Ask the Editor with Katherine Gibson

Welcome to our quarterly Ask the Editor feature! Katherine Gibson is an editor at Zonderkidz and was previously at Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. She's collecting questions from SCBWI-MI members and sharing her answers with our community. Did you miss her other Q&As? See the links at the end of this post.

Here's Katherine:

Hi there! A huge THANK YOU to everyone who sent in their questions! I’ve answered them the best I could, 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 don’t want anyone to finish 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 views 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!

How important is the pitch and query letter? If you love the story, but not the pitch, then what? Is it still a determining factor in your final decision on a manuscript? What is your ideal query letter like? Is there a preferred order of information, or is it more about the content? And what about comps? I've heard it's optimal to give three, but what if you don't furnish any? Does it hurt your overall chances if you don’t provide them? 

Lots of great questions here! Speaking for myself, the manuscript is the determining factor in my decision, not the query letter. If I love a manuscript, it doesn’t much matter if the query letter isn’t very good. That being said, I don’t think I’ve ever been impressed by a manuscript that wasn’t accompanied by a solid query letter. I think most people who are serious about writing a children’s book are also serious about presenting it well.

As for the preferred order of information, this can vary depending on the agent/editor, but typically the letter starts with the hook (usually a fun, quick summary of what happens), then moves into the specifics (themes, selling points, age range, word count, comp titles, etc.), and finally includes a paragraph about the author and their credentials. 

You’ll notice I included comp titles in the list of things to outline in the second paragraph. Of all the information that goes into a query letter, I think comps are pretty far down on the list in terms of importance. If you know of a similar title or two (honestly, three feels like a bit much to me!) that have done well in the market, it definitely helps to include them, partly because it helps to place it in the agent’s or editor’s mind, but also because it shows you know the market and have done your homework. But if you can’t find any solid comp titles, or the ones you know of are obscure and/or performed badly, I’d just leave off mentioning them altogether. It’s not the sort of thing that makes or breaks a pitch.

And finally, I’d say my ideal query letter is one that piques my interest in both the project and the author. That probably sounds lofty, but there are really just three pieces of information I’m looking for: What’s the story? Who wrote it? And, most importantly, why should people read it? I love when I read a thoughtful, professional query letter, because it tells me that the author takes the submission process seriously. They’ve done their research and put in the time to make a good first impression, and knowing that, I’m much more eager to turn the page and read their story.

When webinar presenters give participants a chance to submit a manuscript, should you use the same format for the query letter that you use for agents?

Unless the presenter has expressed a preference in regard to the query letter format, I think the typical format you’d use for an agent or editor (which I described in the previous question) should be just fine. And, good luck! 

I submitted a project to a publisher I’ve worked with before, and in the past even when they’ve rejected a manuscript they’ve always been good about sending me a personal response. But it’s been five months since I sent them the project, and I still haven’t heard anything. Should I try to call or email them, or just let it go?

It's totally understandable to be confused by five months of silence from a publisher you've had a good relationship with up until now. I’m not sure if you sent a physical submission or an emailed query, but if it was the former, I can tell you that all the publishing houses I know of have had people working from home since the start of the pandemic, so it's possible that no one's collected the mail since you submitted it! 

In either case, though, I think it would make sense to reach out via email. Maybe you could tell them that since they haven't responded in the past several months, you're going to start submitting the manuscript elsewhere, but that you'd still be happy to hear from them if they decide they want to pursue it. I wouldn't advise calling them unless you've talked to them on the phone before, as that can sometimes feel a bit pushy, especially if the publisher states in their guidelines that they can't respond to every submission. But hopefully an email will prompt them to respond to you.

I received a personal rejection from an editor that seems to leave the option of resubmitting open, but I’m not sure. When do you know if an editor’s response allows for the author to ask to revise and resubmit?

It's often tricky to assess whether or not it's appropriate to rework and resend a manuscript to an agent or editor, but in my experience, unless they directly invite you to make adjustments and send it back, it's probably not an R&R (Revise and Resubmit). I think you can and should send another manuscript to the editor, perhaps something specially tailored to their list, but generally speaking I wouldn't advise revising and resubmitting a manuscript unless the editor directly asks you to.

That being said, I do think there are some exceptions to the rule. If you make significant revisions to the manuscript (enough that it reads like a completely different story), and if it seems like a better fit for their list now, you could probably resend it, explain the changes you’ve made, and ask if they’re willing to take another look. Ultimately though, it’s important to remember that you want to work with someone who’s passionate about your book and your vision. The right editor will love your book almost as much as you do!

While putting together my bibliography, I noticed a spelling error in the title of the article I was using (from a credible source). Do I correct the misspelled word in the bibliography or just credit the article the way it is?

Good question! I’d say the best (or at least, the most common) way to address that issue is to list the source exactly as it’s spelled, with [sic] inserted after the misspelled word. That should communicate to the person reading your bibliography that the typo has been noted and is part of the original source material. When it comes to sources, the most important thing is to ensure that anyone who goes looking for your source will be able to find the correct one, so using [sic] allows you to list the source exactly as it appears while assuring the reader that the typo didn’t originate on your end. 

If I wanted to donate the royalties from my book to a non-profit organization, would the publisher set that up for me? Is it possible to do it in such a way that I don't have any tax obligation because no money would come to me? 

If you would like to donate the royalties from a book, I would recommend establishing that in your book contract with the publisher. It should be relatively easy to set up; just make sure that the contract stipulates that all monies should be wired directly to your chosen non-profit, and that the publisher is able to procure the non-profit’s current tax documents for payment processing. 

If you already have a signed book contract with the money going to you, contact your editor and ask if they can draw up an addendum to change the beneficiary for royalties. It can take some time to update a contract, but the process shouldn’t be too laborious on your part.

