Here's Katherine:
Hi everyone! As always, a big thanks to everyone who sent me their questions! I hope all of you, whether you sent in a question or not, find this post helpful and informative.
As with my previous Ask the Editor posts, I humbly ask that you take my comments in the spirit in which they’re intended. The advice here is meant to be friendly and helpful; I sincerely hope no one finishes this post feeling vulnerable or discouraged.
Also, a general disclaimer that my thoughts are my own; I do not speak on behalf of all publishing. I would not be surprised at all to learn that you’ve heard an editor or agent say something that directly conflicts with my perspective. Everyone in publishing has their own views and preferences, and I can only be honest about my own.
Finally, if you have any questions about writing or publishing that aren’t addressed here, please feel free to email me. I’m always happy to gather questions for my next post!
Thanks so much, and happy reading!
Submissions are always ongoing, so I don’t know that there’s necessarily a “best” time to submit. But I do think there are some days/time periods when your submission could get missed or set aside for a bit. Of course, I can only speak as an editor, not an agent, but in my experience, manuscripts that come in on a Friday are liable to be temporarily set aside in favor of more urgent tasks that have to get done before the end of the week. This can be especially true in the summer, when some publishing companies keep summer hours (meaning they work a half-day on Fridays).
Submitting in December and January can also result in a delay in response, as most people in publishing take time off for the holidays and then spend the first couple weeks of January getting caught up. It’s also worth researching whether there’s a big book conference going on around the time you want to submit, as editors and agents could be attending those and thus not checking their inboxes regularly.
If you’re writing in third person but still showing the internal thoughts/feelings of the main character, then it sounds like a third person limited point of view. Personally, I think Kate DiCamillo is a master at writing in third person limited. I’d especially recommend Raymie Nightingale and Beverly, Right Here; both of them are third person limited, and you feel deeply connected to the main character despite the third person POV.
Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan is also a great one to read. It’s third person limited, but the story is told in parts, and the perspective shifts to a different character in each section. Which, come to think of it, probably makes the book as a whole third person omniscient. But you’re only treated to one character’s inner thoughts at a time, so I’m saying it counts.
What are your tips on trying to publish a local/regional picture book? Is self-publishing a better route or would you hold on for a local publisher?
If you’re interested in pursuing traditional publishing for a local/regional book, then it’s certainly worth looking into local publishers. I don’t think the publisher necessarily has to be in the same state, but I wouldn’t look much past the particular region; a small southern publisher probably wouldn’t take something that’s specific to the Midwest. But I also think self-publishing could be a great way to go with this kind of project, especially if you can schedule author events in the particular area!
Great questions! I’ve definitely seen authors pitch picture book ideas without having a complete manuscript before. Though I will say, I think you have to be a published author before you can do this, as an editor will want to be able to see examples of your writing. And, of course, if it’s an editor you’ve worked with before, they’re probably already quite familiar with you and your style and happy to chat with you about new ideas. I think you could do it with an editor you haven’t worked with before, but it would probably be a bit trickier. I know if I received a queried idea from an author I hadn’t worked with, I’d ask to at least see a few sample pages of the book before taking it further.
As far as fiction/nonfiction, I do think it makes more sense if the proposal is for a nonfiction picture book. There’s quite a bit of research involved for nonfiction picture books, so I understand an author wanting to make sure there’s interest in the idea before diving into the research. I think the only time I’ve personally seen a fiction picture book proposal was for a wordless picture book where the author wasn’t an artist. Otherwise, a picture book is short enough that the author usually just drafts the whole manuscript.
Oh dear, just three? I’ll do a picture book, a middle grade, and a young adult novel then.
A Stone Sat Still by Brenden Wenzel is definitely on my list of favorites from 2019; it’s playful and poetic and powerful, and there are so many things to take away from it. I didn’t think I’d like anything as well as his last book, Hello Hello, but here we are.
For middle grade, I keep thinking about Hazel’s Theory of Evolution by Lisa Jenn Bigelow. It tackles a lot of tough topics in such an honest, heartfelt way. I fell so in love with the whole cast of characters that I was upset when the book was over, because I wanted more.
The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys is unlike anything I have ever read. The book has an epic, sweeping feel to it — all these different threads are so intricately interwoven. And I’d never read a YA book about Francoist Spain before! I was fascinated by the whole story, and I found myself doing my own research on the time period. Which, in my mind, is a pretty darn good indicator of quality historical fiction.
If the editor had good things to say about the project, and if you’ve worked on the areas they critiqued, I think it’d be fine to submit the revised manuscript to them. Especially given the context — it sounds like perhaps the editor was viewing the manuscript as more of something to workshop than a formal submission, in which case it makes sense that they didn’t say “revise and resubmit.” I’d mention in your query letter that you worked with the editor on an early draft of this and finessed it based on their comments, and that you think it’d be a good fit for their house because of XYZ. Good luck! :)
As with my previous Ask the Editor posts, I humbly ask that you take my comments in the spirit in which they’re intended. The advice here is meant to be friendly and helpful; I sincerely hope no one finishes this post feeling vulnerable or discouraged.
Also, a general disclaimer that my thoughts are my own; I do not speak on behalf of all publishing. I would not be surprised at all to learn that you’ve heard an editor or agent say something that directly conflicts with my perspective. Everyone in publishing has their own views and preferences, and I can only be honest about my own.
Finally, if you have any questions about writing or publishing that aren’t addressed here, please feel free to email me. I’m always happy to gather questions for my next post!
Thanks so much, and happy reading!
What time of the year is best to submit to either an editor or agent? Does the genre or subject make a difference? When is the worst time to try to get a hold of editors or agents?
