Apr 16 2016

Notes from the London Book Fair

 

I went on the Tuesday and Thursday this year using the SCBWI members three day ticket. Fellow SCBWI’s have been asking if the Fair is worth it and I would say, yes, if you are gearing up for submission, if you want to meet/hear/talk to well known authors and publishers and if you want to find out about new releases and the publishing world in general.

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Little Tiger stand, The Children’s Hub @LBF

There are agents and editors about but unless you know them or have pre-booked the 15 minute pitch slots, it’s unlikely you’ll get time with them. Their priority is selling rights and networking, not new authors. Having said that, I did manage to get 20 minutes with an editor I’ve been having an email conversation with about one of my stories. It is always good to put names to faces.

YA & MEG ROSOFF

Meg is one of my favourite authors and I found her in the Penn Literary Salon talking about writing and her new adult screwball comedy, Jonathan Unleashed. Meg has also just won the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Prize for her YA novels and deservedly so, her characters are quirky and original, and she is superb at first person voice.

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Meg Rosoff: Winner of the 2016 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

Meg says she “writes on the edge of reality, where the strange might happen,” weaves into her stories the two big questions teens and young adults are preoccupied with. Will anybody love me? and What will I do with my life?

She says her stories reflect her “cape crusader personality”. She believes in “being good in an unconventional way,” and that life is not about finding happiness, “it’s about being useful and being loved.”

She spends a lot of her day thinking and a small part writing and then rewriting and rewriting and rewriting, until her characters resonate.

Seminar Notes: The Power of Pictures: Working with Picture Book Creators in Primary Schools.

I stumbled upon this talk and I’m so glad I did!

This is a three year Arts Council funded project, from Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), where nine author illustrators have worked alongside teachers to help them understand the creative process that goes into writing picture books. The teachers use this experience to support the children in their classes to become better readers and writers. Author/illustrators taking part included Mini Grey, Nicola Davies, Alexis Deacon and Benji Davies.

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“Good picture books are complex”

Charlotte Hacking, the CLPE programme leader, demonstrated the complexity of the picture books chosen and how they communicate subtle layers of meaning through: body language, expression, line of vision, background, context, colour, page breaks, page turns, rhythms and rhymes, the contrast between words and pictures, and so on.

With a teacher or parent’s support, picture books not only entertain children, they encourage them to use their imagination, organise their thoughts and look for deeper meaning in stories. When children engage fully with a story it can help them learn life skills; one of the most important is EMPATHY.

The CLPE aren’t the only ones thinking like this. Agents/editors are currently seeking picture books that feature a life lesson, e.g. loss, worries, standing up for yourself, finding love, etc. Take a look at the latest SCBWI Slush pile challenge; this is exactly what Helen from Bell Lomax Moreton wants.

I asked the sales reps at some of the  children’s publisher stands: “What’s selling well in picture books at the moment – in the UK and aboard?”

And guess what! Books with a life lesson, stories that make children think, stories that evoke emotion and resonate with both children and adults do, and importantly, they must be humourous.

And bonus! They export well, especially in the Far East’s growing markets.

There was a lot of talk about picture books being relevant to ALL ages. Why do we frown on 7+ year old children reading picture books and push novels on them as soon as possible? Charlotte Hacking advocates breadth of reading for all ages: magazines, digital, comics, picture books and novels, because, “breadth of reading builds reading stamina for life.” 

Seminar: The Future of Children’s Publishing

In this later session, there was a warning and an opportunity. Children’s market are still growing, buoyed in part by adults buying children’s books (seeking what they loved as a child and recognizing the great new writing in this market) and super child readers (from affluent middleclass backgrounds) who are consuming more than their weight in books. Overall though, children of 6+ years are spending less time reading due to digital platforms (YouTube and Apps) becoming more accessible and more attractive. Ensuring diversity and breadth of appeal in children’s publishing is key and creative concepts, which can cross formats are a real opportunity.

INSPIRING AUTHORS

I also attended talks by crime author Peter James, children’s writer Judith Kerr, and watched a ‘Dragons Den’ style panel event called the Write Stuff where five brave authors pitched their novels to agents.

