The Big Picture in Children's Publishing - Tara Weikum / Saho Fujii

Sharing summaries of two of the panelists this morning, see the Official Conference Blog for other panelists' summaries: 

Tara Weikum,VP and Publisher of Storytide, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, has been at Harper for over 20 years. Her list focuses on middle-grade and teen fiction, and she is particularly drawn to stories with unexpected twists on a familiar premise; high-concept teen fiction; magical realism; and heartfelt middle grade with a unique point of view. Her list features authors such as Tahereh Mafi, Katherine Applegate, Lexi Ryan, Mackenzie Reed, Moira Buffini, and Jake Maia Arlow, among many others. Storytide brings together books that have both public and critical acclaim in the MG and YA categories. Tara's inspiration for her work came after college when she took a course on publishing and has been involved in the industry editing ever since. Book creators coming up with new stories continue to inspire Tara every day as an editor.

Saho Fujii is Executive Art Director at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Saho went to school to be a picturebook illustrator, but ended up getting a design job in publishing right out of college and has been designing for books ever since. She loved picture books as a kid and still does, and says she cannot stop herself from buying more beautiful picture books, Saho considers them as fine as any fine art painting. Growing up in Japan she loved American and European picturebooks and their windows into Western life and culture beyond her own country. Saho has designed for all categories in children's books but now focuses primarily on picturebooks and some of the creators she's worked with include Aaron Becker, Sophie Blackall, Bryan Collier, Christopher Denise, Michaela Goade, Grace Lin, LeUyen Pham, Jerry Pinkney, and Javaka Steptoe, among others.

What makes a great agent to Tara? 

Tara has seen it all and can feel when an agent is 'checked out' or is not being a good advocate for their clients and that impacts if Tara as a publisher wants to continue working with them long term, and publishing is a small town. A great agent can help with issues that arise from either the publisher/editorial side or from the creative side, a good agent helps keep these various working relationships going during tough internal or external times.

How does Saho find new artists?

Saho goes to agency websites first, and does encourage unagented creators to get an agent and we are reminded that most publishing houses are closed to non-agented submissions. But for illustrators, there remains the option to send in postcards and Saho does like to receive postcards. She also looks to Instagram for illustration, as do her colleagues. She used to like to check out Etsy but it's so big now that it's a bit time consuming to be on there. A lot of agent's websites have great search engines and Saho considers that to be a huge help and timesaver. For short term project deadlines Saho turns to agents for their picks on artists who are available immediately or work fast.

Saho, when thinking about receiving very unique art samples in the past, like 3D models or beautifully printed calendars, or even just Express or Urgent mail... That is all unneccessary. One simple printed postcard with one big image on the front and maybe some spots on the back is enough. Saho puts favorite postcards up on her office wall.

Editors and Agents Panel: Deeba Zargarpur

Deeba Zargarpur enthusiastically joined Simon & Schuster in March 2020 and is now a Senior Editor at its Books for Young Readers and Salaam Reads imprints. Deeba began her editorial career at Disney-Hyperion and Freeform where she worked on both middle grade and young adult titles. She's also spent time working in book packaging where she created and edited a wide range of children’s and adult literature. Her aim is to acquire commercial books that empower young people from diverse backgrounds. Follow Deeba on Twitter and Instagram at @deebazargarpur.

While Deeba loves and acquires picture books, she notes Salaam Reads is also looking to expand into older, longer fictions portraying Muslim main characters. She acquires PB, MG, YA and graphic novels and her list spans about 45 books; see publisher's websites for submission details.

When asked about the barrage of book bans that have been happening lately and whether that's impacting submissions or acquisitions, Deeba says no, that book bans have been happening forever so it continues to not impact the sorts of stories she acquires. Instead her answer focuses on the importance of libraries as not only a safe space for discovering new books, but as perhaps the only place people of different socioeconomic backgrounds can afford to find and explore a variety of titles.

The best career advice Deeba's received was from her mentor and editorial director Kendra Levin: 

"It can always wait until tomorrow." 

Deeba is a bit of a perfectionist and it's easy to get burned out in the deadline-heavy world of publishing. Take care of yourself first before you take care of your job. Deeba says this advice applies to authors and illustrators, too, the world of publishing isn't going anywhere!

