Readers just won't be told!

 

Right, so don't get all huffy and storm off in a strop, have a paddy or throw your dummy out the pram. This rule was made eons ago and has recently gained crazy momentum for a reason. And no, it's not to ruin  your writing, or make it sound like everyone else's, or suck out all the fun, or hinder your natural voice. Goodness no. This rule does the opposite when used to its maximum. Exploit the 'show, don't tell' rule and your characters will come alive, your talent will explode on the page, your action will be vivid and your voice addictive. It's true.

I am sure you are SICK of hearing it, but I'm sorry, guys, it's still one of the biggest issues I see in manuscripts I'm given to edit. It's a freaking epidemic. I know, I know. You're telling a story, but 'telling' in this sentence doesn't need to be taken literally. Think of your writing as entertaining your audience, creating a movie reel in their heads, creating images and evoking emotions through your cleverly constructed sentences and precise wording. Not simply relaying what happened one word at a time. Oh no, you want more. Much more. You want to pick up your reader and plonk them in this story: hurt them in fight scenes, reduce them to tears in sad scenes, scare the heebie-jeebies out of them in frightening ones. Let them be the characters. Let them feel, hear, smell, touch. Clench their fists, grit their teeth, suppress tears, and eyeball the shadowed corners of the room.

I'll admit, it is very possible the writing world has gone a little 'show, don't tell' mental, but in this case, we're actually talking about a picnic that seriously needs this sandwich. (Stick with me...) Good books do more than tell stories, as good sandwiches do more than satisfy hunger. But it's OK sometimes to tell, it truly is. But sometimes means rarely, as little as you possibly can. Perhaps in those scenes that are fast and furious dabbling with elaborate phrasing isn't needed because you've just got to get that action across before it's too late. Fine. No one is going to tell you off. Absolutely not. But if you do this on every page, in every sentence and every scene, then your reader's likely to switch off, or literally do this...  

 

So, are you telling me, or are you showing me? T = Telling and S = Showing

Setting

T: Home was a big town called Tonbridge and the roads were red and the sky was purple.

S: Billy stood staring out at the vastness of Tonbridge. His birth place. Home. Red bricked roads twisted amongst metallic skyscrapers, the swirling purple clouds reflected in the tops.

Emotion

T: Billy was excited because he'd arrived and was going to meet his parents for the first time.

S: Billy sucked in a long, calming breath. He was here. At last. He smiled, unable to fight his emotions any longer. Somewhere, amongst the skyscrapers, were his parents. Mum and Dad. And he was finally going to meet them.

With Filter Verbs

T: Billy could hear water, which appeared to be coming from around the corner. He decided to investigate.

S: Billy paused, listening. A gentle trickling of water. But where? He focused, homing in on the sound. To his right, just through the trees. But it couldn't be, could it? Real water? He jumped down from the mound and crept closer.

Characterisation

T: Billy was an angry guy who found it hard to forgive.

S: Billy gritted his teeth and snarled at all the smiling faces ahead of him. Stupid happy families. He didn't need parents, not like these fools. And besides, istwasn't him who'd walked out all those year ago.

With Adverbs

T: Billy quickly ran to his parents, and excitedly hugged them.

S: Billy sprinted across the park and, unable to hold back his emotions any longer, threw his arms around his parents and squeezed.

 

There are other ways I often see writers telling instead of showing – info-dumping and conveniently passing on info through dialogue, for example – but these five examples are the most common. And if you work on these techniques, practise, research, read, learn, then your writing will immediately take a more professional turn. Just try it before you refuse to follow the 'show, don't tell' crowd –because I hear and see your reluctance – and if you still think your writing was better before, then I wish you all the best.

 

 

 

GET TO THE POINT!

This year, 2015, I’m an MG Pitch Wars mentor. I’m having a ball! From writing my ‘Why choose me?’ blog post, to receiving 64 submissions, to the headache of picking my mentee, to the surprise thrills of being able to pick two mentees, to now working with my gorgeous new friends for life (Stacey and Judy) on revising their manuscripts ready for the agent round in November. Major fun. And I can only thank Brenda Drake over and over for inviting me to join the gang. I’m privileged, and will work my socks and knickers off to ensure my mentees receive a bunch of agent hugs in just over a month’s time.