Listening to them talk, it was obvious that successful authors pour their life experiences and passions into their books. Peter James enjoys accompanying the police on raids and his real life tales are every bit as fascinating as his fictional ones.

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Peter James, crime writer

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Judith Kerr, 93

Judith Kerr’s novel, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, was based on her childhood experiences as a jewish refugee narrowly escaping Nazi persecution. The winner of the Write Stuff pitched a book about the fallout of a relationship after a soldier arrived home from a conflict zone, psychologically damaged and irrevocably changed. Both the author and her husband have been deployed in the Middle East and it was a story she needed to tell.

This kind of passion is catching and inspiring and sells lots of books.

Lastly, here’s my pile of children’s publisher catalogues featuring current lists and what’s debuting spring and autumn this year!

I wonder what the gaps in the market are…..

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Mar 8 2016

How to write fantastic descriptive passages

Part 1. Places

We’ve had lots of conversations in my critique group lately about how to describe places and people.

So I thought I would check out how children’s greatest and best authors tackle it, starting with place…

Here’s an extract from…

His Dark Materials, by Phillip Pullman.

imagesDirectly ahead of the ship a mountain rose, green-flanked and snow-capped, and a little town and harbour lay below it: wooden houses with steep roofs, an oratory spire, cranes in the harbour, and clouds of gulls wheeling and crying. The smell was of fish, but mixed with it came the land-smell too: pine-resin and earth and something animal and musky, and something else that was cold and blank and wild: it might have been snow. It was the smell of the North.

Isn’t he a master at painting scenes with words!

The passage is packed with detail. He starts by describing what Lyra can see from the deck of the ship and then he explores the smell of the place, slowly, so we are standing right next to Lyra tasting the air with her, trying to identify that part new, part familiar smell. The description also conveys a sense of Lyra’s anticipation and excitement. She has finally arrived in the North.

Also check out the punctuation. He uses a mixture of colons, commas and the conjunction ‘and’ to structure the scene. This variation prevents the passage from feeling blocky. He has also achieved a rhythmical quality with lots of doubled-up descriptions e.g. “green-flanked and snow capped,” “wooden houses and steep roofs,” “pine-resin and earth.” It’s a lovely passage to read aloud.

The Way We Live Now, by Meg Rosoff

images-3This short passage is from an early scene when Daisy arrives at her aunt’s farm jetlagged and overwhelmed. It’s appropriately short, as Daisy literally can’t take everything in. Rosoff describes the farm and its inhabitants in one broad sweep to reflect her character’s mood.

There was a welcoming committee staring at me through the window and in it were four kids, and a goat and a couple of dogs…and in the background I saw some cats scooting around after a bunch of ducks that for some reason or other were hanging out on the lawn.

A few pages later, when Daisy’s had a chance to explore, Meg Rosoff lets her pen flow.

First let’s get it clear that the house is practically falling down, but for some reason that doesn’t seem to make any difference to how beautiful it is. It’s made of big chunks of yellowish stone, and has a steep roof, and is shaped like an L around a big courtyard with fat pebbles set in the ground. The short part of the L has a wide arched doorway and it used to be the stable, but now it’s the kitchen and it’s huge, with zigzag brick floors and big windows all across the front and a stable door that’s left open, Whenever it’s not actually snowing, says Edmond….

 Daisy has a wonderful voice and it’s a neat technique, having your main character give the reader a tour of the house and grounds. A benefit of first person POV.

The passage goes on for two pages, which tells us that Daisy is curious by nature and rather enjoying her change of scene.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, by J.K Rowling.

I have to include Harry Potter because it haHarry Potter landscapes such iconic imagery and fantasy settings are the product of the author’s imagination, so in theory tougher for the writer to convey. What’s particularly interesting about the The Philosopher’s Stone, and typical of J.K Rowling’s style as a whole, are the scattered short descriptive passages. Individually they’re not terribly clever. They don’t have the poetic quality of Philip Pullman or the voice of Meg Rosoff’s, Daisy; but J.K Rowling works another trick here. She weaves her description around the character’s action and dialogue so cleverly, the reader feels as if the story is unfolding in its entirety in front of their eyes. A cinematic quality, which perhaps is the reason the books are so popular with such a wide range of readers.

