Literary Agent, Lindsey Fraser on Submitting & The Edinburgh Book Fest 2014

Sarah Broadley

www.fraserross.co.uk

As a volunteer with SCBWI British Isles, South East Scotland, I was privileged to be given the chance to interview one of Scotland's leading literary agents, Lindsey Fraser from Fraser Ross Associates based in Edinburgh.

Kathryn and Lindsey

In 2002, after careers in teaching, bookselling and readership development, and ten years working together at Scottish Book Trust, Lindsey and her business partner Kathryn Ross, created Fraser Ross Associates Literary Agency and Consultancy based in Edinburgh.

The Literary Agency represents authors and illustrators for children and adults from all over the UK and overseas. The Consultancy continues their involvement in readership development, editing and book selection, and they manage The Pushkin Prizes – a creative writing initiative for children in their 1st and 2nd years at Scottish secondary schools and specialist English language schools in St Petersburg.

Lindsey very kindly agreed to answer some questions on submitting your MS, researching your craft and the do's and don'ts when approaching an agent!

Pressing 'send' is one of the most unnerving tasks an author has to do once they are satisfied their work is at the submission stage. Can you provide any helpful do's/don'ts for submitting authors?

DO remember that literary agents need writers and illustrators.

When you submit your work to a literary agent, that literary agent assumes that you believe your book is ready to be published. So the very fact that you’re submitting tells us a great deal about you as an author. Like many other agents, we do work on manuscripts with authors, and we do so now more often than we did when we started. But our primary role is to secure a commercial publisher’s support. So...

DON'T submit too early. We are inundated with submissions, and regrettably, given the pressures on our time and the priority we give existing clients’ work, they don’t get a huge chance to make an impact. So...

DON'T submit your work expecting the Literary Agent to sort out your writing issues. Another 2 months in a drawer followed by another 3 months redrafting can turn a manuscript with potential but a ‘will need a lot of work’ post-it note into a manuscript which is already polished and commercially viable. It may not be perfect, but it should be at a stage when we can think in terms of possible publishers.

DO pay attention to things like grammar, punctuation and spelling. I’m not beyond making errors in all three – but not, I hope, when it matters. It turns out that our names – Kathryn Ross and Lindsey Fraser – present a number of spelling challenges. If you take the time to get them right, it definitely helps.

DON'T write a covering letter in which you berate the literary community for having taken such a ludicrously long time to acknowledge your astonishing writing skills. Bitterness is not appealing. Be positive.

The best writers are widely read – we are always interested to know what writers you like reading and where you feel your writing fits on the bookshelves.

DO follow the submission guidelines – for example there are good reasons that agents want the first three chapters, and not some random chapters of which the author is particularly proud from the middle of the book.

Most agencies prefer electronic submissions these days – but the result has been many more premature submissions. It is so easy to press that ‘send’ button. I would always recommend that writers print out their manuscripts and work on their final edits on a hard copy. Or change the font and size on screen – it gives a whole new perspective on a manuscript with which you are very familiar. On-screen editing is convenient, but it can be quite ham-fisted at times, and more suited to copy editing than creative editing.

DO submit to two or three agents at a time. If you get an offer, let the other agencies know. Tempting though it will be to sign on the dotted line, you don’t have to go with the first offer you get – take time to have a conversation with the agent, so that you feel confident that this is a working relationship that will last. And if you do submit by post, don’t enclose glittery stars with your manuscript. Having to vacuum can ruin my day.

If an author sends in work that they feel fits one genre but you see it at another level, would this sway your decision to offer representation?

Often writers tell us where they think their book fits in the market – and that can be quite revealing in terms of the research they’ve done and their expectations. But I am looking for writing and storytelling that knocks my socks off. If it does that, I’ll happily debate genre at a later date.

Do you read every submission that comes through the doors of Fraser Ross or do you have a team of experts who work their way through them? On average, how many do you receive every month?

The submissions process is one with which every Literary Agent I know struggles. We are still open to submissions, but we are so behind with our responses that I can hardly bear to think about it. We used to give feedback but partly because of the lack of time, and partly because it wasn’t always appreciated, we rarely do now. Yes, we do read everything between us. Every so often we engage readers to help – but in the end the decision has to be ours. After all, if we sign a writer to the agency we hope very much it will be a long term business relationship so it’s a big decision, and it has to be one we’re happy with.

 Are you on the look out for any particular age range/topic at the moment?

We are constantly talking to publishers about what they’re looking for, and we take note of their shopping lists. But the core market for children will consistently be 8 to 12, so good writing for that age-group is always going to lift our spirits. Sometimes – as in the case of Chris Higgins – a writer catches our attention with one type of writing and then turns out to be every bit as good at another. Or you have a writer like Vivian French who can turn her hand to virtually anything. Or an illustrator like Barroux who revels in different styles and approaches. So I’m more interested in what our writers and illustrators bring to us than in dictating what I’d like them to bring to us.

