Matching Your Manuscript to Publisher and Editor

It can be maddening matching your manuscript to the right publisher, and even harder to the right editor. I encountered this again while deciding between two picture books to send a particular publisher, a normally closed house, but one where I managed to meet the editor at a conference.

That doesn't solve my dilemma. This house publishes a lot of easy readers, focusing largely on books for boys. Check. I can do that. But they also love dialogue-friendly stories, and only one of my two choices falls into that category, and it's not, by definition, and easy reader. None of the usual repetitive phrases that drive home a point and teach word structure and usage. I could be splitting the difference here, but, as always, I want to get this choice right.

It may come down to a gut choice, or even, as sometimes happens, the one with the best pitch – in this case, the story told entirely in dialogue and illustrations. Unfortunately, the other one is probably a better piece. Ahh, the dilemma!*

In the meantime, while I pore over details a five year old won't use to decide his favorite story (but that are still very important to make everything just right), here's a list of considerations when picking a publisher or editor to pitch.

Submitting to a Publisher

1. Do they publish authors you like? Probably the most common trick, but one often overlooked. Find out who publishes your favorite author.
2. Are there similarities between your work and theirs? Just because they publish your favorite author, do they publish work like yours? That is, is your work really similar to your favorite authors’? I love Faulkner, but I don’t write what he wrote. Find work similar in theme, style, voice, etc., and approach those publishers.
3. What to they publish most? A big house may publish everything, a small house a select line. Just because they publish everything from board books to young adult doesn’t mean they don’t have a preference.
4. Books for Boys or Girls? Are there more boy books or girl books? Most houses publish some of both and certain books can be for either, but is there more of one than the other?
5. Age range? Sure picture books are for younger children than middle grade and so on, but even those genres are divided into ever-increasing niche markets. Is your middle grade for 8-12 year olds or 10-14 year olds? Is your YA for 13-16 or 15-18, and so on. Even picture books can 2-6 or 4-8. Marketing has been doing this for years; publishing has caught up.
6. Voice? Are most stories first person or third? Dialogue or text heavy? Present tense or past? Male or female narrator? Clipped sentences or lengthy literature? Try to match up wherever you can. Don't change your style to match theirs. After all, you need an original voice or you'll never get published. You just want to be close to a given house's history

And with that said, stick to what they've published in the past few years. Publishing, like the digital world, is getting a shorter history. Two years can be out of date.

Submitting to an Editor

Once you have a publisher or two picked out, you'll need to submit to a particular editor. Sending it to Dear Editor is a sure trip to the bottom of the slush pile. The very bottom. Of course, particular editors have particular tastes. Agents know these and follow these, but like researching a publisher, you have to rely on old-fashioned leg work (and by old-fashioned I mean the Internet). Find interviews with them, blogs they write, tweets they send, podcasts they've joined, and most importantly, conferences. Some editors are virtually anonymous on the web, but most do conferences and they come with one important answer:

“So what are you looking for?”

They hear it a hundred times. They have an answer prepared. When you approach them, be prepared, too. Explain why you think your work is right for them. Do your homework!

And good luck.

*Briefly discussed in my post Balzer and Bray on the Brain

Balzer and Bray on the Brain

In Honor of New Releases From Balzer + Bray

I’ve been thinking a lot about Balzer & Bray lately. I like the work they do, at least the picture books and middle grade I know. They have two of my favorite authors in Mo Willems and Bob Shea, and two editors who’ve been nothing but nice to me in Ruta Rimas and Alessandra Balzer (yep, one half of B+B).

So I’m kind of excited about this post. No analysis, no breakdowns, just books I love.

The first up is Bob Shea’s I’m a Shark. Shea is the master of the braggadocios four-year old with a whimsical touch of vulnerability. I’m a Shark is every bit as good as Dinosaur vs. Bedtime. Clipped phrases, a boastful main character, with lots of dialogue. An easy read aloud or an easy reader, whichever works best for your little dinosaur (or shark).