“Yeh’ll ger yers firs’ sight o’ Hogwarts in a sec,’ Hagrid called over his shoulder, ‘jus’ round this bend here. ‘There was a loud ‘Oooooh!’ The narrow path had opened suddenly on to the edge of a black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its window sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and windows.  ‘No more’n four to a boat,’ Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore.

Checkout that structure! Dialogue/characterisation (with a touch of foreshadowing),then action, reaction, place description, dialogue and place description again.  Great storytelling!

So five things to remember:

  • ‘Show’ a place from the character’s viewpoint (not the author’s). A character’s mood and ability to observe/feel their surroundings can change considerably from scene to scene.
  • Detail, detail detail! Pin sharp detail makes a place seem real. A great setting can influence the mood of your protagonist and set a mood for the whole book. Know your setting’s quirks like you know the quirks of your characters.
  • Utilise all the senses. Authors rely far too much on sight.
  • Think about the descriptive words you use and the structure of your sentences. Similes, metaphors, rhythm and repetition can massively enhance a descriptive passage, as can active verbs and well placed adjectives, and yes, even the odd helpful adverb.
  • Don’t write your descriptive passages in a great lump of prose unless you are very skilled at all the above techniques, in which case, you may be excused as “being literary.”

Next post: How to write fantastic description – Part 2. People

 

 

 

Jan 13 2016

How to evoke emotion in your readers?

Karl Iglesias in Writing for Emotional Impact, states we can experience three different types of emotion when we read books or watch movies.

Voyeuristic emotions relate to our curiosity about new information, new worlds and the relationship between characters. In this mindset we are interested onlookers but perhaps not fully emotionally engaged.

Vicarious emotions are when we identify so closely with a character, we feel what they feel. Their struggle is our struggle.

Visceral emotion is an intense physical (stomach clenching) sense of curiosity, anticipation, tension, surprise, fear, excitement, laughter, and so on (a real page turner!)

Great books evoke all these emotions.

So first ask yourself, what’s the heart of my story?

And by heart I mean emotional truth. That little nugget of familiarity, which has your reader identifying with your character and his situation, that spark of recognition that makes your character feel believable and real.

For every hurdle your character faces, ask yourself, what would I feel and what would I do in that situation (at that age and that time)? Life experience is invaluable, but research can help fill the gaps: first person letters/autobiographies/live film footage.Failing that, a keen perception, a good imagination and a way with words!

These are the three ways I build a connection between readers and my characters. 

Recognition (understanding and empathy) To identify with a character we must feel (or have felt) the same as they do. If a character is well drawn (and the author understands human nature well) readers can empathise with and share the characters situation, feelings and motives, and then experience the story directly through the characters eyes.

Fascination (interest) We are attracted to what’s different and unusual. It’s human nature to be curious. A multidimensional villain, flawed hero or quirky sidekick are great hooks, as are the magical or dangerous worlds they inhabit.

Mystery (curiosity, anticipation and tension) Children’s books are full of characters with mysterious origins, super powers and secrets to be unlocked.

Think about Harry Potter.

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What character and story elements did J.K Rowling use to help us identify with and care about Harry?

He’s an orphan. He lives in the cupboard under the stairs. The horrendous Dursley’s. The scar on his forehead. The mystery of his parent’s death. Wizards on the front lawn. Magic… and that’s only in the first two chapters!

So how exactly do we show a character’s emotional reaction on the page.

After every event (action) there is a reaction.

As a writing exercise, note all the emotional highs and lows you have in a single day and your physical, verbal and emotional reactions to them.

Use all the usual writing techniques to show, don’t tell, and mix them up a little.

Internal monologue (voice)

Dialogue

Body language/behaviour

Action

This extract is from We Were Liars by E. Lockhart16143347 – 14-year-old Cadence describes how she felt when her father walked out on her and her mother.