When corresponding with an editor, agent, or publisher through email, is it best to continue on an email strand after it has ping-ponged back and forth a few times, even if it’s been a while since you corresponded? Or should you begin a totally new email with a reminder of who you are and what your project is about?

I think if it’s been a while, or if you’re emailing them about a fresh topic or question, it probably makes sense to start a new email thread. Maybe this is just my own idiosyncrasy, but I don’t like it when an email chain gets too long and I have to scroll through months of correspondence to find the one piece of info I’m looking for. Then again, if you’re referencing things in this new email that have already been discussed in the thread, then I’d keep it in the same email strand for consistency’s sake. 

What factors does an editor consider when determining whether or not a standalone manuscript has series potential? Are there things an author can do in advance of publication, to better their odds of their story piquing an editor's interest for a series? 

In my experience, the editor usually knows from the get-go whether a book will be part of a series or a standalone, as that will factor into both the acquisition and the contract. Some publishers get excited by the prospect of a series (it helps them build their future book lists and promises reliable revenue if it’s popular), and some are wary of picking up a series (if the first book doesn’t do well and they’ve signed a multi-book contract, they’re suddenly in a bind). So if you know you want the book you’re submitting to be part of a series, I would recommend stating that in your query, pitching both the individual book and the overall series. The publisher may want to take it a book at a time, or they might want to sign the series all at once.

Otherwise, I think the most important factor in determining whether a standalone book becomes a series is how well it sells. If you write a book that sells like hotcakes, you can bet that your editor or agent will come back asking for more, even if you’ve never talked about turning it into a series before. Look at Hatchet for example. That was supposed to be a standalone book, but it became so popular that fans kept writing to Gary Paulsen asking what happened next, until he finally wrote more books. (I thought there were three books in the set, but it turns out there’s five?? I guess that proves my point!)

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.

If you missed any of Katherine's previous Ask the Editor posts, click on these links:

https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2020/08/ask-editor-with-katherine-gibson.html

https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2020/01/ask-editor-with-katherine-gibson.html

https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2019/09/ask-editor-with-katherine-gibson.html

https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2019/05/ask-editor-with-katherine-gibson.html

https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2019/02/ask-editor-with-katherine-gibson.html

Coming up on The Mitten Blog:

More posts from our Equity and Inclusion Team, Tips for Creating an Author Newsletter, Book Birthdays, Writer Spotlights, Hugs and Hurrahs, and more!

Our SCBWI-MI regional Shop Talks have been virtual during the pandemic which means anyone can participate regardless of where you live. Reminders and Zoom links are announced on our MichKids listerv. The listserv is one of the best ways to be involved and stay informed! If you're not already signed up, learn more about MichKids here: https://michigan.scbwi.org/online/ 

Other ways to stay on top of our chapter events:

Navigate to the EVENTS CALENDAR on the SCBWI-MI homepage and click on the event date.

OR go to one of our social media channels:

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ScbwiMi

Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/SCBWIMichigan

Instagram, all members: https://www.instagram.com/scbwi_michigan/

Instagram, illustrators: https://www.instagram.com/scbwimichiganillustrators/

Ask the Editor with Katherine Gibson

Welcome to our quarterly Ask the Editor feature! Katherine Gibson is an editor at Zonderkidz and was previously at Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. She's collecting questions from SCBWI-MI members and sharing her answers with our community. Did you miss her other Q&As? See the links at the end of this post.

Here's Katherine:

Hi everyone! Thank you to all of you who sent me your questions! 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 don’t want anyone to finish 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.

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!

Does a picture book have to have a takeaway to be marketable in this day and age? If you simply write a funny read aloud or a silly text, is it less likely to be acquired? Does adding layers help? And what are several examples of good layers? Is it possible that the takeaway is something the reader/editor/publisher reads into it, rather than having it be explicit?

I don’t think a picture book necessarily has to have a takeaway — I think you can find an exception to every book-related “rule” there is! That being said, children aren’t the only audience you have to consider when writing a picture book; there are parents and teachers and librarians too, and in my experience, readers of all ages tend to appreciate (and are more likely to reread) books with some substance. To be clear, when I talk about a book’s takeaway, I’m not saying it has to have a moral or lesson, just that there should be a deeper meaning to the book.

Adding layers to the story is a wonderful way to give your picture book some extra staying-power without sacrificing the fun or the whimsy. Look at Nothing Rhymes with Orange by Adam Rex. It’s a hilarious, zany read-aloud, AND an introduction to different kinds of fruit, AND a book about feeling left out and wanting to belong. My guess is that whatever you’re writing about could lend itself pretty easily to a couple different layers. Maybe it already has them!

In fact, I think you could pick up just about any funny picture book and find something to take away from it. This Is Not My Hat? The bad things we do have a way of catching up to us. Shh! We Have a Plan? If you can’t solve a problem, try looking at it a different way. The Octopuppy? What makes you weird makes you awesome. None of these things are said explicitly, so don’t feel like you have to shoehorn in a message when you’re writing your book. I think both publishers and readers prefer when the takeaway isn’t explicitly stated, but something they find on their own.

What’s the best market fit for free verse novels, in terms of age category and genre?

I think you tend to see novels in verse more often in the YA sphere, but they can work well in the middle grade market too. As far as genre goes, I think the poetry format is very vers-atile (sorry, couldn’t resist), but it’s particularly effective for novels that are focused on tough topics. Poetry is great for evoking an emotional response in a reader, and a story that might be too graphic and gritty in prose can be softened in free verse without sacrificing the emotional impact. Ellen Hopkins’s books and Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds are great examples of this.

That being said, I think something a little more unexpected, like a funny middle grade novel in verse, could make a nice splash in the market too. Everybody still loves Moo, right? I’d say if a story just works better in free verse than it does in prose, then it will naturally find its readership.

