Working with a Small Press by Wendy BooydeGraaff

Working with a small press/publisher is a unique experience. A working definition of a small press is a small, traditional publishing house which publishes fewer than thirty titles a year. Many small publishers have specialties or market niches that they fill. Examples in the children’s book world include Arbordale Publishing, Enchanted Lion Books, Tilbury House Publishers, Penny Candy Books, and many, many more.

Each publisher is unique, just as each book is unique. To capture a smattering of experiences, I reached out to a few fellow authors:

• Jean Alicia Elster says, “Unique to my experience with Wayne State University Press is the fact that my books Who's Jim Hines? and The Colored Car are still on their list—even though they were published in 2008 and 2013 respectively. The books are still selling, I'm still doing lots of author visits and conferences and Wayne State University Press still promotes them. I like that Wayne State University Press has given the books time to develop an audience, particularly since the subject matter is very relevant in today's social/political climate.”

• Kristin Wolden Nitz, published with Peachtree, says, “All three of my novels are still in print. They probably all would have been remaindered long ago with a Big Five publisher. My YA mystery Suspect, which came out in 2010, was on display at an ALA event as few as three years ago.”

• Kristin Bartley Lenz says of Elephant Rock Books, “My YA novel was the only one being published that year, so I got all of the attention from the entire team. I had a weekly phone call with Jotham for several months while we edited. I was able to be involved in the creation of the cover design and the marketing/promotion plan - my opinion mattered and every step was discussed along the way. They arranged for me to speak on a panel at the NCTE/ALAN annual convention and sent me to the Heartland Fall Forum for a “speed-dating” lunch with independent book sellers throughout the midwest.”

• Robin Newman raves, “I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE being a Creston Books author. I would not be a published author today if it weren’t for Creston and the amazing, you-take-my-breath-away, publisher and editor Marissa Moss. All Creston authors are given the opportunity to attend big conferences, like ALA. Generally large publishing houses only invite their big-name authors to attend these kinds of events. Likewise, large publishing houses may only invite their big-name authors and moneymakers to participate at certain book festivals. This is never an issue at Creston. On Creston's website it states unequivocally: 

"Creston Books is author/illustrator driven, with talented, award-winning creators given more editorial freedom and control than in a typical New York house. We work hard to promote every book we print, not just the few we think will sell the best."

And finally, some advice from Rob Broder, publisher at Ripple Grove Press:
“Read as many picture books [or whatever you are writing—RGP only publishes picture books] as possible. Study them. Love them. Write something that’s from the heart... write very, very well, and make the story unique.”

Wendy BooydeGraaff is the author of Salad Pie, a children's picture book published by Ripple Grove Press. Her work for adults has been published in Emrys Journal Online, Kveller, The Emerson Review, Third Wednesday, Rune Bear, Leopardskin & Limes, SmokeLong Quarterly, and is forthcoming in Jellyfish Review and So It Goes. Find her @BooyTweets and say hello.

Coming up on the Mitten Blog:

Book Birthdays, a Writer Spotlight, and our SCBWI-MI Nonfiction Conference and Mentorship Competition.

https://michigan.scbwi.org/2020/01/07/building-your-nonfiction-toolbox-michigan-scbwi-spring-one-day-event/

For those who:

• asked for more nonfiction programming in our state, this conference is for YOU!
• asked for a way to find critique partners or groups, this conference is for YOU!
• asked for time to learn from successful creators and time to apply these new learnings to their own projects, this conference is for YOU!
• wanted to interact with an editor who is actively acquiring nonfiction projects, this conference is for YOU!
• wonder why and how their friends are selling nonfiction manuscripts or getting nonfiction illustration jobs, this conference is for YOU!

For many people, nonfiction is the path to breaking into the children's publishing world. There's never been a better time. Learn why and how from people who are doing it. 

Registration is open. Seats are limited. Click THIS CONFERENCE IS FOR ME! to learn more and reserve your place.

• Did you see our Book Birthday post with author Buffy Silverman last week? She's published 90 nonfiction books for children! 

• And here's another great opportunity to learn about writing for children and teens. Several SCBWI-MI authors and illustrators are presenting at KidLitCon in Ann Arbor on March 27-28. Learn more about this free event here: https://kidlitcon.org/2020-program/.