#SCBWIdigital Workshop: Marietta Zacker Presents "A Creative Look at the State of Children’s/YA Books"

Marietta Zacker

Marietta Zacker is Co-Owner and Agent at the Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency. She has worked with books, authors and illustrators throughout her career -- studying, creating, editing, marketing, teaching and selling. She supports independent bookselling, believes in libraries and takes pride in her work as a Latina in the world of publishing.

Once again, today's #SCBWIdigital workshop is interpreted in sign language by Jennye Kamin. In Lin's introduction, she mentions that there will be six additional SCBWIdigital workshops that are free for SCBWI members in June and July!

Lin then introduces Marietta, calling her "passionate," "inspiring," and someone who "leads with her heart."

Marietta opens with some stats, from a recent Publishers Weekly article, citing that children's and teen bookselling is generally going strong amidst the COVID-19 crisis.

Marietta Zacker (at bottom) shares in her #SCBWIdigital workshop. At top is ASL interpreter Jennye Kamin. 

She is asked all the time, "What should I write? What should I illustrate?" Marietta notes that the books being sought right now offer readers an escape, truth, hope, or are practical. But, she reminds us, "Anything you write or illustrate now won't be published for another couple of years." So what to focus on?

Just because we're in this crisis now, doesn't change the needs our young people have. You need to think about what is important to you as a writer. "What's important to your heart to get out? That's what people are going to want. It's about what's authentic to you."

A screen shot from Marietta's presentation, with her key takeaways for us. 

What are agents and editors looking for? What they're always looking for, only maybe now more so. Escapist, Truthful, Hopeful, and always Authentic.

Marietta shares some examples of picture book, middle grade, and young adult books that "perfectly encapsulate" these four elements: in them you can escape, find truth, find hope, and they're authentic.

Picture Book and Middle Grade examples

YA examples

“It’s about being truthful to yourself and being authentic about what you write.”

Marietta answers attendee questions ranging from the COVID-19 crisis impact on advances, online book marketing, critical skills for authors and illustrators, #OwnVoices, and much more.

One final gem to share: When asked to define authenticity, Marietta challenges us to consider:

“Is the story you’re telling one that only YOU could tell in the way you’re telling it?”

Thank you, Marietta!

Stay safe, all.
Lee

Editor and Agent Panel: Kirby Kim, Alvina Ling, Marietta Zacker

With a panel of six industry leaders moderated by Lin Oliver, this post features highlights from literary agent Kirby Kim, editor Alvina Ling, and literary agent Marietta Zacker. 

left to right: Kirby Kim, Alvina Ling and Marietta Zacker

 Kirby Kim is an agent at the Janklow & Nesbit Literary Agency.

Alvina Ling is VP and editor-in-chief at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (a division of Machete Book Group).

Marietta Zacker is an agent at Gallt Zacker Literary Agency.

Things opened up with the question what do you look for in a submission:

Kirby wants writers to focus on one book at a time and do it well.

"I want to see stakes. I like high stakes in my novels. Create an urgency so your character is backed into a corner." 

Alvina gravitates to fresh concepts and voice.

"I’m a sucker for books that make me laugh and cry and important books. I’m always   looking for that feeling, that spark. I want to fall in love."

Marietta is looking for people who create stories and illustrations no one else can create.

"Something unique." 

On themes that are important to them:

Kirby believes forecasting is a difficult thing to do. So when a story idea comes, writers “should focus more on what they want to say and build out a world that encounters that.” Marietta stressed the importance of understanding that writing to trends does not work and to instead start thinking ahead. "What do you want young readers and young adults to be reading four years from now?"

On final thoughts:

Alvina:

            "Follow your compass, and not your clock."

Kirby:

            "Get way below the surface of what you are doing."

Marietta:

            

            "Make room for folks whose voices have always been there but have not been given a chance."

Agent Panel: Marietta Zacker and Brooks Sherman

Marietta Zacker is the owner of Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency. She is a literary agent who has worked with books, authors, and illustrators throughout her career – studying, creating, editing, marketing, teaching, and selling. She supports independent bookselling, believes in libraries, and takes pride in her work as a Latina in the world of publishing. She is always on the lookout for visual and narrative stories that reflect the world we live in, not the bubbles in which we put ourselves. She loves books that make readers feel and shies away from those that set out to teach the reader a lesson. Whether she is reading a young adult novel, a middle grade novel, or a picture book, Marietta looks for a book in which young readers can identify with the actions and reactions of the characters, not the perspectives of the author or illustrator. She aims to shine the spotlight on soulful, insightful, well-crafted, literary or commercial projects aimed at any age group. Some of the books she is championing during 2018 include This Is It by Daria Peoples-Riley, Sometimes You Fly illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt, Trace by Pat Cummings, It Wasn’t Me by Dana Alison Levy, and the Narwhal & Jelly series by Ben Clanton.

