Ask the Editor

Hi everyone! A heartfelt thank-you as always to all the people who sent me their questions! I hope everyone, whether you asked me a question or not, finds this post helpful and informative.

As with my other 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.

And of course, 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 wouldn’t be 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 views and preferences, and I can only represent my own.

Thanks so much, and happy writing!

I’ve heard that sales are slow right now, especially for picture books. Is it true? And if so, why? 

From an overall industry perspective, children’s and YA book sales are actually performing pretty consistently compared to recent years. The issue is when you start comparing frontlist books (books that have been published in the last 12 months) to backlist titles (all books that have been out for at least a year). 

When I started working in publishing, publishers’ revenue was generally split 50/50 between frontlist and backlist—meaning your new releases were bringing in just as much as all your older titles combined. That’s been shifting over the past ten years, exacerbated by the pandemic and the rise of online shopping, so that now it’s more like 20/80 frontlist vs. backlist. Which is to say, it’s harder for people to discover new books when they’re not actively going out to bookstores and instead relying on sites such as Amazon, whose algorithms favor backlist books that have proven sales tracks. So every new book that gets published is automatically facing those headwinds. 

That means it can be tricky to break out with a new picture book if, for example, you’re a debut author without a platform, or the book isn’t focused on something that people will specifically be searching for (such as a Valentine’s Day book or a potty-training book). Even more so than picture books though, we’ve been seeing middle grade titles struggle for a few years now. There’s reason to believe that’s improving, but it’s been an especially tricky space to publish in lately; the most common theory for that is pandemic-related drops in reading levels and increased time spent playing video games for that age cohort. 

That all might sound a bit doom and gloom, but the publishing industry is both resilient and adaptable, so please don’t let any of that discourage you from writing exactly the book you want to write! 

How can I know what agents are trustworthy? Would you recommend any reputable agents and/or publishers for those of us with little experience? 

I believe SCBWI keeps a list of reputable agents and publishers in The Book, which should be available on their website. It’s hard for me to recommend a specific agency or publisher without knowing what genre you’re writing in, but I think it’s a great practice to note the agent and publisher whenever you finish reading a book that you really love, as they’ve clearly been vetted (and it likely means your tastes will be aligned!). 

I do think that most of the agents and editors you find in your research will be trustworthy, but of course it’s always good to be on the lookout for red flags. Reputable agents and publishers will not ask you to pay them for representing or publishing your book; agents make 15% of what their authors make on a book deal, meaning they don’t make any money unless and until they sell your book. And while publishers may ask you to foot the bill for promoting your book, they should be paying you, whether through an advance, royalties, or a flat fee. 

It probably goes without saying, but it’s also good practice to have a meeting with your agent and/or publisher before signing a contract with them (and have a professional look over any contract before you sign). That will also help to give you a sense of their style and whether they’re a good fit for you. Ideally, this is someone you’ll be working with for years to come, so even though it can be tempting to take the first “yes” you get, take the time to make sure the vibes are right and that this is someone you’ll enjoy partnering with.

What kind of books and topics are you looking for at the moment?

I’m always on the lookout for Christian picture books and clean teen novels (I especially love romances and mysteries!). Beyond that though, I don’t have anything too specific on my wish list; I prefer to just take each submission as it comes. I will say that the things that get me (and probably every other editor out there) excited about a project are really strong writing and a great topic or premise. If you’ve got those things, you’ve got my interest! 

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.

Ask the Editor by Katherine Gibson Easter

Hi everyone! Big thanks as always to all the people who sent me their questions! I hope everyone, whether you asked me a question or not, finds 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.

And of course, 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 wouldn’t 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 represent 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 writing!

Can a manuscript be too polished? We've heard that you should leave room for the editor. If an editor can't find anything to improve, will they pass on the project?

Such a great question! I’d personally say no, a manuscript can never be too polished, though it is a weird sensation to acquire a book that needs very little editing! At least for me, there’s a knee-jerk panic of, “Wait, there’s nothing to fix? Am I even doing my job??” But I get over it pretty quickly when I look at how much time the writer has saved me, haha!

