Part 4 of 4
The Final Portfolio
If you need a portfolio right now, my favorite option of the three is the Layflay 24-page hardcover from Photobook Canada — just remember to get a discount from Groupon first. It has a nice finish, very thick pages, and the seam is almost invisible. However, it does not come with a glossy HD paper option. HD paper does make the artwork look the best.
The Results of the SCBWI 20th Annual Winter Conference
Bottom line: I expected too much and was therefore disappointed.
My experience regarding the event was mostly a rushed mess. I did meet a few wonderful people, but I also feel that there weren’t as many opportunities to ask questions. At the end of each session, there was rarely time before the other session would begin. To ask questions, the attendees had to pounce on the presenter like starving wolves upon carrion.
As a person attending for the first time, I felt lost.
I also learned that submitting a portfolio if you are not working in a currently popular style is a waste of time and money.
I know I’m suppose to be Pollyanna and not express my frustrations as a professional, but I have to say the disappointment was tremendous, because it would have taken so little to make this event amazing. Instead I felt like I ran a marathon, only to discover that the actual race would be taking place on another day.
Final Thoughts:
I think SCBWI is a very useful organization that provides a lot of help and information to the authors and illustrators. I particularly appreciate all the time taken by the organizers who volunteer their time to make these events happen.
However, I’m tired of the segregation. It is time to stop dividing the services between trade published individuals and self-published individuals. I understand dividing students and professionals, but self-publishing a book at a level that it can compete with the trade published work is much harder than working on just a part of the book. As an organization SCBWI should celebrate entrepreneurial spirits instead of trampling them. Stop attaching labels to the work, and let the work speak for itself.
SCBWI Montréal Conference 2019
Bottom Line: If you can, go!
This conference was smaller, more intimate, and I got feedback, from an art director and an editor. It was quick, but useful.