Breakout Sessions

In this Q+A session, come ask senior literary agent Adria Goetz from KT Literary any questions you might have about writing, querying, and the publishing industry. There are no dumb questions! This is your chance to ask an agent the questions you've always wondered about and get a behind the scenes peek at the publishing industry. Best for: Pre-published, Published, Authors, Illustrators Presenter: Adria Goetz is a senior literary agent and illustration coordinator at KT Literary. She represents picture books, middle grade, graphic novels, and adult fiction. She was recently proud to represent the instant NYT and Indie Bestseller MILLIE FLEUR’S POISON GARDEN by Christy Mandin, and Indie Bestseller THE CRESCENT MOON TEAROOM by Stacy Sivinski. She lives in Sumner, WA with her husband and their two cats.

Have you ever longed to push yourself a bit harder on the page? If you feel there's room in your work for some stretch and flex, this session is for you. Through examples and conversation, Kirby Larson will share ways to dig deeper in your writing and provide a safe and accepting atmosphere to implement several techniques/exercises she's found have worked for her. Participants should bring two or three copies of at least one scene from a work-in-progress, triple-spaced, as well as writing materials. Best for: Pre-published, Published, Authors Presenter: Kirby Larson is not particularly brave, unlike her great-grandmother -- the subject of the Newbery Honor book HATTIE BIG SKY-- who braved wolves and sub-zero temps on a homestead in Montana; or her daughter living with Crohn’s disease and the inspiration for their recent joint novel, GUT REACTION. Kirby is working to be braver in her writing, however, by branching out into early chapter books and going deeper in two historical novel works-in-progress and can’t wait to share what she’s learned with her SCBWI friends.

There's a special alchemy to a great middle grade or young adult nonfiction proposal. If you get it right, you can harness the full power of your nonfiction story and enchant agents and editors. The good news is that you don't have to be a great witch or wizard to concoct such a sparkling proposal...it's a learnable skill! Join nonfiction author, freelance editor and former agent specializing in nonfiction, Clelia Castro-Malaspina, as she goes through every step that goes into crafting a spellbinding nonfiction proposal that gets that magical YES. Best for: Pre-published, Published, Authors Presenter: Clelia Castro-Malaspina is the author of GIRLS WITH GOALS: HOW WOMEN'S SOCCER TOOK OVER THE WORLD and YOUR FREEDOM, YOUR POWER: A KID'S GUIDE TO THE FIRST AMENDMENT. She spent eight years working as a literary agent, representing bestselling, award-winning and critically acclaimed books for children and teens. She is now a freelance editor, heading her own company, Mossy Pines Creative, which is named after the trees that surround her home on Mercer Island.

In this breakout session, we'll learn how to use mentor texts to craft and illustrate stronger stories. We will identify writing techniques like repetition, visually active verbs, pacing, onomatopoeia, and the like to create emotionally resonating stories. For illustrators, we'll dive into art choices, palettes, white space, and more to elevate text. Nadia will also share how she analyzes books and decides which elements to apply to her own work. Attendees will walk away with ideas on how to select books to enhance their own work and help them tell a better story. Best for: Pre-published, Published, Authors, Illustrators Presenter: Nadia Salomon is an award-winning author and journalist. Her body of work includes the acclaimed title, A VOICE OF HOPE, GOODNIGHT GANESHA, and A RAKHI FOR RAKESH. She writes on themes of South Asian and Caribbean culture, STEM, nonfiction, and humor. Nadia holds a journalism degree from Emerson College. She blogs about books and has experience as keynote speaker and panelist at prestigious educational events.

This session examines how contemporary children’s and young adult literature uses animal representation to bring environmental change. Focusing on the craft of writing animal characters, the session will explore how award-winning authors integrate animal behavior, habitat, and narrative techniques to build empathy and curiosity in children’s books. Participants will gain insight into powerful tools for writing about the natural world, as well as craft decisions that shape young readers’ understanding of species, ecosystems, and interdependence. You’ll walk away with a universal checklist that works for fiction and nonfiction books in any age category from picture books through young adult. Best for: Pre-published, Published, Authors Presenter: Suma Subramaniam is a recruiter by day and children’s book author by night. She writes picture books, middle grade, chapter books, and poetry. Her works include Crystal Kite Award winner Namaste Is A Greeting, ILA Notable My Name Is Long As A River, and the V. MALAR middle-grade series. When not writing, Suma volunteers with SCBWI and We Need Diverse Books or blogs about children’s literature.

This is a workshop-style session in which we'll explore how to create and develop memorable and enduring characters. Bring some paper and a pencil for drawing and writing games! Best for: Pre-published, Published, Authors, Illustrators Presenter: Ben Clanton is the Eisner Award-winning and NYT Bestselling author and illustrator of the Narwhal and Jelly series. His other books include the Tater Tales series, It Came in the Mail, and Mo's Mustache. Ben has collaborated with Andy Chou Musser on the award-winning Ploof series as well as with Andy Chou Musser and Corey Tabor on the picture book Papilio. Ben grew up in Kalispell, Montana and now lives in Seattle, WA.

