&A with the Illustrator’s Committee of the SCBWI Advisory Council
Led by Priscilla Burris, Pat Cummings, TeMika Grooms, Laurent Linn, and Paul Zelinsky
4:30pm – 6:00pm PACIFIC/ 7:30pm – 9:00pm EASTERN
Peer Critiques (advanced registration necessary)

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022

8:30am – 8:45am PACIFIC/11:30am – 11:45am EASTERN
Welcome
Sarah Baker – SCBWI Executive Director
8:45am – 9:15 am PACIFIC/11:45am – 12:15pm EASTERN
Keynote
Dela Wilson – Founder, Axle Impact Studios
9:30am – 10:45am PACIFIC/12:30pm – 1:45pm EASTERN
Debut Author Panel: An Honest Talk About the Path to Publication
Moderated by Martha Brockenbrough

Panelists

  • Winsome Bingham
  • Colleen Paeff
  • Pamela Harris
  • Dustin Thao
11:00am – 12:00pm PACIFIC/2:00pm – 3:00pm EASTERN
Breakouts
(Choose one to Attend – No Advance Registration Necessary)

Guide to Tracks:
  • PROFor published authors and illustrators
  • NFFor Nonfiction creators
  • SPFor self-publishing authors and illustrators
  • ILLFor Illustrators
  • PBFor Picture Book creators
  • GENGeneral session – for all creators
  1. PRO
    All About Sub-rights
    Penny Moore
  2. NF
    Five Steps for Crafting a Compelling Nonfiction Book Proposal
    Kim Tomsic
  3. SP
    Creative Cover Design for Self-Publishing Authors
    Becky Rodriguez-Smith
  4. ILL
    The Art of Failure: Allowing for Failure as a Way of Growth and Finding a Style Unique to You
    Raissa Figueroa
  5. ILL
    A Digital Toolkit for Picture Books
    Vashti Harrison
  6. PB
    One Hour Art School: Finding Your Way to Illustrating Picture Books Without an Art Degree
    Daria Peoples
  7. GEN
    Creating Memorable Characters That Readers Can Cheer and Celebrate
    Ernesto Cisneros
  8. GEN
    The Query Cupcake: A Recipe for an Irresistible Query
    Kayla Cichello
  9. GEN
    Painting Pictures with Words: How to Bring Scenes, Settings, and Characters to Life
    Natalie Lakosil & Antoinette Van Sluytman
  10. GEN
    Writing Queer and Trans Identity: Going Beyond the Binary of Victims and Perfect Heroes
    Lexie Bean
12:15pm – 1:15pm PACIFIC/3:15pm – 4:15pm EASTERN
Optional Online Socials and Networking Opportunities:
  • Live writing session with Veronica Rossi
  • Live drawing session with TeMika Grooms
  • Spanish Language Social
1:15pm – 2:00pm PACIFIC/4:15pm – 5:00pm EASTERN
Break
2:00pm – 3:00pm PACIFIC/5:00pm – 6:00pm EASTERN
Breakouts
(Choose one to Attend – No Advance Registration Necessary)

Guide to Tracks:
  • PROFor published authors and illustrators
  • NFFor Nonfiction creators
  • SPFor self-publishing authors and illustrators
  • ILLFor Illustrators
  • PBFor Picture Book creators
  • GENGeneral session – for all creators
  1. PRO
    From Page to Screen: Hollywood Options and Opportunities for Writers of Kidlit
    David Bowles
  2. NF
    Biography and Beyond: Exploring Nonfiction Formats and Approaches
    Carol Hinz
  3. NF
    Level up with Layers: Creating an Irresistible Nonfiction Picture Book
    Colleen Paeff
  4. SP
    Marketing Self-Published Work: Build a Strong Foundation & Think Like a Publisher
    Jane Friedman
  5. ILL
    Illustrating the Graphic Novel
    Kayla Miller
  6. ILL
    How to Make Your Colors Sing
    Jenin Mohammed
  7. PB
    Feeling Stories: Creating Picture Books That Pack an Emotional Punch
    Kelly Starling Lyons
  8. GEN
    Disability Reset: Changing How We Think, Talk and Write About Disability
    Karol Ruth Silverstein
  9. GEN
    Mining Memories as a Creative Writing Tool
    Baptiste Paul
3:15pm – 3:45pm PACIFIC/6:15pm – 6:45pm EASTERN
Closing Keynote
Donna Barba Higuera
4:00pm – 4:15pm PACIFIC/7:00pm – 7:15pm EASTERN
Wrap Up and Awards
4:30pm – 5:30pm PACIFIC/7:30pm – 8:30pm EASTERN
Zoom Socials:
  • LBGTQIA
  • Equity & Inclusion
  • Self-Publishing
  • GenNext
  • Translators (featuring Nanette McGuinness)