My current novel-in-progress was started before the pandemic, but now that our lives have been so altered by the coronavirus, I feel like I need to incorporate it into my story, even though I’d rather not. Should this contemporary story just remain set in pre-pandemic times, or should I try to at least reference the pandemic, knowing that this book won't actually be published for at least a few more years? 

This is the million-dollar question these days! Honestly, at this point it’s still really tough to predict how heavily we’ll reference the pandemic in our books, movies, TV shows, etc. in the coming years. Right now it seems like books either don’t acknowledge it at all or are completely centered around it; I don’t think we know what the gray area looks like yet. 

All that to say, I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way to handle it in your novel. If you’d rather not incorporate it into your novel, then I think it’s perfectly fine to set the story in pre-pandemic times. Or, if you feel compelled to incorporate it, maybe the story can start shortly after things return to “normal” so it doesn’t change the plot too much. 

Essentially, I wouldn’t advise doing massive rewrites to a manuscript or setting a project aside until a vaccine is found, unless of course you want to. None of us can predict what the future is going to look like (goodness knows we didn’t predict this!), but that shouldn’t stop us from telling the stories we want to tell. 

If you submit to a publishing house without an agent and they like your manuscript, what should an author know or do to make the best of the situation? What questions should a new author ask? Are there red flags to look out for? If there isn't an agent in the picture, are there other professionals that could look over an agreement to make sure it's sound?

If a publisher likes your manuscript and has made you an offer, step one is do a happy dance! Step two is to reach out to anyone else you sent that manuscript to and let them know you’ve received an offer. Typically, you give them a time frame in which to counteroffer — I’d personally suggest no more than a week or two. (If a publisher has expressed interest but has yet to make an official offer, I’d still reach out to everyone else and let them know, but you don’t need to give them a deadline in that case.)

Once you’ve accepted an offer, the publisher will send over a contract for you to look over. Book contracts aren’t terribly complicated, but it’s a big enough deal that you’ll want to have someone with experience look it over before you sign. If you’re interested in having an agent, try reaching out to a few. Agents are usually a LOT more willing to sign someone who’s already received an offer from a publisher. If you don’t want an agent, then I’d suggest bringing the contract draft to a lawyer to look over, or at the very least someone who has worked in publishing and encountered book contracts before. 

The editor and/or contract itself should be able to answer any questions you have: what the payment schedule will be, what rights you’ll retain, the proposed schedule for the book, etc. If you have a reasonable question that the editor can’t answer, that could be a red flag. Another (obvious) red flag: the publisher asking you to pay — in part or in whole — for the production of the book, or an agent requiring a signing fee or some other unexpected cost. 

Basically, whether you’re negotiating the terms of the contract yourself or having someone else (an agent or lawyer) do it on your behalf, you should be crystal clear on what you’ll be getting and what will be expected of you. If you’re not, then talk to your agent/editor and ask questions until you do feel certain of the terms. That’s what we’re there for! 

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:

• https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2020/01/ask-editor-with-katherine-gibson.html
• https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2019/09/ask-editor-with-katherine-gibson.html
• https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2019/05/ask-editor-with-katherine-gibson.html
• https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2019/02/ask-editor-with-katherine-gibson.html

Our quiet summer is wrapping up, and the Mitten Blog editors are planning for a fall season full of blog posts. Here's a peek ahead, but we're still looking for more content. We want to celebrate with you and share information and experiences. We'd love to hear from you! Please see our submission guidelines.

Coming up on the Mitten Blog:

Book birthdays, a New Member Spotlight, Diversity Dialogue, Hugs and Hurrahs, and a new Featured Illustrator.

See you in September!

Ask the Editor with Katherine Gibson

Welcome to our quarterly Ask the Editor feature! Katherine Gibson is an editor at Zonderkidz and was previously at Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. She's collecting questions from SCBWI-MI members and sharing her answers with our community. Did you miss her other Q&As? See the links at the end of this post.

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!

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?

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.

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:

https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2019/09/ask-editor-with-katherine-gibson.html

https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2019/05/ask-editor-with-katherine-gibson.html

https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2019/02/ask-editor-with-katherine-gibson.html

Save the date! 

The SCBWI-MI spring conference is March 7th, 2020 in Livonia, MI. Registration opens on January 31st. 

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

Ask the Editor with Katherine Gibson

Welcome to our quarterly Ask the Editor feature! Katherine Gibson is an editor at Zonderkidz and was previously at Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. She's collecting questions from SCBWI-MI members and sharing her answers with our community. Did you miss her other Q&As? See the links at the end of this post.

Here's Katherine:

Hi everyone! Huge THANK YOU to everyone who sent me their questions! I hope all of you, whether you submitted a question or not, find this post helpful and informative.

As with my previous Ask the Editor posts, I humbly request that you take my comments in the spirit in which they’re intended. The advice here is meant to be friendly and helpful, and I don’t want anyone to finish this post feeling vulnerable or discouraged. We’re all in the process of growing and changing as writers, and that’s a good thing! 

Also, a general disclaimer that my thoughts are my own; I do not speak on behalf of all publishing. If I say something that you really don’t agree with, or you’ve received comments from an editor or agent that directly conflict with my perspective, you can disregard my comments if you so choose. What you find here is solely one editor’s perspective. 

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/writing! 

With regard to quiet books, are there certain topics that are more marketable than others? What makes a quiet story stand out, and is a first-time author at a disadvantage by submitting a quiet book?

Great questions! For me, a quiet story that's gorgeously written is definitely compelling, and I think from a marketing standpoint, if the story focuses on a POC or a particular social issue (socioeconomic status, LGBTQ rights, etc.), then even if the story itself is a quiet one, it could still gain lots of attention since there's such a demand for diverse books in the marketplace. 

I do think that for a first-time author, a manuscript that's flashy/trendy/high concept could make a publisher more willing to take a chance on someone who's making their debut, as publishers generally want a strong hook for the book, and that's usually either the concept or the author's platform. That said, I've seen plenty of authors make their debuts with quiet books, so it can definitely be done! 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on illustration notes. I realize it's a very individual matter, but what’s the best approach in your opinion?