But, having read through all the first chapters sent to me by an incredibly talented group of writers­, there was a recurring issue that appeared time and again. And the same problem I see come up in the manuscripts I edit in my day job. It all boils down to the book starting in the wrong place, which of course affects that all important hook, the pull, the magnetism that makes a reader want to keep going, turning the pages and finding out what’s going to happen. I’m not kidding here when I add, this problem is so easily fixed.

Honestly, more often than not, in my Pitch Wars submissions, simply deleting the first two or three pages, and sometimes the first few paragraphs, was really all the author needed to do. It is an issue all writers have, not just newbies, but seasoned writers too, and you only need to check out posts and articles littering the internet to know how true this is. We, the story tellers, want our readers to understand the whys of our characters, and to do that we’re convinced we need to get the back story across as soon as possible.

 

Wrong. We don’t.

 

 

Most readers want in first; they want a taste of the action, of the tension; they want subtlety and clues; they want to be intrigued; they want to be thrown bam! straight into that life-changing moment of the main character, and the whole point of us, the authors, writing the story.

Back story is important and needs to be included, but not in paragraph after paragraph of distant narrative, or a character unrealistically and far too conveniently thinking about their lives to date. I’m afraid it’s downright boring. If you have books on shelves or a manuscript in the slush piles, boring isn’t a faux pas you can afford.

And this goes for the rest of the book, not just the first chapter. It’s absolutely fine to do this in earlier drafts, in fact, as an editor and writer, I would encourage you do to this. For one, it gets it out of your brain and allows you, the creator of this character’s past, to ‘see’ it and iron out any inconsistencies, rather than have it cooped up in your mind. I also encourage authors to complete biographies or character profile sheets for everyone in the book for the same reason. Plus, this is a separate document you can refer to as you write.

Once that first draft is finished, work through your manuscript with a brightly coloured pen (real or virtual) and highlight the back story. Then decide if it really really needs to be there. If it does, don’t just tell the reader or have the character once again conveniently consider it, blend something in subtly. A clue, a snippet, a cheeky insight. Don’t put the whole chocolate mud cake in front of the reader on page one, just smear a little ganache here and there. Make their eyes light up, make them lick their lips, make them drool. ‘Ooo, chocolate cake. Must turn page. Must find cake.’

 

Get the picture?

Example? OK.

 

DON’T DO THIS

‘Just two years’ ago, John’s heart had been broken. Carol, his girlfriend of five years, his childhood sweetheart, had dumped him. Packed her bags and left for a younger model. He knew it was coming, but was too nervous to mention it. He didn’t want to lose her. He didn’t want to be alone.

John spent many weeks and months afterwards staring at the TV screen, neither watching whatever was on nor thinking of anything in particular. He’d been emptied out of all thought, all emotion.

So when he met Liz, six months’ ago, he was wary. Cautious. Afraid to ever feel that way again.’

 

DO THIS

‘John breathed in deeply, trying to push aside the tightening of his stomach. This was all a bit too familiar. The iPhone in her hand. The stupid grin on her face. Only this time it was Liz, not Carol.

He released the breath slowly through his nostrils. Should he say something? Or sit there, on the same couch just like last time, and wait for the break up to happen? Could he deal with that pain again? Probably not.

John opened his mouth, but all that came out was a strange squeak that he quickly disguised as a cough.

Liz looked up and frowned. John smiled and averted his gaze quickly back to the TV screen.’

 

The second excerpt puts the reader in the scene. They see John, his shyness, his nerves, his worry. They’re introduced to his previous heartbreak. In the first, they’re being told this through a back story dumping, unable to engage fully with any action. I know which I prefer, and I know which would make me keep reading. The second. Is Liz about to dump him? Will John build up the confidence to ask who she’s texting? Let’s keep reading and find out.

 

Be subtle. Blend. Intrigue. Show, don’t tell.

Editopia: Jet Black Publishing

Today, we welcome Kim Mungcal, editor at Jet Black Publishing; a brand new and refreshing children's and YA publisher based in Australia. Jet Black's bookstore is now open with their first books available for purchase. Take a look here. 

Hi Kim. Thanks so much for joining us and allowing us to interview you.

First up, tell us about Jet Black Publishing. 

Jet Black Publishing is a publishing house dedicated to delivering inspirational and inventive stories to children and young adults. We are driven to create stories that will give children a sense of purpose, a moral lesson and overall enjoyment. We wish to inspire a thirst for adventure and to help unlock children's potential through their imaginations. 'Family' and 'community' are integral to our creative processes and underpin the products we deliver. We strongly believe that children are shaped by their communities. Together we can help guide children down paths less taken and on journeys of discovery to a greater future.

