SCBWI

Society of
Children's Book Writers
and Illustrators

Pennsylvania: East

Pennsylvania: East

WEBINAR SERIES: Query Grind

Date/Time
Date(s) - 01/11/2021 - 05/20/2021
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Category(ies)


Query Grind

3-Webinar Series for MG & YA authors

January 11–March 4–May 20, 2021

@7pm

Join us for one, or all three!

Do you have a middle grade or young adult manuscript ready to query? Join us for Query Grind as three industry professionals take a look at how to put the final polish on your work before you submit.

A limited number of Query Package critiques are available. See the registration below for more information.

(Presentations will be recorded and the recording link provided to all participants registered prior to the event.)

January 11: WRITING THE QUERY LETTER THAT GETS NOTICED with Literary Agent Danielle Chiotti, Upstart Crow Literary
This short class will walk you through all of the most important elements of a query letter and help you craft the perfect pitch to capture the attention of agents and editors. It will walk you through the most important elements of a pitch and show you the four most important questions to answer in your book description.
Danielle will be offering a limited number of query-package critiques for this event. See ticket information below to register for this opportunity.

Get to know your instructor:

Danielle Chiotti has worked in publishing for eighteen years. Formerly an editor, she joined Upstart Crow when it was founded in 2009, specializing in young adult and middle grade fiction, as well as cookbooks and select nonfiction. Thanks to her extensive editorial background, she enjoys working closely with authors to develop projects. She welcomes first-time authors with a unique voice and point of view.

 

 

 

 

March 4: TACKLING FIRST PAGES with Literary Agent Samantha Fabien, Laura Dail Literary Agency

In this webinar, I’ll discuss the intentions and goals for the first pages of manuscripts. I will share tips to achieve those goals across various genres and age-ranges including examples from published books. Attendees will leave the webinar with actionable feedback and more confidence in how to start their manuscript whether it’s for the first sentence or for the first chapter.

Samantha will be offering a limited number of query-package critiques for this event. See ticket information below to register for this opportunity.

Get to know your instructor:

Samantha Fabien is a literary agent and international rights manager at Laura Dail Literary Agency. After attending the Columbia Publishing Course in 2016, she went on to intern and work part-time at three agencies: Ayesha Pande Literary, Writers House, and Chalberg & Sussman. From there, Samantha fostered her love for sharing diverse, lasting, and inclusive stories with the world. Samantha also works with events and organizations like DVcon, #Edits4BlackSFF, and The New York Writing Room among others.

May 20: Navigating the Author/Agent Relationship with Literary Agent Reiko Davis, DeFiore & Co. Literary

You’ve written a wonderful manuscript, crafted a query letter that you’ve submitted to agents, and now you’re fielding interest from an agent who wishes to discuss representation with you. What are the next steps? This seminar explores the ins and outs of the relationship between author and agent, beginning with the preliminary conversation you have with one. We will discuss the process of signing with an agent, preparing a project for submission to editors, and beyond. We will cover communication, author/agent agreements, the editorial process, contract negotiation, and the agent’s role once a project is sold to a publisher. This seminar will be a 60-minute presentation followed by 30 minutes of Q&A with attendees.

Reiko will be offering a limited number of query-package critiques for this event. See ticket information below to register for this opportunity.

Get to know your instructor:

Reiko Davis has been an agent at DeFiore and Company since 2016, prior to which she was a literary assistant at Miriam Altshuler Literary Agency. She focuses on literary and upmarket fiction and narrative nonfiction, as well as middle grade and YA literature. A graduate of Brown University and the Columbia Publishing Course, she grew up in Kansas City and now lives in New York. Her award-winning clients include Devi S. Laskar (The Atlas of Reds and Blues), Genevieve Plunkett (Prepare Her), Shannon Sanders (PEN/Robert J. Dau Prize for Emerging Writers), Lucy Jane Bledsoe (Running Wild), Lindsey Klingele (The Truth Lies Here), Andrea Debbink (The Wild World Handbook), Brittany Geragotelis (The Infamous Frankie Lorde), Alan Gelb (Seven Steps to Confident Writing), and Micah Perks.

Query-Package Critiques with Associate Literary Agent Karly Caserza, Fuse Literary

Karly will be offering query-package critiques only. See ticket information below to register.

Get to know your critiquer:

Associate Agent Karly Caserza was born in the Philippines and immigrated to Northern California as a child. She obtained her Business Marketing degree and has been a Freelance Graphic Designer for over 10 years. In addition to designing a wide range of print and web promotional material for clients, Karly creates book covers for Short Fuse and promotional graphics for Fuse authors.
Professionally, Karly began her career in the publishing industry as a reader for Tricia Skinner at Fuse Literary. Her responsibilities quickly grew and she was promoted to Literary Assistant, a role that also included a spot on the production team of Short Fuse.
Karly is also the Marketing Coordinator of the San Francisco Writers Conference, held every President’s Day weekend. In her spare time, Karly is an Adobe Technical Trainer, freelance graphic designer, Young Adult author, video game geek, and art noob.

Karly has a deep love for characters with a strong voice and seeks out stories she can get lost in. Diversity in genre fiction is a major bonus. She specializes in picture books (fiction and nonfiction), middle grade, and young adult genre fiction (fantasy, science fiction, and contemporary).

Query Package critiques: For MG & YA manuscripts only (at an additional cost; submission deadlines detailed below)

Have your Query Package critiqued by 3 of our faculty–Danielle Chiotti, Samantha Fabien and Karly Caserza–with time to revise in between submissions. A limited number of single Query Package critiques will also be available with each webinar.