You're absolutely right to say that it's an individual matter, though I think for most editors, when it comes to illustration notes, less (or in this case, fewer) is more. Personally, I prefer that the only illustration notes in a manuscript are put in because they're important to the understanding of the book. For example, if the manuscript has a sound effect, like BANG or KAPOW, and it’s not clear from the text what’s happening to create that sound effect, an art note could help explain the physical action.

If the illustration note isn't necessary to the story, I generally advise writers to leave it out; artists like having room to be creative just as much as writers do, so most artists don't want the illustrations dictated too much.

Do you have a word count limit in mind when you evaluate fiction picture books?

I don't personally have a specific limit, though a picture book manuscript that's too wordy for the subject matter is definitely a red flag. Generally speaking, most editors and agents expect a fiction picture book to be less than 1000 words, so that's a good rule of thumb for writers to keep in mind. (Nonfiction picture books are typically longer, but not dramatically so — maybe 1300-1500 words for the norm.) 

I think it was Neil Gaiman who said that children's book writers have to be able to justify every word they use, and I think that's true — in picture books, every word has to do its job. Some fiction picture books are going to run longer than the average, and that’s okay, as long as it can be justified. But something that never fails to impress me is when a picture book writer manages to convey depth and nuance with just a few hundred words. 

The picture book biography market feels saturated, but I still hear about many people who are currently working on them. What should writers consider to ensure their picture book biography stands out in a crowded marketplace? 

You’re totally right to point out that there have been a plethora of picture book biographies in recent years, but while the market has definitely cooled, I wouldn’t say it’s completely saturated yet. I think publishers are still open to taking on picture book biographies; they’re just a bit more discerning about the ones they take on. I think for a picture book biography to make a splash, there needs to be something surprising about it. 

For example, maybe it’s a significant, previously untold story (like Hidden Figures was when it was published). Maybe it’s a diverse, Own Voices story that the author can lend a particular insight to. Maybe it’s a biography that takes place entirely in a person’s childhood, or maybe it’s a biography about a thing rather than a person (such as Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover). 

I think the key thing that determines whether or not a picture book biography works is its relevance. How does it relate to our lives today? How did this person/event impact our world? Why is this a story we need to know about? If you have a strong answer to those questions, then you have a story worth telling, regardless of the market trends.

Is it better to do cold submissions as an unpublished author of picture books or find an agent to represent you? 

I think in general it’s advisable to secure an agent, as they have a ton of industry connections, which can help find the right publisher for your book, plus they can help you deal with some of the more unpleasant parts of the publishing process, such as negotiating contracts. 

That being said, everyone knows how tough it is to find an agent; I think most agents only sign a handful of new clients each year. So if you’ve been searching for an agent and haven’t had any luck, it may be worth sending your submission directly to a publisher. A lot of publishers won’t consider unagented manuscripts, but there are some that will, especially smaller independent presses. 

I think the key for submitting a project — whether it’s to an agent or a publisher — is to research the kinds of books they publish/are looking for. If you can make a strong connection between your manuscript and their list, they’re much more likely to take a closer look.

How are illustrators submitting their work for consideration these days, for both picture books and young adult art? Which social media sites are best for illustrators to use, and how often should you put up images?

You can send art samples digitally of course, but I know a lot of illustrators and artist’s agents who still send postcards featuring their illustrations. (Personally, I like the postcards, because I can tack my favorites above my desk and have an easy reference when I need to look for an illustrator — plus they make my office pretty!) 

For either format, you’ll want to be sure to include a link or URL for your website so agents and editors can scroll through the rest of your portfolio after they’ve seen your sample. Beyond your website, I think it’s great for illustrators to post their work to both Twitter and Instagram. Most designers, agents, and art directors are active on those sites, so it can be a great way to get their attention. 

You don’t need to post new images every day — I’d say once or twice a week would suffice. And it doesn’t have to be finished art, mind you; it can be a quick sketch or a small doodle. (I particularly love when artists post random drawings of their pets or houseplants, but that might just be me.) The point is to show you’re regularly practicing your craft and creating quality art. And the more illustrations you post, the more agents and publishers will feel like they understand your art style.

Which areas do you concentrate on in your editing process? Do you have any criteria that you follow?

The areas I focus on while editing tend to depend on the individual manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses, but in general I concentrate on macroedits in the beginning (plot structure, characterization, theme, etc.) and then work my way down to more microedits (grammar, word choice, and so on).

I’m not sure that I follow a set criteria, but one self-imposed rule I try to follow is this: The first time I read a manuscript through, I try not to do any editing. Instead, I read for comprehension and take notes on things that stand out to me, either good or bad. I like to think of it as the manuscript introducing itself to me. Then once I have a clear picture of the whole story, I’ll go back through it a second time and actually insert those comments where appropriate. 

I think reading the whole manuscript through first helps me to understand the scope of the project. That way, when I go back through the notes I took, I can easily see which issues are going to be the biggest things to tackle, and I know where and how to start the editing process.

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:

• https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2019/05/ask-editor-with-katherine-gibson.html
• https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2019/02/ask-editor-with-katherine-gibson.html

Coming up on the Mitten Blog: 

Book Birthdays galore, a Writer Spotlight, a new Featured Illustrator, and another round of Hugs and Hurrahs. We want to celebrate your success! Please email your children's writing and illustrating good news to Patti Richards by Sept. 23rd.

SCBWI-MI 2019-2020 Picture Book Mentorship Winners!

Congratulations to the winners of the two mentorship competitions for picture book text! That's right, this year SCBWI-MI offered two mentorships - one for PAL members and one for non-PAL members. 

Congratulations to Katherine Gibson for her manuscript, OF DRAGONS AND PRINCESSES, and Buffy Silverman for her manuscript, LOON SONG.

