I don’t know about the rest of you, but I STILL feel like I’m recovering from SCBWI. I had such an AMAZING, AWESOME, FANTABULOUS time, meeting up with a bunch of online peeps, attending keynotes, and generally just flying my crazy-flag. A huge shout-out to my roomies: Veronica Roth, Corrine Jackson, Stephanie Kuehn, and honorary one-night-only roomie Dawn Miller–you ladies are both super fun and amazingly tolerant. Cough.

10. The girls of YA Highway are all gorgeous (really, it’s uncanny), fun, and great at leading field trips! Also, they rock at coming up with cool group costume ideas:

So glad they let me terrorize hang with them!

9. Veronica Roth likes to spoon when she shares a bed with you. Okay, joking, joking–there was no spooning involved at all–partly bc I sleep like a vampire, partly bc I think she would have punched me in the nose in her sleep if I’d tried.

8. Some editors suggest that book tours often don’t promote sales enough to justify the expense, and endorse other forms of marketing as much more effective. (see, I DID listen sometimes). This was interesting to me because I’ve always heard so much about book tours as the MAIN way of promoting your book.

7. Hannah Moskowitz talks faster than should be humanly possible. And yet I STILL understood her. Hmmm….. (also, she’s freaking adorable, though she’ll probably kick my ass for using that term to describe her).

6. Yes, editors are sick of paranormal, but yes, it’s still selling. Make sure yours has a unique spin.

5. Don’t ever open up urban dictionary in a group setting. Ever. Also, writers know many, many bad words and hand gestures (thank you, Steph–the guy in our breakout session will remember that moment forever).

4. Not all of your roommates will appreciate your stunning Wham! medley…especially not when you sing it on the Santa Monica Boardwalk.

3. According to several editors, ebooks are not a sign of the Bookpocalypse! No, really. Some editors actually embrace ebooks as a good thing for publishing.

2. The jacuzzi at the host hotel doesn’t stay open nearly late enough.

1. Writers, agents, and publishers are some of the best peeps ever!  (cue random photo montage;)

The Musers (and Cindy Pon!) chilling by the pool....

Dawn Miller, taking a shopping break...

Emilia and Jay Asher, looking pretty in pink...

Cindy Pon (who told me I almost broke her lap, HA!)