Elena Giovinazzo is vice president and senior agent at Pippin Properties. After attending the Publishing Institute at the University of Denver, she worked her way through positions in subsidiary rights and marketing, until she landed at Pippin in June of 2009 and never looked back. She has been mining the queries for gold and jewels ever since.
The panel began by discussing flexibility and pivoting in the publishing industry, given the dark times creative people are living through. How have the past few years affected authors and projects?
Giovinazzo: Grace has been the key. Some clients have expressed frustration with agents and editors, saying they're not as present as in pre-pandemic days. But as agents and editors, and authors and illustrators, we need to allow ourselves and each other some grace. Our world has faced challenges. Regardless, agents and editors are doing their best—which may look a bit different than before the pandemic. Remember, we are human and life is still not normal (or maybe this is the new normal). Extend each other some grace!
What about supply chain issues, delays, hiccups. What do authors need to know so the problems don't overshadow the creative process?
Giovinazzo: Again, extending grace is important. Many pub dates have been moved—backwards, forwards. Authors and illustrators have had to do launch parties without books! But rarely have moved pub dates affected a book negatively in terms of sales and finding readers. Books will eventually reach their intended audience regardless of a pub date. For instance, some Halloween books did not publish before Halloween. Book killer, right? Wrong! Those books still did well.
What do authors need to consider given the heightened political and activists climate—the rise of censorship and book banning?
Giovinazzo: Continue to be fearless in your creativity. A diversity of voices need to be heard; don't be afraid that your book might get censored. Write the story only you can write.
How does BookTok work into marketing? Should authors BookTok?
Giovinazzo: While BookTok is big in the YA and other markets, it's not so much of a conversation in the picture book market. BookTok is not the be-all end- all.
What about submissions that addresses Covid-19, pandemics, quarantining? Are those books okay right now?
The market is chock full of those stories right now. While there's always room for something new and different, pandemic stories might not be the easiest sell. That said, Covid-19 is likely here to stay, so it can be addressed in a story, but maybe not the focus.
What is Giovinazzo looking for?
Elena Giovinazzo is indeed open to submissions, however her in-box is overwhelmed. Last weekend, Giovinazzo received more than two hundred and fifty submissions! But while full, Pippin is always open for new talent--though they can't respond personally to everything. See https://pippinproperties.com/ for submission guidelines.
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