You might recognize Katherine Gibson from our quarterly Ask the Editor series. Katherine is an editor and a writer continuing to develop her craft. How wonderful to be able to learn from an experienced author during this mentorship. A huge thanks to mentor Lisa Wheeler! After more than 40 published books and 250 rejections along the way, Lisa has tons of hard-earned experience to share.

And you probably recognize the other mentorship winner, Buffy Silverman! She's a longtime SCBWI-MI member, previous Regional Advisor, and the author of numerous non-fiction books and poetry for young readers. Thanks to her mentor, Kelly DiPucchio! Kelly is the author of many award-winning and best-selling picture books, and like Lisa, she has tons of hard-earned experience to share.

More congratulations for the two runners-up from each mentorship competition:

David Stricklen with POODLE FOOLERY

Marty Bellis with SALLY AND THE SNOWMAN

Patti Richards with CUPINE'S PERFECT DANCE PARTNER

PJ Lyons with ALIEN INVASION OF THE LITTLE SISTER


Thank you to everyone who polished their manuscripts, took a risk, and entered the competitions. We wish we could have more than one winner, and we hope the judges' feedback is helpful in your revisions. Keep at it! Our chapter is full of stories of persistence. I entered the novel mentorship competition three times before winning on my 4th attempt in 2018-2019!

Finally, thanks to our super-secret superstar judges for evaluating the manuscripts, and to mentorship coordinator Ann Finkelstein for coordinating this year-around process for multiple years. Stay tuned for announcements about the 2020-2021 mentorship competitions!

Cheers!
Kristin Lenz

Ask the Editor with Katherine Gibson

Welcome to our quarterly Ask the Editor feature! Katherine Gibson is an editor at Zonderkidz and was previously at Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. She's collecting questions from SCBWI-MI members and sharing her answers with our community. Did you miss her first post? Go here. Then come right back and read on for a new batch of questions/answers below.

Here's Katherine:

Hi everyone! A big THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to send me their questions! I hope all of you, whether you submitted a question or not, find this post helpful and informative.

As with my previous Ask the Editor post, I humbly request that you take my comments in the spirit in which they’re intended. The advice here is meant to be friendly and helpful, and I don’t want anyone to finish this post feeling vulnerable or discouraged. We’re all in the process of growing and changing as writers, and that’s a good thing!

And, of course, a general disclaimer that my thoughts are my own; I do not speak on behalf of all publishing. If I say something that you really don’t agree with, or you’ve received comments from an editor or agent that directly conflict with my perspective, you can disregard my comments if you so choose. What you find here is solely one editor’s perspective.

If you have 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 (and writing)!

I just attended a conference and had an editor critique, and was asked to revise and resubmit. What steps would you have an author follow before they resubmit?

First of all, congratulations! The fact that an editor invited you to revise and resubmit means that they see some serious potential in the project. The first step an author should follow in this situation is to take the notes they received from the editor and follow them exactly. From the editor’s perspective, the changes they’ve asked for are what the manuscript needs in order to work, so you’ll want to make sure you deliver on all of them.

Once you’ve made the changes the editor has requested, I would recommend sharing your revised manuscript with some reader/writer friends you trust to give you honest feedback. Ask if they feel that the changes you’ve made are working, and if there are any other trouble spots they notice. (Some big things to have them watch for: voice, plot, characterization, pacing, theme.) I wouldn’t go asking a dozen people for this kind of advice (too many chefs and all that), but having 2-5 other people look it over for any issues can help to catch some things you may have missed.

Finally, I’d suggest going through it once or twice by yourself before you resubmit. Read it out loud to yourself, slowly; this is especially great for catching small typos or places where the text gets a little clunky. Once you’ve done that and the text is as clean as possible, you’re ready to resubmit!

What are some things that can cause a good story to be rejected? What causes a story to be accepted?

It’s a sad truth that good stories — even great stories — can get rejected. Sometimes it’s because just one element is a bit off. For instance, it could be a nonfiction book about a really interesting topic, but the voice is a bit too dry. Or maybe a picture book has a fun and refreshing plot, but the ending falls flat compared to the rest of the story. Because agents and editors look at so many manuscripts, a story has to hit all the notes to really gain their attention.

But sometimes even that isn’t enough. Sometimes even a virtually flawless manuscript gets rejected, simply because it’s not the story the publisher is currently looking for. Maybe it’s not one of the genres they typically publish, or maybe they already have a couple books about that topic and are looking to acquire something different. To minimize the chances of this kind of scenario, I recommend doing research on agents and publishers before you submit your manuscript. Sending your manuscript to a small, curated list of agents/publishers that seem like a great fit will give you better results than casting a wide, indiscriminate net.

As for what causes a story to get accepted, I think it’s going to vary based on the agent/editor, but the five big things I tend to focus on (which I alluded to in my answer to the previous question, because I’m sneaky like that) are:

• voice (Does the writing style grab and maintain my attention? Is it distinctive in some way?)
• plot (What are the stakes? Does the story flow logically from the character’s motivations?)
• characterization (Are the characters dynamic and compelling?) 
• pacing (Does the story move too fast, too slow, or just right?)
• theme (What’s the point of the story? What can I take away from it?)

If a story handles all of those elements with aplomb, I’d say it stands a good chance of getting accepted!

How long do writers typically try to get published before they finally do or decide call it quits? Have you seen writers pursuing their craft for many years despite not being published?

I don’t know that there’s a typical timeframe for this, like if you’ve been writing for X number of years, you’ll either get published or know it’s time to throw in the towel. Unfortunately, the publishing business just doesn't work that way. Some writers get their very first manuscript published (notice I didn’t say the first draft of their first manuscript). Some authors who already have books on the shelves will struggle for years to get a new manuscript accepted.

