BEA

Stands for Book Expo America.
Full of publishers and booksellers and authors and some people who want to be one of those things but are kidding themselves.

And when I say "full" I mean AUGH GET OFF ME I AM GOING TO START THROWING ELBOWS AND KICKING PEOPLE IN THE BACKS OF THEIR KNEES IF I DON'T GET SOME SPACE.

Everything was packed. The show floor was packed. The ABC dinner was packed. The kidlit drink night was packed. New York was packed, and I fricking hate taxi drivers. There was a line two miles long for the Children's Breakfast, and I had to pull chairs out from under other people in order to conduct the very important meetings I had scheduled with important people. By the end of the week I was communicating mostly in catlike teeth-bared hisses.

I communicated this to one of our marketing people, and she said she had had a related conversation with an author just before the show.

Author: "I want to go to BEA!"

Her: "You just think that."

The Value of Critique?

I have a question about conference critiques. At our regional conferences, attendees can pay a little extra ($35) to have one of the editors or agents attending the conference critique up to ten pages of a manuscript. Writers are encouraged to do this--to have their work read carefully by someone in the publishing industry.

My question is this: how seriously do editors take these critiques? I've heard enough different things that it seems the critiques are a crap shoot--some editors take them seriously and do a good job, others blow them off. Are there standards for these critiques? Something the industry adheres to? I'm confused because one thing new writers are always told is not to pay an agent or editor to look at their work, even if they offer to critique it. Are conference critiques different? It just seems silly to spend the money since by attending the conference, you're allowed to submit to the editors or agent anyway, and get your work looked at.

The advice about not paying people to look at your work is to help newbies avoid scam "agents" and "editors", not to help them avoid the legitimate professionals that are invited to conferences. But if all you want is for your work to be looked at, and the editors attending are going to offer to read submissions from the conference, then yes, critiques are a waste of your money.

I wouldn't be surprised to hear that a few editors do blow this responsibility off, as critiques always take a lot of time and mental energy, and the manuscripts presented are sometimes... of a daunting quality. (Though clearly that's a disservice to the conference an editor has agreed to attend; if an editor isn't willing to do the work of a conference, they shouldn't go to them.) There's no industry standard. I do my best with critiques, and every once in a while I suggest a writer submit to me.

But I'm not certain critiques are really that useful to most people, in the end. Sometimes I have market-oriented advice, which is something editors can be good for, but more often the advice I can offer is the sort of thing anyone could get in a writing class.

I'd be thrilled to hear in the comments of readers' experiences with conference critique. But if you're wondering why writers are encouraged to sign up for them, it's financial. Conferences make a meaningful piece of their profit on critiques.

You Tell Me!

In your opinion, what is the best site to find out about local conferences and conventions (children's of course)? Which is your favorite convention?

I don't know. But maybe my Anonymati do? Readers, I call you to the comments!

Yes, We Have No Editors Today

I just came back from the ALA conference and I'm still as confused as ever as to who does what and who talks to who in the world of publishing. I assume that most of the publishing people I see at an event like that are marketing people, but I remember meeting an editor from a small (but quite well-known) children's press who, when learning I was a librarian, said "maybe I'll see you at ALA." To what extent, then, do editors wear different hats and might I see them pop up at these events sometimes? Also, where does an event like ALA rank on your radar screen as far as reaching possible buyers?

Certainly Marketing and Publicity are regular attendees at events like ALA and BEA. Those events are also lousy with editors and other publishing professionals. Both events rank high for us-- they are usually our best chances to connect with the librarian and bookseller communities.

Getting a chance to talk to committed booksellers and librarians--who are or may become movers and shakers in their respective areas-- is of tremendous help to editors, if we can manage a conversation amid the bustle.

Keep in mind that we are continually avoiding twits who think they'll submit a manuscript or pitch a project to us in person, regardless of our submission guidelines. So don't be surprised if editors don't have a badge on or "accidentally" have their badges flipped. If someone we don't know shows up and asks if there's 'an editor' in the booth, we will scan the booth carefully before lying our asses off.

