Ask the Editor by Katherine Gibson Easter

Hi everyone! As always, a huge thank-you 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 my publisher or the publishing industry in general. 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!

How much weight do you, as an editor, give to a creator's age, gender, race and/or ethnicity, in determining if you will make an offer?

I think editors and agents are always eager to support underrepresented authors and their books; we want to ensure that we’re representing reality with a wide range of backgrounds and voices on our list. But there are a lot of factors (quality of writing, felt need for topic, author platform, etc.) that tend to carry more weight than the author’s background. That said, I think the degree to which an author’s identity matters can vary based on the project. 

For example, we just recently published a YA novel called Come Home Safe, where the characters’ emotions and journeys were largely informed by the author’s own background and experiences; the book wouldn’t have been as strong if the author had been outside of the marginalized group. If it’s a picture book about a bunny who eats too many carrots, on the other hand, I’m probably not going to be overly concerned with the author’s age, race, or gender.

Whose responsibility is it, once a book has gone out of print, to notify the creator? And, when a book goes out of print, what options do the creator(s) have with their work?

Typically, when a book gets low on stock, and the publisher decides not to reprint, someone from the publishing house will reach out to the creators and let them know that their book will soon be out of print. The creators then have the opportunity to buy any remaining copies of the book if they wish.

Once your book is out of print, you can ask your publisher about getting the book’s rights reverted back to you, if, say, you want to have the freedom to self-publish the book instead. (Keep in mind, you only get rights to the part you contributed; if you’ve authored a picture book that had a separate illustrator for example, you’d only have rights to the text, not the art.) In most cases, though, the contract stands for the length of the book’s copyright. This can be in the author’s interest as well; I’ve seen publishers bring books back into print if there’s a renewed demand for the content (always fun when that happens!).

What is the best way to find an agent? I've heard that there are so many scammers out there that a writer needs to be very careful.

There are lots of reputable agent databases out there to help you find the right match. SCBWI’s The Book, Manuscript Wish List, and QueryTracker are some great places to start. Publishers Weekly also sends out deal announcements that list the agent, editor, and publishing house, and of course you can do research on your favorite authors to see who represents them.

In terms of avoiding scammers, keep in mind that agents earn 15% of their authors’ or illustrators’ royalties when they get a book deal, meaning an agent will not be asking you for money upfront; if they do, it’s very likely a scam. It’s also worth considering hiring a legal professional to look over any contract they send you if you’re unfamiliar with the terms or standard industry practices. 

When an editor takes the time to praise your submission, but then they say it's not quite right for their list, what do they mean? Are they typically looking for a certain mix of books each publishing season? What are some of the factors that go into these decisions? 

Oof, this is a tough one! This can mean a variety of things, depending on the editor and their style, but you can rest assured that if they praised your submission, they genuinely liked it, or at least parts of it. Editors and agents get a lot of submissions, so if they took the extra time to point out what they liked about it, that means it stood out in their minds and they want to encourage you.

As you say, there are lots of factors that go into these decisions. It could be the mix of titles, as you mention, or the felt need/marketability isn’t strong enough, the projected numbers aren’t working, the list goes on. 

I can tell you that when I say a project isn’t quite right for our list, I mean just that—it’s a bit outside of what we publish, or what we’re currently looking for. There are lots of manuscripts I’ve gotten that I’ve loved, but that haven’t fit in with the rest of our list. As much as I’d like to work on the project, I have to let it go, and hope someone else snaps it up so I can buy myself a copy when it hits the shelves! 

Besides targeting the right publisher/editor based on their history or current wish lists and sending them your best work, is anything else in the writer's control, or does it just come down to lucky timing?

The things you list—researching the agent’s or editor’s history and current wish list, studying your craft and the publishing industry, working with critique groups to revise your work—are all excellent. (You’d be amazed at how many people don’t do that.) 

As you say, though, the rest of the process is largely outside of the author’s control. If you want to go above and beyond to better your chances, working on your network/platform could be time well spent. Expanding your online presence is great, but this can go beyond social media. Attending conferences, connecting with other writers and industry professionals, volunteering to host a webinar or write a blog post—all of these things show the people you’re querying that you take yourself seriously, and it might even lead to a helpful connection! 

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.