Brooks Sherman is a literary agent with Janklow & Nesbit Associates. He client list includes #1 New York Times best seller Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give), New York Times best seller Adam Silvera (They Both Die at the End), Morris Award winner Becky Albertalli (Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda), acclaimed author/illustrator Sam Garton (I Am Otter), and many more. Brooks is currently on the lookout for middle grade fiction of all genres (especially fantasy and contemporary), young adult fiction of all genres except paranormal romance, and character-driven picture books with an emphasis on humor. Across all categories, he seeks projects that balance strong voice with gripping plot–ones that make him laugh earn extra points! He is particularly drawn to stories that elevate marginalized voices and where contemporary social issues are either prominently centered or woven into the worldbuilding; he prefers nuanced narratives over “issue books.” You can find him sharing publishing perspectives and horrible puns on Twitter at @byobrooks.

***

The panel opens with a joking challenge Brooks puts down, about how he's sure he has the "most random path to publishing." He shares his very circuitous path that includes the Peace Corps – and then Marietta takes the challenge with one sentence, "I was a math major in college."

Brooks speaks about the "absence of trends in the YA space" and how that's a good thing from his perspective, as it allows the focus to be on each story individually, He worries, with the new focus on diversity and #ownvoices, if publishers are starting to emphasize diverse author's identities over their stories.

Marietta also touches on the opportunity the lack of a current YA trend creates, telling us there's now space for all of us to tell our own stories. "Give yourself permission to write your own story" in the way only you can, and how that leaves room for everyone to speak... and how that also means that sometimes, you have to ceed the floor.


The panel talks more about books being relevant to today's issues versus being ever-green, diversity, the line children's and teen books walk between protecting innocence versus telling the truth, and much more!

Tha Agent Panel Begins!

Lin Oliver (far left, at podium) moderates the agent panel, with (from left to right): Erin Murphy, Molly O'Neill, Kirsten Hall, Brooks Sherman, and Marietta Zacker.

Agent Panel : Marietta Zacker continued

Lin Oliver has started asking the agents questions. Lin says, "Tell Nancy [Gallt] we are all expecting a website."

Marietta echoed all the other agents' answers to Lin's first question and adds what she has noticed as a change in business thanks to the economic slump:

Conversations with editors are really deep... They are working so hard, not taking anything for granted, they are really looking deep into their souls to figure out what they are looking to acquire.

Lin's next question concerns what the agents feel their roles are as agents -- lots of editing? Hands off?

For Marietta it really depends, there are some manuscripts -- it's not that they are ready to go, but it's that the MS needs someone in an editorial department to work on it. Marietta is not afraid to work on/edit manuscripts.

Marietta Zacker, continued

What kind of manuscripts does she want? The good ones.

Before you submit a manuscript, she says, you have to answer the very difficult question, who will share my passion. She wants authors who are exceptional at their craft and write with passion.

These days, it's harder and harder to get published without and agent, generally. "It's a definite team effort" between agents and editors. Editors and agents don't have secret, "we simply speak to each other" and agents pass on their authors' passion onto the editors.

Specifics about the industry: It's tough out there, but for different reasons than it was tough last year. Editors have less time, there is fewer staff, there's less money. But from her perspective, that's not what she thinks writers should concentrate on.

POSTED BY ALICE POPE

Marietta Zacker, continued

Marietta came to the US from Puerto Rico when she was a little girl, and couldn't speak a word of English. Books became very important to her, and she ended up teaching. And she found that when a book hit home, it changed lives.

You can't set out to, for example, write the next "Sherman Alexie" novel, or jump on the vampire wagon. Instead you must go with your passion.

She's written, submitted and received rejections letters, and she things she only submitted material so she could get rejections--she wanted to know what it felt like.

POSTED BY ALICE POPE

Marietta Zacker: A Look at the Publishing Insdustry from the Perspective of an Agent

Marietta Zacker is doing her very first SCBWI Summer Conference gig in the main ballroom. She's an agent at Nancy Gallt Literary Agency.

She's sais she's our resident "passionista." She's telling the story of an author who called her agency one day and so impressed her with his passion that she requested his manuscript.

Shes' got the crowd introducting themselves to one another. Now she's introducting herself to us.



POSTED BY ALICE POPE