Ask the Editor by Katherine Gibson Easter

Hi everyone! A big thanks to all the people who sent me their questions! I’ve answered them to the best of my abilities, and I hope you 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 that no one finishes reading this post feeling vulnerable or discouraged.

Also, a general disclaimer that my thoughts are my own; I do not speak on behalf of my publisher or the publishing industry in general. I would not be at all surprised to learn that you’ve heard an editor or agent say something that directly conflicts with my perspective. Everyone in publishing has their own opinions and preferences, and I can only be honest about my own.

If you have any questions about writing, editing, or publishing that aren’t addressed here, please reach out to me. I’m always happy to gather questions for my next post!

Thank you, and happy reading!

 

What is your opinion on editorial agents? I've heard of some agents acting as such strict gatekeepers that authors can go years without getting their work before an editor. I know that all agents usually recommend some touch-ups, but is the agent's job to sell or to maintain high quality?

Traditionally, an agent’s role is to help their authors get their books sold, and it’s the editor’s job to maintain high quality. Of course, the odds of a book getting sold largely depend on how appealing the concept and content are, which is why, as you point out, agents will almost always recommend some touch-ups to a manuscript.

Each agent will differ in how they approach the editorial process, and writers too will vary on what they hope an agent will provide. Some authors really like getting detailed edits from their agent before it goes out to publishers; other writers prefer agents who take a more hands-off approach when it comes to manuscripts. I’d recommend going into the querying process knowing how much editorial advice you’re hoping to receive from an agent, and selecting your agent accordingly.

There will of course be times when an author disagrees with their agent's opinion or approach, but ultimately an agent should always feel like an asset, not a hindrance. If your personal styles clash, or you start to feel like your agent isn’t acting in your best interest, it could be a sign that it’s time to part ways.

If you've made substantial revisions to a manuscript that was previously submitted to a publisher, can you resubmit? If so, do you need to mention something in the cover letter? Wait for at least 6 months? Any other considerations for resubmitting?

I’m inclined to say yes, if you’ve made substantial edits to a manuscript and feel that it is now better suited to their list, you can resubmit the project. I would definitely be candid with them in your cover letter, explaining that this is something you’ve reworked substantially since you first submitted it and detailing why you feel that it’s better suited for them now. 

I don’t think there’s a hard and fast rule about how long you have to wait, but waiting at least a few months before resubmitting a manuscript makes sense to me. Allowing a bit of time helps to show the publisher that you didn’t just slap together a few edits, but thoughtfully and intentionally revised the project. 

Of course, all of this is assuming the publisher rejected the original submission. If they invited you to revise and resubmit, make those edits and send it back as soon as you can!

Now that it is out of favor to use the #OwnVoices hashtag, how should we describe our diverse characters or ourselves in query letters?

For anyone who may have missed it, We Need Diverse Books announced earlier this summer that they would stop using the #OwnVoices term because it had “become a ‘catch all’ marketing term by the publishing industry.” Instead, WNDB is using more specific descriptions for authors and protagonists (some examples they listed include “Korean American author” and “autistic protagonist”). 

I think you could adopt WNDB’s approach in your own query letters, being specific and intentional in your descriptions. Certainly if your manuscript features diverse characters, it’s worth highlighting in your query, and if you feel comfortable disclosing specific characteristics you share with your protagonist, then you should do so. But with documented instances of authors receiving backlash from readers for books with the #OwnVoices label (for example, the hurtful and unfounded accusations that their personal experiences weren’t “authentic enough”), it’s perfectly fine if you don’t feel comfortable sharing that information.

 

I have some questions about chapter books. What makes them different from middle grade novels? What’s the highest word count you can have for a chapter book? What’s the average word count per chapter?

While chapter books can have some overlap with middle grade novels in terms of audience (I tend to think of chapter books being aimed at ages 7-9 and middle grade being suited for ages 8-12), chapter books tend to be shorter and easier to read than middle grade novels. I’d also say chapter books tend to be a little zanier than middle grade books, but maybe that’s just because I personally gravitate toward the more screwball chapter books.

The length of chapter books can vary wildly; I’d say the total word count typically ranges from 4,000-15,000 words, with somewhere between 7,000-10,000 words being the average. The average word count for each chapter in a chapter book is even harder to pinpoint. Pulling the best estimate I can out of my head, with absolutely nothing scientific to back it up, I’d say aiming for around 500 words per chapter sounds about right. But I’d recommend finding yourself some mentor texts — chapter books that you really love and want to emulate — and looking into their word count, how they pace the story, and so on.

What is a reasonable amount for an agent to charge, and will the agent do any marketing, or is that the publisher's job?

 

The amount can vary a bit, but the standard commission for an agent is 15% of the author’s advance and royalties. As mentioned above, agents will frequently suggest some edits to a manuscript, but the marketing efforts typically fall to both the author and the publisher. 

 

Speaking generally here, publishers’ marketing budgets aren’t what they used to be, and there’s increased expectation that the author will make substantial efforts to promote their books through events (both in-person and virtual), on social media, etc. It’s especially important for an author to be involved in marketing their book because readers want to hear from you, not your publisher (no matter how nice we may be). Readers want to feel like they have a connection with their favorite authors, so the more an author is willing to put themselves out there, the stronger readers’ response will be.

Katherine Gibson Easter 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 eight 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 Sarah LoCascio 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.

If you missed any of Katherine's previous Ask the Editor posts, go HERE to browse through all the questions and answers.