The plot: Shark isn’t afraid of anything. Well, there is that one thing, but… I can’t give away the punchline. Let’s just say adults will find Shea’s ending accurate and comical, and children will see more than a little bit of Shark in themselves.

I saw Alessandra discuss (OK, dissect) this book at the SCBWI Winter Conference in New York. Knew from that moment I was going to have to study it. More on the dilemma this presents in my next post).

Mo Willems has a habit of creating characters that can anchor an entire series: Pigeon, Elephant and Piggie, Cat the Cat, and so on. This times he takes a shortcut and puts his series in just one book: a collection of short stories featuring Amanda and her Alligator. Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator! centers on an imaginative, impulsive child whose best friend is a stuffed alligator. I think I also encountered this book in NYC and found it adorable. (Yes, grown men can use that word when discussing children’s books.)

Amanda has a wild side in her, reminiscent of Pigeon, but there’s a soft side, too, like Piggie. Hard to put all that in a picture book, but Mo does it again.

Both I’m a Shark and Hooray for Amanda & her Alligator! were released today. The third book I’d like to discuss isn’t available until May 3rd: Eric Luper’s Jeremy Bender and the Cupcake Cadets.

Eric’s second book with Balzer + Bray is also his first middle grade. I’ve taken an interest in middle grade lately since Ruta suggested I give it a shot. So will do. I’ll be picking up Eric’s book at Hudson Children’s Book Festival on May 7th. Can’t wait to see him again (and read about Jeremy Bender!).

In the meantime, here’s the book trailer. Enjoy Eric, times two.

After a Week Back from Pocono SCBWI

I’ve been back from Pocono SCBWI for a week, with little time to blog. More on why in a moment.

The weather in the Poconos was fit for football, even if we were talking baseball. And writing. Lots and lots of writing. Which is good. Pocono is a well-run and impressive workshop for children’s book writers. Located a little less than an hour from where I grew up, ten minutes from a place where I’ve performed, and 20 minutes from where my parents took their honeymoon, Shawnee on Delaware, PA, feels like home to me. That helps. Always good to feel at home.

The 2011 faculty was impressive, with two of my favorite editors in attendance: Dianne Hess (Scholastic) and Ruta Rimas (Balzer + Bray). Agents Jennifer Rofé (Andrea Brown) and John Rudolph (Dystel), plus editors Robert Agis (Sterling ) and Liesa Abrams (Aladdin), joined them. In between speeches and presentations, I had a lengthy conversation with Eastern PA Resident Adviser Francesca Amedolia on writing, conferences, and her writing theories (which are both entertaining and accurate!). I also had a great time talking with writers like Laura Weller, Kevin Sheridan and Wendy Latty, all of whom impressed me with a wide variety of talent (YA, non-fiction, and art). I also ran into fellow Eastern NY SCBWI members Karen Orloff and Ruth Roberts (we get everywhere!).

Pocono also does a great job at diversion, with repeated parties, auctions, and other events to network. More importantly, this year's auction proceeds were split with the Japanese chapter of SCBWI to help with earthquake and tsunami relief efforts.

Pocono SCBWI Highlights (for me):

1. I attended Dianne Hess' presentation on what she's looking for at Scholastic. OK, so she didn't specifically say my book, but that's what I heard. Actually, Dianne did say she'd get to Spaghettisburg and The Bossy Witch (both of which she requested earlier this year) soon. I also found out Dianne's a vegetarian. I share this nonwriting tidbit because I always like meeting fellow vegetarians and promoting the cause.
2. I attended two sessions with Jennifer Rofé, back to back. The one on book marketing was the most helpful for me (I will write up some of what I learned in a future post. No, really. I promise). The presentations had an informal feel to them, and she has great energy. Really dynamic, that way. Her 5 years as a school teacher showed. Her session on Editing With an Agent was a bit less helpful to me, but only because I'm in the middle of doing that now. That said, it was great to get another perspective on it.
3. Sid Fleischman Humor Award Winner Donna Gephart (How to Survive Middle School) gave an interactive workshop on writing quirky and humorous characters. Largely aimed at YA and middle-grade authors, I thought it wouldn't help me much. I mean, I did stand-up for 20 years and can write a joke, and I don't write YA or MG. Yeah, I thought that right up until...
4. I met with Ruta Rimas Saturday night. She paid my writing a great many compliments, but for the moment is passing on Leaping Lemmings (at least until I can get an agent to submit it for me). I won't go into great detail, but at least the story is still on the table (thankfully!). Ruta then wondered if I ever considered middle grade. No, no I haven't Well, not until the drive home. Four hours is a long time to kill in a car, so I began crafting a middle grade story. Title, main character, beginning and ending. Working on the rest now. And one of the big reasons I haven't blogged. Only so much time, and stories take precedence. Particularly if there's an opening for it.