#SCBWISummerSpec Editors Panel: Neal Porter

Neal Porter, founder and publisher of Neal Porter Books, with Yuyi Morales, author/illustrator of the award-winning picture book DREAMERS

Neal Porter is VP and publisher of Neal Porter Books, an imprint at Holiday House, and is also the founder of Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan. His books have won a plethora of awards, including the Caldecott Medal, four Caldecott Honors, Geisel Honors, Sibert Honors, the Coretta Scott King Award and Honor for illustration, Pura Belpré Awards, and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, and in 2015 he himself was awarded an Eric Carle Honor in the category of Mentor.

I had the pleasure of meeting and having more than one conversation with Neal at an SCBWI conference at Asilomar a few years ago, and I made a point of introducing myself and expressing my respect because ye gods, the man is having a CAREER, you know what I’m saying? He’s been in the children’s publishing industry for 43 years, with positions at too many publishing houses to even try to list, and works with some of the most heralded authors and illustrators in the field, including my personal choice for The Best Picture Book Author/Illustrator On the Planet Earth Right Now, Yuyi Morales.

The man himself, Neal Porter.

Neal exclusively publishes picture books - 24 picture books spread across 3 seasons per year, to be exact - and some of the books he’s especially proud of are DREAMERS by Yuyi Morales, NINE MONTHS by Miranda Paul and Jason Chin, HEY WATER! by Antoinette Portis, and A PLACE TO LAND by Barry Wittenstein. In fact, he met Miranda, Antoinette, and Barry at SCBWI events, so, you know, SCBWI has served up a few bottles of that particular flavor of lightning.

Neal’s also done the publishing equivalent of finding a movie star working at the local soda fountain - in his case, the soda fountain being an indie bookstore, and the movie star being future Caldecott medalist Erin Stead - but he mostly hears about new talent from agents. He entertainingly describes the three-person staff of Neal Porter as a “vast empire,” but one which doesn’t accept unsolicited material because, you know, three people. Dude is good with irony.

He was not shy about acknowledging the changes and challenges forced upon the publishing industry by the Covid-19 pandemic. He misses the easy spontaneity of strolling down the hall to chat with colleagues, which is a more formal and ritualized process via Zoom. His list is full through 2022, and looking to 2023 means looking toward a reality we can’t yet predict the shape of. At the end of the day the publishing industry is still a personal, intuitive, and selfish (in the sense of only publishing books he truly loves) one for him, but he second guesses his choices more these days because of pandemic-induced uncertainty.

Neal acknowledges that as a 66 year old white guy, he carries an immense amount of privilege that he sometimes struggles to check at the door, but he finds much inspiration and learning from the examples set by his younger colleagues, and is eager to keep finding new work that prioritizes underrepresented voices, confronts racism, and empowers individuals and communities to rise up. Publishing has proven infinitely adaptable, and he believes a good book will always find its audience, no matter the circumstances.

Lin Oliver, Neal Porter, Arthur Levine, Namrata Tripathi, Julia Strauss-Gabel, Stacey Barney, Jill Santopolo, and Brian Truitt during the #SCBWISummerSpec editor panel.

#SCBWISummerSpec Editors Panel: Arthur A. Levine

After a wonderful conversation with Sir Phillip Pullman on Friday afternoon to start off the Summer Spectacular in the best possible way, Arthur A. Levine is back to take part in the Editors’ Panel: Discovering New Talent and Publishing New Books: The Challenges, The Decisions, The Criteria. Arthur has well over 30 years of experience in children’s book publishing. He first worked his way up to Editor in Chief at Knopf Books for Young Readers, and then founded the imprint Arthur A. Levine Books at Scholastic, and after 23 years as its President and Publisher, he founded Levine Querido in April 2019, where he is determined to showcase a diverse range of voices, delivering “The Best of the World’s Literature for Young People” to readers.

Arthur is joined on the panel by Namrata Tripathi (VP & Publisher of Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers), Julie Straus-Gabel (President and Publisher of Dutton Books for Young Readers at Penguin Random House), Stacey Barney (Executive Editor at G.P. Putnam’s Books for Young Readers), Neal Porter (Founder Neal Porter Books, an imprint of Holiday House), and Jill Santopolo (Editorial Director of Philomel Books, a Penguin Young Readers).  

When thinking about the criteria he uses to find new talent, Arthur speaks of his company’s motto: “Beloved books, beautifully made, giving voice to a world of talent”

                                                   

And “beloved” is a central consideration when thinking about the kind of books Levine Querido is interested in publishing. 