Preparing for Critique Sessions

EA, I will be attending a writer's conference that features a lengthy one-on-one critique session. The mentors at this conference are known to look over other manuscripts, apart from the one submitted with the application. Of course, I plan on polishing several manuscripts as best as I can before the event. I also started to research the editors, agents, and authors on the list of mentors. I thought it would be useful to know what books they have edited and to read some of these books. It became unwieldy, and almost creepy -- I found out about one editor's softball achievements in college and that another dated George Clooney. (Or maybe not.) But anyway, I am wondering what is the advisable course of preparation for a one-on-one critique? Just polishing manuscripts, or does it help to know a bit about the mentors as well, other than what's provided on the bio sheet at the conference? Thanks.

1. DON'T reveal that you found personal information about the editor on the internet. Some of us have stalkers. Some of us don't. But none of us want them, and we're all sensitive to the possibility.

2. DO research the editor's publishing house/imprint. Don't just think about what they do publish, but what they don't publish.

3. DO get your work in the best shape you can, so that you'll get the most accurate and useful feedback.

4. DON'T think of this as a pitch session. You aren't there to sell a manuscript. You're there to get an industry-side viewpoint on the manuscript's strengths and weaknesses. Think of it as an opportunity for creative growth (not financial).

5. DO think of questions you might ask the editor. This is your time with her, so use it to your best advantage by asking about the things you want to know.

6. Questions NOT to ask:

• "Do you want this manuscript?" (Instead: "May I send you this manuscript after I've considered your revision suggestions?")
  
• "Will you respond personally if I do?" (I don't know yet. If I see the revision and really wish I could take it on, but I can't, then yes, I will probably respond personally. If it's just not connecting with me as strongly as I want it to, then I won't feel an obligation to make the letter particularly detailed.)
• "Where else should I submit this?" (a. I don't know. b. This is your job.)
• "Why is getting published so hard?" (No matter how sympathetic the editor seems, don't start whining to her. Be professional, cheerful, and accepting of critique. We meet a broad spectrum of people at conferences, and these qualities usually mark the people who have a chance at making it in the industry.)
  

I See a Lavender Man Bearing a Book Contract

A friend of mine recently attended a local SCBWI conference, where she had a paid critique session with an editorial assistant at a well-respected, mid-sized publishing house. This editor was very interested in my friend's manuscript and said that she'd waited "all day" to meet with her (the critique was one of the last scheduled). She went as far as to say that if my friend had carried the emotional arc that she'd shown in those first 30 pages throughout the rest of the manuscript, she'd be interested in acquiring it.

I've heard of editors showing interest in manuscripts, but I don't recall the word "acquire" ever being used at this stage. I think this is a very promising sign, but my friend thinks this (newish) editorial assistant is jumping the gun. She thinks it probably means nothing more than that the editor would like to see the full manuscript, and she'll probably reject it anyway. I'd like to know your thoughts on the subject. Should my friend be scrambling to get the manuscript over to the editor, continuing at her snail's pace with preparing to query agents, or some combination of the above?

If it weren't your friend who thought the editor was jumping the gun, I would have wondered if your friend had had a little critique-stress-induced delusion. Was there a unicorn nearby when the editor said that?

It does strike me as highly unusual for anyone who is in the position to acquire to use the word "acquire" around a manuscript she hasn't read all the way through. But who knows? I wouldn't recommend your friend "scramble", as that usually results in manuscripts being sent too early (unless it's finished already?), but yes, do send that manuscript to that editor. And unless your friend agreed to an exclusive, she should also keep doing the regular submissions work she would have anyway, just in case the fairy dust wears off before the editor can get the acquisition approved. Good luck to her!

The Internal Critique, the External Critique, and the Vast Chasm Therebetween

I've heard of this happening a LOT, and far too often: writers who got really positive comments from editors in critiques get a scant form rejection after many months and usually a status check. What gives? Are editors overly optimistic because it's hard to reject face to face? Are they encouraging a writer as a whole who they see has talent, even if that particular project isn't there yet? Or do they just want to get these people out of their hair, no matter what they end up saying?

It is certainly true that we're always more positive face-to-face than we are in our own heads. As has been recently highlighted on this blog, we're often very critical—even of the things we honestly think have promise.

If normal people could witness the weighing of positives and negatives, the calculations and arguments with ourselves that happen in an editor's head, many of you would start to wonder if we were, in fact, schizophrenic.