There are times when writers work on something for which we simply cannot envisage finding a publisher, and the ensuing conversation can be difficult. But by and large writers who are working on books they’re keen to write are happier and more successful.

What are your thoughts on submitting to the same agent for a second time - should an author approach them with a different book idea or move on?

Check with the agent. If they’ve given you guidance which suggested that they thought it would be worth reworking something you’ve submitted, it may well be worth going back to them. But bear in mind that while you’ve been redrafting they’ve been receiving yet more submissions – so you may well have to be patient. All over again.

What do you look for in a prospective client?

• Fluent writing and inspired illustration - obviously.
• A professional approach to their work, and to working with us and their publishers.
• Good communication skills.
• A good sense of the industry outside their own area of expertise.
• Ambition.
• Realism.

In this digital age as a specialist literary agency based in Scotland, do you think location matters?

It would have been very hard setting up Fraser Ross Associates in Edinburgh without email and the internet. But honestly, I’d say that there is no disadvantage in being outside London. We go there a great deal and although it probably requires more planning than it would if we were closer, I don’t feel publishers treat us any differently.

The Edinburgh International Book Festival will be opening its doors once again next month. Who or what has been your highlight from the festival over the years and who would you recommend for this year?

The book festival is an opportunity for me to find out about authors I’ve never heard of, so I’d suggest taking a lucky dip approach – there are always great surprises in there. The first time I saw J K Rowling – long before I became a literary agent - was in a damp tepee with an audience of about 15. The next year she was sold out. How smug are those 15 people?!

Of past festivals, I will always feel lucky to have been at Maya Angelou’s events; I loved Garrison Keillor’s performances, John Irving reading from A Prayer for Owen Meany, Carol Shields and Alastair Macleod. There are too many highlights from the children’s programme over the years to mention – but last year’s event with Judith Kerr was unforgettable.

This year Joan Lingard, now in her eighties, will launch her new novel for children – Trouble on Cable Street - set against the backdrop of the rise of fascism in London in the 30s. She’s been on every single EIBF programme since it started. You’d think she might like to take a break – but she epitomises the addictive nature of the writer. The minute she’s written THE END she’s planning the next novel. I’ll be at her event, without a doubt.

The Writers & Artists Yearbook provides a wealth of information for all fledgeling authors - are there any other books/websites out there that you would advise them to read?

I think it’s one of the best, but the main thing is to do your research and not waste opportunities. Research the agencies you’re submitting to. A quick look at their authors will tell you a great deal for a start. Visit libraries, go and hear writers talking about their books, buy books from bookshops – be part of the world you have ambitions to join. Like any other industry you’d want to be part of, the more you know, the better.

Name your five favourite authors!

You can assume that writers and illustrators represented by Fraser Ross Associates are all my favourites!

Beyond them – and in no particular order - E B White, Alastair MacLeod, Jane Austen, Tove Jansson, Anne Tyler.

And I would probably choose a different five tomorrow.

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@sarahpbroadley

Sarah Broadley is a Scottish one-woman writing machine. She writes mainly rhyming stories for children but regularly dips her toes in the waters of other genres such as crime, short stories and YA if the water is warm enough. Having already had her rhymes published in anthologies and on educational websites - Sarah is now working hard on her submissions and hopes to soon realise her dream of being a published children's author.

The Debut Author Series: Jeannie Waudby

The Learning Curve - Insights from Debut Authors 

Nicky Schmidt

Photo by Erica Abi-Karam

For many the road to publication is long and fraught. For others, a publishing deal comes relatively easily. Those who are still trudging the path may find it hard to imagine what it’s like to be a debut author, and authors with a few books to their name may only dimly recall the original experience. 


So what is it like? Does life change? Do dreams become reality and with a deal to your name does it all become plain sailing? And what is the process from slushpile to contract to published novel actually like? I asked Jeannie Waudby about her journey to publication. 

From the time you first started writing, how long did it take to get a publishing deal?

I began writing stories as a young child, starting a novel with my sister at nine and another at thirteen. That book fell victim to extreme editing when I threw it away in the bin outside and the bins were emptied before I had second thoughts and went to get it. I didn’t seriously start another novel until about eighteen years ago when I wrote a many-drafted children’s story. I sent it out and although I had some interest in it, I’ve put it to one side. ONE OF US, then called K CHILD, was begun nearly eight years ago. I sent it out in two batches, and two people asked for the full manuscript the first time. Although I submitted a first draft, (not a great idea, obviously), it wasn’t really wasted because from this I knew where to go with the rewrite. When I submitted it the second time round, I planned to send it out in batches until I had tried everywhere. But Chicken House took it. 

It is said that writers have to persevere and have a tough skin – did you find you grew in endurance and perseverance? Did you ever think about giving up? What made you keep going? 