What I like most about Pocono is that it is workshop heavy; a chance for writers to learn, or at least sharpen, their craft. I may go back next year. We'll see. In the meantime, I'm considering their November event in Gettysburg (a town I love, by the way. Hey, I have Spaghettisburg ready to go!).

And I'm ready to go, too. I'll leave you with these positive words from Ruta.

Ruta: “Children's publishing is a small community.”

Me: “I know. And I want to get in.”

Ruta. “You will. You definitely will.”

I hope she's right, whether that be with my first love – picture books – or perhaps a new love, middle grade. There's no timeline, I guess, just a goal line. I'm still inside the one, inching ever closer. I just don't want to fumble...

Highlights of the Empire State Book Festival

The 2nd annual Empire State Book Festival escaped bad weather but not poor attendance. At least it appeared that way; I suppose we'll have to wait for official numbers.

Which is too bad. There were plenty of great authors in attendance, including Ann Martin (of The Baby-Sitters Club), who gave the opening remarks, and Rosanne Cash, who gave the keynote address. In between there was plenty to do, for book buyers, lit lovers, and aspiring authors.

Empire State Book Festival Highlights

My own personal list:

1. The Illustrator's Panel. Artists discussed their approach to picture books in the Picture This presentation. Featuring Julia Gorton, Daniel Kirk and Steven Petruccio (and a host of technical problems), I found this the most informative of all the panels I attended. Julia Gorton is probably the most experimental of the three, and Steven Petruccio's rich, detailed work impressed me greatly. I've long been a fan of Daniel Kirk's Library Mouse books. I found his approach to his work similar to mine, even if his art is far better. But then that's why I attended this panel.
2. Words Come First. A panel featuring two writers (Susanna Hill and Amy Axelrod) and one writer-illustrator (Iza Trapani, who I saw last year), on the idea that story comes first. And while there are some exceptions to this (Mo Willems created the drawing of Pigeon before he ever wrote a word), I generally agree with the premise here. The writer writes and the illustrator gives it added life. Examples of artistic disagreements and wonderful working relationships abounded. Spoke briefly with Susanna Hill afterword, because I like both Punxsutawney Phyllis and Can't Sleep Without Sheep. Looking forward to getting her new book April Fool, Phyllis.
3. Rosanne Cash. Her speech was heartfelt but also full of a seasoned performer's tricks (audience participation, a brief break into song, etc. -- plenty of ways to keep people engaged). Best of all, she didn't use a PowerPoint presentation. Authors always seem to rely on visual gimmickry rather than words to hold their audience. Long been a pet peeve of mine, and I often wonder, should my writing career gets to the point where I'm doing presentations, if I'd rely on such technology. Have audiences come to rely on it, too? Can the power of words alone hold them? Is there a fresh way to do this? Or like Rosanne, would I rely on the tricks of a seasoned performer? Great to watch her work.
4. SCBWI Members. Ran into a few Eastern New York SCBWI members, some presenting, some buying, all supporting each other. Picked up a copy of Liza Frenette's Dead End, and spoke briefly with Coleen Praratore (hopefully you'll soon see her The Wedding Planner's Daughter as a TV movie). I also greatly enjoyed talking with young adult writer Eric Luper and getting his thoughts on my agent situation, the business, etc. I'm forging relations with some of the same people with whom he regularly works. Eric graciously answered my questions, and I guarantee I will be picking up a copy of his newest book, Jeremy Bender and the Cupcake Cadets when it comes out in May. It will be a summer reading project for Johnny K.

