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2022 SCBWI OHIO NORTH CONFERENCE
MANUSCRIPT AND PORTFOLIO CRITIQUE DETAILS
Critiques are a conference-add, available for purchase when you register for the full Saturday conference.
Only one critique per person. If you register for more than one critique, both critique slots will be released and you will need to start over.
CRITIQUE OPTIONS AND PRICING
Manuscripts
There are three options for Manuscript Critiques:
Option 1: Written-only ($55) with onsite or offsite faculty
Option 2: One-on-one (15 minutes) in-person at the conference with on-site faculty on Saturday ($65)
Option 3: One-on-one via Zoom with off-site faculty the week of September 19 ($65)
Portfolios
There are two options for Portfolio Critiques:
Option 1: One-on-one (15 minutes) Portfolio Critiques are in-person at the conference with on-site faculty on Saturday ($65)
Option 2: One-on-one via Zoom with off-site faculty the week of September 19 ($65)
CHOOSING A FACULTY MEMBER FOR CRITIQUE
At the end of this page is a handy list of conference faculty sorted by the type of critiques offered. This is a place to start figuring out who might be a good match to your work.
However, we recommend that you visit the Conference Faculty page to see more details about what faculty members will or won’t critique and some of their preferences. Please match your work to their critique preferences. **Have a first, second, third, and fourth choice ready to go at the time of registration.**
Critiques are an opportunity to get feedback on your work from industry professionals, with a focus on marketability and execution of your craft. Please note that a critique is not a submission. Critiques with “acquiring” faculty members (i.e., editors, agents, art directors) sell out quickly, but all attendees will receive information for faculty members who will accept post-conference submissions as noted on the Conference Faculty page.
When you choose a Zoom critique with an Off-Site Critique Faculty member, note that these are happening the week of September 19 during very specific timeframes for each faculty member. Please only select a critique with an off-site faculty member if you can be available for their noted timeslots on the Conference Faculty page. When you are on the registration page, look for their name AND the specific day/timeslot you want. Double-check you selected the right day/time that works for your schedule. **These timeslots represent faculty availability. We cannot reschedule any offsite critiques. Only select a timeslot you are able to make. We cannot offer refunds or reschedule any offsite critiques for any missed critiques. If you are late for a critique, you will only have the remaining time in that timeslot for your critique.**
HOW AND WHEN TO SUBMIT MANUSCRIPTS FOR CRITIQUE
All manuscripts submitted for critiques will be submitted through a Google form. You will receive the link to the Google form via email with instructions a few days after you register.
All files submitted through the Google form should be labeled with your the critique faculty’s last name, your last name, the title, and saved as a Word.docx file:
- FacultyLastName_YourLastName_Title.docx
- Example: Sulaiman_DuBayGillis_BELIEVE.docx
MANUSCRIPT CHECKLIST:
• Check your email for the Google form to submit your manuscript for critique. If you don’t have the link to the Google form within 48 hours of registering for the conference, please email Britney Rudowsky at ohionorth-ara@scbwi.org.
• Microsoft Word format with FacultyLastName_YourLastName_Title as the file name
• Double-spaced
• Check your page count (10 pages max)
• One story max (i.e., not 20 tiny picture book manuscripts)
• A query or cover letter is not needed
• One file per critique (However, if you choose to include a dummy with a picture book manuscript, you may also attach a PDF, less than 5MB in size)
For anyone registering after Friday, August 12, submit your manuscripts within seven days of receiving your registration confirmation. All manuscripts for critique must be submitted by August 26 (for critiques with editor Jenny Ly, the cut-off date is August 20). Anyone registering after August 26 will not be able to sign up for manuscript critiques.
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS:
No cover letter or query letter is needed — please only send the manuscript (or excerpt). It’s tough to manage more than one file per person, and we have a lot of critiques!
If you are sending a section of your manuscript and you feel that synopsis is needed for the reviewer to understand the context, you can include one at the beginning of your manuscript, and it counts toward the page total (but a synopsis is brief, right? so it’s not cutting into the material to be reviewed).
Can I send more than one manuscript if it fits into my ten pages? A wise past faculty member once said, “each manuscript, regardless of how short, requires the same amount of attention.” Remember that elements of a story to be assessed (e.g., character, plot, sense of place) apply to all genres. Please only include one project in the manuscript document.
HOW AND WHEN TO SHARE PORTFOLIOS FOR CRITIQUE
You can receive feedback on your portfolio in a 15-minute, one-on-one critique with a faculty member.
If you are selecting a critique with an on-site faculty member, bring your portfolio with you to your critique.
If you are selecting a critique via Zoom with an off-site faculty member, you will need to provide a PDF of your portfolio, which will be uploaded to a secure location to be shared with the faculty member (details on the max size and recommended number of images is forthcoming).