What sets Jet Black apart from other children’s publishers around the world?

Jet Black stories are written by parents, guardians, grandparents, aunts, uncles, older brothers and sisters, teachers, librarians, babysitters and kids. These are people who read to children either as a bed time story, daycare story time, classroom activity or library event. They understand what makes stories engaging.
Jet Black Authors and Illustrators aren't in it for the money. They're in it for the love of storytelling and understand the importance of teaching children helpful ways to live extraordinary lives.
We're not a big corporation. We work with Authors and Illustrators to create their vision. 60% of each book sold goes to the Author/Illustrator.
We will donate 20% of each book sold to the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation.

Are you open to submissions for middle grade and young adult novels? If so, what exactly are you looking for? Or maybe, what are you definitely not looking for? 

Yes, we cater for middle grade and YA authors. There are a couple of middle grade novels in the works. However, there are no YA stories in production currently. We'd be interested in similar values as our children's books; in that it inspires imagination and a sense of adventure. We would definitely not take on submissions that encourage hate and discrimination. Our goal is to focus on positive outcomes and learning experiences.

Amongst the submissions you’ve received to date, are you seeing any trends? 

There is definitely a trend in Tooth Fairies! Otherwise, most submissions have been very quirky but fun.

Which genre is your personal favourite?

Personally I find the stories that take you out of this 'world' particularly entertaining as it opens up new and unexplored worlds. Jumping into paintings or a world full of magical creatures lifts the limitations of our imaginations. Supernatural, science fiction and fantasy would be my choice.

How and when did your interest in books begin? How has your life-path led you to set up Jet Black Publishing?

I always liked drawing, and I always liked writing; so I figured I'd do well with making kids's picture books. I wanted to create my own stories but found that there weren't any publishers with the same values or flexibility. I thought it would be a good idea to start my own, then discovered being a publisher was just as much fun because I began working with brilliant authors and illustrators.

Tell us about you. What’s your background? 

I come from a not-so-rich background in the Philippines. My father died when I was barely a month old and my birth mother gave me away to my aunt so I could live a better life.

When I was very young, my aunt (now adopted mother) used to read to me bed time stories before I'd fall asleep. She had a thick book called '366 Bedtime Stories: A Story for Every Day of the Year' and would read one each night; two if I could persuade her. The stories took me on great adventures and left me dreaming of far away places. It formed the wild imagination I have today and is a source of inspiration and courage I use for day to day. With all my heart I can honestly say that they were the fondest memories I have as a child with a loving mother that only hoped for the best in me.

I'm now both a Graphic Designer and Publisher living in Australia; trying to return the favour to other children who could use the same encouragement I got.

Here’s your opportunity to plug some of Jet Black’s upcoming titles. 

Aunty Arty and the Disquieting Muses

Frieda’s Aunty Arty has a magical paintbrush and stickers that can transport them into famous works of art. A new series for junior readers ...

Bradley Banting: 5th Grade Man of Mystery – Socks for Supper

Bradley Banting is the youngest detective in the world (that he knows of), and lives for solving mysteries.

Why Won't Anybody Play With Me?

Help your child get a head start at school by using Gavin’s story to discuss ways of making and being a good friend.

Thank you, Kim. If you have a children's book looking for a home, or are an illustrator seeking new and exciting projects, and think Jet Black Publishing might be the perfect home for you and your work, go here and follow the submission guidelines. Good luck! 

Editopia: Katie Teller with Curiosity Quills

Today we're pleased to welcome Curiosity Quills editor Katie Teller to Editopia. Here's a little more about her and read on to see how you can submit to her:

Born and raised in Australia, Katie’s early years of day dreaming in the “bush”, and having her father tell her wild bedtime stories, inspired her passion for writing. After graduating High School, she became a foreign exchange student where she met a young man who several years later she married. Now she lives in Arizona with her husband, daughter and their dog. She has a diploma in travel and tourism which helps inspire her writing. She is currently at school studying English and Creative Writing. Katie loves to out sing her friends and family, play sports and be a good wife and mother. She loves to write, and takes the few spare moments in her day to work on her novels.

Find Katie Online:

Website  | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads 

Hi Katie and welcome. First off: how did you get your start in the industry? Did you always want to be in publishing?