My father put a last suitcase in the back of the Mercedes and started the engine. Then he pulled a handgun and shot me in the chest. I was standing on the lawn and I fell. The bullet hole opened wide and my heart rolled out of my rib cage and down onto a flowerbed. Blood gushed rhythmically from my open wound then from my eyes, my ears, my mouth, it tasted like salt and failure. The bright red shame of being unloved soaked the grass in front of our house…

This scene is three pages into the book and sets up Cadence’s state of mind. You can feel her pain.

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Even the fast moving, criminally cool, Artemis Fowl (Eoin Colfer), “felt a lump in his throat. Most uncharacteristic,” at the mention of his missing father and “blinked back a few rebellious tears,” at his mother’s mad ramblings. (Chapter 2)

 

 

Picture books

At Christmas, I watched 50 Best Children’s Books, presented by David Walliams and guests. Winnie the Pooh was in the top spot. Julia Walters read an extract and it struck me how emotive the writing is.

“We’ll be friends forever won’t we, Pooh?” Asked Piglet.th-7

“Even longer,” Pooh answered. “Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.”

I’ve read a lot of picture books lately (drafts and published) that completely omit emotional content. There’s lots of colourful action but no point to it at all. Very young children cannot articulate moods and emotions but they certainly do feel and show them. Picture books are an important aid to learning and talking about feelings. They teach empathy.

Here is a great guide to structuring picture books because it makes space for the character to feel, react and learn.

Spread 1: Intro character/world

Spread 2: Establish problem (worry/dilemma/misunderstanding/first experience)

Spread 3-8: Action

Spread 9: Crisis moment (show immediate emotional reaction- Shock/laughter/confusion)

Spread 10: Examine feelings

Spread 11: Solve problem (new understanding put into practise)

Spread 12: Emotional resolution (answers the stories emotional problem)

Courtesy of Hodder/Hachette (with a little elaboration)

Character emotions vs. reader emotions

There is one final point I want to make about evoking emotion.

Authors don’t always want their readers emotional experience to mirror the characters. An unreliable narrator or an inexperienced, over confident or haphazard character can make the reader feel wonderfully superior and knowing. Humour also works this way. A clumsy character might trip over and fall into things with hilarious consequences. We will be laughing, but the character won’t be. It’s a very effective devise, if done well. It makes the reader feel clever, and flattery, as they say, gets you everywhere.

 

 

Nov 24 2015

Ahoy! SCBWI conference low-down

 

My second conference with amazing SCBWI BI…

Started with some wise words from Natascha Biebow about evoking empathy not sympathy in our writing, and the importance of being in touch with our inner child.

(The amount of piratey costumes at the launch party suggests the inner child part isn’t a problem for most SCBWIs.)

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Me with the fearsome Sally Rowe

And continued amusingly, with Sarah Mcintyre and Philip Reeve dressed up, as I’m not sure what, to talk about creating their three illustrated books for young readers, which sold out on the book stand in 30 seconds  afterwards.

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The unforgettable Sarah Mcintyre and Philip Reeve

I did manage to nab an Oliver and the Seawigs. Thank you for adding the extra sea monkey, Sarah.

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Then on to a Picture Book/Illustrated Fiction Industry Panel with publishers Hodder, Faber and Faber, Otter Barry Books, and agent Felicity Trew (Carolyn Sheldon.) They all stressed how important it is for picture books to appeal to supermarkets (promo slots) as well as international markets, otherwise they don’t make money. A good title is important for Internet sales and a series concept is more likely to attract publishers (particularly for illustrated young readers).

After lunch, the amazing Jonny Duddle, Pirate Cruncher extraordinaire took to the stage and demonstrated that sometimes life takes you in unplanned and unusual directions. But it’s all rather useful material for future books. Though, he did seem to be destined to be a pirate from the very beginning.

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Jonny worked on a real pirate ship for a year  – yes, that one there.

BTW you can learn pirate talk from handy websites like this one: http://the-pirate-ship.com/piratedictionary.html

Jonny thinks up stories and rhymes while out running/cycling in the welsh hills. I wonder if the Chilterns have the same magic air.

