Ask a Publisher: Ali Dougal, Editorial Director for Egmont Press

@AliDougal  talks to @HouseRowena

Recorded June 20th 2014 in London at Egmont UK

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Rowena House is a journalist by trade - an ex-Reuters foreign correspondent in Europe and Africa, now a sub-editor specialising in international affairs. She turned to writing fiction for young people to meet a deep desire to tell gritty stories that are true in an emotional sense, without being constrained by ‘the facts’. She's recently been published by Andersen Press in the War Girls anthology with her short story The Marshalling of Angelique's Geese. Rowena lives in rural Devon with her remarkably tolerant family and their less tolerant dog, a grey-and-white sheep dog called Fletcher.

The Picture Book Retreat

In July, SCBWI British Isles held its first Picture Book Retreat. It was an amazing weekend for the writers and illustrators who came along to Holland House in Worcester.

The Retreat’s organisers, Bridget Strevens-Marzo and Anne-Marie Perks had set one main criterion – a place to encourage creative exploration in the inspiring company of other writers and illustrators. Other criteria were a beautiful venue with plenty of space and great food. Holland House fulfilled them all.

Helen Stephens and Gerry Turley inspired with their stories, and by talking through the work process. They emphasised drawing from life and the need to nurture your creativity. Sarah Frost, commissioning editor from Hodder books, and Alice Bartosinski, commissioning editor from Egmont, shared not only their understanding of our industry but helpful insights into it.

As pictures say so much more than words, we’ve included a selection here.

It all started here, at Holland House in Worcestershire. 

When illustrating a Michael Murpurgo book, Jo-Jo and the Melon Donkey, Helen had to go to Florence!

An example of the beautiful sketches done while there.

Helen Stephens, author illustrator, talking about drawing from life and how it inspires stories.

These are sketches of the dog that inspired, Fleabag.

Storyboard from Helen’s book, Fleabag.

All of us in the lovely conference room at Holland House.

Large windows opened up to a large sloping lawn and flower borders.

Gerry Turley shared his large sketchbooks on a book he is working on, about a bear for Schwartz and Wade publishers. He also shared his prints and sketchbook on his first book, Woooo, with David Fickling.

Alice Bartosinski had us make a list from the picture books she set out as to which ones we thought sold the best. Here we are happily doing our best to figure that out. The results were very interesting! 

We filled every room available at Holland House and had a great time, learning, sharing and supporting each other in the craft we all love. The most frequent comments were 'Thank you!' and 'When are we doing this again!'

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Since a child, Anne-Marie has loved to draw, paint and ‘make stuff’. She now works as an illustrator, artist, animator and designer. She is a very active member of the SCBWI family. You can also find her on the Words & Pictures team page.

Picture Book Master Class with Egmont

Heather Kilgour

This year I helped organise a picture book illustration master class with Sarah Malley, Art Director from Egmont Children’s Books, writes Heather Kilgour . 

The workshop had two phases. First, Egmont provided the fifteen illustrators who had enrolled with a picture book text that they had commissioned. The Illustrators produced black and white roughs of character studies and two full page spreads from the story, which were submitted to Sarah for feedback.


Then the illustrators used this feedback to produce final colour illustrations which they brought along to the workshop. 

Sarah started the workshop with a summary of what Egmont do, along with examples of what she is looking for in artwork. We then gathered round as Sarah reviewed and critiqued everyone’s colour work. To complete the day she showed as the work of the illustrator that Egmont commissioned for the book.

I always jump at the chance to get feedback

Illustration can be a lonely business so I always jump at the chance to get feedback about my work especially if it’s from an industry professional.

Unfortunately other deadlines prevented me from participating, but I have interviewed Anna Violet, Julia Woolf and Shana Neiberg-Suschitzky, about their experience.  Below are their paraphrased answers.

Why did you go?

A:   It was great to get feedback half way through a project, and have a chance to work on a new text. It also gave us the opportunity to meet Sarah Malley and get feedback in person.

J:    It sounded interesting and SCBWI events are always good value for money. You always gain something even if you think you won’t.

S:   I went to build my folio and get experience. In effects it’s like a commissioning opportunity where you work with a brief and a publisher and get feedback.

What were the positives? 

A:   It was great to see what everyone else had done as they all had completely different takes on the story, and then to see the one that Egmont commissioned.

J:    Sarah was very positive. 

S:    It was great to feel like part of a community, to see what fourteen other illustrators came up with from the same idea, and to get an idea of what publishers are really looking for at the moment. Sarah was so generous about giving advice about the industry and how we can improve ourselves to get through the door.

What was helpful for you?

A:   Feedback on character design.

J:    It wasn’t a pitch so I could experiment and do what I wanted. It was a complicated story with lots of characters and no art direction to go by so it was up to you. It was a real challenge; you had to just go for it.

S:   The advice she gave us and the feedback on our work.

Has it inspired any long term changes in your work?

A:   I’m going to try to make my characters funnier.

What would you say to recommend it to others?

A:   Sarah brought promotional work so we could see that she likes, and what works for Egmont.  It’s a great opportunity to meet an art director and get direct feedback. You learn a lot from seeing other peoples work and hearing Sarah’s response to it.

J:    It made me produce some work I’m really pleased with. You can’t lose really, you get to put work in front of a publisher and get a reaction, and even if it’s not a positive one you can learn from it.

S:   It was a vital wonderful opportunity.  No other society generates these types of workshops and events that can really benefit you. SCBWI illustration events are special and unique and it’s all down to Anne-Marie. 

Thanks Anne-Marie and Sarah Malley! And to all the participants who made it a fabulous day. 

Left to right. Susmita Roy, Sarah Malley, Rachel Quarry, Amanda Pollard, Anna Violet, Sarah Underwood, Heather Kilgour, Shana Nieberg-Suschitzky, Katie Weymouth, Clare Tovey, Jasmine Mercer, Elizabeth Norris, Mary Blackshaw, Elisabeth Newson, Anne-Marie Perks, Julia Woolf 

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Heather has been an artist, a blacksmith, a film sculptor and now a picture book maker. She has embarked on an MA in children’s book illustration at Anglia Ruskin College in Cambridge – which might be the start of a collection, as she already has an MA in Fine Arts.

Elizabeth Dale adds to her pile of 25 published books!

Elizabeth  Dale

Elizabeth Dale dreamed of being a writer but somehow got side-tracked into doing a physics degree and managing the NHS. When her daughters were born she returned to her dream, writing thousands of short stories for magazines all over the world. But she enjoyed reading children’s books to her daughters so much, she decided to try writing them and found it such fun. 

She’s had an amazing twenty-five books published, from picture-books to age 11, other recent books are - When Betsy Came to Babysit (Tamarind), The Carrot Cake Catastrophe (Gullane) and three Igloo story collections. Elizabeth lives in a village in Sussex and is a stalwart member of Chi SCBWI.

Off to Market was published  by Frances Lincoln on 3rd January 2013

My Secret Alien was published by Egmont for their  Green Banana imprint on 4^th March