It kind of just happened. I'd signed with Curiosity Quills as an author, when they asked if anyone knew of people interested in becoming an acquisitions editor. So, I said I'd be interested, and after some supervised reading and reviewing, I slipped into my position. I've been doing it for about a year now and just love it.

That's great! Most authors are surprised to find out that editors’ days aren’t spent kicking back at their desks with mugs of tea and piles of manuscripts and that, in fact, most work reading happens outside of work. Describe what your “typical” day actually is.

I don't have a typical day. Each is different. But there's preschool, house work, the gym, author things like promotion and writing, and my biggest time consumer is my kid. I don't keep a tight schedule, but I do try to keep things within certain time frames. I do my reading during the kid's "quiet time" and once she's in bed.

I would guess a lot of our readers are familiar with that particular balancing act. What does your to-read pile look like? How many manuscripts are in your inbox at any one time?

I have a full and two partials in my inbox, and a decent size slush pile I'm determined to help shrink! I also have books by other writer friends I like to squeeze in wherever possible too. So my to-read pile is never ending.

What trends are you seeing in kidlit these days? Are there any subjects or genres you don’t want to see in your inbox? Any you want to see more of?

I see a lot of zombies, transferring to other dimensions, or straight contemporary girl meets boy, boy helps with *insert issue here*. I'm not a fan of zombies, vampires, or angels, and especially things that slam god. That's one way for me to slam you book shut. What I really want to see though, is a story for the sake of telling a story. No agendas, no soap boxes, just a raw story where I can get lost within the pages. Old school story telling. I feel like all the stories I've contracted have a firm grasp on that. Give me Narnia, Jane Austin, anything that will take me away from the real world and immerse me in the joy of escapism.

You address this above but I'll ask anyway. What are some things that would make a manuscript stand out to you?

Clean, crisp writing, a character who is smart and has a real heart. Someone I can look at and say, yeah, if I met you in real life, I'd enjoy hanging out with you. Again, a story that's a story I can get lost in and forget about day-to-day life.

Can you describe what the acquisition process is like at your house? What happens next once you’ve found a book you love?

So yes. There's the slush pile, which gets divided between our team, then we do our thing. Once I find one I love, I write out a proposal to our "higher ups" saying why the manuscript would fit well in our catalogue. Then, they give me a yes or no, because they can see all the manuscripts coming up and can see the grand scheme of things. Anyway, once I get the approval, I send through a contract to the author. The author then goes through the contract, and can say yes or no. If they say yes, they send through the signed copy, I arrange counter signature, then send it through to production to get it in the pipeline. Although I've handed them over, I love keeping tabs and helping out the authors wherever I can.

Without implicating anyone, can you tell us one of or some of the weirder submissions you’ve received?

Ahh… let me think. Usually I forget subs right away if they don't take my fancy. I've had some stuff that I read and think, Why would anyone write that, ever? But usually, I see people who aren't quite ready for publication yet.  Telling, information dumps, poor dialogue, all things that come in time with study and practice. That's what rejections are for, to help us get better. At least they should be. I usually try to give a reason why I've rejected.

As an author, that feedback from editors is sooo appreciated, even when it's not "hey I need your book on my list ASAP"! Okay, were reaching the end, where you get the chance to plug a few books on your list you’re excited about…

Well… Destruction by Sharon Bayliss is the first of a great series you won't want to miss, then The Undead by Elsie Elmore is coming out soon which is a fun and slightly gory read. I have two more in the pipeline as well, but they're a long way off so I'll leave them for now. But they will be GREAT!

Curiosity Quills will soon be closing to unsolicited submissions, but if you act fast, you can still submit to Katie following these guidelines:

Fill out the online submission form here: http://curiosityquills.com/submission-guidelines/ 

Include Attn: Katie/YAtopia interview.

Editopia: Meredith Rich with Bloomsbury Spark

Editopia is back! Today, we're thrilled to welcome editor Meredith Rich, the digital editor for YA and NA at Bloomsbury Spark.

