Aspiring children’s book authors and illustrators are invited to learn about the publishing industry from experienced professionals at the Leap into Kid Lit Conference in College Station on Feb. 29. The conference is being hosted by the Brazos Valley chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators which has nurtured talented children’s book authors and illustrators in the region for more than 25 years.
The conference will feature two literary agents, Rubin Pfeffer and Charlotte Wegner. Pfeffer is the founder of Rubin Pfeffer Content, LLC, a literary agency focused on children’s content that counts Susan Cooper and Patrician MacLachlan among its notable clients. Pfeffer will deliver the conference keynote talk, Publishing and You: Let’s Go!, which will advise new authors on how to get a foothold in the industry and established authors how to push their careers forward at a faster pace.
Wegner, a literary agent in the Boston area with Prospect Agency, will teach authors how to “Give your Characters Life and Voice.” Trisha de Guzman, an associate editor at Farrar, Straus, and Giroux Books for Young Readers will be helping authors learn how to raise the stakes for their protagonists. Picture book author Kelly Bennett will help aspiring picture book writers refine their manuscript’s “big picture idea.”
The closing speaker is award-winning novelist and picture book author, Susan Fletcher. Fletcher taught for many years in the M.F.A. in Writing for Children and Young Adults program at Vermont College and authored the beloved fantasy series The Dragon Chronicles. Fletcher will share lessons she’s learned from 30 years in children’s publishing.
There will be a breakout session for illustrators held by Saho Fujii, art director at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. She will discuss the picture book process. She will also judge the illustrator portfolio showcase, an opportunity for illustrators to display their work to the faculty.
The conference offers opportunities to connect with faculty and meet local authors and illustrators throughout the day. Attendees are able to submit polished work to presenters at a later date.
The conference will be held from 8am to 5:30pm at the Covenant Presbyterian Church. Registration fees are $160 for SCBWI members while non-members will be charged $200. A networking dinner, which is not included in the conference registration fee, will follow the event.
For more information and to register visit www.brazosvalley.sbwi.org.