Perseverence is the thing I’ve needed more than anything - not just for when rejections roll in, but even more to withstand the voice in the back of my head, telling me that it’s rubbish. There are many times when I’ve felt like giving up, but several things stopped me. One: I think I need to write to be happy. Two: I’ve now invested so many hours in writing that it would be a waste not to carry on. Three: I’m a member of two brilliant critique groups: one face-to-face and the other online, and the friendship, encouragement and support from all those people has kept me going. Four: I haven’t yet managed to write the beautiful book I can imagine. If I keep going there’s a chance I might write it one day. 

How did you feel when you first landed your deal? Did it feel like the world had changed? How long did the excitement last? 

Although the email saying that Chicken House wanted to buy my book was headed: GOOD NEWS, I had to get my daughter to open it for me. Even then I only believed it when my family assured me it was real. I probably did some jumping, shrieking and crying. It was very, very nice and it still makes me happy to remember it. We celebrated with a beer. The best thing about getting a deal was the sense of relief, after all those years. I would say the excitement has stayed with me.

If you think about the amount of work you did on your story pre-deal, how much more work did you have to do once you’d landed your deal – did you realise the real work had only just begun and how surprised where you by that?

I don’t think anything is as hard as revising your novel on your own. In some ways working with an editor is easier because it’s focussed. It is hard work, but also very interesting. I quite like having external deadlines so the editing process has been more fun than arduous. ONE OF US was originally going to come out in January 2014 as CROSS THE LINE, but it’s going through another edit and has a new title and cover. So I’ve worked on the book with two editors and I’ve learnt a lot from both of them: things that I will take with me when I edit my new book. 

As the creator of your story, having always been in control of your characters and your plot, how did you find taking on board someone else’s comments and suggestions – was it like losing control and did you ever argue with your editor? 

I think it’s a bit of a shock the first time you see suggestions in your manuscript, and it feels different from listening to someone talking about your story. It does take some time to get used to, and there have been a few things that I thought I couldn’t change. However, I was often surprised how even quite big changes could happen without compromising the integrity of the story. Also that a lot of the suggestions actually came from deeper down in the book itself. 

Assuming you took the majority of suggestions on board, how do you feel it impacted on your story? 

I think the book is better now – tighter and more accessible. I prefer the new title and I think it captures something at the heart of the story. The biggest change for me this time round was the geography. Three locations in different places have become one city. It took me ages to get my head round it, because the original places were so clear in my mind. In the end I had to draw maps. But now I prefer the new, divided city and it also feels like a real place to me. I think this change strengthens the story without losing anything that mattered. 

How have you found working with illustrators and cover designers? How much involvement have you had with the graphic content of your book (covers or illustrations)? 

I didn’t work directly with the cover designer, but I made a mood board and gave my ideas on how I imagined the cover, and he came up with something that has elements of both a thriller and a love story. This cover feels right to me because I often pick blue and black books if I’m in a hurry in the library, as they usually have excitement and a love story/emotional arc. 

Do you think that having had your first book published, your writing life will be easier and your career will be on track? Do you think it will all be easier the second time round?

I don’t think anything is easy in publishing at the moment! What has changed for me is finding the time to write every day and powering through the doubts. I don’t worry about how good the writing is in a first draft because I know it’s not set in stone and I have more confidence that I’ll be able to get the story into shape later on. When I first joined SCBWI, two people said to me at my first Professional Series talk that it’s best to forget about getting published and concentrate on writing the book, and that has stayed with me. 

Aside from the editing, what other aspects of being an author have you had to come to terms with? 

I haven’t started doing school visits yet, but I hope to when the book is out. I think I’ll enjoy that because I teach adults in a college so it’ll be nice to be able to spend time with teenagers, talking about books. I think it’s great if authors, school libraries and bookshops can work together: a symbiotic relationship. When I got my book deal I didn’t have an agent so I joined the Society of Authors and they were brilliant. They advised me on the contract very quickly and efficiently. The thing that was most challenging for me was having to fill in a tax return. I’ve done two now and made mistakes in both. I prefer to do it offline as then they send it back telling you where you’ve gone wrong. (It’s probably because of people like me that they try to get everyone to fill it in online.) 

What have been your biggest lessons since landing a deal? 

I think I’ve realised that you have a deal for the book in question. Future books are separate entities and they have to find their own way out there. The actual work of writing a new book and then pulling it into shape is really no different from how it was before, and it’s still the hardest thing and the one that matters most. 

What one key piece of advice would you offer unpublished writers when working with an editor for the first time? 

I’ve been very lucky with both my editors in that I feel that we have a shared understanding of the essence of the story. Once you are working with an editor in some ways the book belongs to both of you now, so it’s good to keep an open mind because even changes that feel huge can turn out to be less difficult when you actually try them. Now and again there will be something you really can’t bear to change (maybe even quite a little thing). So it’s worth letting go of other things that don’t matter to you so much. 

Now that your first book is out – what next? 