I will say that, unless you’re a famous celebrity, you’ll probably need to spend at least a few years studying and honing your craft before you’re ready to be published. A lot of writers give up at this stage, because it’s hard. It’s incredibly difficult to generate words, day after day, study writing manuals and great works of literature, with no guarantee that anything you write will be shared with the world. But you need good writing to get published, and unfortunately, there are no shortcuts when it comes to generating good writing. Studying the craft requires time and patience. (The occasional alcoholic beverage doesn’t hurt either.)

All that to say, my advice to people who want to write books is to try not to focus on getting published, because that lies outside of your control (and, as I mentioned earlier, doesn’t simply involve creating a great manuscript). Instead, focus on what you can control: pursuing your craft and enjoying your progress. If you’re just getting started and looking for ideas on how to hone your craft, I highly recommend reading Welcome to the Writer’s Life by Paulette Perhach. It’s both an encouraging and informative guide to building your writing life.

Some people may disagree with me on this (probably the same people who, upon meeting someone at a party and finding out they like to write, immediately ask if they’ve published anything), but I don’t think a writer needs to be traditionally published in order to be successful. Writers write because they enjoy writing. If you take pleasure in spinning stories in your head and putting words on a page, you’re a writer. If you care enough about writing to study the craft and learn from other writers, if your writing is better than it was a year ago, then you’re successfully making progress. Only you get to decide if/when you give up, but if you love to write, I’d urge you to keep writing.

What is the best way to join a critique group? Is it better to have everyone at different stages of their craft or about the same? 

As I’m sure you’re aware, SCBWI is an incredibly useful tool for connecting with other children’s book writers and illustrators. But if you don’t live in one of the areas that offers monthly shop talks, or you don’t know of anyone else who’s interested in writing or illustrating children’s books in your area, try searching on Meetup.com to find a nearby writing group. Or ask a local librarian if they know of any critique groups in the area. Librarians know everything!

As for the second question, I think the most important thing is making sure that each person in the critique group takes writing seriously. You want to be surrounded by people who are genuinely motivated to study and improve their craft and who offer you thoughtful feedback on your work. I don’t think it much matters whether everyone’s at a different stage in their writing career or at roughly the same level — there’s always something to learn from each other. But you definitely want to find people who match your enthusiasm!

There seems to be a subgenre of picture books emerging called the "infofic," which is a fictional story with nonfiction elements. Can you shed some light on what constitutes good Infofic?

I really haven’t heard the term “infofic” used outside of Twitter (meaning I probably wouldn’t use the term in a query letter, as not all editors/agents may recognize it), but I think you’re right in saying that this type of story is gaining in popularity. An infofic can take a lot of different forms, but here are a couple key things to keep in mind as you write one:

1.  When you’re combining both fiction and nonfiction elements, you should make sure the story takes precedence over the facts. Writers typically do a lot of research for their infofics, which is wonderful, but the facts shouldn’t bog down the book. For an infofic, I’d much rather read a captivating story that had a few nonfiction elements thrown in than a story packed full with info that’s held together by a weak plot.

2.  While they’re gaining in popularity, I think infofics can still be a hard sell sometimes, because they don’t fit neatly into either fiction or nonfiction, and thus booksellers/librarians can be unsure of where to place them. To mitigate this, I think writers should have a very clear reason as to why they’re writing an infofic as opposed to something that’s wholly fiction or nonfiction. For instance, maybe you really want to write a story about a specific historical event, but almost all of the primary sources have been lost to history, so you use fiction to fill in the gaps. If you can explain why your story is best told as an infofic, I think agents and editors will more readily share your vision for the book.

Self-publishing seems to be gaining some positive momentum. Have you read any self-published books, and what are your thoughts on self-publishing?

I’ve read many self-published children’s books through the course of my work (writers often submit self-published titles to traditional publishers, and indeed, sometimes they get picked up), but I don’t typically read them for leisure, mostly because my to-read list is staggering enough as it is.

Of course, working for a publisher, I’m tempted to extol the virtues of traditional publishing (editors are cool, please tell your friends). But the truth is, it can be really tough for writers to follow the path of traditional publishing these days; the odds of finding an agent, securing a publisher, and having a book that earns out its advance and starts delivering royalties are discouragingly slim. With self-publishing, you don’t need to worry about any of that. With the help of a self-publishing service (and there are many good ones to choose from), you can write a book and make it available for other people to read and enjoy. And I do think people are more open to reading self-published books than they were five or ten years ago.

But I think the best part of self-publishing — the fact that you’re in complete control of the book — is also its downside: it’s all on you. There’s a lot of pressure and a lot of things to juggle. The writers who go with a traditional publisher get to benefit from the publisher’s assistance; the people who make up a publishing team are literally paid to know the ins and outs of children’s book world and how to edit, design, and market a book effectively so that it reaches and resonates with as many people as possible. The writers who self-publish are tasked with doing all of that by themselves, which is a tall order. And yet, I know writers who have self-published multiple books who are absolutely thrilled with the results.

All in all, I think publishing a book is challenging regardless of whether you decide to pursue traditional or self-publishing. (Writers are warriors, make no mistake about it.) If you’re wondering which path to pursue, think about your goals (why do you want your story to be published?), then look at the processes and demands of both traditional and self-publishing. Pick the one that best aligns with your goals and values.

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!
Ask the Editor is a new quarterly feature on the Mitten blog. Do you have a question about publishing? 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.

Attention SCBWI-MI picture book writers! 

The submission window opens on Monday June 3rd for the Picture Book Text Mentorship Competition for non-PAL members. Did you miss our interview with mentor, Lisa Wheeler? Find everything you need to know on our SCBWI-MI website.

Congrats to Buffy Silverman who won the PAL mentorship with mentor Kelly DiPuccio!

Ask the Editor with Katherine Gibson

Introducing our new Ask the Editor feature! Katherine Gibson is an editor at Zonderkidz and was previously at Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. She collected a diverse batch of questions from SCBWI-MI members and compiled her answers to share with our community. What a wonderful gift!

