The 2025 Prairie Horizons conference of the Saskatchewan chapter of the Canadian Association of Children's Authors, Illustrators, and Performers was a great success! Set in beautiful downtown Saskatoon, conference attendees explored the theme of Don't Drop Out: Speak Out, Stand Out. I am grateful to organizers Yvonne Denomy, Mary Harelkin Bishop, and Maureen Ulrich for inviting me to speak as part of a publishing panel and to share notes on manuscript evaluations with three of the attendees.
The publishing panel addressed these topics (some of my responses are in parentheses):
- What are the challenges for publishers and editors? (Cost of production; selling and marketing the books; lack of financial support for indie publishers & authors)
- What helps an author or manuscript/illustrator stand out, and what is a publisher looking for in a manuscript? (A unique topic/storyline/approach to a subject; great writing that tells the story and helps the reader care about the characters; for DriverWorks Ink books, a story that readers can learn something from, to help make the world a better place)
- What are tips to encourage aspiring authors and illustrators to stay the course? (Keep going; try to not be discouraged by a rejection letter; try to look at comments or criticisms of the written work as opportunities for improvement; keep searching until you find an editor/publisher who is a good fit for you and your work)
- What do authors/illustrators need to know about Artificial Intelligence (Be careful; use it sparingly and cautiously; add an AI clause in your contracts to protect yourself and your publisher; know that AI copies sources without permission or compensation to the originators of the ideas; check for the source of the information to confirm it is correct and not plagiarized; be cautious that you are not stealing the creations of others)
The conference had numerous sessions and events in addition to those in which I participated. It's always nice to learn something new and connect with other writers, authors, and publishers. Thanks again to CANSCAIP Saskatchewan for hosting a great conference.
Enjoy these photos from CANSCAIP's 2025 Prairie Horizons Conference.
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| Blogger and Book Editor Brian Henry, Deana Driver of DriverWorks Ink, Emma Sakamoto of Groundwood Books, and Edward Willett of Shadowpass Press |
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| Author and Spoken Word artist Khodi Dill inspired the audience to speak out against injustice |
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| Author and Storyteller Cort Dogniez shared why authors should speak out about history and injustice |
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| Three award-winning DriverWorks Ink authors (left to right) Mary Harelkin Bishop, Deana J Driver, and Jennifer S Wallace at the 2025 Prairie Horizons conference |
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| A view of downtown Saskatoon and the South Saskatchewan River, May 2025 |