I’ve almost finished a first draft of a new book, which I’m hoping to start editing this summer. I also have a first draft of another novel that I want to pull into shape. Then there is one in my head that I love but haven’t begun yet. So I have lots to work on. It’s good combining my part-time job with writing because as a teacher I enjoy spending time with people. 

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Jeannie Waudby’s book, ONE OF US, will be available from Amazon in February 2015. 

You can find out more about One of US at The Chicken House And you can learn more about Jeannie on the Chicken House site 

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SCBWI-BI “member abroad”, Nicky Schmidt  is an ex scriptwriter, copywriter, and marketing, brand and communications director who "retired" early to follow a dream. Although she still occasionally consults on marketing, communications and brand strategies, mostly she writes YA fiction (some of which leans towards New Adult) in the magical realism and supernatural genres. When not off in some other world, Nicky also writes freelance articles - mostly lifestyle and travel - for which she does her own photography. Her work has been published in several South African magazines and newspapers. As well as being a regular feature writer for Words & Pictures, Nicky also runs the SCBWI-BI YA e-critique group. Nicky lives in Cape Town with her husband and two rescue Golden Retrievers.

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 29th July

Hello there - a new voice on your Ten-Minute Blog break this week: Nick Cross has mysteriously transmogrified into a Yorkshire lass. The blog posts that caught my imagination all feature creativity - an essential for all of us.



First off, I present to you the joyous colours of the Dream Football Kits featured on Dave Cousin's blog. Young people are so free with their design work. Someone really should make these.

I suggest you follow this with Layn Marlow's visit to the Pencil Museum - it's full of unexpected uses for pencils, cake and splendid vocabulary for us not-professional-artists. Unsurprisingly, some pretty cool images too.

Then have a look at how illustrator  Heather Kilgour has speeded up her work - only to find new outlets for her creativity - or possibly a smidge of procrastination? I love how the layers all work - but combine to make something so intense - like the best writing.

Sam Zuppardi certainly used his time creatively at Scarcroft School - I hope you enjoy his results as much as I did [and get the reference to one of the best school tales ever written].

Finally - and before you think I am an illustrator manquée - read our own Nick Cross's piece on Writing Flash Fiction. It's a practical guide to using up all those scraps and offcuts of creative ideas we writers have stashed away.

Now inspired by all these ideas, I'd better get on on with creating myself . Nick will be back next week.
Philippa

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K. M. Lockwood is a writing name of Philippa R. Francis. As well as being a regular contributor, Philippa (@lockwoodwriter) is also part of the Words & Pictures team as the @Words8Pictures Tweetmaster, growing our following and maintaining our 'Industry news' feed.

The Debut Author Series: Liz De Jager

The Learning Curve - Insights from Debut Authors

Nicky Schmidt

For many the road to publication is long and fraught. For others, a publishing deal comes relatively easily. Those who are still trudging the path may find it hard to imagine what it’s like to be a debut author, and authors with a few books to their name may only dimly recall the original experience.

So what is it like? Does life change? Do dreams become reality and with a deal to your name does it all become plain sailing? And what is the process from slushpile to contract to published novel actually like? I asked Liz De Jager about her journey to publication.

From the time you first started writing, how long did it take to get a publishing deal?

I looked back and found thoughts and snippets for what is now Banished kicking around from around the end of 2009, beginning 2010. I wrote Banished (it was then called Grimm Tales) edited it and got longlisted for the Undiscovered Voices competition in 2011 but I didn’t make the shortlist. However, due to an agent reading Grimm and giving me some feedback (not pleasant) I threw in the towel for 3 months sulking, then thought: don’t be stupid, it’s one person’s opinion and then ended up dumping 70k and rewriting Grimm and it became Banished. I landed an agent in 2012 (during the Olympics!) and got a bookdeal in 2013 and I was published in February 2014. Retrospectively, it didn’t feel long at all but whilst going through it…it was HELL. But I made it.

It is said that writers have to persevere and have a tough skin – did you find you grew in endurance and perseverance? Did you ever think about giving up? What made you keep going?

I thought about giving up all the time. It was awful. But then I started getting really impatient and grumpy and my husband would come downstairs and glare at me and shout at me for being silly and tell me to get writing. It helped me calm down. I also have really good friends, all writers, who formed an incredible support group. Of course, there are the SCBWI socials and classes. Going to these really focussed me and I felt myself bucking up and sticking to my guns.

How did you feel when you first landed your deal? Did it feel like the world had changed? How long did the excitement last?

I couldn’t believe it. I still am a bit ‘Are we even sure this is real? It’s not a joke? No one’s going to take back my contract?’ I don’t think these feelings ever go away, the doubt and self-doubt and the worry that somehow it’s a lie and someone was having you on. My world didn’t change, what did change though was the way some people treated me, especially in my dayjob, which was awkward because I think they expected me to become super wealthy and stop working or something? What larks!