Here's Katherine:

Hello everyone! First of all, a huge THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to send me their questions about publishing. It was very exciting to get such a great variety of questions. I hope all of you, whether you sent in a question or not, find this post helpful and informative.

Just a few notes before we dive into your questions. First, I humbly request that you take my comments in the spirit in which they’re intended; the advice here is meant to be friendly and helpful, and I sincerely hope that no one finishes this post feeling vulnerable or discouraged. We’re all in the process of growing and changing as writers, and while we all have areas we could improve upon, we all have wonderful strengths too.

Second, please keep in mind that my thoughts are my own; I do not speak on behalf of all publishing. If I say something that you really don’t agree with, or you’ve received comments from an editor or agent that directly conflict with my own perspective, that’s okay! You can disregard my comments; I won’t be offended (mostly because I won’t know). I do think that after being in the business for a while, my fellow children’s editors and I agree more often than we disagree when it comes to writing, so I do believe my advice is valuable. But it remains solely one woman’s perspective.

Lastly, I’ve adjusted the wording in many of the questions that were sent in, eliminating specific details to protect the person’s privacy, or combining several similar questions into one. So while you may not see your exact question below, I have done my best to respond to every question that was sent in. If you feel like I haven’t adequately answered your question, or you find the answer just prompts a new question, please feel free to email me. I could always use material for my next post!

Thanks so much, and happy reading (and writing)!

What makes a manuscript stand out? What do you most love to see? What’s the biggest turnoff? What signals to you that a manuscript is ready (or not ready) for publication?

You could probably ask a dozen editors this question and get twelve different responses, but for me, voice is probably the biggest determining factor in deciding whether or not to keep reading. A strong voice is essential to establishing a connection between the book and the reader; it’s the thing I most love to see in a manuscript, because without it, the text just falls flat (which is one of the biggest turnoffs I can think of). A manuscript’s voice should have a spark — it should draw you in, compel you to keep reading — it should make you feel something. If a manuscript doesn’t do those things, it’s not ready to be published.

How can I recognize when my manuscript is really, truly ready for submission?
Every writer knows that manuscripts are never finished, only abandoned. So how do you know it’s time to abandon your manuscript/masterpiece? Short answer: after you’ve drafted it, put it away for a while, come back fresh and revised it, then revised it again, then showed it to a critique group, revised it again, brought it back to critique, and revised it one more time (or fifty more times. Who’s counting at this point?).

I think the most important thing to do before submitting your manuscript is to have someone else read it and provide honest feedback. Meaning the person reading it should not be related to you. What you’re looking for is a friendly acquaintance who happens to be a top-notch reader. Ask them to be brutally honest with you. Be okay with it when they are brutally honest with you. Take their brutally honest feedback and use it to make your piece better. Do this with as many bookish friendly acquaintances as you possibly can. Eventually, the issues they find will be small and inconsequential, more a matter of taste than actual problems. When you reach that point, submit your manuscript. You’re ready.

Should a writer have a predetermined reader age and genre in mind before attempting a first draft, or should a writer dive into the story and figure out what it is and who's it's for after the story is on the page? Or should a writer simply submit a manuscript and let the editor figure out what he or she wants it to be? How important is it for a writer to be mindful of probable reader age when crafting a story (especially in regards to vocabulary choices, sentence length and structure, etc.)? Should the writer try to adapt to the reader or vice versa?

This is a very good, very complicated question that I will do my best to unpack. The first part of the question — whether you should write with an audience in mind or just write the story and let the audience work itself out — is a question that minds far greater than mine still can’t seem to agree on. I’d say while you’re crafting the story, do what works for you. But by the time you’re done revising and ready to submit it to an editor, you should have a good idea of the genre and target reader; I would mention one if not both of those things in a query letter. Editors like to know how a book will fit into their list, and it’s also nice to know that the writer has given some thought as to the book’s marketability.

As for the vocab, sentence structure, etc., my biggest rule is NEVER talk down to your readers. Don’t make the text cutesy, sing-songy, or overly simple in an attempt to appeal to kids. Just be real with them. If you’re writing a picture book and the best word to convey your meaning has fourteen letters in it, use the fourteen-letter word. Books are practically made for building vocab. But don’t fill a picture book with sentences that would be better suited to a novel either. If you’re feeling stuck, find some books in the library that have the same target audience as your manuscript and see how they approach the language.

Are there any children's publishers who are willing to take a look at our self-published books, either as a pdf or hard copy?

The short answer is yes! There are certainly plenty of examples of a traditional publisher acquiring the rights to something that was previously self-published. In my personal experience, it’s a mixed bag. I’ve seen writers get offered contracts because their self-published work sold like hotcakes, and I’ve seen publishers decline self-published books because they were already sold into the target market, thus diminishing the potential future sales. It really depends on the individual publisher you’re interested in; some will specify whether or not they’ll accept self-published books in their submission guidelines. If they don’t, it’s a fair question to write to them about.

Do you think it's worth it to hire a "book tour" company (such as Artisan Books) to connect with bloggers who will review our books and mention them in their blogs?  Do you know of any marketing companies that you feel are worth doing a book tour with?

I’m sorry to say that I don’t know much about book tour companies; the publishers I’ve worked with have had an in-house marketing team to handle review copies, author events, etc. In general, it’s worth it to promote your book however you can, and hiring a book marketing company can get you a boost in sales while taking some of the publicity pressure off of you. But I’m afraid I don’t know enough about them to say definitively whether or not they’re worth the expense or which ones you should approach. I’d suggest doing a lot of research and getting some testimonials from people who have used them before approaching a book tour company.

I write stories featuring Latino characters and southwestern culture, and often add Spanish for more authenticity. What tips do you have for finding an agent or publisher that is looking for this type of manuscript? Do I need to look for persons/companies based in West Coast/East Coast states where one might find a stronger connection to Latino cultures in the U.S.?