“We are looking for books that not only do we love reading now,” Arthur says, “but that you could imagine being a beloved book . . . One that stands out for a reader in that special shelf of books they treasure forever.” 

He spoke of the concept of books having an essential truth.

“A book having an essential truth—that there’s some essential truth in that book that you carry away with you and it stays with you maybe for the rest of your life.”

A few examples he gave of books his worked on over his career are:

 

Officer Buckle & Gloria by Peggy Rathmann

Essential truth—Always stick with your buddy

“If you carry that through in the rest of your life, you’ll have something good.”

Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully

Essential truth—Think only of the wire and of crossing to the end

“Truly it’s everything, the project you’re working on. A challenge that you’re facing. If you can break it down, if you can only think of the wire, the path that you’re on and of crossing to the end, you’ll be okay.”

Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story) by Daniel Nayeri

Essential truth— Your truth, your deep truth is untouchable

Arthur says you need to grab the book August 25^th to know the full meaning of its essential truth. J

Levine Querido is all about “beloved books, beautiful made,” which also speaks to the fact that their books will have an “exceptional quality” and lasting appeal.  

#SCBWISummerSpec Editors Panel: Jill Santopolo

Jill Santopolo is the VP & associate publisher of Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers. She’s edited many award-winning and bestselling titles, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger, Just Ask by Sonia Sotomayor and Rafael Lopez, Superheroes Are Everywhere by Kamala Harris and Mechal Renee Roe, and Girling Up by Mayim Bialik. When she’s not editing books, Jill is a New York Times bestselling author herself. Her adult novel The Light We Lost has hit multiple bestseller lists in the US and abroad and was Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club pick for February 2018. You can learn more about her at jillsantopolo.com or by following her on instagram or Twitter (@jillsantopolo).

The panel has each editor speaking in turn. A few highlights from what Jill shared:

She thinks about how publishing is at the crossroads of art and commerce. And how "feeling emotion is key to enjoying any kind of art... particularly any kind of art telling a story... like a book."

Expanding on that, she considers what the reader brings to the art, and how "their reaction will determine the success of the book." (If they love it, they'll talk it up. a.k.a. word of mouth. If not, not so much.)

Jill describes the emotions that drive some of the books she's edited, talking about the "Heart of the book."

"The heart of the book is a way the writer's heart and reader's heart reach out to connect." -Jill Santopolo

One example, for She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger, the heart of the book is "If anyone tells you your voice doesn't matter, don't listen to them."

The heart of a book can be explicit or implicit, and Jill shares more examples, including discussing the heart of the classic Goodnight, Moon.

She explained,

"Goodnight Moon assures readers with the heart message: everything is as it should be, and it's safe to go to sleep."

This was a profound insight to me - because I've never really "got" why Goodnight Moon has been so successful. But now, I understand it better. And I'm thinking about the "heart message" of what I write, too.

Thanks, Jill!

The panel ended with a Q&A, covering what editors wish authors would know, how illustrators can be discovered to be a debut, if age of the writer/illustrator is a thing editors consider, how important is a social media presence, gatekeeping in the industry, and how translators can help debut author/illustrators be discovered.

All the panelists gather for the Q&A.
Top row, l-r: Namrata Tripathi, Lin Oliver, Jill Santopolo
Middle row, l-r: Stacey Barney, Arthur Levine, Julie Strauss-Gabel
Lower row: Neal Porter, and interpreter Brian Truitt

#SCBWISummerSpec Editors Panel: Stacey Barney

Stacey Barney of G.P. Putnam's Sons kicked off the Editor's Panel at the SCBWI Summer Spectacular by reassuring the publishing community that although she is eager to return to the office, business continues as usual on her end during the pandemic. She quoted Publisher Jennifer Klonsky in reiterating their ongoing mission to "publish books for every reader." She mentioned her experience as an educator prior to becoming an editor, and highlighted books on her list including the award-winning Firebird by Misty Copeland.
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She talked about how the heart of her work lies in the writer-editor relationship, specifically working with a full and trusted list of talent ("repeat offenders"!), emphasizing the push-and-pull of collaboration, and how fun it can be to shape a book together with her authors.

She talked about her criteria in seeking new talent: LOVE. Stacey wants to fall in love with an author's voice and vision, and to see longterm potential in working together, noting that she invests in authors for a career, not just for a debut. 