While I still believe the Empire State Book Festival is a worthwhile cause, it was not without its problems. Authors only receive one hour to sign books, a move perhaps limited by space, but one that seemed to frustrate some of them. They would have gladly enjoyed staying throughout the day to meet readers and fans, and still take time off to do their presentations. This is the way most book festivals operate, so rather odd that this one does not. Also, some authors are scheduled to sign books after the keynote address. A keynote speech generally means THE END, so walking down the hallway afterward was depressing. The booksellers and vendors had all packed up, making the Egg feel deserted. A long line waited to see Rosanne Cash, but the other authors were largely ignored. Some earlier authors had signings schedule right after their presentations (which makes sense), but others did not. There was no feeling of immediacy, of striking while the iron is hot.

All in all, I like this festival. The talent is amazing, the vendors varied, non-profits are encouraged to attend (had a wonderful time chatting with The Children's Literacy Connection), and it's great for downtown Albany, but a few kinks need to be worked out. Hopefully come season three.

I'll be there.

THE END

Seriously Funny Books for April Fools' Day

Holiday books are generally popular, particularly if they relate to Christmas or Halloween (which have entire seasons to move product), and some books are twisted into holiday sales (Patriotic? Move it to July 4^th! Has a rabbit? Make it Easter).

April Fools’ Day is one of those holidays kids love – not usually for the pranks, but the chance to tell jokes that have them rolling on the floor. Kids love to laugh, yet this holiday gets one day – April 1^st.

Well, here are three books perfect for this undercelebrated holiday – two with the day in mind and one that’s good anytime.

Funny Books for April Fools’ Day

1. Look Out, It’s April Fools’ Day. New Yorker cartoonist and
   Sesame Street
   writer Frank Morell penned this book back in !985. Found it in my local library. Melvin spends a day trying to trick Marvin without any luck. Marvin just won’t be fooled. It isn’t until he says something true – in a classic gag – that they end up sharing a laugh and enjoying the rest of the day.

2. April Fool! Watch Out at School. Diane deGroat’s Gilbert can’t wait to pull off a whole series of pranks at school in this 2010 book. His only problem is everyone else has the same idea. Gilbert can’t get a joke in edgewise, at least until he comes up with a new plan. A plan that keeps a classmate constantly worried that “he’s next.”

3. I Will Surprise My Friend. The second book on this list from a
   Sesame Street
   writer, Mo Willems, isn’t about April Fools’ Day at all, but can be twisted toward that end. Elephant and Piggie decide to surprise each other, a trick that doesn’t go according to plan. Which means, of course, they end up surprising each other in a whole other way. Great fun, as always, from Mo.

Thanks for reading this post. And I know I didn’t keep up my end of the bargain – if I really celebrated April Fools’ Day like a kid, my April Fools’ list wouldn’t have included any April Fools’ books! The old bait and switch. Gets ‘em every time.

Well, maybe next time. Happy April Fools’ Day!

Being Funny in Picture Books

In honor of one of the great all-time kid holidays, April Fools’ Day…

Knock, knock!
Who's there?
Ivan.
Ivan who?
Ivan to tell you a joke.

What’s better than a child sitting on your lap laughing over a joke that’s the funniest thing he’s ever heard? It’s a bonding moment for both of you.

So how did the writer come up with that joke? How did she make it work?

There’s an old saying: “funny is funny.” Ahh, not so much. While some of the rules are the same, there are differences when it comes to writing comedy for kidlit.

Writing Humor for Children

1.      Wacky Is Wonderful, but don’t overdo it. Kids like crazy, but know when to pull back. Make your story relatable. Kids will buy almost any premise from Page 1, but you have to make sure they still buy it at page 30. Kids can accept a prince turned into a frog, but a fly turned into a prince turned into a frog who’s now forced to eat flies may be a bit much. Study P.D. Eastman’s Go, Dog, Go! as a way to build wacky.