If you think about the amount of work you did on your story pre-deal, how much more work did you have to do once you’d landed your deal – did you realise the real work had only just begun and how surprised were you by that?

Uch. So much work. It doesn’t stop. What a lot of very new writers / aspiring writers intially may not understand is how much work there is to writing. The actual writing part but also, once you’ve got an agent, keeping them informed of where you are in what you’re doing and once you’ve got a bookdeal, you’re part of a team. It’s you, your editor, the editorial department and your copywriter and veryimportantly: your publicity person. Everyone pulls together to help your writing be the best it can be, but in the end it still comes down to you because you have to be more focussed now and seriously pull your weight. I tend to joke with my editor, telling her she’s got the hard job but then she just pats me on the shoulder and tells me that no, really, that’s my job.

As the creator of your story, having always been in control of your characters and your plot, how did you find taking on board someone else’s comments and suggestions – was it like losing control and did you ever argue with your editor?

I don’t know if anyone found this strange but that first meeting when you go in to talk to people about your book, not necessarily your agent, but an outsider, someone who’s read your book and made that character their own in their own way…that is the strangest thing. It feels surreal listening to other people talk about your writing and your characters as if they are real living breathing people. Because usually up to that point they only ever lived in your head. It’s incredible and frightening too. So yes, it was strange experiencing that but crucially, because of having really good beta readers and strong crit partners, you learn how to take critique and you listen and you take it on board. Your editor only ever wants your book to be amazing and they want – this is a business, don’t ever forget that – it to sell and for you to be a success. So they will push you and make sure that what you give them is good.

Assuming you took the majority of suggestions on board, how do you feel it impacted on your story?

Huge impact. I now talk to my editor about my main character’s motivations a lot, about the secondary characters because I value her input. We occasionally meet up to talk about the world development and try and keep things simple as it’s easy to go completely overboard when writing urban fantasy. She steers me to make sensible decisions and not kill off my main characters. Apparently that’s bad.

How have you found working with illustrators and cover designers? How much involvement have you had with the graphic content of your book (covers or illustrations)?

Before we even got to the edits of Banished my editor and I spent about a week emailing back and forth and chatting on the phone about imagery and covers of books we both liked, what we thought worked well and what didn’t work well and the direction Tor would like to take with the covers for the trilogy. I set up pinterest boards a long time ago and as I’m a visual writer I have to have reference points. I need to know what my characters look like, what the houses / castles / forests / locations look like that I write about. I wrote a detailed Word document explaining what my main characters looked like; supplied them with my pinterest board links and set up a private board that only my editor and their in-house designer had access to of book covers I utterly love. It was intense and frightening knowing that someone else would be interpreting my book and designing that cover. I really don’t like bragging but seriously, Banished’s cover is one incredibly pretty thing and I’m so proud of the PanMac Art department for working so hard on it.

Do you think that having had your first book published, your writing life will be easier and your career will be on track? Do you think it will all be easier the second time round?

Wow, what a question! No, it’s not easier. Your first book that you write is at your leisure, without someone giving you deadlines, you get the chance to try something new and challenge yourself. With book 2, as part of a series, all that playing is gone and you now have deadlines and you need to be focussed and dedicated and it is so scary. What’s also scary is that there are now expectations: people have read book 1 and they’ve enjoyed it. So they email you, they tweet you, they Facebook you or tell you in person and there’s this impatiencethat they’re waiting to know what happens next. And oh gosh, that is both thrilling but also terrifying. This is basically where I am now. I’ve done book 2’s edits and am waiting for copy edits to come back and whilst that’s happening, I’m trying to figure out the start of book 3. *gulps*

Aside from the editing, what other aspects of being an author have you had to come to terms with?

The marketing / PR thing – that’s weird! I am very good at talking to other people about their books because that’s what I did as a blogger and reviewer for eight years. So for me to go from that to being Liz the writer who has a book to sell? That was incredibly strange and I still struggle with it. The week before and after publication was insane! I did a blogtour and there were so many people sending me pictures and artwork of Banished out in bookshops and it is incredibly overwhelming. But so cool. The other thing that I had to get to grips with is the silly admin stuff: keeping receipts of books I buy for research (what a hardship) and making sure I respond in a timely way to emails from bloggers and reviewers but also make sure I do follow-up emails to my editor and publicity team. Occasionally I must also remember to tweet and not just talk nonsense but remind people I have a book out. Man, it’s hard.

What have been your biggest lessons since landing a deal?

That you can’t do everything all at once. You have to structure your time and be realistic about things and to think before you say ‘yes’ to doing too many things all at once.

What one key piece of advice would you offer unpublished writers when working with an editor for the first time?

Listen. Don’t just hear what you want to hear from them, but listen to what they’re telling you without prejudice. That’s so hard to do because we are no longer kids. Kids listen without prejudice. They take things in and go oh yeah, that makes sense and that’s why it would work. Unless you are incredibly talented and a savant and your prose is lyrically beautiful, you have to listen with every fibre you have inside you because you do not know what’s best. Neither does your editor, to be honest, but he / she might have a better idea than you and together you will end up having awesome ideas together.

