Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Children’s Publishing (But Were Afraid To Ask)

Celia Anderson and Anne Neild

Saturday 21st September was a day of sparkling wit and fascinating revelations for all of us who like to hang around in the world of writers, agents and publishers. It was the first ever Nosy Crow conference, held in the atmospheric St Bride’s Foundation just off Fleet Street. There was wine (but only at the end, or drunken clapping might have spoiled the event) there were home-made cakes and there were speakers who were able to keep the buzz going all day long – even when the PA system took an unseemly nosedive. 


Lucy Mangan, Guardian columnist and champion of the magic of language, began her wryly entertaining talk by telling us how books had provided an enjoyable childhood for a small girl who didn’t enjoy school (a place which turned out to be annoyingly full of children) giving her a dry run at life by letting her experience several more exciting lives at once. She explained that books are the way in which children make sense of their own worlds and begin to understand that life isn’t just a series of random things happening. Reading sets you free – raw power that you can use to improve your life. 

The conference kicks off!

The Editors’ Panel - Camilla Reid, Louise Bolongaro, and Kirsty Stansfield – led by MD Kate Wilson then gave a whistle-stop tour of ways in which your editor – also the midwife of your brainchild - can help you to see your work more clearly; to make it the very best it can be. Kate expertly fielded questions from the audience, as the panel covered topics such as writing an outstanding letter to a publisher/agent, being specific about who you’re writing for and how an editor divides their time fairly and develops an instinctive knowledge for acquisition along the way. 

Whizzing along after a brief break, agent Hilary Delamere gave an eye-opening run through an agent’s day, detailing how a long and happy author/agent relationship can be the key to an equally long and productive writing career. Orchestrating from behind the scenes, an agent can help with an author’s public presence, decision making, facing unexpected challenges, and hopefully bring in huge deals along the way! 

Debut NC authors Paula Harrison, Helen Peters and Sue Ransom came next, and it was heart-warming and hugely encouraging to hear how their highly successful books were discovered on the slushpile. They outlined their individual routes to publication, making it all seem much more accessible to the novice writer – Paula said that the best thing about being published is doing just what you want to do for a living, and all agreed that even when an author hates to admit it, the editor is often right. 

Tracey Corderoy's display

Tracey Corderoy’s talk on live events was full of warmth and hilarity. Ex-teacher Corderoy is now a best-selling author but shows no signs of distancing herself from the coalface - she has undertaken over seventy-five live events in the last year. Corderoy’s view is that these events are about much more than promotion. They offer an opportunity to bring colour and wonder to children, some of whom will have little of either in their lives. At the heart of her visits is the desire to engage every child. The lengths she goes to making story sacks, costumes and craft packs drew gasps from the audience! 

Tracey Corderoy’s tips for authors facing a live event:

• Be prepared 

• Live the story 

• Use puppets 

• Have realistic expectations 

• Always say ‘yes’ - then make a plan! 

Social media guru Jon Reed has a background in publishing so proved well-placed to advise authors/ illustrators on how to build their brand online. Reed emphasised the importance of a unique voice and a consistent hook ie. the brief blurb you use to describe yourself. 

Reed’s top tip: don’t wait for publication – get blogging now.

Writers are in a strong position since building a brand online is all about generating content. Your ‘product’ - your book(s) - should sit at the heart of your brand, with your website and email the first line of promotion. You can signpost people to your podcasts, blogs, videos and photos through what he describes as ‘outreach tools’ – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest etc. Reed’s top tip: don’t wait for publication – get blogging now. 

The cakes went down well!

Melissa Cox, Waterstones Children’s New Titles Buyer, gave a fascinating insight into how she chooses what the chain stocks and where. The average children’s section in Waterstones contains 4,500 titles, 35% of which are new. 6,000 new titles were presented to the children’s buying team in 2013 alone. 

...a strong new male voice in the UK market was hard to find.

Cox takes great care to buy and place the books she thinks will sell. She explained that a large part of her role is trying to strike a balance between what children like and what adults think children ought to be reading. Picture books and 5-8 series reads remain highly competitive areas, with established household names making it hard, though not impossible, for new writers to break through. Although YA still tends to be dominated by US authors, Cox said a strong new male voice in the UK market was hard to find. Unsurprisingly, an award always provides a boost. Sales of Levi Pinfold’s Black Dog increased by 900% after he won the Kate Greenaway this year. 

Nosy Crow’s Kate Wilson wrapped up with a look at future trends. Social media has had a huge impact; Wilson acknowledged the shift in the relationship between the reader, author, librarian and publisher. 

The use of QR codes to allow consumers to access audio versions of books is likely to increase...

