When: Wednesday, November 28, 2012, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Scholastic Headquarters, 557 Broadway, New York, NY — See map »
Price: $249 — includes full conference access, breakfast and refreshments
There’s no doubt about it: Young adult publishing has been one of the most extraordinary stories in book publishing for years. Hits ranging from Twilight to The Hunger Games have delighted tens of millions of readers around the world — and introduced generations of new readers to the love of books and reading.
But what’s next for this extraordinary category? How can you best approach this market? And what’s in it for you? Our half-day professional conference, “YA: What’s Next” will offer answers to these questions and more.
Authors at Publishing Perspectives' children's book conference in May 2012
Conference Program and Speakers
| 8:30–9:00 am — Check in and refreshments | |
| 9:00–9:15 — Opening Remarks by Ellie Berger, President, Trade Publishing, Scholastic Inc. | |
| 9:15–9:30 — YA Market Research and Statistics: Carl Kulo, Bowker | |
| 9:30–9:45 — Keynote Presentation: Beth Kephart, author | |
| 9:45–10:30 — Digital Marketing for YA: Reaching Readers Beyond the Bookstore | |
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Description How do you reach a market that’s considered to be the most digitally savvy? What are they looking for? How do you persuade them to buy? And how much responsibility should fall to the author, and what role does and should social media play? Moderated by Ed Nawotka, PP Editor-in-Chief. |
Speakers Mara Anastas, Deputy Publisher, Pulse/Simon & Schuster; |
| 10:30–11:15 — Drawing the Line: What’s the Difference Between a YA and an Adult Book? | |
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Description With YA titles broaching topics once considered adult (death, sex, violence, coming out, and more), and in increasingly graphic terms, where is the line between YA and adult to be drawn? Is YA merely a watered down version of an adult topic, or is it approached differently? Moderated by Andrew Losowsky, Books Editor, Huffington Post. |
Speakers Aimee Friedman, Senior Editor, Scholastic Trade; |
| 11:15–11:30 — Coffee break | |
| 11:30–12:15 — Reaching Teens: Thinking Out of the Box | |
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Description Panelists that range from trend-setting book packagers to gamers to digital publishers discuss the innovative ways they’re reaching teens. Moderated by Jennifer M. Brown, children’s editor of Shelf Awareness and interim director of Bank Street College’s Center for Children’s Literature. |
Speakers Julie Hochheiser Ilkovich, Digital Editorial Director, Alloy Entertainment; |
| 12:15–1:00 — YA: What’s Next? | |
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Description Young adult literature surfs on trends. So what’s next for the category? Will we see more dystopia, zombies, vampires, and angels? Could there be an opportunity for more nonfiction titles? What are the emerging markets for YA? Industry experts offer their insight. Moderated by Dennis Abrams, PP Children’s books editor. |
Speakers Doris Janhsen, Publishing Director, Oetinger Verlag (Germany); |