Really though, while I’ve worked on some books that hardly needed any editing, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a manuscript go completely unchanged from the initial submission to final publication. Maybe it’s because it’s really true that masterpieces are never finished, only abandoned, or maybe it’s because editors just can’t help but meddle a little, but it seems like there’s always something that could be tweaked, or tightened, or tinkered with.

I’m wrapping up the final edits on my debut book, but my idea for my second book isn’t nearly as polished. Would it be appropriate to bring what I have to my editor and ask for her thoughts, or should I work on developing it more on my own first?

I think it’d be totally fine to reach out to your editor and ask her this directly—this kind of thing tends to be subjective, so I’d recommend getting clarity on what she prefers. 

For me personally, as long as the project is something we may want to publish (and not, say, a totally different genre), I’m happy to look at early materials and help to brainstorm or give suggestions. Not only because it’s fun, but also because I’m invested in my authors and their writing careers. It’s my job (and privilege!) to help writers with their work, no matter what stage it’s in.

What makes you, as an editor, really excited about a book? Is there anything that makes you think, “I HAVE to have this?” 

When I’m reading a submission, I think the first jolt of excitement comes from the elevator pitch; if the idea’s really strong and aligns with my interests, I definitely sit up and take notice! But after that, it’s all about the writing—they have to deliver on that initial excitement and really pull me into the story. If those two things are there, I’m hooked!

Of course, there are a lot of other things that get considered when we’re looking at acquiring a project: platform, market demand, how well it fits in with our list, etc. So as much as I want to, I don’t get to acquire every project I fall in love with, but I never forget the ones that get away! 

Katherine Gibson Easter is an acquisitions 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 ten years editing and publishing award-winning children’s books.

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.

Ask the Editor by Katherine Gibson Easter

Hi everyone! Big thanks as always to all the people who sent in their publishing questions! I hope everyone, whether you sent in a question or not, finds 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 wouldn’t 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!

As my own agent, I send out postcards to art directors and editors, and have to constantly update my contacts list. Is it better to send things to specific individuals, or will a generalized department or position suffice? 

I think it honestly depends on what you want to prioritize. I certainly don’t get offended when I receive submissions that say “Dear Editor” on them rather than my name, but it does make me think that the author is sending out a huge batch of submissions without much research or discernment, instead of purposely selecting me because they think I’ll have a particular interest in their work. 

So in the case of postcards, which I’m assuming are artist samples, if your main focus is just getting the word out about your work, that you’re available, etc., I think it’s probably fine to send them to a general publishing department. (Especially when all the time you spend researching who works there is time you’re not spending on your art.) But if you’re trying to get someone interested in a specific project, or looking to form more of a lasting connection with the agency or publisher, I think the front-end research (finding out who works there, what sort of books they publish, etc.) will lead to better results in the long run. 

I entered an SCBWI-sponsored event last October and received a good critique from the agent I chose. She asked me to work on it and send it in within the 6-month time frame, which I did on Query Tracker this past March. The automated notice said, “I can't get to this for at least three months…” How and when do I follow up with this agent, if I don't hear back from her within a couple more months? Do you have any advice?

In this specific circumstance, I think it’s fine to follow up once the three-month marker has passed; you should explain the situation (that you received a critique, revised and re-sent it in the requested time frame) and ask if she has received the manuscript. I personally wouldn’t advise asking her when you can expect a response; nobody likes getting that question, and her automated response indicates that she’s especially bogged down. But it’s already coming up on a year since you received a critique from her, so it’d be good to double-check that she received your submission and that it’s on her radar. 

If she doesn’t respond within a few weeks when you reach out to her, I’d suggest moving on and submitting the project to other agents, unless part of your arrangement involved keeping it exclusive. There’s always a possibility that you’ll get a delayed response, but ultimately, you want to find someone who’s excited about your work and reaches out to you with enthusiasm. 