Now that your first book is out – what next?

I’m waiting for copy-edits on book two as I’ve mentioned, but in the meantime, I’m figuring out book 3 and also giving thought as to what I want to do once the trilogy’s complete and I’m filling notebooks with what if thoughts.

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Liz De Jager’s book THE BLACKHART LEGACY - BANISHED: BOOK 1 is published by Tor, an imprint of Pan Macmillan.

It is available via all good bookshops (bricks and mortar as well as online) in the UK, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Website http://www.lizdejager.co.uk

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SCBWI-BI “member abroad”, Nicky Schmidt  is an ex scriptwriter, copywriter, and marketing, brand and communications director who "retired" early to follow a dream. Although she still occasionally consults on marketing, communications and brand strategies, mostly she writes YA fiction (some of which leans towards New Adult) in the magical realism and supernatural genres. When not off in some other world, Nicky also writes freelance articles - mostly lifestyle and travel - for which she does her own photography. Her work has been published in several South African magazines and newspapers. As well as being a regular feature writer for Words & Pictures, Nicky also runs the SCBWI-BI YA e-critique group. Nicky lives in Cape Town with her husband and two rescue Golden Retrievers.

The Chalkface Challenge 2014: The Shadowing Results

We know who won The Chalkface Challenge 2014 - congratulations again to Jill Atkins for Elrac and the Konkipong Tree  but whose entries were sent with Jill's to the Shadow Judges? And did our shadows choose the same winner as the children?

Firstly,  here are our runners up - shortlisted by the children at Sparsholt C of E Primary School, in no particular order:

Ruth Griffiths @ruthsageman with Sheriff Daisy and the Cold Custard Ambush (entry22)
'I liked that this story was fun and enjoyable, yet it was probably better suited for younger readers. The story made full sense and was easy to read, I don't think I'd change anything If I'm correct about the age thing.'

Jan Deykin with Hunting Fernando (entry 28)
'It was a real page turner'
'I like that the theme was football.'
'I enjoyed it and I would like to read more.'

Celia Anderson  @CeliaAnderson1 with Teacher Torture (entry 3)
'I loved the idea of a teachers prison.'
'I found it quite funny that he only had one hair.'

Tamara Wolcough with Stag Lodge and the Missing Oracle (entry 16)
'I liked this story because there was a school for secret agents and I thought the story was really good'



The comments above are from The Chewstoke Reviewers who are aged 10 to 11yrs.
A small problem with the post (the kind that lands on your door mat) means I don't yet have the Sparsholt comments. All those of you who entered and have kindly sent me SAE's, I'll post out as sound as I do.

Congratulations Celia, Tamara, Ruth, and Jan!

So what did the shadow judges think - did they agree with the children?

Here are the shadow judges comments:


Amber Caraveo, Editorial Director at Orion Children's Books & Indigo

'I had so much fun reading the top five Chalkface Challenge entries!

It was incredibly difficult to pick a favourite. I thought Entry 3 was very funny (especially torturing the teachers with pictures of tea and KitKats! ☺) and I can definitely see how it will appeal to young readers, but ultimately the winning entry for me is Entry 22.

I thought Entry 22 was written with personality and imagination. I loved that Daisy was such a brave and feisty female protagonist, I really enjoyed the idea of her storybook characters coming to life and I adored the little details – like Ears’ ears drooping when he’s disappointed, the Strawberry Saloon serving jam tarts and Bad-Breath Bill demanding a ransom of gold chocolate coins! Fun and inventive – it’s a winner for me!'


Ben Illis, Literary Agent at The BIA Agency

'My favourite is entry 16.

Here’s why:

I love the way it starts as any ‘first day at a new school' narrative might start and then casually throws in the fact that Jamie and Dan are to be training as secret agents. There’s something lovely about the matter of fact tone in which this piece of super-exciting information is then discussed, to say nothing of the humour in Aunt Evie’s description of her own failures back in her own day and the tantalising revelation that Jamie’s mum was one of the best back in hers. I also love the way it leaves us hanging, wondering just what sort of excitement Jamie and Dan are going to be facing during their top secret training. I mean after all, who HASN’T dreamt of being a secret agent?!'


Jasmine Richards, Senior Commissioning Editor at OUP Children's

'OMG! How amazing are the shortlisted entries! Really confident and exciting storytelling and I've found it extremely difficult to choose just one because all of the stories are very strong.

However, under threat of being poked with a long stick and thrown in a cage with those horrible teachers I'm going to choose Flynn and the Cell Block Zero Teachers’ Prison. I loved how naturally funny this writer was and the attention to little details which set the scene and provided backstory.