Previously Meredith has also been a historical reinactor, a regular actor, a barista, a children's bookseller, a math editor, and a playwright. Many years and careers later she finally figured out that she loves storytelling, and that helping other people tell their own stories is even better. Her best days are spent with a good book and iced coffee in the park, preferably with someone else's dog to pet. You can find her on twitter at @MeredithJHRich

Bloomsbury Spark is a one-of-a-kind, global, digital imprint from Bloomsbury Publishing dedicated to publishing a wide array of exciting fiction eBooks to teen, YA and new adult readers. Their outstanding list features multiple genres: romance, contemporary, dystopian, paranormal, sci-fi, mystery, thriller, and more. Bloomsbury Spark is open to non-agented submissions, so if you have a manuscript between 25 and 60k words long, then please check out their submissions guidelines here: 

Hi Meredith! Thanks for being here. Okay, to start if off: most authors are surprised to find out that editors’ days aren’t spent kicking back at their desks with mugs of tea and piles of manuscripts and that, in fact, most work reading happens outside of work. Describe what your “typical” day actually is.

Hmm…my ideal day is something like this:

8:30-9:30: Answer all of the email as fast as I can, trying to get on top of my inbox. Often my favorite part of my day. I love email. Is that weird?

9:30-11: Either meetings or catching up on paperwork, metadata, marketing things.

11-1: Whatever needs doing. Sometimes this could be writing design memos for the cover, talking to freelancers, routing invoices, meeting with our Spark team, writing acquisition proposals, or chatting with authors and agents. I also really love spreadsheets so I try to slot some time to update all of them. There are many and they are all also color-coded. Of course.

1-3:  By this point I can try to settle in for editing for an hour or two. Sometimes I am writing longer edit letters, looking at arc, structure and characters, and with some I really look more at line edits from the beginning. I am very lucky that my authors are flexible and willing to take whatever feedback necessary! I am also lucky in that they forgive me for my overuse of "awkward" in line notes. 

3-4: Usually in the afternoon I try to look through some submissions and move things along. They can really pile up and I try to at least decide which ones I am interested in reading and then move them to my kindle to read later.

4-??? I head back to editing. We have two titles a month slated for Spark so I often edit at home and read submissions on the weekends.

Of course most days my actual schedule looks like this:

8:30-???: Meetings, emails, spreadsheets, meetings, emails, coffee, emails.

  

Ha! Yes. Those ideal days never quite happen, even with the best, color-coded intents, right? Without implicating anyone, can you tell us one of or some of the weirder submissions you’ve received?

One of the weirdest ones I have ever gotten involved a main character that had a really hard time with…certain bodily functions. I can’t even describe the query without it getting gross, but suffice it to say, it was quite easy to “flush” that one. (Sorry, couldn’t help myself. :)

*Snort* I really love the varied answers we get to that question. Switching gears a little, is there a particular book that sparked your love of reading or a book that you re-read time and again?

I don’t quite remember what age I was when I discovered Tamora Pierce, but I think it was probably around third or fourth grade. Reading her Song of the Lioness series was like discovering a whole new world that combined some of my favorite things. (Girls disguised as men, knights, magic, etc.)

I remember one particular family vacation to Germany where I only brought those four books with me, and I think I read the whole series through ten times by the end of the two weeks. One of my mom’s favorite photos of me features a very awkward Meredith on a train, ignoring the passing castles out the window, and completely engrossed in what Alanna does next.

How could anyone mind "awkward" when you also describe yourself that way?! That's adorable. Okay, so, I love to swim but have a total fear of drowning and I find it really hard to read books where that is a plot point. What about you? Anything you hate to read about? On the other hand, are there subjects you’re drawn to?

I am a super scaredy-cat as far as blood is concerned so I can’t read horror, as much as I might like to! I am ok with thrillers and mysteries, and I can handle violence in books as well if it is well placed and purposeful, but I can’t watch it on TV! For example I read and loved the Game of Thrones books, but I absolutely cannot watch the show. Just can’t.

As far as what I am drawn to without fail, I was a theater major in college and a historical reinactor right afterwards, so I love books with a historical twist or anything set in theater! I also love living vicariously through books set in small towns, mostly because I have lived in major cities my whole life. Also girls disguised as boys in fantasy always grabs my heart thanks to the aforementioned Tortall obsession, compounded by the fact that Twelfth Night is my favorite Shakespearean play.

is it bad that when girls disguised as boys come up, you think Shakespeare and I think Amanda Bynes movie? Hmm. Okay, ever since stumbling upon a tumblr feed that rounded up page shots of all the books that have a variation of the line “S/he released a breath s/he didn’t know s/he’d been holding” I spot it left and right in stories and now it makes me giggle! Also, I know about three people in my real life who have deep green eyes and yet every book seems populated with them! What about you? Any writer’s tics or cliché pet peeves that jump out at you?

