December 2004

What Are The Daily Responsibilities Of A Children's Book Editor?

I am interested in the editing side of children's literature and would be really grateful for some advice on the responsibilities involved and daily duties. I have just graduated from Cambridge University in English Literature, but am keen to find out more before applying for jobs.

I'm not a children's book editor, therefore I can't really advise you on the daily responsibilities or duties. However I am certain that these differ from one publishing house to another. As far as I know most children's book editors start out as editorial assistants. Robin Friedman has interviewed eighteen children's book editors from such popular children's book publishers as Simon & Schuster, Viking, and Dutton. She asks each editor to describe a typical day. You'll be surprised at all the different responses. You can find the full text of these fascinating interviews at her web site. Warning: allow yourself plenty of time, because you'll really get hooked on reading what these editors have to say about the business.

If you're planning to work in the children's book industry, it's a good idea to get to know the business. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books by Harold Underdown, is a good place to start. He covers all the layers of children's publishing, and offers a lot of excellent advice for beginners. Olga Litowinsky is a former children's book editor, agent, and publisher. Her book, It's a Bunny-Eat-Bunny World: A Writer's Guide to Surviving and Thriving in Today's Competitive Children's Book Market is an insider's look into the world of children's book publishing today, and told with tongue-in-cheek good humor.

Can I Submit My Magazine Feature To Book Publishers?

I had a pop star feature published in a children's magazine two years ago. I read about a call for biography submissions from a children's book publisher and I think that my feature would fit in with what they're looking for. Since it was first published in a magazine, can I submit it to a book publisher?

Rights are rights, therefore there's no difference between selling rights to a magazine and selling rights to a book publisher. It depends on whether or not the magazine owns all rights. Assuming you still have the contract you signed when you originally sold the piece, be sure to read it over again. If the contract is for nonexclusive serial rights and the rights revert to you after publication, then you are free to submit your manuscript to other markets, including book publishers. If the contract is for all rights, then the text of the article belongs to the magazine. Moira Allen covers the issue of re-selling an article more in depth in her article, "Can I Sell a Previously Published Article?"

It's fairly easy to get around the all rights problem. But it will involve some serious re-writing. Since your article was written and published a couple years ago, it could probably use some updating. In fact, even if you own the rights, you should re-visit the work, dust it off and spice it up. Do some research for new information about your subject that you can add to beef up and revise the original text. Make up a new title. Also, go to your local library or bookstore and look at the biographies published by the publisher you plan to submit to. Then use your published article as a basis for an updated, improved biography that will fit in well with the style of books they publish.

Can You Recommend Children's Holiday Books?

I'm looking for good holiday books for my kids. My daughter is 5 and my son is 11, so there's quite a bit of difference in their reading abilities and interests! Not only that but some of the holiday books that my son liked don't interest my daughter now. And I thought, what better person to ask than someone like you that knows so much about books.

I have several favorite holiday books, such as The Polar Express (Van Allsburg), A Christmas Carol (Dickens), and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Suess), but those might not necessarily be on your kids' wish lists. Rather than recommending specific holiday books, I can show you how to find what you're looking for. First of all, talk to the children's librarian at your local library. She will be able to recommend favorite children's books for the holidays, based on her experience with observing kids' reading habits. For what's new in children's holiday books, visit your local bookstore and ask the children's book department manager for recommendations. Also, you can go to Amazon.com and click on Books. In the Browse category on the left hand side of the page, click on Children's Books. In the Search in Children's Books window, type in "Christmas books". You'll find a list of more than 8,000 titles.

To find holiday books for your daughter, check out The Best Christmas Books for Kids, ages 4 to 8. At this web site, you'll find the lists are divided into four categories: best books, traditional books, new books, and true meaning of Christmas books. Some of the recommendations, such as The Christmas Crocodile (Becker) and The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey (Wojciechowski), you will find more suitable for your son. For more book choices for your son, you can go to Common Sense Media's web site for a list of Great Holiday Books for Kids Ages 8+.

Children's books make great holiday gifts for all ages. Happy shopping!

Happy Holidays and Best Wishes in the New Year to all my readers!

For more information:

Interviews with Children's Book Editors

http://www.robinfriedman.com/interviews.html

Can I Sell a Previously Published Article?

http://www.writing-world.com/rights/prevpub.shtml

The Best Christmas Books for Kids

http://www.northpolesantaclaus.com/christma.htm

Great Holiday Books for Kids Ages 8+

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/reviews/recommended_list.php?id=11&showthis=Book

CHRISTMAS BOOKS:

• The Polar Express
• A Christmas Carol
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas
• The Christmas Crocodile
• The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey

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