Meet Kelly
Kelly Delaney is a Senior Editor at Crown Books for Young Readers, where she acquires and edits books for young readers of all ages. She has a master’s degree in Publishing: Digital and Print Media from NYU and has been at Random House Children's Books for twelve years. Books she has edited include the Race to the Truth series, Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card by Sara Saedi, and Grandma's Purse by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. She has been fortunate enough to work with many of her favorite authors, from R.J. Palacio and Markus Zusak to Anita Lobel and Norton Juster. At Crown, she focuses on books by and about marginalized creators, characters, and communities.
Sessions + Events
Critiques + Reviews
- Manuscript Critique - PB, MG, YA, Nonfiction
- Pitch Package Critique
- PB Dummy Review
From Manuscript to Published Book - Half Day Intensive
Limited seating. Learn more.
How to Support Your Supporting Characters - Breakout
Saturday, Sept 21st 11 am - 12 pm
Merchant
Who would Harry Potter be without Ron and Hermione? Or Lyra Silvertongue without Pantalaimon? Winnie-the-Pooh without Piglet? Though they’re not the central focus of the writing process, good secondary characters can elevate a story, and poorly developed ones can take readers out of the world you’ve created. We’ll talk about our favorite supporting characters in kid lit and what makes them so memorable, explore some common archetypes, and finally discuss how to make sure your own secondary characters are working to make your main character and your story stronger.
First Pages Panel - MG/YA Room
Saturday, Sept 21st 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Peddler
Conference attendees are invited to submit the first page of their manuscript anonymously and receive feedback from our industry professionals. Visit the First Pages Submission page for details.
Pitchers Anonymous
Results Posted: Saturday, Sept 21st 5:30 pm
Location TBA
Conference attendees are invited to submit to our pitch event and find out anonymously if any faculty have invited them to submit. Learn more.
