A hearty cheer for our brilliant Roving Reporter team

I can't imagine how stressful it would've been taking on the SCBWI Conference blogging job without the help and dedication of a hand-picked team of roving reporters and photographers ..... Sheryl Gwyther, author.   #SCBWIAusNZ14

It's been such a privilege working with you all, team!

Sound the drum roll and give them a hearty cheer!!!

Pamela Rushby, Sandy Fussell, Betty Sargent, Dimity Powell, Ramona Davey, Caz Goodwin, Sarah Mounsey, Peter Taylor, Mo Johnson, Georgie Donaghey and Jacque Duffy.

Dimity Powell, Caz Goodwin, Georgie Donaghey, Pam Rushby, Sheryl Gwyther, Lesley Vamos, Sarah Mounsey, Betty Sargent, Sandy Fussell, Ramona Davey.

Adding in Peter Taylor (and the usual suspects!)

Adding in Peter Taylor (and the usual suspects!)

And Jacque Duffy!

GETTING INTO THE MARKET PLACE ... Kathryn Otoshi and Tania McCartney

Roving Reporter: Georgie Donaghey

This session was an education on breaking into the market with self published books.

Together with Tania McCartney (Kids Book Review and the 52-Week Illustrator Challenge) and International Award winning author, Kathryn Otoshi, we were given an insight into their journey from publication to success!

These simple comments sum up this energetic and informative session by two respected industry professionals.

'It begins with a window of an idea.'  Kathryn Otoshi

 'Everyone shares parallel paths but has a unique journey.'  Tania McCartney

 'Don't tell your dream, take action on it.'  Kathryn Otoshi

 'Start small and let it grow organically.'  Tania McCartney

 'Believe in miracles - they are waiting for you everywhere.'  Kathryn Otoshi

 'Use what you know - reconnecting with your eight year old self.'

 At eight years of age Tania McCartney spent her time doing what she loved best, drawing and writing. She was happy.  Her teenage years were spent exploring the opposite sex.  Her focus had shifted but she was still happy.  By her 20s Tania got caught up in the grown-ups world and did jobs she didn't love.  Her thirties were spent bringing a family into the world and being a Mum. She was happy but not complete.

Nowadays, Tania has reconnected with her eight-year-old self and is doing what she loves to do best, writing and drawing.  She is in her heaven.

Kathryn Otoshi, who suffers from self confessed career ADD, turned her redundancy from George Lucas Films into a good thing.  She used this life change to change her life and hasn't looked back.

Both agree it is hard when getting started and you need to make sacrifices.  Pay offs only come when you have put in the hard work, it may take sometime but it is worth it in the end.

THE ANALOGY OF GROWTH...

Plant your idea - find your niche in the market and begin.

Grass roots plan - research your market, have a plan of direction and source those who can distribute your books.

Good soil - build contacts around you - reach out to bookstores, librarians, sellers and those already established in the industry.

Water and sunshine - enjoy your accolades and soak up any and all encouragement.

 

Publishers share their best-kept stories

Roving Reporter: Pamela Rushby

Publishers share their best-kept stories

Well, what to say about this session?

We were promised PUBLISHERS SHARE THEIR BEST-KEPT STORIES. We were assured by moderators Susanne Gervay and Frane Lessac it would be "Funny, inspiring and more".

It was certainly that, and more .....

It started promisingly with Zoe Walton's story of contacting John Flanagan, the author of the Ranger series, suggesting that a pack mule that had suddenly popped up in the middle of a tense situation, might need to be set up so that readers were aware of its presence. And of the A4 sheet of suggestions she received ("to be inserted at your leisure") setting up the pack mule so effectively that the reader tended to forget there was anyone else in the story. (Really, you had to be there ...)

And of the Erratum slip that Maryann Ballantyne treasured for years, pinned to the wall above her desk, that had been slipped into a printing of Year 10 geography books: ON PAGE 76 WHERE TEXT SAYS 'LABIA' IT SHOULD READ 'LAVA'.

And the book that Sue Whiting loved - and published - "Harry the Boy Who Couldn't Fart" which came complete with a Farting Machine that the whole staff was required to test, again and again and again ....

Things then went downhill as Susanne and Frane pitched four books to the publishers:

(Editor note:  And I'm afraid we can't tell you anything about what happened next, except that.....)

The audience shrieked, howled, and rolled on the floor.

A Roving Reporter's life is not an easy one!