Today we’d like to welcome not one but SIX of our fellow Eastern PA authors and illustrators to the blog with us. Each of them recently celebrated or will soon be celebrating their debut publications, but their paths to success varied widely. So, our assistant regional advisor and webinar coordinator, Kristen Strocchia, asked each of them to share a little from their personal journeys in advance of our debut panel webinar on 8/31/23. To learn more about the event and to register, go to https://www.scbwi.org/events/webinar-debut-author-illustrator-panel
Kristen: First off, what’s one word you would use to describe your path to publication?
Amy Neeren: Enlightening
Heather Pierce Stigall: Believe
Berrie Torgan-Randall: Persistence
Ellen Ramsey: Perseverance!
Dana Kramaroff: One word I would use to describe my path to publication is: HOPE! I never gave up. I hung onto the hope that it would happen for me one day.
Laura Parnum: Since I like math just as much as literature, I’m going to go with a math term: cumulative. Everything about my journey has been cumulative from the writing (starting with an idea, then adding characters, setting, plot elements, etc.), to the agent search (building a list of possible agents to query and adding and adding and adding until finally getting that YES), to the community around me (constantly adding other writers, authors, and publishing pros in order to share knowledge, advice, obstacles, and celebrations). It’s all a cumulative process in which I’m still adding and will continue adding for however long this journey continues.
Kristen: And what one encouragement helped you the most along the way?
Dana Kramaroff: One encouragement that helped me the most is that “writing is not a sprint, but a marathon.” People (not me!) that run marathons must pace themselves and I really had to learn that being “done” did not mean it was ready to be sent off to an agent or my editor right away. I’ve learned to pause and take the space I need to write and revise without feeling the pressure to go fast out the gate, so to speak!
Amy Neeren: Lots of amazing writers keep rejection letters on their walls—keep going!
Laura Parnum: As for encouragement, I would say that, in a way, my book’s own main character, Halle, offered me encouragement. Halle clearly has confidence, but in the beginning of the book she doesn’t actually know it. It’s not until later that she realizes she can be the heroine and save the day instead of always running and hiding. I can connect this to my own writing journey by saying that, while I’ve loved writing for as long as I can remember, it took me a long time to realize I could actually become a published author. Authors were like magical wizards who were born with supernatural authoring abilities, not regular people like me. But in reality, regular people can and do become authors, just like Halle becomes a heroine.
Heather Pierce Stigall: My critique partners, besides giving excellent feedback on my writing, are the best cheerleaders anyone could ever have. They have encouraged me every step of the way and reminded me that the only guarantee to not getting published is to give up.
Ellen Ramsey: The gift of inspiration and advice from the many writers, illustrators, editors, and agents I’ve met at SCBWI conferences.
Berrie Torgan-Randall: Several years ago, I started attending conferences to achieve my dream of illustrating and writing books for children. These conferences became my muse, inspiring me to use my imagination and be creative. When I began, I shyly presented my portfolio. The other illustrators intimidated me. They were published and had beautiful portfolios and websites! Despite my own reservation to show my work, my family encouraged me to continue, and my husband suggested that I be inspired, not intimidated. It took a few conferences to get over the intimidation and the desire to crawl under a rock.
Meet our Debut Panel
Dana Kramaroff
Dana Kramaroff has been teaching elementary school readers and writers since 2001, has been a mom since 2005, and serves as a teacher-leader of her local National Writing Project site. She is a collector of children’s books, stickers, and has a severe pen problem which leaves her unable to resist a new pack of colorful ones. THE DO MORE CLUB (Penguin Random House) is her debut middle grade novel with a second book coming in 2025!
Amy Neeren, PhD: critiquing Chapter Book manuscripts
Dr. Amy Neeren, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist, researcher, and clinical trial manager. She is a former Visiting Assistant Professor at nearby Haverford College and has taught psychology courses at several universities. Dr. Neeren has written several short stories in literature magazines as well as numerous academic papers. Nellie in Knots is the first in a collection of her debut chapter book series! There are at least five more books in the series that will be released soon. Dr. Neeren is also writing several other children’s books, as well as an adult autofiction book in the genre of humor. She adores her two spunky girls and husband, and is always looking for fun!
