Editor’s Day 2009

This past Saturday was the SCBWI Orange County/Inland Empire Editor’s Day held annually at the Santa Ana Zoo. We had some wonderful speakers: Editors AnnMarie Harris from Scholastic, Jessica Garrison from Dial Books, and Kate Angelella from Aladdin, screenwriter Michael Mahin, Author/Illustrator Steve Bjorkman, Author Alexandria La Faye, and our very own Nancy Sanders. Each one had their own unique tips and topics to share.

One of the benefits of attending a conference such as this is for a brief open door to submit to publishing houses that are normally closed to unsolicited manuscripts and/or unagented writers. I am definitely going to take advantage of this offer. Although it is rare for a manuscript to be accepted this way, I still want to try. You never know when you might catch the attention of an editor that you would not have had access to under normal conditions.

So the next time Editor’s Day comes around (announcements usually start in August of each year), plan on attending. You want to do all you can to increase your chances of publication.

Contributed by Catherine L. Osornio