Indie publishing gets a bad rep as being the easy way out for authors (it isn't, trust me). There are more and more indie authors making the leap every year, many finding success. Thinking of going indie? Just want to learn more about it? Then this is the presentation for you! This session will cover: • The differences between traditional and indie publishing • Why some choose to go indie • The pros and cons of indie publishing • A look into the publishing process • Tips and tricks for publishing yourself Best for: Pre-Published, Published, Authors Presenter: Alexa Shay is a YA indie author of spice-free, inclusive fantasy. Her most recent release is The Shield. Alexa is a huge nerd from the Pacific Northwest who knows Batman could beat Superman.

An art director acts as a bridge between concept, illustrator, and the final physical book, managing budget, team, and deadlines. In this session, Michael Jantze will walk participants through the process of ideation and iteration, from script to roughs to pencils to final files, highlighting the problems and concerns. About the presenter: Michael Jantze is a cartoonist and illustrator, best known as the author of the syndicated newspaper comic strip, “The Norm.” Michael earned a degree in film, worked as a documentary filmmaker, newspaper graphic editor and then visual effects art director at ILM, all while creating comics. “The Norm” was syndicated daily to newspapers and is now archived on the GoComics website. He is currently an art director at Amazon Publishing in Seattle, while writing and drawing new projects. You find all the links at jantze.com

What makes an author/illustrator event truly memorable? Becky Walsh, Children's Outreach Manager from independent bookstore Third Place Books shares what draws readers in, supports strong attendance, and builds lasting partnerships. Learn practical tips for planning, promoting, and presenting events that engage young readers, families, and educators—and keep bookstores eager to host you again. About the presenter: Third Place Books was founded by Ron Sher in 1998. Sher was enamored by the concept of Third Places as outlined in sociologist Ray Oldenburg’s book The Great Good Place and was looking to create a true community gathering place. Between its locations in Lake Forest Park, Ravenna, and Seward Park, Third Place Books hosts hundreds of author events each year.

In this session, author-illustrator Kristin Varner offers a behind-the-scenes look at the graphic novel format for writers and illustrators who are curious—but unsure—if it’s the right home for their manuscript. Kristin will walk through key questions to consider when deciding whether a story wants to be told as a graphic novel, where to start if the format feels overwhelming, and what the creative process actually looks like from idea to page. The session will also briefly touch on how to pitch a graphic novel idea to an editor or agent, including what materials are typically expected. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the format, concrete next steps, and greater confidence in exploring graphic novels as a storytelling option. About Kristin: Kristin Varner is an award-winning author, illustrator and graphic novelist based in the Pacific Northwest. She grew up in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Utah before attending Rhode Island School of Design where she received her degree in Illustration and cultivated her love of children’s books. Her two middle grade graphic novels, Horse Trouble (First Second) and Dog Trouble (First Second) are both recipients of the ALA Best Graphic Novels for Children Reading List and the TLA Little Maverick Reading List awards. Dog Trouble is also a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Award winner. Her forthcoming middle grade graphic novel, Ski Bunny, releases in the fall of 2027 with Beach Lane Books.

Are you an Illustrator who would like to begin the transition from working digital to traditional media? Would you like to embrace more play in your work or connect your sketchbooks to the look of your final book art? Illustrator Suzanne Kaufman will share how she started her transition from making New York Times Best-Selling All Are Welcome to her next three-book journey of transitioning to using traditional media with the iterative tools of digital media. Suzanne Kaufman is the #1 New York Times best-selling illustrator of All Are Welcome and recipient of The Ezra Jack Keats/Kerlan Memorial Fellowship. Her books include her own book Blue, A Friend for Ghost, Confiscated and illustrated work: Hello Dog/Hello Human, Wherever You Go, All Are Neighbors, Big Feelings, Take Your Pets to School Day, Let's Eat, Let's Make Music and 100 Bugs. Her books have been awarded Bank Street College Education Best Children’s Books of the Year, CCBC Choices recommended reads and seen in the Bologna Children’s Book Fair Spectator Child Exhibition and the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show.

Do you (like me) procrastinate by geeking out about ways to get more done? In this session, I'll share some of my biggest personal productivity bugaboos (lack of energy, overwhelm, fear, perfectionism, and distraction), as well as my favorite hacks and mindset tweaks for getting past each of them. We’ll have time for discussion and sharing, and everyone should leave with some new approaches to getting stuff done! Best for authors and illustrators, pre-published or published. Laurie Ann Thompson grew up in the fields and forests of northern Wisconsin and now lives between the mountains and the sea in Washington State. A volunteer naturalist and climate advocate, she writes to help her readers (and herself) better understand the world we all share and make it a better place for all. Her newest titles include the Meet Your World series.