We aren't. But we are aware that what goes on in our heads is hardly material for social interaction. It has to be filtered.

And that's hard. How do we offer you enough of that mix of impressions and thoughts to be useful to you, without giving you so much that you're confused, or offended? It's also hard to be sure we're communicating what we think we're communicating when dealing with the wide variety of people we meet at conferences. I once answered a question that I could swear was "do you think my manuscript is publishable?" but that subsequent events proved the author had thought was "do you want to acquire my manuscript?" These are awfully different questions, obviously. Not everything that I think is salable is something I personally (or even my publishing company particularly) wants to produce.

All of that said, I still don't understand people who agree ahead of time to do something they (knowing the state of their desks and workloads) realistically cannot promise. (Though it should be noted that more than once I've arrived at a conference to discover I'd been committed to things I had not agreed to beforehand. Grr. I have a whole rant about pitch sessions that I'll save for some other time.)

So the answer to your questions are:
1. Some editors are fantastic editors, but are terrible at keeping their desks organized or getting back to people in a timely fashion.
2. Yes, sometimes.
3. Yes, sometimes.
4. Unusual. This reaction is saved for the rare absolute nutball who makes us uncomfortable / afraid they may be concealing weapons.

Short Answers

I'm addressing my backlog (mea culpa!).

When a house defines themselves as being "communal," how many in the group need to like it before an acquisition is made? What if three editors love it and two hate it, or vice versa? Do they flip a coin, duke it out, or is there a "head editor" who gets the final vote? Thanks!

No idea. Which publisher is this?

One of the discussions in my critique group this morning dealt with listing magazine publication credits in a book query letter. I’ve read in certain blogs that you need to put in enough information for the editor/agent to be able to verify that these are real credits. Another member of the group felt that was unprofessional and that listing the magazine names was sufficient. How much information would you like to see in a query? If the magazine is well known, is the name enough?

I'd like to know the magazine, the name of the piece, and the year. That should enable me to check on it if I'm so inclined, but is not so much information that you'll bore me.

How do editors really feel about the Rutgers One-On-One Conference? Does it carry more weight than other conferences, since the attendees are accepted based on the strength of their writing samples?

I love this idea. I was at a conference recently and was subjected to the most awful drivel from a particular writer... so this promises less pain. But I don't know what you mean by "carry more weight". There are different reasons to attend conferences. Scenic locales, for instance. The whole "I might find something to acquire" rationale, while it's what we tell our bosses, is kind of low on the list. Realistically, while it would be great, it's not that likely.

I've got a question for your blog, one that has perplexed me for quite a while. I've been sitting on a chapter book series for 6-9 year old girls since 2003. It was snatched up by a children's acquisitions editor at a Christian writer's conference. Other editors I met there also asked me to email them the manuscripts. Within a year, I had a contract for 4 books and an advance from the first publishing house. I was excited...until a year later when my contract was canceled because the publishing house was restructured after my editor left. The letter assured me that the decision came down to the bottom line, not quality of my work. I've since sent my proposal to dozens of agents. I keep getting the same answer -- "great proposal" or "great manuscript" but "publishing houses aren't taking risks" or "I've decided to stop representing children's fiction" etc. I've been scouring the websites of publishers and agents and keep finding the dreaded words "we do not accept children's books" or "picture books only." It seems that YA fiction is welcome in many places, and so I'm wondering if I should go back to the drawing board with an older protagonist. Have you noticed this same trend of chapter books becoming less popular? Or would you know if it's only in the Christian publishing world that this is happening?

I don't know anything about Christian publishing. Obviously there are trade publishers who are still publishing for this age group. I'd suggest going to your local bookstore and asking what's cool and brand new in that age bracket. Also, don't try to write YA just because it's selling. Write YA because you remember being a teenager and really want to say something to teenagers.

If an editor loves a manuscript enough to bring it to an editorial meeting to share with colleagues, what is the usual protocol? Do most of these manuscripts move on to the acquisitions phase?

Depends on the house. At some houses, an editorial meeting is a place for decisions, and at some it's just a place for feedback. I'd say over half of the projects brought to the acquisitions meeting get acquired. Feedback is what we look for when we're not quite sure about a manuscript, so the stuff we ask for feedback about often has a higher mortality rate.

