Julie Strauss-Gabel: Editors' Panel

Julie Strauss-Gabel is the vice president and publisher of Dutton Children's Books, a boutique imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group specializing in middle grade and young adult novels.

What makes a compelling hook?

It comes down to voice for Julie. It's the only thing that's going to push her forward from page to page. She's looking to be surprised, and for something that she never thought possible but then a writer pulls off beautifully.

Have you ever been hooked by a voice but there's not a lot of plot going on?

There's a difference between a plot that's not working and a plot that doesn't exist. If there's something about the plot that's not working, it's a problem Julie can work on with the writer. If there's voice but nothing else, she'll likely pass but still be interested in seeing more from the writer.

What is your dream submission (the qualities)?

Julie only works on middle grade and young adult books.

A sense of subversive humor will often keep Julie reading, especially if the story is personal and difficult. She also can't resist a book that she can't help but think and talk about.

Is there a book that hooked you on page one and it all ended well?

Julie says she admires when she sees someone taking a risk on the page, and even if it's not working, it often makes her want to work with them in order to make it work.

"Ambition and risk in a project are going to always invest me in being a better editor..."

When Julie is considering a manuscript she also looks at the books on her shelf, and asks herself it belongs on the shelf. Does live up to the titles? Does it add to them?

What's one of your most recent acquisitions that you are excited about?

Aaron Starmer's latest is his debut into young adult, and it's a book that Julie wanted nothing more than to get it. It's a book that's blackly funny with the true essence of being at that last point before everything changes in your life.

The Editors' Panel Begins!

#LA15SCBWI Editors' Panel underway

From Right to Left:

Moderator Wendy Loggia, executive editor at Delacorte Press/Random House Children's Books (primarily MG and YA)

Jordan Brown, executive editor with Walden Pond Press and Balzer + Bray at HarperCollins Children's Books

Allyn Johnston, vice president and publisher of Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster

Rotem Moscovich, senior editor at Disney-Hyperion

Sara Sargent, executive editor at HarperCollins Children's Books

Julie Strauss-Gabel, vice president and publisher of Dutton Children's Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers

Alison Weiss, editor at Sky Pony Press

Editors' Panel: Mary Lee Donovan & Julie Strauss-Gabel

Mary Lee Donovan

Mary Lee Donovan is editorial director at Candlewick Press, where she's worked for 23 wonderful years, following a 7-year stint at Houghton Mifflin as well as time as a bookseller at The Children's Bookshop when she was getting her MA in Children's Literature from Simmons College in Boston.

Julie Strauss-Gabel

Her titles include the Newbery Award-winning GOOD MASTERS, SWEET LADIES by Laura Amy Schlitz, Megan McDonald's Judy Moody and Stink series, and the Caldecott honor book JOURNEY by Aaron Becker. They publish everything from picture books up, and have a relationship with Walker Books in the UK.

Julie Strauss-Gabel is the vice president and publisher of Dutton Children's Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group. She publishes about 9 or 10 middle grade and young adult titles each year. She just acquired her fourth memoir and is looking for those, as well. Before coming to Dutton in 2002, she worked at Hyperon Books for Children and Clarion Books. Her authors include Ally Condie, Adam Gitdwitz, John Green, Stephanie Perkins, Lauren Myracle, John Grisham, Andrew Smith, and more.

The topic of the editors' panel was titled "3+3: Three Things Your Book Should Include and Three Things to Avoid." Lin Oliver moderated, and questions in bold are hers.

What's on good thing to see in a manuscript?

Mary Lee Donovan: "I remember hearing voice. What do they mean by that? Voice is something you bring to your manuscript automatically. You want to make sure you are writing as you. Don't try to imitate, or echo another writer or style. If you are writing authentically, you are writing in your voice."

When you get something fresh or exciting, it's like meeting a new person who enchants or astonishes you, she said.  

She recommends writers take their time when it comes to deciding which editors to send a book to. The Internet has a lot of information on editors and their lists that are very useful.

Julie Strauss-Gabel: "Voice is the No. 1 thing I have written down. That you have heard that across the whole table is an extraordinarily significant piece of information. I'm also very attentive to fit, for my imprint and for myself as an editor. I can look at a manuscript and very quickly know if it's good and if it's a good fit for me."

She is looking for something that she can fall in love with and champion for many, many years. She recommends writers read editors' lists, not looking at just the surface things. It's important to remember that you can't please all the people all the time, which is why you shouldn't write to a general audience.

What grieves you when a manuscript comes in?


Julie Strauss-Gabel: "If I don't get engaged, if I don't see the voice, if it's very pedestrian, I'm out."

Mary Lee Donovan: "Don't impart wisdom." 

The Editors' Panel!

It's starting!

Lin moderating the editors' panel!

And some close-ups!