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2022

Pitch Roundtables

Limited space. Advance Registration Necessary. Those who register may attend ONE roundtable.
(CLICK HERE for More Info on Pitch Roundtables.)
9:00am – 10:30am PACIFIC/12:00pm – 1:30pm EASTERN
Pitch Roundtable – Session 1

Pitch the following agents and editors:

  • Kayla Cichello – Agent, Upstart Crow Literary
  • Karly Dizon – Associate Agent, Fuze Literary
  • Asia Harden – Editorial Assistant, Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers
  • Ameerah Holliday – Junior Agent, Serendipity Literary Agency
  • Elise McMullen-Ciotti – Editor, Lee and Low Books
  • Sydnee Monday – Associate Editor, Kokila
  • Polo Orozco – Editor, G. P. Putnam’s Sons
  • Bailey Tamayo – Agent, Greenburger Associates
  • Antoinette Van Sluytman – Junior Literary Agent, Irene Goodman Literary Agency
  • Andrea Welch – Executive Editor, Beach Lane Books
12:00pm – 1:30pm PACIFIC/3:00pm – 4:30pm EASTERN
Pitch Roundtable – Session 2

Pitch the following agents and editors:

  • Kayla Cichello – Agent, Upstart Crow Literary
  • Karly Dizon – Associate Agent, Fuze Literary
  • Asia Harden – Editorial Assistant, Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers
  • Ameerah Holliday – Junior Agent, Serendipity Literary Agency
  • Elise McMullen-Ciotti – Editor, Lee and Low Books
  • Sydnee Monday – Associate Editor, Kokila
  • Polo Orozco – Editor, G. P. Putnam’s Sons
  • Bailey Tamayo – Agent, Greenburger Associates
  • Antoinette Van Sluytman – Junior Literary Agent, Irene Goodman Literary Agency
  • Andrea Welch – Executive Editor, Beach Lane Books
4:00pm – 5:00pm PACIFIC / 7:00pm – 8:00pm EASTERN
Live Pitch-off! Open to all conference attendees.
Faculty-nominated authors from the pitch roundtables will present their pitches live to SCBWI headquarters staff who will choose a winner.

Illustrators Half-Day Intensive

(Included in cost of conference tuition)

THE POWER OF EMOTIONS: Exploring Different Ways to Make Your Readers Care

This half-day event will explore how top picture book illustrators map the emotional arc of a story, amplify the emotional highpoints, and effectively counter or balance the text to create a meaningful emotional experience.

11:30am – 11:45pm PACIFIC / 2:30pm –2:45pm EASTERN
Introduction
Laurent Linn and Cecilia Yung
11:45pm – 12:35pm PACIFIC / 2:45pm – 3:35pm EASTERN
Session 1: The Rhythm and Blues of My Art
Brian Pinkney
12:45pm – 1:35pm PACIFIC / 3:45pm – -4:35pm EASTERN
Session 2
Amy June Bates
1:45pm – 2:35pm PACIFIC / 4:45pm – 5:35pm EASTERN
Session 3: Show and Tell and Feel – The Power of Images to Enhance and Affect the Way we Interpret Text & Engage with Empathy
Sydney Smith
2:45pm – 3:45pm PACIFIC / 5:45pm – 6:45pm EASTERN
Panel discussion and Q&A with Laurent Linn, Brian Pinkney and Sydney Smith
Moderated by Pat Cummings