It was lovely to meet the SCBWI’s who have launched their books this year at the Mass Book Launch Party. Thank you for all those signed copies! My children feel very spoiled.

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Go SCBWIs!

On Sunday morning, publisher David Fickling got us all up and dancing to Pulp Fiction, and then he shouted money money money. Yes please, David, that would be a nice change.

Agents Julia Churchill (A.M Heath) and Penny Holroyde (Holroyde Cartey) gave a great session on everything an agent does (which is a lot more than I appreciated). Penny also shared a page of her golden notebook – subjects/genres publishers are short of at the moment. Yes, gold dust indeed. My lips are sealed. Book SCBWI events to find out about these tips!

Somewhere in the middle of all that, I had a one to one with an editor from Frances Lincoln and a crit session on a picture book that won’t behave, but now might, thanks to my critiquers insightful comments.

Lots of contacts, lots to follow up on and writing enthusiasm at warp speed 10.

Thank you SCBWI-BI Team.

Sep 2 2015

Writing Humorous Picture Books

I thought this an excellent addition to the notes on my blog about writing picture books. Thank you Rebecca and Laurie for sharing. Love that hat.

Laurie J. Edwards ~ Author, Artist, Dreamer...

Rebecca witch 1Today I have the great pleasure of hosting my friend Rebecca Colby, an awesome picture book writer, whose book, It’s Raining Bats & Frogs, released this month. She’s agreed to give share some secrets for writing funny picture books. And as a special bonus, if you read through the post, you’ll find a clue for her Scavenger Hunt. Be sure to collect all of the clues to be eligible for a prize.

And here’s Rebecca…

Show Them the Funny: Writing Humorous Picture Books

Everywhere I look on editor and agent submission wish lists these days, I read the following: WANTED: Funny, Quirky Picture Books. Why? Because everyone enjoys a laugh—kids and adults alike. Laughing makes people feel good, and as a result, funny sells.

But if you’re not the kind of person who automatically sees the funny side of life, you may find writing humorous picture books…

View original post 862 more words

Aug 16 2015

Discovering inspirational story locations

Troyes and Avignon – a story maker’s delight

In another life, had I been brave and worldly enough in my twenties and a lot freer than I am now, I would have been a travel journalist and photographer. I love exploring extraordinary places steeped in culture and history, the colours, the smells, the faces and all the little details of a place that make it unique.

On our drive through France, heading to the sunny riviera, we rejected touristy Reims as a stop off with it’s champagne commercialism and stopped instead at Troyes and Avignon.

Troyes is a story makers delight. I marvelled at medieval street after medieval street of half timber framed houses, every house a different colour, some patterned with distinctive tiles, others with ornate turrets where magic must be at work because they simply defy gravity.

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As I turn a corner I half expect to stumble upon Dumas’ Musketeers duelling in the street or a young wizard stepping out of a timber fronted shop with his first wand.

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Troyes could be the backdrop to any Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale. Is this Snow Whites castle?

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Or perhaps it could be Middle Earth – here’s a Hobbit’s house, the door child-sized.

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And then there’s the magnificent gothic St-Pierre and St-Paul Cathedral, its grand galleries fit for Kings; or perhaps the cathedrale is reminiscent of Tolkein’s dwarfish realm of Moira, the giant arches hewn from grey stone, taking four hundred years to complete.

Troyes Cathedrale

Onwards through France we travelled stopping next in Avignon.

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The 14th century Papal Palace

Avignon was the Papal seat in the 14th century. The Papal palace was constructed in just twenty years and was the biggest building site in Europe. Imagine a pilgrim seeing this view from the hostel across the Rhone river for the first time. Awe inspiring. It still is.

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The imposing French King’s castle in Villeneuve les Avignon. 

What places inspired you this summer?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jun 25 2015

Critiques, Contacts and Competitions – What a week!

So much has gone on this week there’s a danger it won’t fit on the page.

It all started last Tuesday and ended on Sunday with a lovely surprise.

TUESDAY: The SCBWI Industry Insiders: Picture Books & Early Readers talk in London.