      2.      Ignore the Rule of Three – unless it works. Comedy often has the rule of three: the first two are normal and establish the pattern; the third breaks it and gets laughs. With young readers, you can often use the Rule of One. Insert jokes right after the situation has been established, a funny line, a remark, etc. Children accept the situation as normal right from the start. Mo Willems, in his latest, I Broke My Trunk!, uses the Rule of Three when Gerald explains how he balanced a rhino, then a hippo, then a hippo with a piano, on his trunk. This builds in absurdity and a hippo with a piano is funny, but he saves the big laugh for one line at the end from Piggy. You should feel comfortable doing the same.

      3.      Build, Build, Build. Associated with #2 is Start Small and Escalate. Never make the second scene smaller than the first. If you have a child walking down the street on a blistering summer day and he spots a friend riding a Slip ‘n’ Slide with a penguin, the next scene probably shouldn’t be grandma sipping iced tea in front of a fan. Embrace the wacky and build on it.

4.      Create Humor From Characters – A great rule for just about any story. Would your character say or do that? Don't just have your character say something that is funny just to insert a funny line. Even consistently funny characters have a style. Is your character funny by playing it straight (The Pigeon)? Funny by being mischievous (The Cat in the Hat)? Weird, odd, cute, over-the-top?

5.      Remember Your Audience. One parent joke per book is fine. Kids will roll with it and accept it as part of the story (see Nick Bruel’s Bad Kitty for great examples of this), but too many jokes over their head will lose them. If you can write jokes everybody gets, great, but focus on your audience first. Parents may curse you after the 30^th reading, but their children will ask for a 31^st time. And they might just ask for your next book, too.

6.      They’ve Never Heard Old Jokes Before – but your editor has. An old joke may be fine; children don’t know the classics. But your editor will want originality and parents may groan. An old joke now and then may be OK, but why are you trying to be funny if you can’t write jokes? Come up with your own. It will help you sell your manuscript to a publisher and the parents.

7.      Sometimes It’s Just a Sketch. Sometimes a kid’s book is just a sketch. I felt that way with Mo’s I Broke My Trunk. It’s funny, but it strikes me as a sketch, whereas We Are In a Book, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, and others have more depth. The point is, you can write just a sketch. As long as it’s funny, it has a place in children’s literature. Children don’t know it’s just a sketch.

8.      Bodily Functions Are OK for Boys and Girls – but mostly boys. Girls think bodily functions are funny because they’re inappropriate, but editors and parents generally think they’re for boys, and at some point, they will be. Girls will outgrow them sooner. Low-brow can be OK, and some writers like Alan Katz (Take Me Out of the Bathtub and other Silly Dilly books) do it brilliantly and consistently, but if it’s not your forte, don’t force it. Just don’t be afraid of it either.

9.      Use Artwork Whenever Possible. Sometimes artwork sells the scene, sometimes it is the joke. If you’re an illustrator, you can punch up a scene with a look on a character’s face, motion lines and who knows what else. For you writers, don’t tell the illustrator what happens in a scene unless absolutely necessary, but don’t be afraid to list basic art notes if you absolutely have to. But if you have to, ask yourself if words are even needed for that scene. Rely on the illustrator. You’re a team!

Kids, like all readers want to be pulled in. Use humor to fill in around a compelling story. Funny can keep things moving, it can keep readers coming back for more, but humor isn’t the heart of your book, it’s the soul. Less tangible, but able to give it life.

Be aware that your reader will not have your voice, and so often comedy is not what you say, but how you say it. Parents and children may get better with each read (as they learn the words, rhythm, inflections, etc), but as a test run, have someone read your story back to you out loud. Does the comedy work in a cold read? Can they quickly grasp how to tell your jokes?

Oh, and remember, comedy is subjective. Someone will almost think it’s the driest thing they’ve ever ready. But as Jerry Seinfeld noted, he’s convinced every show he’s ever done someone walked away thinking he’s the worst comedian they’ve ever seen. And that’s Seinfeld! Or as comedian Tommy Moore says, “The audience is the variable.” Some of them will love you, some will not. Go back to the ones who do.

