Coffee & Conversation with editor Sylvie Frank!

Happy Friday, everyone!

Today, we have the lovely Sylvie Frank joining us in the cyber cafe for a pre-SCBWI 20th Anniversary Celebration & Conference chat!

Sylvie Frank is an associate editor at Paula Wiseman Books, and imprint of Simon & Schuster. She has edited books for all ages, including Brianna on the Brink, a debut YA novel by Nicole McInnes. Sylvie is always looking for original voices, relatable characters, and strong plots. She will be giving a talk on:

Standout Stores: Writing a Picture Book that Isn’t Too Quiet.

The most most common reason for an editor to reject a picture book is because it’s “too quiet.” But what does that mean? This session will be about making your picture book anything but quiet. In addition to discussing elements of strong picture books, Sylvie Frank will examine exemplary picture books, including a nonfiction example.

Awesome, welcome, Sylvie! First off, what’s your favorite coffeehouse beverage?

Cappuccino! If I’m being honest, it’s a whole milk cappuccino.

 

And your favorite snack?

Chips and salsa. With a beer.

 

Nice! I like you already. Okay, what was your favorite book as a child?

Matilda by Roald Dahl. I read it over and over.

 

You magically find a $100.00 bill in your box of cereal. In what frivolous way would you spend it? (Key word: Frivolous!)

I tend to be the opposite of a frivolous spender, so this is a hard one. I love eating out, so maybe on dinner? If that’s not frivolous enough, then on a new dress—probably from Anthropologie.

You’ve been locked in a bank vault like that guy from The Twilight Zone, so you finally have time to read!  Your glasses remain unharmed, (whew,) so what’s the first book you crack open? 

At last! I’ve been dying to read Zadie Smith’s NW.

If you followed the career path you chose for yourself in high school, what would you be doing for a living now? 

I’d be a costume designer. I quickly learned that I hated sewing, though, so there went that dream.

For one day, time travel is a reality and you have the opportunity to visit any famous deceased author you want.  Who do you pick?

Laurie Colwin. Sob! She died so young.

 

 What’s your favorite quote?

“My family can always tell when I’m well into a novel because the meals get very crummy.”—Anne Tyler (Not really my favorite, but I can’t help but love it.)

Ha, I like that! Okay, if you could sum up your best advice for new writers or illustrators in only four words, what would it be?

Revise, cut, cut, cut.

Fantastic, thanks for participating, Sylvie

You’re welcome!

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Also, for those who missed TA Barron’s wonderful, “Write Well, Live Fully: An Essay for Aspiring Writers,” that Susan posted last week, be sure to check it out!

And if you’re not sure about participating in our 8-Week Conference Challenge, let me just say that we will have two signed TA Barron books in the give-away basket as well as lots of other writer goodies! Oh, yeah, I got your attention now, huh?

Conference Challenge #1

Conference Challenge #2

Have a great weekend, and happy writing/drawing!

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