Ask a Picture Book Editor

The Magic of Christmas – What Makes a Lasting Christmas Picture Book?

'Tis the season to be jolly – and to buy books as presents for little ones! 


The bookshops are filled with Christmas-themed books on display tables:

Display of Christmas-themed picture books at Waterstone's High Street Kensington

They are jam-packed with classics. There are countless re-tellings and re-packagings of The Night Before Christmas,

some beautiful newly illustrated versions of The Twelve Days of Christmas,

not to mention an exquisite new edition of Snow by Walter de la Mare, illustrated by Carolina Rabei.

And of course, there are Christmas adventures for favourite characters, including Peppa Pig, Blue Kangaroo, Snoopy, Alfie and Paddington Bear.

So what, in this market seemingly populated by traditional classics and character-led publishing, is breaking through to become a modern classic? The trouble with Christmas books is that they have to sell now, but they also need to work year after year. Here are some examples of Christmas books that we love and why:

 Ellie's choices:

1. Father Christmas Needs a Wee by Nicholas Allan

This has to be a modern Christmas classic! This funny picture book is just jam-packed with cheeky, festive fun. Not only do we have poor Father Christmas desperately in need of a pee (definitely a theme that most of us - young and old - can relate to!) but there's also a brilliant counting element seamlessly woven into it too. It's fast becoming a permanent fixture on the Christmas best-seller lists.

2. The Jolly Christmas Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

This is another timeless classic, and also a Kate Greenaway medal winner! What's NOT to love about this fantastically festive tale? Set in a magical winter wonderland, not only is there a wonderfully jolly rhyming text, but the novelties are such great fun! Oh, and the story is  also full of characters that are immediate and recognizable to all young readers. 

3. How Many Sleeps Till Christmas? by Mark Sperring and Sebastien Braun

Similarly, this lovely story by Mark Sperring picks up on a well-worn phrase and uses strong characters and a clever counting-down element that will strike a chord in lots of households in the run-up to Christmas. What makes this really special is the clever use of a relatively modern, and now extensively used phrase, to hook and engage with the reader.

 Natascha's choices:

1. Dear Santa by Rod Campbell

This delightful board book boasts hours of lift-the-flap fun for the very young, as little ones try to guess what present Santa has sent this time by the shape and size of the wrapping paper. The cute, fluffy touch-and-feel kitty cat has that 'aw' factor - what child hasn't wished for a pet for Christmas at one time or another?

 2.  The Christmas Angels by Else Wenz-Vietor

A beautifully-illustrated book, translated from the original German, that embodies the spirit of Christmas. With clever use of novelty and a short text, this book is a firm favourite in our house at Christmas time. It has a kind of nostalgic feel to it and is one of the few around that actually speaks to the message of giving that is central to the holiday, but often forgotten in the modern, commercial world. 

3. Is it Christmas? by John Prater

This story beautifully depicts a small child's anticipation in the run-up to Christmas and all the homey activities - card-making, baking, decorating and waiting for Santa and the family to arrive - that punctuate modern-day Christmases the world-over. Its sequel and companion book, Baby Bear's Christmas Kiss, carries on the story on Christmas Day, with Baby Bear's quest to find the perfect present for Grandbear and all the humour and warmth of Christmas Day surrounded by family.

 What are your favourite Christmas picture books? 

We wish all our readers a festive season. Thank you for following our blog! 

We hope that 2015 is a productive and inspiring year for you. See you then!

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Natascha Biebow is editor, mentor and coach at www.blueelephantstoryshaping.com

Check our my new online small group-coaching courses:

http://www.blueelephantstoryshaping.com/new-online-courses

Gift vouchers available!

 

Ellie Farmer is Commissioning Editor at Little Tiger Presswww.littletigerpress.com

Ask a Picture Book Editor

Our blog this month is all about . . .

(Here are steps 6 - 10! Head to last month's post for steps 1 - 5.)

Once the blads are in, it's time for the Rights teams to head off to the book fair! Depending on the time of year – and when your book is scheduled to be published – your book will be presented at either Bolonga (in March) or Frankfurt (in October).

Here’s what a blad looks like in comparison to the finished book.

The Foreign Rights team will sell your book to overseas publishers who will translate your text into their own language.

So that one English edition . . . 

No! by Tracey Corderoy and Tim Warnes

Becomes MANY foreign language editions!

HOORAY!

Back in the UK, the sales team will be presenting your book to all the big retailers you can find on the high street and on the internet.

The editor and designer, production person, author and illustrator will make one final check of the book. Then, at the printers  – usually in the Far East for picture books – your book will now be rolling off the printing presses. The pages will be getting trimmed, bound and fixed to the covers, ready to be shipped to the warehouse in the UK and sent out to shops in time for . . .

