ShopTalk Around the Region

Our meetings/events include informational discussions/presentations from craft to publishing, guest author/illustrator speakers, and social gatherings. Members and invited guests connect in-person locally and via ZOOM regionally. Contact your local ShopTalk facilitator for more information.

We meet on the 2nd Thursday of the month from 7:00 – 8:30 PM alternating between Ellicottville and Orchard Park. Carey and Patty can be reached at buffsouthshoptalk@gmail.com for more information. Join us!

Our April 30 ShopTalk is Cancelled. The next Syracuse Area ShopTalk is in May.

Picture book structure: What makes THIS book work? We’ll dissect a well-written picture book and talk about it. Tuesday, May 28, 2024, 6:30 – 8:00 PM, Eastern Time.

We're currently planning to meet by Zoom only

HOMEWORK: Find a picture book you love, that you think is The Best. What makes THIS book work? Is it the text? The structure? the illustrations? A combo? How to share your book during the discussion:

1) Take a photo of the cover and a couple of pages of your book. Download them to your computer so you can screenshare

2) put pagemarkers on a couple pages and share via camera (you can't have "blurred" video or a virtual background if you do this)

Bring your questions and experience and join the Discussion.

A note about joining via zoom. 

To avoid audio echo or feedback during the meeting turn off or mute all other devices in the room. It is also helpful to mute yourself if you have other family members, children, or dogs that are likely to be making noise. I've been there myself. It's amazing how dogs and little kids are "energized" by Zoom meetings. You can always turn your microphone back on when you want to say something.

We meet on the last Tuesday of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM with in-person and Zoom hybrid sessions at the DeWitt Library, 5110 Jamesville Rd. in Jamesville. Contact Kate - woodle1 [at] verizon [dot] net ; and David - daven71 [at] gmail [dot] com for more information. Join us!

Next Ithaca Shop Talk - May 13 at 6 pm, in person, in the BorgWarner West room of Tompkins County Public Library (Ithaca Library). Please note that we've been moved to the "west wing" for the evening.

TOPIC: Discussion about submitting & querying agents & editors. There will be a hand-out with info. If you can't make the meeting and would like a hand-out, please let me know and I'll email one to you after the meeting (as we may add to it that evening)

IF YOU MISSED our April Shop Talk Meeting - Here's another chance - May 28, 6:30, ZOOM.

I'll be sharing what we discussed in April with the Syracuse Shop Talk group via zoom on Tuesday, May 28th , 6:30 – 8:00 PM. TOPIC: Picture book structure: What makes THIS book work? We’ll dissect a well-written picture book and talk about it. Contact us for the Zoom link.

You MAY bring drinks in closed containers, and non-messy snacks. This is an in-person meeting. Tompkins County Public Library is located at 101 East Green Street in Ithaca

Banner artwork by Kate Woodle, katewoodle.com