Although she loves a debut! She said finding new talent "is like the bloom of a new romance."

Stacey also mentioned that although some authors may come to her as best-selling in their genres, if they're new to Children's Publishing, she sees and works with them in the same way as she does with debut talent.

Penguin colleague Julie Strauss-Gabel also noted that Penguin does not a separate acquisitions board, so acquisitions are mostly editor-driven. That effort can be seen and felt in Stacey's passion for seeking authors she wants to collaborate with for a lifetime. 

Q: What's one thing you wish authors did more often?

A: "I wish authors would take more risks with their craft & execution." Stacey mentions that editors read a lot of submissions, and seek a fresh voice and style that jumps out at her – which is the magic that happened when she read the manuscript for Ziggy Stardust and Me by James Brandon.

When asked about authors seeking to begin their publishing career over the age of 50, Stacey mentioned that she won't look at the submission letter first. She emphasizes it's about the words on the page, not the age of the author. If she gets about 25 pages into the submission itself and begins to get curious about the author's identity, "that's when you know you have me!"

Sidenote: Last night at the Illustrator's Social on Twitter, we established a tea club #SCBWITea, so here that is referenced in my drawing! All tea lovers welcome. Despite the virtual format for this conference, we're still finding ways of connecting and building community!

Editor's Panel: Tiff Liao

Tiff Liao is an editor at Henry Holt Books for Young Readers. She has had the pleasure of editing authors including New York Times bestselling author Tom Adeyemi, Jess Rothenberg, Margaret Owen, K.D. Halbrook, Henry Lien, Kristin O'Donnell Tubb, and Tochi Onyebuchi, among others.

Tiff was a bookish child. She had no idea editors existed. She thought books miraculously appeared on shelves.

Tiff started in the publicity side of publishing, but found she wanted to do more editorial work, and she knew she wanted to work in children's books.

Henry Holt publishes across all genres and bridges literary and commercial, with a good balance of award-winners and bestsellers. Tiff acquires middle grade and older, with a love for fantasy especially with transformative voice and perspective.

Tiff wants to be surprised and entertained by a book, something rooted in a world she hasn't experienced before. There's a visceral reaction to the stories she acquires. "You can feel when someone is writing for their life."

Editors' Panel: Nancy Paulsen, President and Publisher of Nancy Paulsen Books

Nancy Paulsen is the President and Publisher of Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers. The imprint publishes fifteen books a year and focuses on eye-opening, often funny picture books and middle grade fiction from diverse and distinct voices, especially stories that are inventive and emotionally satisfying. New York Times bestsellers she has edited include National Book Award and Newbery Honor Winner Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, and Miss Maple’s Seeds by Eliza Wheeler. Other award-winning titles include Coretta Scott King Honor Winner Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson and E.B. Lewis; Looking at Lincoln by Maira Kalman and Leaves by David Ezra Stein.

Rubin Pfeffer introduced the morning editors' panel as "the A-list of editors", made of of people talking about the future: books to be published in 2020; books for children not born yet. How do you plan relevant books about the present and history for kids of the future?

Hearing from Nancy Paulsen gave unique insight into the perspective of a president and publisher who has shaped her own distinct imprint: Nancy Paulsen Books, a division of Penguin Random House.

When asked to describe how she recognizes an authentic voice, Nancy was inspired by Vanessa Brantley-Hughes' statement, "find your brand of happiness" and reflected:

• Diverse voices are authentic, relevant to kids, and always will be. "Diverse voices are not a fad. I've been publishing diverse books for years."
• "Your story matters. Great minds don't think alike." -- on striving to be unique and tapping into your own authenticity to create memorable experiences for readers like those in Brown Girl Dreaming.
• "Writing comes from a miraculous and true place that requires you go out in the world; have a sense of wonder; be open to new experiences; keep reading" -- books and blogs, both.

Nancy suggests compelling non-fiction begins with finding the right story to bring to life. "The nuggets of [compelling non-fiction] are uncovered through research." -- that curiosity about history, she says, can reveal memorable stories worth bringing to life. I took this to mean the stories of the past that resonate with us today may be relevant forever.

In her approach to tone, she acknowledges the formative role of middle grade fiction on the minds of kids and wanting young readers to walk away feeling they got something positive out of the experience of reading. I loved this quote:

"Life can be a bitch, but there is still beauty in it."