On the panel were Sara Grant from Book Bound, Emma Layfield from publisher Hodder and Mark from Plumb Pudding Illustration Agency. They gave one of the best, most informative talks I have ever attended – and believe me I have attended a few.

There was none of that, ‘we’re not sure what we want but we know it when we see it’ vagueness. No indeed, we got straight to the point with marketing facts and figures and actionable advice such as, tops tips on how to write for each age group, lists of bestsellers, which supermarket promotional slots to target for picture books, the where and why of what sells in international markets, UK trends and opportunities and why there are so many picture books featuring the Queen’s Hat/Knickers/Baby…. and why there will be more still!

I’ve filled half a notebook with scrawled notes.

Here’s a couple of happy facts I’ll share with you.

  • The UK is a highly productive picture book market. There are 153,000 new picture books published every year.
  • We export 60% to the US (but not the toilet humour ones, they have a thing about those!)
  • Picture books have a maximum of 14 spreads and should be 400-500 words.
  • There should be a change of scene for each spread and the structure should look something like this:

Spread 1: Intro

Spread 2: Establish problem

Spread 3-8: Action

Spread 9: Crisis moment

Spread 10: Examine feelings

Spread 11: Solve problem

Spread 12: Emotional resolution

What is a young readers?

Sara Grant has helpfully dissipated my confusion over young readers.

These are the illustrated books for 5-8 year olds and should not be confused with reading scheme books, which are used by schools and parents to teach children to read. Writing for reading schemes is by invitation only.

Agents and publishers are actively looking for original stories for 5-8 year olds, it’ a growing segment. The SCBWI Undiscovered Voices competition would also welcome more young readers entries. It opens for submissions in July.

The average length of a young reader is 5,000 words.

It was good to see some familiar faces and catch up with fellow SCBWI’s at this well attended event.

SCBWI Professionals Evening - Picture Books and Young Readers

SCBWI Industry Insiders Evening – Emma Layfield’s Picture Book Presentation (Hodder)

Thursday: Children’s Book Circle: 15 minute critique with a picture book publisher at Penguin HQ.

It’s a worthwhile experience to have a story critiqued by a professional even if it is only for 15 minutes. Sophie from Scholastic provided some very insightful advice. She explained why circular stories work so well, why characters should be very active on the page, and why I need to tone down my bossy mean uncle character.

But 15 minutes goes very quickly!

Saturday/Sunday: Winchester Literary Festival Writing Competitions.

I submitted three picture books and a reworked opening to my YA novel to this competition that also promised a mini critique for each entry.

To my surprise I was shortlisted for the First Three Pages of a Novel Prize and won. My prize is a meeting with publishers Little Brown.

Awesome.

What a week!

Now I must get back to editing my novel and that picture book!

May 15 2015

Children’s picture book publishers accepting unsolicited manuscripts

Big picture book publishing houses don’t accept unsolicited submissions but many of the smaller independent ones do. If you want to publish without getting an agent, see the list below.

Note – all these publishers have websites and it is a very good idea to look closely at their catalogue and read their books, as they often focus on one area of the market, e.g. board books, novelty books, colouring books, educational, series, younger children, etc… and there is often a very clear house style. Submission guidelines and word count vary a lot, so check out their guidelines or ask for them and tailor each submission accordingly.

Most of these publishers also publish young readers, middle grade, teen and non-fiction

Anderson Press

Maverick Books (currently they are overwhelmed and have closed their doors but will probably be open to submissions again at some point)

Nosy Crow (traditional publishing and digital)

Firefly Books

Templar books

Hinkler Books

Francis Lincoln books

Oxford Uni Press

Walker Books (if you look closely at their submissions page they don’t accept unsolicited manuscripts for any other age group, but they do from picture book illustrators and writers, but don’t expect a reply unless an editor absolutely loves it! The slush pile mountain is legendary!)

Sweet Cherry Publishing (series reads only)

Newish publishers to look out for:

Fourth Wall Publishing

Flying Eye Books

Old Barn Books

Barefoot Books (not sure how open to new writers/illustrators they are but checkout their interactive studio in Oxford!)

