Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles, California

The conference is described as “4 days of agents, editors, publishers, workshops and networking designed to take your writing and illustration to the next level” – it was that and a whole lot more! It was my first time attending and I look forward to the next. Some highlights from the conference for me include:

*Rubin Pfeffer, formerly senior Vice President and Publisher for Simon & Schuster Children’s Books and now a partner at the East West Literary Agency, urging us to think of ourselves not as writers and illustrators but as content creators.

*Stephanie Owens Lurie, Editorial Director of Disney-Hyperion, stating that picture books are down 40% but then adding “digital could be the re-birth of the picture book.” She also mentions in her workshop that we as authors need to “embrace technology, because our audience has.”

*Author Jon Scieszka telling us in his keynote speech that you should not do what someone else does but to do what YOU connect with.

*Attending the Golden Kite Luncheon. This included an awards ceremony and a moving tribute to the late, great author Sid Fleischman. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room.

*Author Alexis O’Neil telling us in her workshop on school visits, not to underestimate the value of your work and that you should set your fees and stick to your guns. Act like a pro and you’ll be treated like one.

*Author/illustrator Loren Long telling us how he infuses mood and emotion into his art by imagining what song might be playing during a scene he’s working on (he goes on to demonstrate this by belting out the song “All by Myself” against the backdrop of his drawing of a forlorn looking duck). He closes his speech by telling us to ask ourselves “What do I want to give this world?”

*An editor stating that 50% of an author’s time should be AFTER the book is published. Self-promotion is key.

*Jennifer Hunt, Executive Editor of Little Brown Books for Young Readers, telling us that we shouldn’t focus too much on trends but that we should look for universal truths.

*Selling out of my book “Greetings from Kiwi and Pear” at the P.A.L. book sale – YAY me!

*Seeing conference attendees and faculty, of all ages, tearing up the dance floor to the tune of “I Like Big Butts” at the Heart and Soul ball.

*Closing keynote speaker author/illustrator Ashley Bryan leading 1000+ of us to recite poems such as “My People” by Langston Hughes. So lively. So moving. SO AMAZING! You’d never know he was 87. It was truly unforgettable and the perfect way to end the conference.

*Meeting all the new people. I already miss the camaraderie of fellow writer’s and illustrators. Most nights people just hung out in the hotel lobby talking, laughing, sharing ideas and even facebooking in some cases! It was also kind of funny to see everyone immersed in their laptops – made me wonder what people did after hours at this conference before there were computers!

Now back home my mind is STILL buzzing with information and inspiration. The workshops and panels enlightened, the keynote speeches brought me to tears and laughter, and everyone I met was so smart, welcoming, supportive and passionate. I feel so lucky to be part of this community and the conference made me love what I do even more!

Although, I’m dying to ride the wave of inspiration and work on some of my book ideas, that will just have to wait. I actually have to switch gears now for the New York International Gift Fair coming up in two weeks! Drop by and say hello if you’re attending – I’ll be in booth #2949.

In the Cards: An Interview with Joyce Wan

Although Joyce Wan designed her first greeting card while she was in the first grade, it wasn’t until much later when she started her own card company Wanart. From her first line of Chinese Zodiac cards, she has branched off into framed prints, clothing and now children’s books. She was able to spare some time and answer a few of our questions.

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Tell us a little about yourself. Where did you grow up? What did you study in school?

I was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts and now live in New York City. My parents owned a little Chinese takeout restaurant where my three other siblings and I used to work when we were growing up.

I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. I designed my first greeting card when I was in first grade for a city-sponsored greeting card design contest. The design won first place and was subsequently mass-produced and sold through a major department store chain.

I studied architecture at Barnard College with the hopes of becoming an architect. I thought that it would be a creative yet practical career but something was still missing for me and I grew very disenchanted with the work I was doing. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be designing greeting cards when I “grew up” but here I am!

Read more here!

I loved how that last one used a heart in place of an ‘o’ for my name – maybe I should start signing everything that way?

Also, new wallpapers have been added in the downloads section of the website!

Spread the Kiwi and Pear love!

Enjoy! ^_^

Check out my recap of the conference as a guest writer on children’s book author Tara Lazar’s blog.

Here’s a picture of me hanging out with Bumblebee at the Licensing Show!

The Licensing Show was overwhelming and slightly intimidating! I exhibited last year but decided to just walk the show this year. I’m in the process of finding a licensing agency who will help me to procure licensing opportunities while I focus on my core business. I decided this after much soul searching and coming to the realization that I really can’t handle everything with wanart, publishing, licensing and designing! Although I don’t have any qualms about making my own deals, and have done so up until now, I figured that I should really focus on what I do and love best which is art!

Walking the show enabled me to see what types of agencies were out there, how they represented themselves, what kind of clients they have and how would I fit in. Strangely, I thought it was less intimidating when you had your own booth. When you have your own booth you’re kind of in your own little world unaware of what you’re up against. Walking the show made me realize that I have a long road ahead of me if I want to break into the licensing biz, though, I think I am up for the challenge!

As usual, my best seller of the day were cards!

I provided a signup sheet for people so they can receive the latest wanart news and online specials! You too can signup on the right hand corner of this blog – come on, go ahead – you know you want to get emails from me!

Introductory remarks from NYC comptroller John Liu! Looking spiffy in a dark suit and tie despite the 90 degree weather! It must be tough to be a politician in the summer – LOL!

I will have a booth at the festival offering Wanart goodies for sale. I’m hoping for a beautiful day and have been checking the weather forecast for this weekend religiously! Looks like it will be cloudy but warm – let’s hope the rain stays away.