Guest Speakers

2026 Success Story Speaker

Each year a formerly unpublished conference attendee, who has gone on to publish in the field of children's literature, shares his or her experience with aspiring authors and illustrators.

Toni De Palma

2026 Success Story Speaker

In 2005, I attended the Rutgers One-on-One conference. I’d been a participant before, but this time, I felt much better prepared than the previous times. Fresh from my MFA from Vermont College, I submitted the first chapter of my thesis manuscript. Margery Cuyler was my mentor and, while she saw promise in my story, she said it didn’t fit her list. Margery, in a sense, was my matchmaker for Regina Griffin, then at Holiday House. Regina made an offer on my first YA novel, Under the Banyan Tree, which was selected as a Kirkus New Voice selection.

I will forever be indebted to Margery and the conference which pairs bright and caring individuals from the publishing industry with hopeful writers. The experience taught me about the value of relationships and being open to listening to different ideas and opinions, some of which might not resonate, but will, at least, give you something to consider as you develop as a writer.

My writing career has been interesting and varied. Recently, I published my first novel for adults, Butterfly Summer. Regardless of where my career takes me, the RU One-on-One conference was pivotal to my development as a writer.

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2026 Success Story Speaker

Toni De Palma

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