There is much more of an open dialogue now and publishers have an opportunity to engage with consumers in a way that was not previously possible. Wilson felt the ease with which anyone could publish a book had resulted in a cluttered, more amateur market. The use of QR codes to allow consumers to access audio versions of books is likely to increase, as are the options for personalisation. Interactivity and ‘gameification’ are also areas likely to see significant growth with publishers like Nosy Crow beginning to produce apps for the smartphone and tablet market that allow interactive reading and learning.
 

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@CeliaAnderson1

When she’s not marking children’s work, or writing stories involving pants, Celia spends far too much time on Facebook and does a lot of walking to counteract the cooking, eating and drinking which form another of her hobbies. She's a Romaniac  and you can also find her on her own website. Usually sea-starved in the depths of the Midlands, she can often be found wandering happily around Brighton visiting her two daughters pretending to collect ideas for her next book.

@AnnieNeild

Annie Neild is an unpublished picture book author. She joined SCBWI in 2012 and is a member/moderator of their online picture book critique group, EUREKA! Annie has also been part of the Cambridge Writers writing for children group since 2010.

Could a critique group be for you?

Annie Neild

A face-to-face critique group in action

"Find a good critique group,” is a piece of advice that is often given in books about writing and getting published. The suggestion is that if you’re serious about your craft, you ought to consider joining a critique group. So, what’s all the fuss about?


“I think critique groups are one of the most important writing tools,” says SCBWI member Justyna Golebiowski. “Having valuable feedback and suggestions from other writers who are not only writing and learning themselves, but who are unbiased too.”

Submitting your work for a critique can be daunting, but if you’re keen to develop your writing style or you’re at an impasse with a particular text, you may decide it’s worth the leap of faith. After all, sometimes it’s hard to see the wood for the trees. The objective comments of a critique group can help a writer regain valuable perspective. “Often I know there’s something wrong with my text and can’t quite put my finger on it,” says Alex English, journalist and picture book author. “A fresh pair of eyes makes all the difference.”

“A fresh pair of eyes makes all the difference.”

Most of us would agree it’s preferable to have the flaws in a text pointed out by a fellow writer than by an agent or editor. Nonetheless, be prepared for a full and honest assessment. “We stress to all new members that we’re a group whose members like constructive criticism, so the discussion is often pretty frank,” says Ruth Hatfield, co-founder of the Cambridge Writers writing for children group, “but always with the emphasis on making practical suggestions about possible edits, rather than just giving personal reactions.”

Since detailed, practical advice can be hard to come by when you’re trying to get published (or find an agent), joining a strong critique group is akin to tapping into a rich vein of constructive criticism. If your group shares work regularly it can be time-consuming to submit and comment each month, but you may well find that your critiquing commitments are absorbed naturally into your writing routine. Alice Hemming, who is published by Maverick Arts, says of her SCBWI online critique group: “I feel the group has really helped improve my writing and it now forms an essential part of my writing practice: I write a draft, show my husband, write another draft, post to Eureka!, edit and polish, then submit or shelve for a while.”

Cake always helps!

Although a critique group that discusses a broad range of genres, or sub-genres, has much to offer, it can also be helpful to find other writers working within your specific field or age-range. SCBWI BI has established, and manages, a range of these niche groups using a blog-based format. Alice describes the benefits of this kind of set-up: “Everyone in the group is a picture book writer, which is great. We all understand the importance of finding exactly the right word, getting the page turns just right and finding the right balance with our illustration notes.”

The online format of groups like EUREKA! engenders a different feel to a face-to-face collective. Online groups may occasionally meet-up in person, but members often live hours apart - even in different countries - so it’s not always possible. The general consensus seems to be that it doesn’t matter. “I was worried that an online group wouldn’t have the same synergy that happens with a face-to-face group,” comments Patty Toht, who also belongs to EUREKA!, “but surprisingly that still happens.”

Honorary attendees welcome

The synergy of a critique group can take time to develop. Trust is key, and once that trust has been established, space opens up for broader discussions between members. Experiences are shared, advice is sought and given freely, and achievements are celebrated. One SCBWI author describes the other members of her group as ‘supportive friends’. This is where the added value of a critique group lies. For many writers, published and unpublished, these groups offer support, friendship and camaraderie. They can be a crucial source of inspiration and creativity, as well as of constructive feedback. Writing is often a lonely experience and it can make all the difference to share your highs and lows with someone who understands exactly what you’re going through. If you’re willing to put in the time and effort, joining a critique group could be the best thing you’ll ever do.

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Annie Neild is an unpublished picture book author. She joined SCBWI in 2012 and is a member/ moderator of their online picture book critique group, EUREKA! Annie has also been part of the Cambridge Writers writing for children group since 2010.