Do editors prefer to work with agented or unagented authors/illustrators? Does it make a difference?

There are several publishers out there who only accept agented submissions, but many are willing to consider both agented and unagented authors and illustrators. I’m not sure it makes much of a difference from the editor’s point of view—as long as the quality of work is the same, it’s usually just as easy to work directly with an author as it is to work with an agent. 

I think the difference between having an agent and not is much more keenly felt on the author’s end of things. When you have an agent, they’ll query for you, negotiate for you, and advocate for you. Many agents even go beyond that, helping with marketing and promotion ideas, providing editorial feedback, etc. Of course, it’s no easy task to sign with an agent, and I know a lot of professional writers who manage just fine without one. Ultimately, I think the author or illustrator needs to decide for themselves what would best serve their goals.

How would I go about getting picture books published that have the same main character and are written as a series? I've read articles that say this is a hard lane to get into, because of the rhyming in the storytelling. 

Series are definitely challenging from a publishing perspective. On the one hand, it’s great to have a reliable series on the list—you can get a fairly accurate sales forecast based on the previous books, and they can help to balance a list, so it’s not all stand-alones. That said, launching a series is a gamble; if the first book doesn’t take off, the publisher’s suddenly in a tough spot when it comes to the sequels. And that’s even before getting into the rhyming issue you mention! 

If you have a picture book series in mind and you’re not yet an established author, I’d suggest making sure the first book can stand perfectly well on its own and pitching that book, rather than a whole series concept. Mention in your query letter that you have other picture book manuscripts featuring this character, but keep the focus on the first one for now. If they publish the book and it does well, their first question will be, “Can we do another one?”, and you’ll already be all set with the sequel.  

Over and over I hear, “Work on being the best writer you can be, and you will get an agent and get published.” The message seems to be that elbow-grease and a great deal of time and energy equals getting published, but much of what is out there to help me build my craft is expensive. Any guidelines for what to spend my time and money on? 

Great question! As a general rule of thumb, I think a cost-effective approach to getting published is to study the craft as cheaply as possible—check out writing books from the library, attend free webinars, listen to podcasts, join critique groups, etc.—and save the splurges for the things that help you connect with industry professionals. 

Whether it’s meeting an agent or editor at an in-person conference or paying to have them read and critique your manuscript, I think the things that bring you closer to the gatekeepers tend to be the best investments. If you form a genuine connection with someone who likes your writing style, they’ll be eager to find a way to work with you!

Katherine Gibson Easter is an acquisitions 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 ten years editing and publishing award-winning children’s books.

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.

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.

Ask the Editor with Katherine Gibson Easter

Hello everyone! A big thank-you to everyone who sent in 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.

I’d also like to add 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, querying, or publishing that aren’t addressed here, please reach out to me anytime. I’m always happy to gather questions for my next post!

Thanks, and happy reading!

 

Do publishers/agents look at your social media following to determine your marketability?

 

The short answer: Yes. But how much your platform matters varies quite a bit depending on the publisher/agent. And while your social media stats are an important factor in determining your platform, other things play into it as well: your website, professional connections, e-newsletter subscribers, conferences and speaking engagements—it all counts toward your marketability.

 

While building a platform isn’t usually a writer’s favorite part of the process, demonstrating that you have a platform (even a small one, as long as it’s growing) can only ever help you when it comes to querying, and more and more it’s becoming the expectation rather than the exception. 

 

But no matter how big or small your platform is, showing a willingness to market your book is key. It doesn’t matter if you have a million Instagram followers if you never post about your book! Agents and publishers want people who will do the bookstore events, podcast interviews, book club Zoom meetings, etc. A can-do attitude goes a long way!

 

What leads to a publisher rejecting a book once they have gone through several revisions with you?