I also liked that I could clearly see where this story was going - got a feeling that Flynn and those teachers are going to need to work together to beat that monster! Overall a very masterful piece of work - well done!'

Karen Ball, Publisher at Little, Brown Young Readers & Atom 

'My favourite extract is number 16, reasons below: The extract opens with a strong and intriguing line of dialogue. I immediately wanted to know why Jamie was struggling to breath! The opening sentences also work hard at establishing personalities in a quick space of time. We see that Aunt is distracted but very engaged in Jamie’s destiny and that Dan has a mischievous sense of humour. Our main character’s wry narrative perspective establishes the mood of the book, and I quickly understood (in a good way!) what type of journey I was on.

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Jan Carr is the editor of Words & Pictures. Her fiction is all over the place, she actually blogs every week - here! She loves to write colourfully and organises The Chalkface Challenge by sweet talking all these lovely people to read, review, judge and most importantly ENTER! You can contact her at editor@britishscbwi.org.

Dashing Off

After last week's excitement of The Chalkface Challenge Winner, Jill Atkins - (do go and read Jill's winning entry - it's what 7-9 year old readers LOVE) and Nick's excellent takeover on this spot, at 6pm we have the Chalkface Shadow Results.
It's the most interesting part of the competition and highlights what we all know: that to a great extent, judgements about our work are subjective. The shadow judges would like to have picked the same as the children - check in at 6pm to find out if they did.

This week somebody close to me, thinking I might like it, played me this:




I'm not sure I do like all of it it. I've always thought of grammar enslavement as the enemy of voice  - particularly an authentic child's voice. Children are more creative and find much more interesting ways to express themselves and make sense of their feelings. What do you think?

On the other hand Catriona's dashes are definitely something I need to revise as I do all punctuation as you can probably tell by this dash-filled post. Correct punctuation is definitely voice's friend as well known from the danger of the missing comma when calling Grandma for dinner - Let's eat Grandma!

Nicky's debut series is going to be fabulous (actually I already know it is) if her first interview with Jo Franklin is anything to go on and I loved how Jo, the not-long-arrived went so well with Philippa's nearly-there. 

What a great week for illustration too. If you're anywhere near Mottisfont Abbey (near Romsey in Hampshire) and are a paid up card carrying National Trust member you can't afford to miss the exhibition of children's illustration on at the moment. If you go on August 3rd you may catch SCBWI Member, 2014 Chalkface Challenge teacher and W&P sub editor, Lorraine Cooke reading. And already I'm getting excited about this year's illustrators' juried exhibition which premieres at the conference...

Conference bookings now open - WHAT a line up!

Alex Wilson, our new featured illustrator, won best portfolio at last year's conference. If you haven't yet taken a look at his gallery please do NOW - I want it all on my wall!

For line ups you can't go wrong with Nick Cross - every week I love his choices and this week was no different though it does add lots of 'to do's to my list e.g.

• hire a skip
• frame and hang more of my own children's early artwork 
• possibly buy bigger house with more walls
• Book for next year's YALC 

Again many thanks to Nick for taking control of this spot last week.

Don't forget: Chalkface Challenge Shadow results will be up at 6pm today!

Did the shadows choose the same as the children?

and on stonkingly good opportunities, you have…

one week to enter 

the Christmas in July Slush Pile Challenge!

Next week look out for:

• Not one but TWO more debuts - Liz de Jager and Jeannie Waudby
• A guest blog break from Philippa as it's Nick's turn for a holiday
• Edinburgh based literary agent, Lindsey Fraser

Though dashing off a post is challenging, me dashing off to Edinburgh for a few days on Wednesday isn't - excited!
Stay cool if you can,

Jan Carr

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Jan Carr is the editor of Words & Pictures. Her fiction is all over the place, she blogs occasionally and loves to write in magenta. You can contact her at editor@britishscbwi.org.

Blow Your Own Trumpet!

...or trombone!

Last year Nick said.... 

"We do have the Celebrations column on Words & Pictures, but what about a celebrations forum for lesser achievements – finishing a book say, or even a particularly difficult chapter?" 

So here it is…
 again! 

Writers and illustrators please tell us in the comments about anything that during the last month has made you go 'yippee!' or 'I'm really pleased with myself' or 'aahh I feel good about that'.

For this post, relaxing our self promotion guideline a little, we want you to shout about your achievements that may not yet have the external affirmation we all long for but nevertheless are achievements and should be commended.

So go on, Blow Your Own Trumpet and we'll be all smiles for you!

Over to you....

Featured Illustrator: Alex Wilson

 This month's Featured Illustrator is Alex Wilson, an up-and-coming young artist with experience of training on both sides of the Atlantic. Utilising a proficient graphic style, Alex is as much at ease with digital media as he is with traditional techniques. See his page on the Featured Illustrator Gallery for more examples of his work.

Once upon a time in Bromsgrove...