Submissions are always ongoing, so I don’t know that there’s necessarily a “best” time to submit. But I do think there are some days/time periods when your submission could get missed or set aside for a bit. Of course, I can only speak as an editor, not an agent, but in my experience, manuscripts that come in on a Friday are liable to be temporarily set aside in favor of more urgent tasks that have to get done before the end of the week. This can be especially true in the summer, when some publishing companies keep summer hours (meaning they work a half-day on Fridays).
Submitting in December and January can also result in a delay in response, as most people in publishing take time off for the holidays and then spend the first couple weeks of January getting caught up. It’s also worth researching whether there’s a big book conference going on around the time you want to submit, as editors and agents could be attending those and thus not checking their inboxes regularly.
My current work-in-progress is a middle grade novel written in third person. My previous works have been in first person, and I'm struggling with how to be "outside" the main character while still showing what's going on "inside." Can you recommend a few third person middle grade novels you feel would be good examples for me to study?
If you’re writing in third person but still showing the internal thoughts/feelings of the main character, then it sounds like a third person limited point of view. Personally, I think Kate DiCamillo is a master at writing in third person limited. I’d especially recommend Raymie Nightingale and Beverly, Right Here; both of them are third person limited, and you feel deeply connected to the main character despite the third person POV.
Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan is also a great one to read. It’s third person limited, but the story is told in parts, and the perspective shifts to a different character in each section. Which, come to think of it, probably makes the book as a whole third person omniscient. But you’re only treated to one character’s inner thoughts at a time, so I’m saying it counts.
What are your tips on trying to publish a local/regional picture book? Is self-publishing a better route or would you hold on for a local publisher?
If you’re interested in pursuing traditional publishing for a local/regional book, then it’s certainly worth looking into local publishers. I don’t think the publisher necessarily has to be in the same state, but I wouldn’t look much past the particular region; a small southern publisher probably wouldn’t take something that’s specific to the Midwest. But I also think self-publishing could be a great way to go with this kind of project, especially if you can schedule author events in the particular area!
Is it appropriate to query an editor with an idea for a picture book, rather than a completed manuscript? If so, does it make more sense for nonfiction versus fiction? Would it perhaps only be appropriate from a published author? From an author the editor had worked with before?
Great questions! I’ve definitely seen authors pitch picture book ideas without having a complete manuscript before. Though I will say, I think you have to be a published author before you can do this, as an editor will want to be able to see examples of your writing. And, of course, if it’s an editor you’ve worked with before, they’re probably already quite familiar with you and your style and happy to chat with you about new ideas. I think you could do it with an editor you haven’t worked with before, but it would probably be a bit trickier. I know if I received a queried idea from an author I hadn’t worked with, I’d ask to at least see a few sample pages of the book before taking it further.
As far as fiction/nonfiction, I do think it makes more sense if the proposal is for a nonfiction picture book. There’s quite a bit of research involved for nonfiction picture books, so I understand an author wanting to make sure there’s interest in the idea before diving into the research. I think the only time I’ve personally seen a fiction picture book proposal was for a wordless picture book where the author wasn’t an artist. Otherwise, a picture book is short enough that the author usually just drafts the whole manuscript.
What two or three books did you truly enjoy from 2019 that are doing well in the market? What did you like about them?
A Stone Sat Still by Brenden Wenzel is definitely on my list of favorites from 2019; it’s playful and poetic and powerful, and there are so many things to take away from it. I didn’t think I’d like anything as well as his last book, Hello Hello, but here we are.
The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys is unlike anything I have ever read. The book has an epic, sweeping feel to it — all these different threads are so intricately interwoven. And I’d never read a YA book about Francoist Spain before! I was fascinated by the whole story, and I found myself doing my own research on the time period. Which, in my mind, is a pretty darn good indicator of quality historical fiction.
I recently had a sit-down with an editor at a workshop, and we went over a manuscript together. This was a manuscript critique I'd paid for. The editor was positive about the project and shared their ideas, but they didn’t invite me to resubmit the manuscript. If I rework the manuscript based on the editor’s feedback, can I resubmit to the same house? Or does the editor invite this?
If the editor had good things to say about the project, and if you’ve worked on the areas they critiqued, I think it’d be fine to submit the revised manuscript to them. Especially given the context — it sounds like perhaps the editor was viewing the manuscript as more of something to workshop than a formal submission, in which case it makes sense that they didn’t say “revise and resubmit.” I’d mention in your query letter that you worked with the editor on an early draft of this and finessed it based on their comments, and that you think it’d be a good fit for their house because of XYZ. Good luck! :)
Katherine Gibson is an editor for Zonderkidz, having previously worked for Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. She graduated from the University of Denver Publishing Institute in 2013 and has spent the last five years editing and publishing award-winning children’s books, including Sibert Medal and Caldecott Honor book The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus and Plume, which was a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book.
Thank you, Katherine!
To submit a publishing question, email Mitten blog editor Kristin Lenz with "Ask the Editor" in the subject line, and she'll forward your question to Katherine. Or, stay tuned on the SCBWI-MI MichKids listserv – Katherine will ask for questions a few weeks before her next post.
To read Katherine's previous Ask the Editor posts, click on these links:
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Great questions and answers. I'll have to read The Fountains of Silence. It sounds fantastic.
ReplyDeleteThank you Katherine! Helpful answers to provide some navigation:)
ReplyDeleteLaura Stewart
Monroe
Thank you! As always, you were very helpful.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! A Stone Sat Still is on my list.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks, Katherine, and the Mitten blog team. Very helpful!
ReplyDeleteHey, Katherine! Loved reading your responses.
ReplyDelete