 

Ooh, that’s a tough one. I know on the surface this sentence doesn’t sound encouraging, but there are so many reasons that books get rejected, and most of them don’t have anything to do with the quality of writing. It could be that their list has filled up, someone else just published something similar, the projected numbers aren’t working, the list goes on. 

 

There is, of course, a chance that even after revisions, the publisher still doesn’t feel like it’s quite working. It’s never fun, but it does happen. The good news is that, regardless of the reason, your manuscript is strong enough to merit their time investment, and that’s no small thing! 

 

If it were me, I’d put the project away for a couple weeks, then bring it to a critique group, get their honest feedback, then revise as necessary and send it out to someone new. Publishing is maddeningly subjective, so what doesn’t work for one house might be a great fit for another!

 

What are some ways self-published authors can get recognition for their works without paying to enter contests? 

 

I’m afraid I’m not a good person to ask about this sort of thing, since I’ve only ever worked in traditional publishing. If you’re hoping to get an award for your book, I do know that there are several book awards that are open to self-published works, though all of the ones I’m aware of do charge a submission fee. 

 

Of course, there are tons of other marketing tools to help get your self-published book more attention if that’s what you’re looking for. If your budget is limited, start with some things that are little to no cost to you: guest posts on blogs, sending out free review copies, offering bonus materials…I’m going to stop the list there because we could be here all day! Be sure to check out SCBWI’s resources, especially if you’re wondering where to start. There’s a free downloadable Essential Guide to Self-Publishing Books for Children on their website, along with tons of other great info.

 

What criteria do you use to match the story with the illustrator?

 

Sometimes you’ll have a particular illustrator in mind when you acquire a manuscript, but usually (in my experience, anyway) the text helps you determine what kind of palette, art style, medium, etc. you’re looking for, and then you find an illustrator whose portfolio suits that. If it’s a bedtime book, for example, you may search for someone who does really adorable animals with a touch of whimsy. If it’s a nonfiction picture book about the Civil Rights Movement, the art style’s going to be very different from that! 

 

Collaboration between the editor and art director is key—usually there’s a long conversation right after acquisition about the book’s content, what kind of style could work, what comp titles to reference, etc. Then as the editor, I get to sit back and cheer when the art director finds the perfect fit!

 

I know that in general you are supposed to use comps that are fairly recent in a query letter to an agent or editor. But what if a well-known old comp works best? Is it okay to use it? 

 

Great question! The strongest comparative titles will always be recent ones, meaning books that have been published within the last five years, ideally within the past two. The purpose of comp titles is to help agents and editors assess whether there’s a felt need in the market for this kind of book, and what kind of book sales they can reasonably expect. So anything older than five years isn’t going to be very useful to them in that respect.

 

Because of this, I’d say you should use familiar old comps sparingly, and in conjunction with another more recent comp if possible. Few children’s books have true staying power, so if it’s an old title that people remember, it’s most likely an award winner or a classic, in which case an agent or editor will know that they can’t count on that level of success with this new project.

 

If you are going to compare your book to one that’s withstood the test of time, I’d suggest doing so in terms of conveying your story’s content, rather than its potential performance. For example, you can say your story is moving and poignant like The Giving Tree, or it’s The Giving Tree meets The Rabbit Listened, but avoid saying, “This book will stand up well against books like The Giving Tree.” It’s impossible to compete with Shel Silverstein! 

 

When an editor emails to tell me that my manuscript "is not right for their house," but includes compliments about the work, is it too pushy to ask to resubmit after reworking?

In my experience, if an editor thinks that a project could work for their list, but the manuscript isn’t quite there, they’ll be upfront about what they’d like to see change and invite you to revise and resubmit. Editors always want to find a great new project, so they’re not shy about asking for an R&R if it’s something they see potential in.

But if they’re saying it’s not right for their house, it’s probably speaking to something fundamental about the project that isn’t easily changed. I’ve gotten manuscripts that I’ve personally loved, but had to pass on, simply because it didn’t match what we published or what we were currently looking for. 