Thank you to Nancy and all the editors of the editors' panel for their insight! Catch more of the conference highlights this year through blog posts tagged #LA17SCBWI or as-it-happens on Twitter.

Editors' Panel: Three Books I Loved Publishing and Why - Sara Sargent & Reka Simonsen

Reka Simonsen, executive editor
at Atheneum Books for Young Readers

ENCHANTED AIR by Margarita Engle - This book shows how Engle became a writer and how she reconciled both sides of her cultural background to feel whole. "The writing is just gorgeous. It's moving. It makes me feel something. But it's very accessible and it's honest." Rena found Margarita in the slush pile years ago, and loved seeing how her writing developed.

THE WICKED AND THE JUST by J.A. Coats
"The best historical fiction feels relevant now." I think Jillian is really one of the best. She tells from both sides a story about colonialism and indigenous culture, and blends light and dark. The lightness in the book gives a way out of the darkness and she creates strong, well-drawn characters who are believable and understandable, even if you don't always like them. "Her writing just blows me away. She's another one of those people who's so smart you almost can't have a conversation with her without feeling a little overwhelmed."

GLASS SLIPPER GOLD SANDAL by Paul Fleischmann and Julie Paschkis
This has two things I love in one book: It's a multicultural approach to something familiar, and takes an incredible job with a story everyone knows, but also personalizes it for each culture. It shows readers there is more than one side of each story, and more than one way to tell a story. You can look at the world in many different ways. It also created amazing illustration opportunities.

Sara Sargent, executive editor at HarperCollins Children's Books

CRUEL BEAUTY by Rosamund Hodge - a mashup of Beauty and the Beast with classical mythology. The world is complex and Sara and Rosamund had different ideas about resolving these things. "Where we ended up was such the perfect marriage of my editorial guidance ... and staying true to what she really wanted to do with the book." 

She felt like it added something new to the canon of Beauty & the Beast retellings. 

THE MUSEUM OF HEARTBREAK by Meg Leder

"There are a lot of reasons people become YA editors... I really love romance." This book made Sara feel understood like no other book had. That's a key reason people read YA. "There was something about this book that I absolutely couldn't pass up." 

LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE by Gina Ciocca

She had to pass on the book. She was a new editor in her first job, and she couldn't get the rest of the team behind it. Two years later, she was at a new job and asked the agent, John Cusack, to send the manuscript again. They loved it, and the book became a huge lead title on the Simon Pulse list. (The process was agony for the author.) 

"If you touch us in some way or inspire us, we don't forget about it, and we are the most die-hard champions of the things you write." 

Jean Feiwel: Children's Publishing Now and in the Near Future panel

Jean Feiwel is a senior vice president and publisher at Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, where her eponymous imprint has published wonderful books such as Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles Series.

She also oversees Squarefish, Swoon Reads, and Henry Holt. (Macmillan has nine imprints in all, including one called Imprint—ha!)

Her career in publishing is incredibly distinguished: at Scholastic she invented the Baby-Sitter's Club series, and published Goosebumps, Animorphs, Harry Potter and other blockbuster series.

And it's not just novels; the picture book On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman was the first title she published at her imprint, and more than 3.5 million copies are in print.

She was one of five editors featured on a panel about publishing and its future.

At Macmillan, the company compiled imprints that had all been independent. "The decision was made to create what I call the Star Wars Alliance," Jean said. This unified their sales and marketing and retained the individuality of the imprints. As a result, their net business has grown 70 percent.

The growth of the industry has changed things, she said. After Harry Potter, it wasn't enough to have a bestselling book. You had to have a phenomenally bestselling book.

"If your bar is that high, you can miss a lot of things happening under that bar," she said. At Macmillan, they're supposed to grow by a certain percentage overall, and they're supposed to make great books.

"Slow and steady wins the race. It's pressure, but it's not the kind of pressure that's a carrot on a stick getting higher and further away."

Jean described different kinds of excitement. One is when you place a big bet on something—as she did with Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles. It's the No. 1 bestselling series on the NYT list this week.

There are other kinds of risks—like a book called MY BIG FAT ZOMBIE GOLDFISH. "It's whizzing along nicely."

She loves being able to build things from the ground up. Risk-taking and developing new ideas is the hallmark of what Macmillan loves to do, she said.

She urged writers to do what they do best, and do it well. Stick to it and believe in it. It's not about trying to write to a trend.