(Whew! Writing about comedy is hard work. Next time I’m writing about sleeping.)



Learning to Write From the Ides of March

It’s March 15, the famous Ides of March, the day of Julius Caesar’s death. The day when we recall high school English teachers bemoaning half-hearted attempts at Shakespeare with “Et tu, Brute?” as if we'd stabbed them heart.

Well, turns out Caesar may never have said that, but that’s good writing. Of course, it may not have been Shakespeare’s writing. This does get confusing.

Some historians say that upon being stabbed by Brutus, Caesar called out (in Greek) “Kai su, teknon?” (You too, my child?) or (Latin) “Tu quoque, Brute, fili mi?” Some say he said nothing (as he was being stabbed). I believe he simply cried out in agony.

What I’ve Learned About Writing From The Ides of March:

1.      Writing is about simplicity. “Et tu, Brute?” is far more memorable than “Tu quoquoe, Brute, fili mi?”. Even people who never had a day of Latin class, who routinely butcher e pluribus unum  and ex post facto know Et tu, Brute.

2.      Simple words can still convey complex ideas. Shakespeare again. Does anything say it better than “To be or not to be?” or “Out, out, damn spot!”  How about FDR’s “All we have to fear is fear itself”? The words of philosophers found in the mouths of three year olds.

3.      It doesn’t have to be English if it fits. A good phrase is a good phrase. People repeat “Ich bin ein Berliner” even if it could mean “I am a jellyroll.” OK, it doesn’t, but that’s a long-standing joke. And people sing La Bamba and La Cucaracha without knowing another word in either song. Either they’ve just gotten married in Mexico or like cockroaches.

4.      You don’t have to write it. Shakespeare wasn’t the first to write “Et tu, Brute.” It was in common usage and had already appeared in two other plays prior to his. If you’re more famous, it becomes your line. John F. Kennedy wasn’t the first to say, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” It was the Roman poet Juvenal, who nobody remembers. You don’t have to be first, you have to be the best. By the way, I don’t like this lesson, I’m just saying. Which, of course, is a saying I can’t take credit for. It’s already in common usage. See how that works? But if you’re Shakespeare, it’s yours, lock, stock, and barrel.

5.      Leave emotion open-ended. I’ve always been a big fan of this. I’ve been criticized for not writing how my characters say a line. Are they upset? Angry? Etc., etc. I prefer to leave it to the reader’s imagination. I think writers who routinely overemphasize a character’s emotions don't trust (respect?) their readers. After all, it turns out when Caesar said “Et tu, Brute" (or “Kai su, tekron”), he may not have been surprised by Brutus’ betrayal but rather cursing him, as in “Et tu, Brute!” Maybe Shakespeare should have given his actors a choice. Imagine the difference in that scene.

So if you’re looking to apply these lessons to children’s books: keep it simple, don’t be afraid to present complex issues (bullying, divorce, disabilities, etc.), foreign words and phrases are OK (especially if you’re trying to teach), common phrases are fine in dialogue, and you don’t need to stress every emotion (of course, in picture books, the illustrations can do that, but this rule holds for young adult, mid-grade, and early chapter books, too).

Your goal (and maybe this is a good writing assignment) is to make a line sleeker, memorable, rhythmic, yours. It’s not likely any of us are Shakespeare (or Juvenal, for that matter, though juvenile maybe), but the tricks work just the same. Make lines simpler and dialogue friendly, whether in chidlren’s books or adult stories.

It worked for writers of their caliber. Why not for us lesser talents?

So think about your favorite lines. Can they be rewritten according to this  formula?

P.S. ( I may have to explore this idea further. By formula, one should know if a line is good. It should hit you. Yet too many writers take twisted, convoluted – dare I say gobbledygook – to be good writing. Shouldn’t be a problem in kidlit, but you’d be surprised.  Sometimes I wonder what the heck I was thinking. And that’s the problem with formulas or as Caesar and Juvenal would have said, formulae…)