I was 17 when I saw my first Studio Ghibli movie. I was at boarding school studying for my A-levels at the time: Business Studies, Biology and Physics when a friend walked into my dorm and dropped a dodgy bootleg DVD he had brought back from Hong Kong on my lap. It was in a scuffed up semi-opaque cd sleeve  with a poorly reproduced and awkwardly cropped cover image that read Spirited Away.
 

Film poster for Spirited Away, Hayao Mayazaki, Japanese film director, animator, manga artist, illustrator, producer, and screenwriter.

After watching, I skipped my class that afternoon and hopped the West wall of the school to get into town. I bought my first proper sketchbook and proceeded to fill it with very poor drawings. As it turns out, drawing was rather difficult and I was probably going to need some form of structured education in the subject. Within a week I had dropped Physics and switched to Art nearly halfway through the two year course. As you may expect it was a fairly disastrous experience for everyone involved, providing multiple existential crises for the poor faculty trying to catch me up on years of missed classes. I managed to scrape by with a passing grade but most importantly for me, I was slowly but surely improving.

…and then there was College

After a brief jaunt at the university of Teesside studying computer animation, I applied to the Savannah College of Art and Design. In 2004 I made the perilous journey to the swamps and wetlands of the deep south to study Sequential Art in the picturesque and almost certainly haunted City of Savannah, Georgia.

Art school is a funny place and I get a lot of people asking if it's worthwhile to attend an Art College. The honest truth is, there is very little you can learn at an Art school that you couldn't learn under your own steam if you are willing to do the work. However, for me it was an invaluable experience. It gave me four years to catch up on everything I had missed by waiting so long to get into Art. I could focus on getting as solid a grasp on the basics as possible. I took every foundation class going, anything that taught traditional draftsmanship, perspective, and composition.

I was exposed to new methods and inspirations I never would have experienced otherwise: The sequential work of Juanjo Guarnido (Blacksad), Pierre Alary (Belladone) and Man Arenas (Yaxin) obliterated any preconception I had of how a narrative could play out across a page. The fluidity, energy and effortless communication performed by great story artists like Rodolphe Guenoden and Chris Sanders. The ability for vis dev artists like Mary Blair and Gustaf Tenggren to so succinctly capture an entire scene with a single image. These and many more would become touchstones in my own progress and growth for years to come.
 

Inside spread from Blacksad, illustrated by Janjo Guarndo and written by Juan Díaz Canales.

Man Arenas; visual development from the 7th Dwarf.Man recently worked on Studio Soi’s The Gruffalo and the Gruffalo’s Child.

  

I completed my four year course in Savannah in a little less than three by taking extra classes as well as summer semesters. I knew what I wanted to do, for the first time I could start to see significant improvement in my work and I was eager to get out into the world and continue my growth. I graduated in 2007. Just in time to watch the credit crisis and the global recession unfold.

Seriously, what was the deal with 2007 anyway?

After graduation I moved back to Teesside in the North East of England. The job market for paid art work shrank rapidly as creative budgets along with most other budgets across the western world dried up, which is bad news if you are trying to break into an industry.

The next two years were tricky. I worked as a freelance graphic designer when I could find the work and focused on improving my personal work and painting. I knew I wanted to tell stories but wasn't really sure how to go about it. I chased jobs in animation, comics and computer games and between 2008 and 2012, contributed to multiple Disney press projects as well as doing freelance design work for social games such as Zynga's Farmville.
 

Process gif for, Down the River, showing initial sketch to final digital painting.

 Rosie's Rainy Day

It wasn't until the end of 2012 that I really gave pure illustration a shot. Up until then, most of my work had been providing designs or sequentials for small projects that typically never saw the light of day. When I received comps of my first physically published work for the Collected John Carter of Mars covers I painted for Disney, I knew I wanted to make my own books. After spending years trying to learn how to paint in a way that would make my illustration useful for other people's projects, I went about actually creating something for my self, and stumbled into a story about a little girl called Rosie and her adventures on a Rainy Day.
 

Early design work for Rosie’s Rainy Day, picture book in progress.

Between 2013 and now my focus has been on developing my work to try and carve my own little niche in the world of children's literature. I joined the SCBWI in the Autumn of 2013 and have had nothing but support and encouragement from one of the most talented group of individuals I have ever met. I attended the SCBWI British Isles conference in 2013 where I was fortunate enough to be awarded the Illustration award for Best of Portfolio and chosen to be one of the exhibitors in the Members’ Showcase, as well as being picked up by the Advocate Agency.

Sketchbook page showing the importance of life drawing.

Since then I have provided layouts and illustration for Viz Media's Catbug's Treasure Book which will be published in August as well as continuing to develop and paint my own stories which I hope to find a home for in the coming year. 

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See more of Alex's work in the Featured Illustrator Gallery
Alex is represented by Advocate Art and maintains a personal portfolio Alexinatree
See his Sketches and process on tumblr
Occasional tweets: @alexinatree