What do you think are the three most valuable things an author should do on their own for promotion?

Create a webpage. Talk your book up to independent booksellers who might nominate it for Booksense (but be very sensitive to the number of other authors who are also asking those booksellers for their time). Practise giving presentations, so that if your marketing department calls you up about an event, you're ready.

As an editor is there something you are expecting your author to do in terms of promotion that would be unprofessional of me to neglect?

Give our marketing department as much information as they ask you for. Help them whenever you can, and then leave them alone to do their jobs.

I've written a story that I've also illustrated, but I'm self-aware enough to realise that, while I'm very fond of the illustrations, a professional might think me naive for even considering suggesting them officially. How then (if it all) should I mention them in a query to a potential agent? Should I introduce the story as one that I've illustrated and add that I'd be happy to have somebody else illustrate them? Not mention the illustrations at all and, if an interest is shown in the manuscript, bring the illustrations up later? Or tell them very humbly that I've illustrated the story and ask them to specify whether they want the manuscript alone or the accompanying pictures as well?

Each of these plans is acceptable.

Charming Things to Say to Editors

I love your piece on stalking editors! I know most of us really try to be respectful of an editor's personal space. Still, there are no doubt gray areas. I once attended a conference and enjoyed a particular editor's presentation immensely. It was a small group with lots of personal interaction. The session was right before a casual group lunch and I contemplated inviting the editor to sit at a table with other attendees that I knew. I chickened out, and later kicked myself when I saw her eating alone. What would the correct protocol be in this situation? I have since submitted manuscripts to this editor, and we have developed a lovely "no thanks, what else have you got?" relationship.

"Would you like to eat with us? I promise not to pitch you anything," would be a fantastic beginning.

Other nice ways to engage editors in social conversation include:

1. "What are you reading right now? I promise not to pitch you anything."
2. "Would you like another drink? I promise not to pitch you anything."
3. "What a lovely blouse. I promise not to pitch you anything."
4. "I'm a dangerous predator. I'm going to go wait in the back seat of your car with a knife, but I promise not to pitch you anything."

We like authors, remember. And we like being treated like normal people, because we are normal people. We just hate being put on the spot.

Convention / Conference Dos and Don'ts

My question concerns convention and conference etiquette. As I visit the publisher booths at this weekend’s ALA to collect catalogs, I also hope to find work-for-hire opportunities (and I know these exist primarily with the school / library publishers), and I anticipate meeting a few editors. I typically exchange business cards with authors and editors I meet. Is it acceptable to ask about sending manuscripts to those whom I meet in a convention setting? How would I politely look for work-for-hire opportunities? For SCBWI’s LA conference, I've been told to list my available manuscript blurb on the card’s reverse side. What are your thoughts about that? It makes sense for a novel, but what about for picture books?

Every person who attends a convention as a representative of a publishing house (whether from editorial, marketing, sales... production, even!) has to weather the same thing: random people coming around to try to get their stuff published.

This is
a) not what conventions are about or why we're there.
b) irritating.

So I appreciate your question. Just as with slush, the first step in approaching the situation realistically and intelligently is realizing that you are one of many. The next things you should realize are
1. If you want my card, fine. But I'm going to toss your card back at my hotel room, if not sooner.
2. I'm going to forget about you entirely, unless
3. You were one of those really irritating people who tried to show me actual manuscript pages / illustrations without an appointment.

I am at a convention doing my job. People who try to get a head-to-head out of me are preventing me from doing my job and usurping my company's time. They are also trying to jump the queue of patiently waiting authors back at the office. And they have almost never read the submission guidelines. And heaven help them if they try to give me materials to take back with me! I'm having a bonfire on my fire escape tonight, and that manuscript is invited.

More than anything, you want to fail to be one of these people—the people who are essentially shouting "The rules don't apply to me!" ...or even "What rules?!"

I'm happy to spend a minute or less answering a question, for instance, "I wonder if you could tell me how I would submit to your publishing company?" (note that I did not say 'how I would submit to you'). Or "I'm a work-for-hire illustrator. Is there someone in particular I should send samples to?" That would also be fine.

Try to approach publisher staff as you would a stranger on the street, if you were asking for directions. Because that's what we are—strangers. And that's what you can politely do at conventions—ask for directions.