Generally, I’d say that unless an agent or editor invites you to revise and resubmit, it’s best to move on and try them again with another project down the road. You want to find someone who’s as excited about your work as you are! At the very least, I’d wait six months and make substantial changes to the project—along with researching their list to make sure it fits in alongside what they’re currently publishing—before trying again.

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.

Ask the Editor with Katherine Gibson Easter

Hello everyone! 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.

I’d also like to add 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, querying, or publishing that aren’t addressed here, please reach out to me anytime. I’m always happy to gather questions for my next post!

Thanks, and happy reading!

How pushy is too pushy when it comes to nudging an editor to respond? For example, if I put a timeframe on a languishing proposal—my submission will remain exclusive for the next 4 weeks, after which time I will share it with other publishing houses—is that good form? Where's the line between being assertive and being demanding?

Excellent question! I’ll address the specific example in a moment, but I thought I’d also talk about this more broadly since I think a lot of writers have this question. You send your project out, time passes, and…crickets. What do you do? Do you follow up? If so, how long do you wait? 

There aren’t any hard or fast rules for this, unfortunately, but speaking for myself, I try to respond to projects (both the yays and the nays) within 6-8 weeks. That probably sounds like a long time, but there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes during that time—researching the author/project/market, pitching it to the team, getting the necessary approvals, etc. Based purely on my own experience, I’d recommend waiting at least a month before checking in on a submission, unless you’ve received an offer from someone else and need to follow up. 

For this particular example, it’s a bit different. I think most publishing houses assume that any submission they get is a simultaneous one, unless it’s specifically noted that it’s exclusive. So I do think it’s fair to put a timeframe on the exclusivity if that’s something you’re offering them (I’m assuming this isn’t a contractual first-option kind of situation). 

If you’re ever worried that you may be coming across as demanding or aggressive, I would say that as long as you’re keeping your correspondences friendly and professional, you’re probably fine. To put it another way, it’s less about whether or not you follow up on a project and more about how you go about it. Remember the end goal: ideally, you want to be working with this person, so show them how great you are to work with by being kind and courteous in your responses.

What is the reasonable rate for agents to charge a writer? Is there a range?

 

Typically, a literary agent gets 15% of their authors’ earnings (that includes flat fees, advances, royalties, etc.). So for easy math, if your agent secures you a book deal with a $10,000 advance, your take-home amount would be $8,500, and the agent would get $1,500. Maybe surprisingly, it tends to be 15% across the board for literary agents; I’m sure there are some exceptions out there, but I’d say 15% is definitely the industry standard. 

I’ve heard that Mondays and Tuesdays are days that editors concentrate on their new releases. Friday, of course, is pretty much the weekend. So that leaves Wednesday and Thursday to submit your manuscript to the editor. Does it really make a difference which day the manuscript arrives on the editor's desk? Certainly, time of year can have an impact, as summer and December seem to be dead zones. But day of the week?

I can only speak for myself here, but the day of the week I receive a manuscript really doesn’t make a substantial difference. If pressed, I’d say for my own personal schedule, I actually prefer to receive submissions on a Friday or a Monday—by Friday, I’ve usually tackled the big items for the week and have more time to dig into new projects, and on Mondays I build my schedule for the week, so I can easily slot in time to review submissions. But I could very easily see Wednesdays or Thursdays being ideal for other editors, so I’d say there’s really no “good” or “bad” day of the week to send in your manuscript. 

That said, you do bring up a good point: there are some times of the year when I’m slower to respond to projects, usually because it’s a high vacation season (as you mention, December and summer) or because I’m swamped with current projects (which could honestly be anytime. If anyone comes up with a way of predicting when a busy season will hit, I will pay top dollar for the technology!). But honestly, one of the most common reasons I turn down a good project is because I just recently signed something similar, so I do think there’s something to be said for just sending out your manuscript as soon as it’s ready, rather than trying to “time” the submission process. But in the end, you have to decide what feels right to you. Good luck!

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.