Made in Me (digital books)

Ginger books

You can circumvent the ‘no unsolicited manuscripts rule’ with the big publishers by talking to them at writing conferences or any other author/publisher/agent events they might attend. Also look out for competitions, they are often sponsored/judged by an editor from a publishing house that would otherwise be closed to new writers. At the SCBWI conference, I handed a Little Tiger Press editor two stories after she facilitated a picture book writing session and she was kind enough to give me some very good feedback within two weeks! My stories would have been ignored otherwise.

If you get feedback, it is like gold dust, no matter what it says. Thank editors profusely for their time.

Good luck.

Apr 21 2015

Is the London Book Fair a worthwhile visit for budding authors?

My morning at Olympia started at 9:45 at Authors HQ, listening to Rebecca Swift from the Literary Consultancy, chairing a discussion with agents, Juliet Mushens, The Agency Group, and Iain Millar, co-found of Canelo Digital Publishing, on how they find new talent.

Some of their advice I have heard before but it’s never a bad thing to be reminded of the high standards expected of manuscripts.

Juliet said: “Succinctly summarise what your novel is about in your covering letter. Tell us why your story is going to be attractive to publishers and readers. It’s amazing how many authors don’t do this.”

Iain said: “A lot of manuscripts are rejected because they start too early and don’t establish character, setting and conflict in the opening chapters skilfully.”

Juliet advised: “Send your first three chapters to 5-10 agents. If they ask for the full manuscript this does not mean they want to represent you and not all agents respond with comments, alas.” Though Juliet said she does send feedback if she reads a full manuscript.

Agents and publisher, Juliet Mushens and Iain Millar answering questions.

Agents and publisher, Juliet Mushens and Iain Millar, answering questions.

I then headed over to the Children’s Hub to listen to Laura Wood, winner of the Montegrappa Scholastic Prize for New children’s writing, and her publisher Samantha Selby-Smith and agent Louise Lamont from LBA. Laura’s novel, Poppy Pym and the Pharaoh’s Curse, is to be released in October. I was lucky enough to be given a free proof copy.

I chuckled when Laura confessed she had only written the first five thousand words required to enter the first stage of the competition. When she was shortlisted, Scholastic asked if she had the full manuscript (which was expected!), she said yes, and then wrote her novel in three weeks. “It was the most stressful three weeks of my life. I wouldn’t recommend lying to your publisher,” she joked.

Laura Wood signing, Poppy Pym and the Pharaohs Curse

Laura Wood signing, Poppy Pym and the Pharaoh’s Curse

I had time to look at all the publisher stands in the Children’s section before heading to the next talk. My objective was to: collect trade catalogues, handy for idea creation (and spotting what has already been done), publisher styles and market trends; and also to discover new or relatively new publishers, who are expanding their lists and accept unsolicited manuscripts. I found a few!

I located the Pen Literary Salon just in time to hear Anthony Browne talk about his long career illustrating and writing picture books. He was my favourite speaker of the day – articulate, wise and creative.

He takes ideas from his childhood, from familiar objects, other artwork, toys and games. He twists and changes them into something else and plays with point of view.

"Picture books are like works of art, they can be poured over, paused over, thought about and revisited." Anthony Browne

“Picture books are like works of art, they can be poured over, paused over, thought about and revisited.” Anthony Browne

“There should be different layers in picture books. The child doesn’t have to know what everything is or what everything means. Conversations between children and adults are generated by the story and illustrations. Parents sometimes move children on to quickly from picture books, thinking they are for young children and therefore babyish.”

Anthony believes the picture book is for any age. “We live in a visual world of moving images, there is only a few seconds to appreciate an image before it is gone. Picture books in contrast are like works of art; they can be poured over, paused over, thought about and revisited.”

After lunch, I did a quick reccy of the larger publishers stands, which sprawl across the grand hall, collecting more trade catalogues. I also checked out the self-publishing stands. There’s a lot of info available and at least one talk a day.

Olympia's Grand Hall.

Olympia’s Grand Hall

Then I headed back to Author HQ to hear some very brave authors pitch their books live to a panel of agents and publishers. They had one minute to introduce themselves and two minutes to pitch their book before being critiqued. The panel had pre-read one chapter.