Hooray! Your book has hit the shelves! And it might be lucky enough to receive a very nice review from your friendly bookshop assistant:

Big Bad Owl by Steve Smallman and Richard Watson

With your help, the marketing, publicity and promotions teams will be arranging trips, school visits, bookshop signings, print and online coverage and reviews to spread the word that your utterly fabulous book is available to buy right now! 

Steve Smallman, Tracey Corderoy and Catherine Rayner at the Edinburgh Festival

As the author or illustrator, you can help spread the word and build interest to make sure that your book is read and enjoyed by as many children as it deserves to be!

Phew! And how long did that all take? Usually the whole process takes between 18 to 24 months from acquisition of a text. It certainly feels like a long time – and has taken a lot of passion, hard work, perseverance and belief from everyone involved – but the result is definitely worth it!

Next month: Keep your eyes peeled for our fantastic FESTIVE special!

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Natascha Biebow is editor, mentor and coach at www.blueelephantstoryshaping.com

Check our my new online small group-coaching courses:

http://www.blueelephantstoryshaping.com/new-online-courses

 

Ellie Farmer is Commissioning Editor at Little Tiger Presswww.littletigerpress.com

Ask a Picture Book Editor

Our blog this month is all about . . .

(Well, the first five are here for you this month. Tune in next month for steps 6-10!)

Hooray! You’ve hooked your editor. You have found a loyal and friendly ally who will champion you and your text (or picture book dummy)! But, what will happen next?

Your editor will take it to . . .

Who’s at the editorial meeting? 

- Members of the editorial team (including the Editorial Director and Publisher)

What will they say about my text?

- They’ll talk about what they like and also what they feel needs work.

- The publisher will assess how your text will sit on his or her list. Is it a good fit? Is it the sort of text they’re looking for? Is it commercial?

- They will also think about whether it’s a good fit for the current market, does it have popular appeal, who is the book for and will it sell to this audience?

Possible outcomes of the editorial meeting:

GREEN FOR GO! 

Your editor will be asked to take your text to the next stage: discussion at the acquisitions meeting.

AMBER FOR PAUSE! 

The team saw potential in your text, but would like you to develop it further. Your editor will work with you to try and reach this goal. When your editor thinks it’s ready, he or she will take your text back to the editorial meeting. Hopefully it will make it to the next stage: discussion at the acquisitions meeting.

RED FOR STOP! 

The team didn’t think that it was right for the list and your editor will be asked to write you a letter of rejection.

N.B - It’s really important to remember that all publishing houses are different. A rejection from one publisher doesn’t mean that it won’t be accepted by another publishing house. Keep persevering!

Who’s at the acquisitions meeting?

Members of the wider publishing team:
- UK Sales team
- Export Sales team
- Foreign Rights team

- Financial Director
- Managing Director
- Publisher and your editor

What will you discuss about my text?
- Your editor will have put together a presentation to pitch your text to the wider publishing team, with its all-important HOOK and USP (see last month's post), and a designer will present some illustrators who they think would be a good match for your story.
- The UK, export and foreign rights sales teams will talk about whether this book would be a good fit for any or all or their customers in their respective territories.
- The Managing and Financial Director will look at a profit and loss sheet that shows projected sales against the costs of producing the book (company overheads, reproduction, printing, warehousing, author/illustrator advances & royalties/fees, marketing spend).

Possible outcomes:

GREEN FOR GO! 

Your editor will be told the project can go ahead! The author and illustrator will be made a formal offer and sent a contract.

RED FOR STOP! 

The wider publishing team didn’t think that it would work for them in some or all of their territories/customers. This can be due to a myriad of reasons including shifting tastes, economic climates and rapidly changing markets.

N.B - as before, all publishing houses vary, so just because you receive a ‘no‘ at this stage don’t give up! It’s likely that another house will operate, think and act differently.  

Now it’s time for the illustrator to start sketching, drawing and painting!

They will do . . .

The designer will set the text against the roughs and work with the illustrator to help them to refine and develop their style, making suggestions for composition or design where necessary. The editor will consult with the author throughout the process.

Slowly, the story will begin to look like the book that it will eventually become!

Copyright © Judi Abbot 2014. Excerpt from Train! published by Little Tiger Press

Copyright © Judi Abbot 2014. Excerpt from Train! published by Little Tiger Press

Copyright © Judi Abbot 2014. Excerpt from Train! published by Little Tiger Press

Getting the cover right is a really important stage of the process! This is the first thing that people will see and it should scream “PICK ME UP AND READ ME, PLEASE!”

There are often many rounds of design and development to get the look just right. Here are a selection of some pretty amazing covers that simply scream READ ME!