Format your work in 12 point font, with one-inch margins. Send…

  • 1-page query letter, double spaced
  • 1-page synopsis, single spaced
  • First 20 pages of a manuscript, double spaced

Include all 3 items–query letter, synopsis & manuscript pages–in the same document; please don’t send more than 1 document.

⇒Please include your name on every page of your work as a header or a footer, as well as identifying information on page one: first & last name, email address, title, genre.

⇒Please SAVE YOUR FILE as Webinar Faculty Last Name_Your Last Name_TITLE OF MANUSCRIPT as a PDF or DOC or DOCx.

    Example: Chiotti_Strocchia_PURPLE CARROTS

⇒Then send your file to Kristen at epawebco@gmail.com. The subject should read: Webinar Faculty Last Name_Your Last Name_TITLE OF MANUSCRIPT (same as saved file name).

Deadlines for Query Package submissions for each webinar as follows:

  • Query Grind part 1 [Monday, January 11, 2021] submissions due by Friday, January 8.
  • Query Grind part 2 [Thursday, March 4, 2021] submissions due by Friday, March 12.
  • Query Grind part 3 [Thursday, May 20, 2021] submissions due by Friday, May 21.

Bookings

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Ticket Information

NON-MEMBER 3-PART TICKET - $65.00
Non-member, includes all 3 QUERY GRIND webinars.


MEMBER 3-PART TICKET - $40.00

This price is only available for SCBWI members.

Member, includes all 3 QUERY GRIND webinars.


NON-MEMBER SINGLE WEBINAR REGISTRATION - $25.00
Non-member, January 11, 2021 webinar with Danielle Chiotti


NON-MEMBER SINGLE WEBINAR REGISTRATION - $25.00
Non-member, March 4, 2021 webinar with Samantha Fabien


NON-MEMBER SINGLE WEBINAR REGISTRATION - $25.00
Non-member, May 20, 2021 webinar with Reiko Davis


MEMBER SINGLE WEBINAR - $15.00

This price is only available for SCBWI members.

Member, January 11, 2021 webinar with Danielle Chiotti


MEMBER SINGLE WEBINAR - $15.00

This price is only available for SCBWI members.

Member, March 4, 2021 webinar with Samantha Fabien


MEMBER SINGLE WEBINAR - $15.00

This price is only available for SCBWI members.

Member, May 20, 2021 webinar with Reiko Davis


Event Extras

Critiques

            The SCBWI Anti-Harassment Policy
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            The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) is dedicated to providing a safe and harassment-free environment for all of its members and will take any and all necessary steps to address and prevent harassment at events associated with SCBWI. Harassment under this policy may include verbal comments, written comments, displayed images, or behaviors such as intimidation, stalking, body policing, unwelcome photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, unwelcome sexual attention or advances, and bullying or coercion.

             

            The SCBWI Member Anti-Harassment Policy applies to all situations of harassment or intimidation at any SCBWI Event. An “SCBWI Event” is any event, meeting or activity that is authorized by an SCBWI Regional Manager to be sponsored by, or affiliated with, SCBWI. SCBWI events may include, if properly authorized by an SCBWI Regional Manager, the Annual Summer Conference in Los Angeles, the Annual Winter Conference in New York, regional conferences, meetings and meet-ups. This SCBWI Member Anti-Harassment Policy also applies to “SCBWI On-Line Interactions,” which include communications and content posted on, or directed towards, SCBWI’s Social Media accounts or sent through any of the communication tools available on SCBWI’s website, www.scbwi.org. SCBWI’s Social Media accounts under this policy include the official SCBWI accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr and LinkedIn.

             

             

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            • intimidation, stalking, or following.
            • Sustained disruption of talks or other events.
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            • Unwelcome sexual attention.
            • Abusive verbal comments.
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            Reporting Procedures

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            • Certain SCBWI Events, including the Annual Summer Conference in Los Angeles and the Annual Winter Conference in New York, will designate one or more Safety Team Members who will be available during the conference to provide a safe space for members to report an incident. The Safety Team Member will report directly to the conference director or regional advisor in charge.
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            If appropriate, SCBWI may report the incident to local authorities.

             

            Non-Retaliation

            The SCBWI Anti-Harassment Policy prohibits retaliation against a member of the SCBWI community for reporting harassment, intimidation or discrimination, or for participating in an investigation relating to any complaint made under this policy. The sanctions for retaliation are the same sanctions available to address any other violation of the SCBWI Anti-Harassment Policy.

             

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            • warning the party involved that the particular behavior is inappropriate and must be ceased;
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            • termination of SCBWI membership, without refund; and/or
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            If the conduct at issue involves one of SCBWI’s employees, SCBWI will handle utilize whatever corrective action is appropriate based on the result of the investigation and subject to SCBWI employment policies and practices.

             

            Confidentiality

            SCBWI will make every reasonable effort to conduct all investigations into allegations of harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in a manner that will protect the confidentiality of all parties and witnesses. Notwithstanding the above, confidentiality is not absolute, and those with a legitimate business reason to know and be informed of the allegations will be so informed. Parties to the complaint should treat the matter under investigation with discretion and respect the reputation of all parties involved.

             

               

            If you wish to file a complaint or an anonymous complaint, CLICK HERE to access the Anti-harassment Report Form.

             

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