SCBWI - OC Agent's Day 

                      Saturday, March 31st, 2012  

   NEWPORT SEA BASE         1931 West Coast Highway

Newport Beach, Ca 92663

Agent's Day is SOLD OUT! To be placed on the Wait List email Lori Polydoros at: Kidtales@me.com

The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators is pleased to offer you a spectacular program filled with opportunities to connect with outstanding agents. Join us for our OC Agent’s Day on Saturday, March 31, 2012 harbor side at the beautiful Newport Sea Base in Newport Beach! Opportunities include: written manuscript critiques, agent presentations, and group discussions with each agent. Come out and join us and give your career the boost that it deserves! 

Our Agent's Day speakers include;         

Elena Mechlin – Pippin Properties

Linda Pratt – Wernick and Pratt Agency

Abigail Samoun – Red Fox Literary Agency

Deborah Warren – East West Literary Agency and 

Award winning author Stacia Deutsch

 

AGENT BIOS

Elena Mechlin, Pippin Properties Literary Agency
Elena Mechlin joined the Pippin Properties Literary Agency team in June of 2009. Having begun her publishing career in  subsidiary rights, moving on to children’s book marketing with a stint in audio, she realized that a position in agenting would enable her to continue to be involved in the many aspects of publishing about which she is so passionate from one place. She is thrilled to be pursuing her love of children’s literature and the industry from her seat at Pippin and especially enjoys the treasure hunt that is sorting through the daily query emails.

Linda Pratt, Wernick and Pratt Agency
Linda Pratt received a BBA in finance from the University of Texas in Austin. Utilizing her degree, her first job was in accounting at the Sheldon Fogelman Agency. After leaving briefly to work in the financial industry, she realized how much she missed the children's book industry and returned to the agency and worked extensively in all aspects of its business operations, including analyzing royalties and working on the administration of literary estates. In 1995, she became a literary agent and built a list of clients including award winners and bestsellers such as Karen Beaumont, Sharon Flake, LeUyen Pham, Denise Brunkus, and Kathryn Erskine. She is accepting new clients in all genres for children.

Abigail Samoun, Red Fox Literary Agency

During her ten years as a children's book editor, Abigail has edited board books, picture books, middle-grade novels and young-adult novels for Tricycle Press, Random House, Simon & Schuster and Little Brown. Her books have received numerous honors including a CCBC Charlotte Zolotow award, an SCBWI Golden Kite Award, A Pura Belpre Honor, a Smithsonian Notable and a New York Public Library Ezra Jack Keats Award. Abigail also edited the middle-grade series Edgar & Ellen, which has sold over a half-a-million copies worldwide and has inspired a cartoon series on Nickelodeon. 

Abigail loves books so much that she organizes her library according to which authors would get along well together (the Brontes next to George Elliot, Lois Lowry next to Margaret Atwood).  When she’s not reading, Abigail likes to garden, play the piano, visit her apiary, and eat lots of chocolate.
 
Deborah Warren, East West Literary Agency
Deborah Warren, founder of East West Literary, LLC, became an agent after 17 years at Harcourt, where she first met Rubin Pfeffer, now the "East" Boston-based arm of E/W Literary. With over 60 years of shared experience in the publishing industry, and over 10 years at the helm of the Agency, Deborah and Rubin represent children's authors of all genres, as well as illustrators, and author/illustrators.

Clients include NYT best-selling, award-winning, and crossover talent such as: Marion Dane Bauer, Tim Bowers, Anna Dewdney, David Diaz – our current NYT bestselling picture book collaborators Eric Litwin and James Dean-Patricia MacLachlan, Judy Sierra and Belle Yang. The Agency is particularly invested in finding and nurturing new talent and has launched (among others) the careers of debut authorsElana K. Arnold, whose YA two-book series is upcoming from Delacorte; Scott Bly, of Blue Sky Press/Scholastic's upcoming YA techno-thriller SMASHER; Platte Clarke, whose MG trilogy is upcoming from Aladdin; Evan Sagerman, picture book author of GIRAFFE RESCUE SERVICE, forthcoming from Beach Lane Books/S & S; and Tyler Whitesides, whose first in a MG two-book series, JANITORS, has just been released by Shadow Mountain.

In addition, we have a particular strength in the picture book category; specifically, for finding the "write" homes for our author/illustrators ranging from Rubin's Michael Austin, Jeff Mack and Jesse Joshua Watson to Deborah's Gianna Marino, Lucianna Navarro Powell and Andy Myer. Furthermore, work from our illustrators (both debut and established) has been matched with talent ranging from Newbery award-winning Linda Sue Park (Jim Averbeck) and best-selling author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (Susy Pilgrim-Waters via Lilla Rogers Studio) to award-winning author Eileen Spinelli (Nora Hilb), along with celebrity authors Fran Drescher (Amy Blay via Lilla Rogers Studio) and Kristi Yamaguchi (NYT bestselling Tim Bowers). OH; and congratulations to Janet Lee for just winning an Eisner for best graphic novel illustration at Comic Com! In all regards, E/W endeavors to help clients not only grow a career, but to flourish within that career. Understanding the in-depth process of acquisitions, sales, and marketing helps the team attain the stated goals for each of the agency's clients: to close the best possible deal with the best possible editor at the best possible publishing house.

Stacia Deutsch, New York Times Best Selling Author

Stacia is an award winning author of more than fifty children's books including the award winning chapter book series Blast to the Past. Her resume also includes;

Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew and the Boxcar Children. Stacia has been on the New York Times Best Seller list for the novelizations of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and the Smurfs. Look for her newest releases Mean Ghouls from Scholastic and Batman; The Dark Knight Rises movie novel from HarperCollins, both to be released in Spring 2012.  

CONFERENCE DETAILS

Light morning refreshments coffee, tea and afternoon dessert will be provided. Bring your own lunch and enjoy networking harbor side, or walk to nearby restaurants. Restaurant guide will be provided.

Manuscript Critiques

Attendees have the opportunity to submit pages for agent critique for an additional $45. You may submit 10 pages (double-spaced, 12 point font) and a one page synopsis of midgrade or young adult novel, or full manuscript of a picture book for critique. Please have your name, genre (MG, YA, PB) and “critique” written at the top. Manuscripts and separate check must be postmarked by February 20, 2012. Because this is a popular offer, critiques will be offered for those mailed by February 20, or until spots are filled, whichever comes first, so it is wise to send early. We will only accept one manuscript per attendee, and we’ll post online when we’ve reached the maximum number of critiques. Your written critique will be given to you at the event. To maximize the number of critique spots available, only written are offered. Individual pitch sessions are NOT a part of this conference.

Agent's Pick - Special Opportunity

Each agent will pick a manuscript from the group that they have critiqued and the agent will meet with the author privately. Author will be notified at morning registration.

Dish & Dessert
Each attendee will have the opportunity to meet each agent in a informal, small –group Q & A session.

Agent's Day Event Fees

SCBWI Member Fee $105.00 by March 1st, 2012 after add $10

Non-member Fee $115.00 by March 1st, 2012 after add $10

Manuscript Critique for SCBWI Members $45.00 (must be postmarked by 2/20/12)  

Manuscript Critique for non-members $55.00 (must be postmarked by 2/20/12)   

Registration confirmations will be e-mailed. If you do not receive a confirmation e-mail, Lori Polydoros at: kidtales@me.com

 

Parking is VERY limited at the Newport Sea Base. Please carpool whenever possible.

To register using a credit card, Paypal or to register by check, click the following link;

Register Now!