There’s a Lion in my Cornflakes! by Michelle Robinson and Jim Field

The Great Snortle Hunt, by Claire Freedman and Kate Hindley

Shh! We Have a Plan, by Chris Haughton

The Biggest Kiss, by Joanna Walsh and Judi Abbot

Specs for Rex, by Yasmeen Ismail

Mr Tiger Goes Wild, by Peter Brown

 
So, the insides are ready, your cover is designed – it’s time to send files off to the repro house to get proofs (also referred to as blads or bound proofs). The illustrations and layouts look exactly as they will in the finished book – they look incredibly similar to the finished book but have card covers and are usually stapled together down the spine.

What are proofs for?

Next month: steps 6-10! We'll cover bookfairs, printing, publication and spotting your book on the shelf!

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Natascha Biebow is editor, mentor and coach at www.blueelephantstoryshaping.com
New small group-coaching course starting in November:
http://www.blueelephantstoryshaping.com/new-online-courses

 

Ellie Farmer is Commissioning Editor at Little Tiger Presswww.littletigerpress.com

Ask a Picture Book Editor

Our blog this month is all about

So:

• You’ve found your theme, you’ve sculpted your characters and honed your voice. 
• You’ve put pen to paper and structured, and crafted your story into something that you want to share with an agent or a publisher! 

Hooray! 

The next big step is getting it noticed.

One top tip for getting your picture book picked up by an editor is to . . .

 


Most editors will find themselves completing a subconscious mental checklist as they go: 

If the editor loves the text they will be thinking about how they will ‘sell’ your story to 
- their editorial team and publisher 
- their wider publishing team (made up of the Foreign Rights team, the UK sales team, marketing, publicity, the managing director – we’ll deal with these guys in a later post!) 

And this is where the hook comes in. A hook is a one-line sales pitch that encapsulates the essence of your story and ‘hooks’ any potential editors, publishers, managing directors, booksellers, picture book buyers and picture book readers. 

If your story has a strong hook, then the editor will know right away how to pitch the story and won’t be left thinking, “nice story, but so what . . . ?” He or she will immediately know why and how your story is DIFFERENT from everything else that is out there in the marketplace. This is what the publisher and sales people will be asking them in turn. It’s not enough for the editor to love a book – it has to sell! 

If you can pin-point the hook of your text and write it at the top of your covering letter, then you’ve gone part of the way to ‘selling’ your text to your prospective editor.    

Here are some examples of hooks: 

Dragon Stew by Steve Smallman and Lee Wildish

A rollicking rhyming adventure tale starring Vikings, dragons and . . . dragon poo!

Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
An innovative lift-the-flap book – perfect for little hands – about finding the perfect pet. 

Pirate House Swap by Abie Longstaff and Mark Chambers
An action-packed twist on a familiar theme, featuring unexpected holiday locations and pirates! 

Knight Time by Jane Clarke and Jane Massey
A reassuring bedtime story – with knights and dragons – about overcoming prejudice and becoming friends.

Grizzly Dad by Joanna Harrison
A warm and original picture book that celebrates dads (especially the grumpy ones!).

The Princess and the Presents by Caryl Hart and Sarah Warburton
A fantastically funny tale about being greedy and understanding the value of things and people. 

Evil Weasel by Hannah Shaw
A wonderfully wicked tale about making friends and learning to say sorry. 

If your cover letter comes with a succinct and strong hook you will: 
a) have ‘hooked’ the editor reading your submission 
b) helped them start their sales pitch to their team! 

OK – so having your hook helps you get noticed, but what else does it do for you? 

If you can pin-point your hook at the point when you’re refining your story, it can be a really helpful tool to make sure that your text has the right sense of focus and clarity, and isn’t becoming woolly or deviating too much from your original goal. The best picture books are sharp and succinct with an economy of words. 

If you start to look at your hook and think ‘oh, well I could add friendship, lost toys, love and bedtime to my hook as these are all themes which I’m now covering in my book . . .’
STOP RIGHT THERE! 

Your one-line hook is becoming too cluttered (and your story premise diluted)! 

It’s likely that you are trying to cram too many themes into your picture book text. Remember, picture books are short and, to create maximum impact, just one or two closely-interwoven themes (see month one’s discussion!) are enough. 

In a picture book there is not enough space to explore and develop too many multi-faceted themes and ideas – the most satisfying text will handle one or two really well, and in depth. So always think ‘less is more’. 

In summary then – what is a hook and why do you need it? 
 • The ‘hook’ is a term that gets used a lot in the industry and is a vitally important element in selling picture books. 
 • It’s a succinct, one-line pitch which encapsulates what your text is all about and how it will stand out from the competition in the crowded marketplace 
 • It’s helpful to identify your hook, because it should be at the heart of your story. 
 • Having a handle on it helps you to keep focus as you rewrite, refine and edit your story prior to sending it out for submission. 

And here’s our question for next month: 

You’ve hooked your editor and they LOVE your text . . . what happens next?

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Natascha Biebow is editor, mentor and coach at www.blueelephantstoryshaping.com

 

Ellie Farmer is Commissioning Editor at Little Tiger Presswww.littletigerpress.com