Starting a crowdsourced imprint, Swoon Books, let her see a broader variety of manuscripts than agents were sending (they were too swamped for a slush pile). Seeing a range of submissions and mining self-published work is interesting and useful for publishers.


MacKids: the homepage of Macmillan Children's Publishing
Feiwel and Friends website
Feiwel and Friends on Facebook
Follow Feiwel and Friends on Twitter

Jon Anderson: Big Picture Panel, Simon & Schuster

Jon Anderson, President and Publisher of the S&S Children's Division, has been at his job for seven years, but in the book business since high school—as a B Dalton bookseller!

At Simon & Schuster Jon presides over the nine different children's imprints, which publish for toddlers to teens: There is Little Simon, which is predominantly preschool/boardbooks, all the way up to Simon Pulse, which is the S&S teen imprint.

Jon says S&S has five publishers who oversee the nine children's imprints. Each imprint reflects the tastes of their individual editorial directors. The nine editorial directors also share a sales force and two marketing teams. The editorial directors are nine, living/normal human beings, not to be confused with any other famous group of nine, they are absolutely not Tolkienian ring-wraiths—could a person as delightful as someone like Justin Chanda ever be allied with something as evil as Mordor? I don't think so.

Justin Chanda works for Jon, this is how he greets Jon at the office every day.

Lin asks about the health of the market:

Jon says his adult colleagues are very jealous of the never-ending revenue stream that is a children's book publisher's backlist.

Lin asks for Jon's interpretation of the S&S mission statement and it is:

Do good books. 

"We always look for quality first. We have a huge commitment to cover diversity with our books, cover all age ranges with our books."

All of the presidents/publishers on the panel ask for authors and illustrators to have realistic expectations in all areas of publishing: advance amounts, marketing, potential sales...

Jon mentions a surprise success story, a book that everyone on the publishing team loved, but was bought for not too much money (a realistic amount) as it was considered a bit of a niche book that would only reach a certain sales level. But that book—look at all the awards it's got on its cover(!)—has gone on to sell over 200,000 copies.

How do you break in and/or succeed in a children's book career? Jon says attending events like this can help, not only because there are opportunities to learn about the craft and the competition, but to be in proximity to the industry professionals and gatekeepers. And at events like this, you are much more likely to meet those people in person in organic ways (unlike the less organic way of accosting an editor in a bathroom at a tradeshow like BEA).

Maybe, if there is time for Q&A, Jon will finally clear up the age-old riddle: Is this a picture of Simon? OR SCHUSTER?

Jordan Brown and Sara Sargent: Editors' Panel

What Hooks Jordan and Sara?

Jordan Brown is an executive editor with the imprints Walden Pond Press and Balzer + Bray at HarperCollins Children’s Books

Highlights from Jordan:

He asks himself, "What kind of books do kids need?" and "What kinds of things are desperately important to kids growing up today?"

Jordan is looking for books that "expand a kid's capacity for empathy." Characters who aren't all white, cis-gendered, characters who are different from readers.

Questions to ask ourselves as writers: "What does our character lack? What's their wound?"

He advises that "plot is intrinsically tied to character."

And he's looking for a narrator telling him a story, "a story that needs to get out."

Jordan also explains how the decision process works for him, and much more...

Sara Sargent is an executive editor at HarperCollins Children’s Books, where she acquires picture book, middle grade, and young adult fiction.

Highlights from Sara:

Sara edits books for the same reason she reads them: "escapism"

She's excited about re-imagined fairy tales, is really into fantasy and likes stories that are

romantic

fantastical, and

transportive.

She's looking, for even on the first page, a "feeling of being well taken care of." That the author has a mastery of language. An atmosphere that immediately envelopes her in the world.

Sara also speaks of the challenge of not editing something into the familiar, allowing projects to keep the unique thing about them that captured her in the first place.

Alison Weiss: Editors' Panel

Alison Weiss of Sky Pony Press

Alison Weiss is an editor at Sky Pony Press (and was for six-and-a-half years before that was an editor at Egmont). She focuses on chapter books through YA. Her authors include Jessica Verday, the bestselling author of Of Monsters and Madness; Agatha Award winner Penny Warner; YALSA-award-winner Sarah Cross; Micol Ostow, and many more wonderful authors.

A fun fact about Alison: She comes from Sleepy Hollow (for real!).

