An Interview About the SCBWI 40th Annual Conference

By Dani Greer with Rana DiOrio

Dani: I spent the weekend on Twitter following the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Conference in LA, and I have to tell you, the sound-bites were inspiring. The guest speakers were a dream-come-true for any author and even included Judy Blume! Our chief executive pickle, Rana DiOrio, was there in person. Rana, what was the #1 highlight of this year's conference?

 

Rana: Learning that Eliza Wheeler, our award-winning illustrator of What Does It Mean To Be Present?, won the Grand Prize in the Illustrators’ Portfolio Showcase was the single most wonderful moment of the conference. Eliza was honored with a Mentorship Award at last year’s annual conference. Leslie Iorillo, our Art Director, and I took Eliza and her husband out to dinner to celebrate not only the publication of her first book but also this SCBWI acknowledgement of her talent. To go from that to her winning the highest accolade granted to an illustrator at this event the following year was rather special. We are so very proud of Eliza and wish her continued success. 

Dani: Is this the first conference you’ve attended? What do you gain from attending a conference like this, as compared to other book conferences?

Rana: This is my third SCBWI Annual Conference, and I wouldn’t dare to miss one. The energy at these conferences is high voltage, positive, uplifting, motivating, and infectious. It is an ardent community that shares a love of children and children’s literature. We are kindred spirits united to elevate our craft. I learn so much each time I come. There is no other conference like it. 

Dani: How was this one different from previous years? Do you feel your experiences as a publisher have changed what you gained from each conference? 

Rana: Each year, I am amazed at the caliber of the speakers and panelists, and each year the SCBWI exceeds my high expectations. I think what’s different from previous years is me and where Little Pickle Press is in its growth. As an example, last year I waited patiently after Josh Adams’ talk on breaking into the kidlit industry and the utility of having an agent. After he answered the questions of at least a dozen aspiring authors who wanted to submit to him their manuscripts, he turned to me. I handed him my card, and said, “Hi, Josh. I’m Rana DiOrio of Little Pickle Press. I’d like to buy one of your manuscripts.” Well, during this year’s Agent Panel, Tracey Adams, Josh’s wife and business partner, announced to the eager crowd that they had just struck a deal with an emerging small publisher––Little Pickle Press. And that’s how it’s done! Onward and upward.

Alice Pope

Lee Wind

Another point of differentiation is that the SCBWI Blog Team provides amazingly clever and lightening-fast coverage of each aspect of the event. What this means for conference goers is that if you are unable to attend a session due to a conflict, you are able to glean the gist of it by reading the blog. What this means for those who are unable to attend the conference is that they are plugged into all the action from the comfort of their own homes. So, a heartfelt thank you goes out to the extraordinarily talented SCBWI Team Blog led by Alice Pope (@alicepope on Twitter)––Martha Brockenbrough (@mbrockenbrough), Jolie Stekly (@cuppajolie), Jaime Temalrik (@jaimetem), Lee Wind (@leewind), and Suzanne Young (@suzanne_young). We appreciate all that you do for us!

Dani: Do your authors and illustrators attend this conference, too? What’s in it for them?

Rana: Last year and this, our award-winning illustrator, Eliza Wheeler attended the conference. (As I’ve mentioned, last year she won the coveted Mentorship Award, and this year she won the Grand Prize in the Illustrators’ Portfolio Showcase!) The learning possibilities at this conference are boundless. I wish that all of our authors and illustrators would attend. 

Dani: Who were the three most inspirational speakers from your perspective?

Rana: (1) Judy Blume: Goddess, Diva, 73-year old industry titan who is approachable, self-deprecating, inspirational, and gorgeous. (2) Norton Juster: The Master of Context. The author of one of the greatest children’s books of all time (The Phantom Tollbooth). Clever, wise, insightful, funny and vibrant.  (3) David Small: here’s a guy who had an absolutely hideous childhood who can speak with great authenticity and candor about it, make us all cry, and then turn on a dime to herald indie booksellers in a PowerPoint Presentation that makes us all laugh hysterically. 

Dani: Of the presenters, whose newest book would you most like to publish in your wildest dreams? And why?

Rana: I really thought about the answer to this question. I’m a “be careful what you wish for” person! There are two authors/presenters I’d like to publish for completely different reasons.

First, I’d like to publish Richard Peck’s new manuscript that is written from the perspective of a mouse. Richard is a legend, a master novelist of our time, who respects his profound influence on children and honors his audience with fine literature. I think it would be amazingly satisfying to publish this highly-acclaimed author, who has enjoyed a wildly successful career by being published traditionally, and to work with him to catapult his new work into directions that will surprise and excite him.

Second, I’d like to publish Laurie Halse Anderson’s next novel. She’s a spark plug, someone to whom I can really relate. I think it would be a blast to collaborate with her.

Laurie Halse Anderson

Dani: What was the takeaway from this conference? What did you use to inspire your team upon your return? 

Rana: Do not be afraid to forge into the unknown. We heard this important message from not only author sensations Judy Blume and Laurie Halse Anderson but also from the Grande Dame of the conference, Lin Oliver. It’s OK to not have all the answers. Do your research, and then follow your instincts. They will guide you where you need to go. It is exactly the strategy I embrace to grow Little Pickle Press. I will certainly use this message to inspire my team.

Lin Oliver and Judy Blume

My other take-away is that we need to get into middle grade . . . and pronto.

Dani: Readers, how many of you attended the SCBWI conference this past weekend? For those who didn’t go, try checking out the Twitter hashtag #LA11SCBWI for updates. Be sure to go to the SCBWI blog, too. Please leave us your thoughts if you attended this conference either in real life or virtually. We encourage you to follow the day-to-day of all book conferences on Twitter!