It was interesting to watch people’s style, hear about their background and watch mistakes. The biggest takeout from the panel was a warning about marketability. “Where does your book fit,” they kept asking, a couple of authors received the more depressing news, “I like the writing but I can’t sell it.”

This it at odds with the advice often given, “right what you love” – the caveat clearly is, as long as it is marketable.

There is definitely a lot more going on for authors this year at LBF. I’ve got a stack of information about the market and a few publishing leads.

Yes, indeed, it’s definitely worth the ticket.

(SCBWI members are eligible for a half price flexi ticket)

Apr 2 2015

Notes from a SCBWI Masterclass with Eric Huang – Picture books for the digital age

I first heard Eric Huang speak at the SCBWI Winchester conference last October. I was inspired by the creativity of the apps, characters and stories Made in Me were developing for Me Books – but what particularly struck a chord, was Eric’s suggestion that authors and illustrators should start thinking about themselves as creators.

In the digital and marketing age, characters and the worlds we create for them, can live beyond the page, in fact they can jump about and talk or even make an appearance as a stuffed toy in Tesco.

Exciting and inspiring?  Yes, I think so. So when I saw a SCBWI masterclass scheduled with Eric, I jumped at the chance to learn more.

Eric Huang

Eric Huang

Made in Me doesn’t think about publishing in the way traditional publishers do.

Most publishers don’t market themselves; they market their books and their authors (and sometimes not even this). Penguin is one of the few publishers that do.

In contrast, games, TV, film and comic book creators (and just about any other consumer facing brand) consider branding very early on in the development process.

They build characters and a world for the characters to live in. They think about the UX (the user experience) and the user interactivity with the brand. This might include: apps, games, stationary, toys, clothing or food. Moshi Monsters is a good example.

Eric pointed out that a lot of entertainment brand profits come from rights, licensing and merchandise, and these big entertainment brands, more often than not, originate from books, e.g. How to Train Your Dragon, Paddington.

So when creating a picture book, think about it’s potential.

These are some of the questions Eric suggests creators ask themselves.

  • Can the characters and world live beyond a single story? If not, how can you make the concept stronger?
  • Do you want your name or the characters/book series to be the brand?
  • How do you want your creation to be treated? Eric suggests writing a brand bible. Creators should always think carefully before signing away creative rights.

Eric pointed out the benefits of writing story apps.

  • It’s a good test market. Concepts can be adjusted until they work.
  • Think big. Start small and brand build.
  • Interactivity doesn’t just mean audio or animation. Handheld devices feature microphones, video and cameras. These can be utilised interactively to enhance the UX and link the digital world with the physical world. The best digital experiences are those that tap into existing behaviours and patterns of play.
  • Creative partnerships (illustrator/writer/animator combos) are welcome to pitch.
  • THERE ARE NO RULES
Pitching a concept to Eric

Pitching a concept to Eric

Eric’s marketing tips.

  • Build a brand website.
  • Achieve search engine optimization.
  • Think when and how people are using digital stories.
  • Concepts that generate an emotion response work best, e.g. on the Moshi Monsters website, children can decorate their own room. Also look at name, a personalised digital book.

For inspiration Eric suggested the following:

Obviously www.madeinme.com where you can visit Stomp! and Trevor the Troll and www.mebooks.co which is the downloadable story app.

Also:

www.caribuapp.com  (Skype for book readers)

www.nosycrow.com/apps (more story apps )

www.teachyourmonstertoread.com (a learning to read interactive game)

Eric is accepting submissions. Email: eric@madeinme.com

Eric Huang is Development Director at Made in Me, an award winning digital publisher in London specialising in children’s entertainment. He looks after IP development and partnerships around creating and launching digital brands

Happy masterclass attendees

Happy masterclass attendees

Look up http://britishisles.scbwi.org to see SCBWI events and scheduled masterclasses and http://www.wordsandpics.org for the fabulous on-line magazine Words and Pictures, with, oh, so much, information for children’s authors.