You’re in luck! Pretty much every children’s publisher and agent is on the lookout for a great book featuring diverse characters. But if you want to try and find an agent/publisher who specializes in books that feature Latino culture, look at the agents and publishers who have been behind any of the recent Pura Belpré award winners. That’s a great place to start.

I write old-fashioned (warm, fuzzy, not high tech) children's books. Is my style out of date, or is there a place for my style of writing?

I think the best way to figure out whether or not your writing style is appropriate for the current market is to study the current market. Make a list of every children’s book in your genre (picture books, middle grade, YA) that has been published in the last three years that has received an ALA award or a starred review. Go to the library, check out those books, and read them in their entirety. Pay attention to the writing style; ask yourself why it works, and then compare it to your own. If it’s pretty similar to your own writing, then great! If it’s not, you may want to spend some more time studying current trends and figuring out how to keep your voice authentic while also matching what’s getting published these days.

Are postcards the best way to advertise illustrations to publishers? If so, should they be addressed to editors or art directors?

I don’t know that there’s a “best” way, but postcards are certainly a way to get your art samples in front of publishers! Typically those are sent to the art directors, but if you can’t find one listed for the company and you’ve been searching the internet for hours, just send it to the editor. It’s also a good idea to show off your art on social media; I know art directors who have signed illustrators after finding their work on Instagram or Twitter.

Is 800 words too long for a picture book aimed at second–fourth graders?

It totally depends! Is it a picture book? Early reader? Fiction? Nonfiction? For a standard picture book aimed at ages 4-8, I’d say 800 words is pretty typical for nonfiction, a bit higher than average for fiction. But that doesn’t automatically mean it’s too long. When in doubt, head to the library. Find books that are similar to the one you’re writing and look at the word count, how they crafted the story, what they included and — more importantly — what they left out. Your manuscript certainly doesn’t have to match theirs on those points, but it’s helpful to see what’s been done and what’s been successful if your worried your manuscript won’t hit the target audience.

How much does a publishing company worry about an author’s age in terms of signing them?

When it comes to signing with an author, it’s the author’s platform that matters (plus the manuscript itself, of course) rather than his/her age. Publishers want authors who are tech-savvy, who have a presence on social media, who are willing to go out and hustle and do book signings, readings, conferences, etc. As long as you check those boxes, I wouldn’t think there’d be an issue — there are plenty of older writers out there who are slaying it!

I am submitting a manuscript to a publisher; their submission guidelines state that they want to know if it is a simultaneous submission.  They also state that their turnaround time is three months, fairly lengthy if I am hoping to get a story moving. I would at least like to submit to two houses at a time or stagger it with a month in between. Is this acceptable submission etiquette?

I hate to say it, but from my experience, three months is a pretty standard — even quick — turnaround time for an unagented manuscript. As you say, it’s a good chunk of time, which is why most publishers are perfectly fine with authors sending out simultaneous submissions; the ones that aren’t will explicitly say so in their submission guidelines. So cast your net as wide as you’d like (though keep in mind that your odds of getting published are much higher if you research each publisher ahead of time and know how your book would fit into their list). Just be sure to note in your query letter that it’s a simultaneous submission, and if one of the publishers does make you an offer, it’s polite to reach out to the others you submitted to, let them know you’ve received an offer, and give them a week or two to make a counteroffer if they wish to.

When evaluating a picture book manuscript that is driven by the illustrations/page turns, how would you prefer to see that manuscript presented? I am a writer and am NOT gifted in the art of illustration. Is a manuscript with illustration notes and page turns a turnoff? Is a dummy book with stick figures preferred?

This is one of those areas where different editors will have different preferences. Personally, I like it when writers separate the manuscript into page breaks; it shows me that they’ve thought about the length of their book, whether it fits into a signature, whether there’s enough illustration content on each spread, etc. That being said, I tend to view those page breaks as suggestions; it’s important that the illustrator has creative license to interpret and illustrate the text the way they choose. Very often, the page breaks that were in the original manuscript will change before the book goes to print.

On that same vein, a bunch of art notes from the author can inhibit the artist’s creativity. I’d say if there’s an illustration you have in your head that’s critical to the story, put an art note in the manuscript. Otherwise, it’s best not to dictate the illustration too much; after all, you want the artist to engage with the book as much as you do.

What’s the best way for an illustrator/author to present their picture books to an agent or editor that they are querying for representation or publication? I have heard from one source that one only has to to present the manuscript with a couple of completed illustrations, while another told me that one must submit a fully completed dummy. Is there one way that is preferred over another?

As the question notes, preferences are going to vary depending on the particular editor/art director/publishing house. I’d say the first step is to check the publisher’s submission guidelines; if they stipulate how they want a dummy presented, follow those instructions exactly. If they don’t provide guidelines, I’d actually suggest a combination of what your two sources recommended: I’d suggest putting together a full dummy and having at least two pages of it be completed illustrations. From a publisher’s perspective, unpublished illustrators are a lot riskier to sign than published illustrators, because when an illustrator has previous titles, you can look at those books and get a very clear idea of their art style and their level of expertise. If an illustrator’s unpublished, the only thing the editor has to go on is what’s being presented. So personally, I think it’s a good idea to show the idea sketched out in its entirety (the dummy), while also providing some samples of what the final art would look like.

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.

Ask the Editor is a new quarterly feature on the Mitten blog. Do you have a question about publishing? Email Mitten blog editor Kristin Lenz with "Ask the Editor" in the subject line, and she'll forward your question to Katherine.






Coming up on the Mitten Blog: Interviews with the mentors for the 2019-2020 SCBWI-MI Picture Book Text Mentorship Competition and a recap of the SCBWI Winter Conference in NY from Shutta's Scholarship winner.