I really can’t stand reading about girls who don’t realize how beautiful they are. I like a certain self-awareness in my narrators, and I find confidence likeable! Of course sometimes it could be essential to the plot, (if the character has an eating disorder, etc.), but the trope of spectacularly gorgeous heroines with hair like a waterfall and eyes like emeralds not knowing they are that gorgeous? I don’t buy it.

Amen to that!! Finally, here’s your chance to plug a few books on your list you’re excited about…

Ooh! Now choosing my from my list is like picking a favorite child…or dog. (I imagine picking a favorite dog would be harder. They all have puppy eyes!)

But, if I have to, these are the ones that I am working on at the moment that I fall for over and over again.

MY SOON TO BE SEX LIFE by Judith Tewes

 This YA contemp is so full of snark and heartwarming family drama, all with a girl who is just trying to take control of her own sexuality. I can’t get enough.

INKED by Eric Smith

Set in a society where tattoos are magical, fate altering, and mandatory, this YA fantasy takes you to the heart of corrupt government, and surprises me every time I read it. I am also pretty sure I will wind up with a tattoo by the time the release date rolls around.

THE EDGE OF YOU by Theresa DaLayne

This swoony New Adult romance is set under the midnight sun in Alaska. In the eternal words of Liz Lemon… I want to go to there.

ANY WAY YOU SLICE IT by Kristine Carlson Asselin

I love books about sporty girls, (perhaps to compensate for the fact that the only varsity sport I ever played was the dance team?), and this one hits the spot for me. It’s MYSTIC PIZZA meets THE CUTTING EDGE folks with a small town feel that evokes Stars Hollow. Get in line.

These all sound great, although I confess a soft spot for Any Way You Slice It because I'm friends with Kris and was part of the epic brainstorm session that went into titling that one. Can't wait for it! Thanks again for being here, Meredith!!

Editopia: Annie Berger, Associate Editor at Harper Collins

Our Editopia series continues and today I'm very excited to welcome Annie Berger, as associate editor at HarperCollins. I can say from firsthand experience that Annie is an incredible editor who wears her enthusiasm for publishing on her sleeve, which makes her also an incredible person.

Annie Berger graduated from Northwestern University where she majored in history and minored in religion. She attended the Columbia Publishing Course in the summer of 2009. After several internships at Dunham Literary, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, and Egmont USA she started as an editorial assistant at Simon & Schuster’s Aladdin imprint. There she worked with authors Brandon Mull, Rachel Renée Russell and Lauren Barnholdt. Annie was involved in many successful repackages including a Felix Salten line, new Anne of Green Gables books and the re-launch of Fablehaven. She was the editor for both the middle-grade and chapter book Nancy Drew and the middle-grade Hardy Boys series. Annie also signed up debut authors Jen Malone’s At Your Service and Gail Nall’s Breaking the Ice, which publish in August 2014 and March 2015 respectively. Now at HarperCollins Annie is delighted to be looking for both middle-grade and teen and works with authors such as Kristen Kittscher (The Tiara on the Terrace), Jo Whittemore (Confidentially Yours series) and Diane Zahler. Annie also assists with Gail Carson Levine, Lauren Oliver, and Rita Williams-Garcia.


Hi Annie! Let's cover a little basic background stuff first. How did you get your start in the industry? Did you always want to be in publishing?

I had no idea that I wanted to get into publishing until my senior year of college. Right about that time I was panicking about what to do next. I thought long and hard, talked to some people and decided that publishing might be it (book lover for life.) I attended the Columbia Publishing Course right after graduation and then went onto a series of internships. When I finally got my job at Simon & Schuster I was so happy that I danced around my living room blasting Dog Days Are Over by Florence and the Machine. I had three wonderful years there and now I’m excited about my new adventure at HarperCollins!

What does your to-read pile look like? How many manuscripts are in your inbox at any one time?

So many manuscripts, so little time. Just kidding, it’s actually amazing that I have a job where my take home work is reading great children’s books. I definitely always have a stack to read, but I love it! I also like to read at least 50 pages of something before deciding it’s not right for me. There are usually some pending ones hanging out there too, that I’ve read and really enjoyed but am still debating over whether or not I think it works for my list. I don’t like to keep agents hanging so I try to respond in a fairly timely fashion, but those pending ones are the trickiest!

I think I speak for authors (and agents) everywhere in saying, "Thank you for timely responses!" What trends are you seeing in kidlit these days? Are there any subjects or genres you don’t want to see in your inbox? Any you want to see more of?