RECEIVING YOUR CRITIQUES
If you purchase a written-only critique, you will receive your feedback via email on Sunday, September 18.
If you purchase an on-site one-on-one critique for Saturday, you will receive your critique timeslot at the registration table. We do our best to schedule your critique to not interfere with your breakout session choices.
If you purchase an off-site one-on-one critique via Zoom, these will occur during the week of September 19. You will receive your Zoom link for your off-site critique no later than Sunday, September 18.
Match Your Work to Critique Faculty
This handy list should help you figure out which onsite and offsite faculty are critiquing your type of work. Please look at individual Faculty Bios for more specific information on faculty interests. REMEMBER: Only ONE critique per person at registration!
Illustrator Portfolios
Onsite
Kirk Benshoff, Associate Creative Director, Macmillian
Mallory Grigg, Senior Art Director, Macmillian
Becky Gehrisch, Author-Illustrator
Elizabeth Law, Senior Editor, Holiday House
Miranda Paul, Agent, Erin Murphy Literary Agency
Blythe Russo, Author-Illustrator
Offsite
Maria Barbo, Executive Editor, HarperCollins (written only)
Jemiscoe “Jem” Chambers-Black, Associate Agent, Andrea Brown Literary Agency
Board Books
Offsite
Connor Danilson, Editorial Assistant, HarperCollins
Picture Book Manuscripts
Onsite
Becky Gehrisch, Author-Illustrator
Elizabeth Law, Senior Editor, Holiday House (Fiction and Nonfiction)
Miranda Paul, Agent, Erin Murphy Literary Agency (Fiction and Nonfiction)
Tricia Sprinstubb, Author
Saba Sulaiman, Agent, Talcott Notch Literary Services (Fiction and Nonfiction)
Andrea Wang, Author (Fiction and Nonfiction; not the best fit for rhyming)
Offsite
Maria Barbo, Executive Editor, HarperCollins (Written only; Fiction and nonfiction)
Winsome Bingham, Editor, Reycraft Books (Fiction and nonfiction)
Connor Danilson, Editorial Assistant, HarperCollins
Andrea Hall, Senior Acquisitions Editor, Beaming Books (Written only; Fiction and nonfiction)
Carina Licon, Editorial Assistant, HarperCollins
Jenny Ly, Assistant Editor, HarperCollins (Fiction and nonfiction)
Sarah Rockett, Senior Editor, Sleeping Bear Press (Fiction and nonfiction)
Picture Book Dummies (Illustrators)
Onsite
Becky Gehrisch, Author-Illustrator
Blythe Russo, Author-Illustrator
Graphic Novel Illustrations (Illustrators)
Onsite
Blythe Russo, Author-Illustrator
Chapter Books
Offsite
Winsome Bingham, Editor, Reycraft Books
Middle Grade
Onsite
Orlando Dos Reis, Editor, Scholastic
Elizabeth Law, Senior Editor, Holiday House (Fiction and Nonfiction)
Miranda Paul, Agent, Erin Murphy Literary Agency (Fiction and Nonfiction)
Tricia Springstuff, Author
Saba Sulaiman, Agent, Talcott Notch Literary Services (Fiction and Nonfiction)
Andrea Wang, Author (Fiction only; not the best fit for novels-in-verse)
Offsite
Maria Barbo, Executive Editor, HarperCollins (Written only; fiction)
Winsome Bingham, Editor, Reycraft Books
Jemiscoe “Jem” Chambers-Black, Associate Agent, Andrea Brown Literary Agency
Andrea Hall, Senior Acquisitions Editor, Beaming Books (Written only; Nonfiction only)
Carina Licon, Editorial Assistant, HarperCollins
Jenny Ly, Assistant Editor, HarperCollins (Fiction and nonfiction)
Young Adult
Onsite
Orlando Dos Reis, Editor, Scholastic
Elizabeth Law, Senior Editor, Holiday House (Fiction and Nonfiction)
Miranda Paul, Agent, Erin Murphy Literary Agency (Fiction and Nonfiction)
Saba Sulaiman, Agent, Talcott Notch Literary Services (Fiction and Nonfiction)
Offsite
Jemiscoe “Jem” Chambers-Black, Associate Agent, Andrea Brown Literary Agency
Andrea Hall, Senior Acquisitions Editor, Beaming Books (Written only; Nonfiction only)
Carina Licon, Editorial Assistant, HarperCollins
Jenny Ly, Assistant Editor, HarperCollins (Fiction and nonfiction)
Independent Publishing Consultations
Onsite
Becky Gehrisch, Author-Illustrator
Florenza Lee, Author