Left to Right: Alessandra Balzer, Mary Lee Donovan, and Allyn Johnson

Left to Right: Allyn Johnson, Wendy Loggia, Lucia Monfried, and just a bit of Dinah Stevenson

Left to Right: Dinah Stevenson and Julie Strauss-Gabel

A Three-Way Conversation: The Authors-Agent-Editor Relationship

Author Nova Ren Suma (IMAGINARY GIRLS), editor Julie Strauss-Gabel (Dutton) and agent Michael Bourret (Dystel & Goderich) are talking about the three-pronged relationship between author, agent and editor.

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

Julie stresses that these relationships work different for everyone--no one starts their journey in the same way.

Michael and Julie have none each other for approximately a decade. Michael says Julie was someone he really respected and really wanted to work with. But he wanted to sent her the RIGHT project, something with the kind of voice she's looking for.

Julie says she trusts Michael's knowledge or her taste, Michael's taste, and the way Michael does business, so when he sends her a project, she looks at it immediately.

Julie stresses that choosing an agent is a critical decision for your career--it's important to find one who helps you develop your strength and work on your weaknesses. Be sure to ask questions, talk with an agents clients, and don't rush.

Michael says that it is worth your time to take is slowly and think about what you're doing. An agent doesn't (shouldn't!) expect you to make a decision in 24 hours.

Michael points out that once the editor and author strart working together, he's still involved in the process. He's copied on editorial letters. He answers questions an author will have. He gives pep talks.

THE DEAL

Michael says at this point, there are way more agents than there are editors. An editor recently told him that she got 20 submissions from agents last week. He wants his to rise to the top--and his relationship with editors helps facilitate that. 

Nova published her first book with S&S without and agent. When she was ready to shop her second book, she wanted to work with an agent. Michael told her he thought they could sell the project, but he wanted to find her an editor that would really push her. "That scared me," Nova says. And that's why she knew that's what she had to do.

Nova said she rewrote her synopsis some five times so they could get the propsal in the best shape possible. When she started working with Michael, she only had 20 pages written.

Michael took Nova's book to auction with a short list of editors. Julie was at the top of the list, and she also won the auction.

Julie points outs that she didn't get the project just because she had the highest bid. Once there was a short list of editors interested, Nova had conversations with all of the publishers who were interested. Julie says even if you're not in an auction situations, it's important to have that conversation before you deal is made.

Julie says the relationship betweenn the three of them works so well, is because it's really about the book that ultimatley came out of it (not about the deal).

Julie and Michael say this like to be really clear and honest with writers when it comes to the work that needs to be done with a manuscript.

THE EDITORIAL PROCESS

Nova says IMAGINARY GIRLS went through four or five rounds of revisions and it was the hardest work she never did. "I thought at times Julie knew my characters more than I did."

Julie learning, via a conversation with Micahel, that Nova has been a short story writer, gave Julie an insight that allowed them to get through a revision hump. Nova says that plot is her weak point. Julie took the novel and divided it up into four stories, illuminating everything for her.
 

Julie Strauss-Gabel: A Fiction Focus

Julie Strauss-Gabel's workshop, A Fiction Focus, was fantastic! Julie is the Vice President and Publisher of Dutton Children’s Books. Her authors include: Ally Condie (Matched), Gayle Forman (If I Stay), John Green (Looking for Alaska), Nova Ren Suma (Imaginary Girls), and Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss).

Julie's looking for writing with exceptional quality and commercial appeal. She talked about some of the changes at Dutton, a focus shift.

One of the highlights was hearing about the authors she works with, including John Green. He's a great example of genuine social media interaction, and as an author who grew over time.

Julie is not looking for what's popular--she's looking for what's next. Her key interests are books with an exceptional voice, originality, and a twist. Highly recommend seeing her speak if you get the chance!

Panel: Listening to Feedback with an Open Mind

Welcome to SCBWI TEAM BLOG coverage of the 2011 Annual Winter Conference. Check in often throughout the weekends as we offer live coverage of the conference as it happens.

Today offers a Writers' Intensive and an Illustrators' Intensive.

Before the Writers' Intensive critiquing kicks off, an agent and two editors are offering advice about handling a critique situation.

Edward Necarsulmer (McIntosh and Otis): Do your best to listen, but also understand that I'm just one guy. There are plenty of books out there that I've passed on that have become bestsellers. (He's found 3-5 novels through SCBWI events.) He gets that the idea of criticism in general can be hard to hear, but it's about turning off the defensiveness, and understand the critique for what it's worth.

Julie Strauss-Gabel (Dutton Children’s Books): The thing that surprises her most is when she asks, "What is this about." She find writers often don't really know what they're writing about--her assessment is very out of line with what the writer thinks she's putting on the page. Critiques are about being open--it's part of your professional process. There's nothing personal about it. At least stop to think about why you are hearing a particular critique or why certain questions were asked. If you're in a ccritique group, remember that they only work if they include honest discussion.

Liz Szabla (Feiwel and Friends): I find gold here. (She's currently working with two writers who she discovered at the SCBWI Winter Conference.) Remember that editors are thinking about your work in terms of the market. Go into a bookstore and really look at what the market is right now. She finds that a lot of writers are really surprised when she talks about market--but market is important. Critiquing with editors and agents, is a way to get another sort of compass as to where you are with your writing.