Voice is essential to projects she takes on, but it's easier to sell a book if it has a killer plot.

What would be your dream submission?

She's looking for books that change her perspective on the world. It can be big or it can be small and subtle. This is the kind of book that has a long-lasting impact of readers.

What she admires: 

The best writing is effortless. It looks like it's so simple, and you can't see all of the hard work that's behind it all. She wants to be sucked into a world and feel lost in it.

What tips the balance on submissions: 

Editors get a lot of submissions. When she sees a problem and knows how she would fix it, that's more likely to be a project she'll take to acquisitions. If she loves it and sees problems that baffle her, it's less likely to go through.

The relationship between writers and editors is vital, and writers shouldn't fear talking to their editor to work through manuscript challenges.

The book she wishes she'd published:

Ruta Sepetys's Out of the Easy.

Follow her on twitter at @alioop7. 

The World's Most Wonderful Rotem Moscovich: Editors Panel

<3 rotemmers="" td="">

Rotem is a senior editor at Disney Hyperion and the bee's knees.

Her answer to the question, what makes a compelling book is: "Emotional connection, whether picture book or novel. And how is this book different? A new voice, or point of view? Does it impress me?

Dream project? Rotem says: Really want to find a middle grade novel that makes you cry... and is happy, like Anne of Green Gables. For picture books it has to be AWESOME.

Wendy asks if there was a book that hooked you from the beginning and went on to do well in the market/critically?

Hook's Revenge by Heidi Schulz is the book that comes to mind first for Rotem, and she's happy to announce the sequel will be out in September.

What's the difference to you in a project where you acquire it, but it needs a lot of work, vs. a project you don't accept?

"It's having the vision of how to help the author make a book sing. The book has to go to the right editor and the right house, it's an alchemy."

A book you wish you could have worked on? Rotem says, Dory Fantasmagory, it's hilarious.

Alessandra Balzer and Allyn Johnston: Editor's Panel

Alessandra Balzer is Vice-President, co-publisher of Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Children's Books. She edits everything from picture books to novels for teens.

Alessandra Balzer

Allyn Johnston is Vice-President and Publisher of Beach Lane Books, a San Diego-Based imprint of Simon & Schuster. She publishes books "for all ages and across all genres" with a "primary focus on lyrical, emotionally engaging, highly visual picture books for young children."

Allyn Johnston

The theme of the panel is for each editor to share their three must-sees and their three really-don't-want-to-see elements of a manuscript. Here are highlights of Alessandra and Allyn's comments:

Alessandra shares "I'm a sucker for voice." She needs to see voice, it conveys age, point of view, gender… it all comes through voice, and she must see that.

Allyn Johnson shares that she's looking for the unexpected. "If it has the ability to give me goosebumps" that's a really good thing. She also says that she's not a fan of long cover letters (she'd rather be surprised by the manuscript,)

As far as the what not to dos,

Alessandra cautions that the effort to not be boring can backfire if you overload the start of your manuscript with so much action and sex and drama that it's overwhelming… "introduce us to your characters."

And Allyn says, "Don't be weird." Don't submit your manuscript inside a plastic toy fish - which she s now holding up to prove that actually happened to her! [translation: your manuscript shouldn't need the gimmick to grab their attention.]

There's so much information and insights being shared!

Two last points, one for each:

Allyn Johnston - she asks herself of a picture book manuscript: Is it irresistible to read aloud? It must be, for her to acquire it.

Alessandra Balzer - in talking about having a hook, says, "what hook really means is the ability for the book to stand out." There's so much out there, what's going to make someone say, oh, you have to read this book - and that's yours?

Editors' Panel: Wendy Loggia

Wendy Loggia is executive editor at Delacorte Press/Random House Children's Books.

The theme for this panel is: 3 + 3: Three things your book should include and three things to avoid.

The importance of voice is top on the list for all of the editors on the panel.

For Wendy, when looking back on particular books she's worked on, a one or two sentence description might not sound all that exciting, but it's the voice of the book that draws in the reader and makes it interesting.

What should writers avoid?

Wendy shares a simple tip: make sure you have page numbers on your manuscript. If you'd like her preference, put page numbers in the bottom, right corner.

Avoid telling an editor that your kids or grandkids love your manuscript. They hear this often.

"It's wonderful when I'm partnering with someone who has a clear imagining of how they want their book to look and feel."