Editor & Agents Panel: The State of Children's Publishing: What's Selling and What's Not - Sally Kim & Melissa Manlove

 

Sally M. Kim is an associate agent with Andrea Brown Literary Agency based in San Francisco, CA. She represents a wide range of children’s book authors, illustrators, and author-illustrators of picture books through middle grade. Sally is drawn to stories with a distinct voice, unexpected wit, aggressive pacing, punchy and/or emotionally resonant endings. When it comes to illustration, she gravitates to traditional mediums and is always on the lookout for versatile artists with a unique take on color, texture, perspective, and thoughtful details. Sally is especially eager to see authentic explorations of underrepresented cultures, relationships, and identities.

Question: What a typical day looks like?

Time blocking is huge for Sally. A block of :email catch up, reviewing manuscripts, giving feedback, following up with editors. Fridays are a catch all day.

Question: You are considered tastemakers. How do you decide what that’s going to be? 

“You’re the makers. We’re the tasters.” Sally is always excited to see what comes into her inbox. But what she’s in the mood for on any given day changes. 

Question: What are you looking for? What are you not looking for? 

Board books through MG (she is dipping her toes into YA)

Sally is looking for anything she doesn't have. 

What she’s not looking for: time travel, dead parents, rhyme. 

Question: What are some good self-promotion skills for authors/illustrators?

For those that dislike self-promoting, Sally would like you to think about it as celebrating every good moment in your life. With every bit of good news, you are sharing it with the people who support you. 

Melissa Manlove is an Executive Editor at Sourcebooks. She has been a children’s book editor for 22
years. Her acquisitions encompass a wide range of ages, formats, and fiction/nonfiction. When acquiring, she looks for fresh takes on familiar topics as well as the new and unusual. An effective approach and strong, graceful writing are important to her. She also has 23 years of children’s bookselling experience.

Question: What a typical day looks like?

Melissa’s day is a lot of answering emails, and depending on the day, attending a lot of meetings. Later in her day, she can usually carves out time to read submissions and do some editing. 

Question: You are considered tastemakers. How do you decide what that’s going to be? 

Melissa says, “Everybody matters.” She shares that it’s such a team effort. Children come first, of course, but a book (before it gets to kids) is touched by a lot of hands. 

For melissa, having been a bookseller, has also been very helpful. 

Question: What are you looking for? What are you not looking for? 

Melissa acquires fiction and nonfiction, through a large age range. 

Melissa loves to work on illustrated books, so she tends to mostly acquire books for younger readers. 

She gets excited when it’s something she hasn’t seen before. Something that feels fresh and new. Melissa loves to think about how to bring it to the market. 

Question: On how much editors reach out to agents to find what they are looking for. 

Melissa share that yes, relationships with agents are very important. 

Question: What would you like to see in a book proposal?

Being able to see that the writer knows their section and is well read in that format. Seeing that can help them rise to the top. 

Question: What are some good self-promotion skills for authors/illustrators?

Authenticity is gold. Find your way into social media that you can do authenticity. If you hate it, Melissa recommends to stay off of it. 

Question: Does an author/illustrator need to be focused on making their book go into a global space? 

There are books that they think when acquiring will work in a global market, but others that they know will not. Both work. America is the largest market.

Something to always keep in mind: There is no always. There is no never.