I think we are totally done (for now) with paranormal (I’m looking at you vampires) and relatively over dystopian. I’m seeing A LOT more realistic fiction, and that’s been working really well for us. I would love to see more fantasy. I love fantasy that’s seamlessly woven into the plot. I keep talking about this everywhere, but Maggie Stiefvater’s The Scorpio Races is a perfect example of this. Her book actually had me on Wikipedia double-checking that there were no such things as flesh-eating water horses. I’d also love to see more strange and off-putting stuff, bring on the books about cults!

I totally agree with you on those water horses. I was sooo intrigued by them. Cults, huh? Very cool. Okay, so without implicating anyone, can you tell us one of or some of the weirder submissions you’ve received?

Oh gosh, I’ve gotten a lot of strange ones. One was a very interesting (unsolicited) picture book submission about a love affair between a snail and a tape dispenser. Which is actually quite funny if you think about it, but definitely wasn’t right for me!

Um. I don't even... okay, I'm just going to leave that one alone. Now I know it’s just plain evil to ask a children’s book editor to name a favorite book, so I won’t. Instead, tell me about your favorite children’s book covers.

Well, I’m biased, but I am in love with the covers for the Anne of Green Gables repackages at Simon & Schuster. (note: see next question for that beauty!) I remember loving the covers for the Fallen books by Lauren Kate, I thought Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Vivian Siobhan was amazing, The Beautiful Creatures books were beautiful and I love the cover for 33 Minutes by Todd Hasak-Lowy. I also love those Penguin classics. Oh! I can’t believe I almost forgot this one…Nightsong by Ari Berk and illustrated by Loren Long is one of my favorites of all time, it’s my background screen on my work computer.

 

 

33 Minutes is on my bookshelf and even the spine is attention-grabbing! Is there a particular book that sparked your love of reading or a book that you re-read time and again?

There are so so many! But one of my absolute favorites of all time is Anne of Green Gables. I remember reading it for the first time while I was on vacation and just not being able to put it down. I’ve probably read the books in that series about six or seven times. And the best part of the story is that while at Simon & Schuster I worked on a repackage of them. That was probably one of the most rewarding parts of my career so far, writing the copy for one of my favorite books of all time.

That cover!! So, soo beautiful!! Okay, just a couple more. I love to swim but have a total fear of drowning, so I find it really hard to read books where that is a plot point. What about you? Anything you hate to read about? On the other hand, are there subjects you’re drawn to?

You know, I’m not a huge fan of “illness” books. I don’t think I’ve ever picked up a book about a child dying of cancer and said, “Yes, can’t wait to read!” The only exception to that is The Fault in Our Stars (just because I was such a big John Green fan before it came out.) But in general I’m not going to pick up a book that’s going to make me weep the entire time. On the flip side, I am a HUGE animal lover, so if there’s some kind of adorable something in there I am hooked. I also was obsessed with the Animorphs series growing up so I love the whole idea of transforming into animals.

All animal books except those about snails, I guess:) Ever since stumbling upon a Pinterest page that rounds up page shots of all the books that have a variation of the line “S/he released a breath s/he didn’t know s/he’d been holding” I spot it left and right in books and now it makes me giggle! What about you? Any writer’s tics or cliché pet peeves that jump out at you?

I am so glad you asked this. I am done with girls who are unaware that they are strikingly beautiful. I actually think this trend has definitely died down, but for a while every heroine thought she was a plain jane until its “revealed” to her that she is actually the most beautiful person who has ever lived. I’m not saying every main character should be horribly vain, but this kind of description never rang true to me.

Ha! I agree. Finally, here’s your chance to plug a few books on your list you’re excited about…

Well, let’s see. I have to say, this isn’t on my list anymore (tear) but I am so excited for At Your Service to come out this August! (note: Me too!!!) I also am in love with Kristen Kittscher and thrilled to be working on her next book, The Tiara on the Terrace, a sequel to the fantastic mystery The Wig in the Window. I know Jo Whittemore from my days at Aladdin, so I am very excited to get to work on her super fun, tween Confidentially Yours series. And I just took on a very cool Sci-Fi series that I think is going to be amazing. So lots of fun stuff in the pipeline!

I think you said it best above: so many books, so little time! But much better than the reverse, of course. Giant hugs and heartfelt thanks for being here today, Annie!!