Laura Parnum: critiquing MG manuscripts
Laura Parnum is an author with a penchant for quirky characters, creepy settings, and lots of humor. She’s dabbled in playwriting and screenwriting, but her true passion is for middle-grade fiction. Her debut novel, Peril at Price Manor (HarperCollins; August 8, 2023), follows an aspiring horror movie actress as she pairs up with twin children of a legendary horror filmmaker to defeat mysterious creatures that have taken control of the staff at Price Manor.
Ellen Ramsey: critiquing PB manuscripts
Ellen L. Ramsey loves reading and writing humorous stories that celebrate imagination and creativity. Her debut picture book, A Book for Bear (Flamingo Books/Penguin Young Readers), reflects these themes. Bear, with assistance from his friend Ellen, tries imaginative disguises in his search for a book of his very own. Kirkus Reviews concludes, “the book conveys a terrific message about the love of books and the joy of reading,” and the book will encourage children to create books of their very own. Details are available on her website: http://www.ellenlramsey.com. Ellen’s success in publishing this book is a tribute to the power of SCBWI conferences and the support of SCBWI friends. Ellen’s jobs—as an English teacher, technical editor, and author—have focused on her love of reading and writing. Her stories, articles, and poetry have appeared in Highlights, Spider, Ladybug, Muse, and Fun for Kidz. Her poem “Hippity Zippity,” published in Highlights High Five, won an SCBWI Magazine Merit Award for Poetry. Connect with Ellen on Instagram (@ellenlramseybooks), Facebook (EllenLRamsey) and Twitter (@ellenlramsey1).
Heather Pierce Stigall: critiquing PB manuscripts
Heather Stigall uses her experience with children and her degrees in Child Development, Psychology-based Human Relations, and Social Work to create stories that speak to kids. She is the Critique Group/Meet & Greet Coordinator for the Eastern PA SCBWI Chapter, a member of the 12×12 Picture Book Challenge, and a parent to five children and one pup. When she’s not writing, you can find Heather hanging out with her kids (hopefully at the beach), reading, eating chocolate, baking, or creating all sorts of treasures. Her debut picture book, PAISLEY’S BIG BIRTHDAY (Clavis Publishing), is out now in Dutch, will soon be published in Romanian, and will be released in English in August 2023. Her second picture book, GILBERT AND THE GHOST, (Beaming Books) is due out fall 2024. You can connect with Heather through her website, HeatherPierceStigall.com, and her social media links at https://linktr.ee/HeatherStigall.
Berrie Torgan-Randall: critiquing PB dummies & illustration portfolios
Berrie Torgan-Randall has been passionate about children’s literature since she was a little girl and has fed her desire by becoming a children’s librarian and by pursuing a career as an illustrator and writer of children’s books. She majored in art as an undergraduate and later pursued a Master’s Degree in Information Studies, which enabled her to become familiar with current trends in publication related to children’s literature. It also confirmed her desire to write and illustrate books for children. Her illustrations have appeared in Ladybug Magazine (May/June 2022 and Nov/Dec 2022). Bella & Blue: Bella Meets Blue, her debut early reader graphic novel, was released on October 1, 2022 by The Little Press.
Webinar Information
Debut Author & Illustrator Panel
August 31st, 2023 at 7pm Eastern
Paths to publication are as many and unique as the creators themselves. Join us to hear how a few of our Eastern PA debut authors and illustrators each found their start. Be sure to bring your questions for the time of Q & A at the end.
The presentation will be recorded and the recording link provided to all participants who have registered prior to the event.
Cost: $15 for SCBWI members; $25 for non-SCBWI members
A limited number of critiques are available for an additional cost.
For more information and to register, go to: https://www.scbwi.org/events/webinar-debut-author-illustrator-panel/register-info
EasternPennPoints 
Congratulations to everyone! Looking forward to the webinar