Words of Wisdom Wednesday: On Writing and Being Brave

I loved this post by literary agent Nathan Bransford on writing. He poses questions I've asked a million times--why do the talented doubt themselves, and why do some people seem to think anyone can write a book?

I have my own theories on both of those questions. But you know, from this side of the slush pile it's easy to get really down on the people sending in submissions every day, without reading the guidelines or having a clear idea of what makes a good picture book (or chapter book or YA novel or whatever). It's easy to get frustrated and wish that only great submissions crossed my desk.

But I'm a writer too, and I know how hard it is. I know how scary it is. I know what it's like to let your precious word-baby into the world and how frightening it is to think someone might not like it. Most of you are braver than I am. And you know what? Every single submission that comes my way--someone out there DOES think it's great. It might not be me. Or it might be. But no matter if you're talented or talentless, everyone has those thoughts, worrying that you're not doing it right. So here are my words of wisdom for today, especially for all the writers among you...

Keep writing. And keep submitting. Thanks for doing what you do. I couldn't do what I do without you.

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Shannon is at TLA today (visit booth 2531 if you are too!) so I'm popping in from the PILE of red folders and last-minute rush editing on my desk to give you this week's Words of Wisdom, which is . . .

DON'T SEND ANY SUBMISSIONS TO ANY PUBLISHER WITHOUT LOOKING FOR, AND FOLLOWING, SUBMISSION GUIDELINES.

(Ours are here, with more info from me here.)

And bonus tip: DO YOUR RESEARCH. When I get a submission pitching a nonfiction book, or a book for adults, I roll my eyes and ignore it--we don't publish those books here, and those authors are clearly not trying. (Though nonfiction writers for kids should follow the nonfiction guidelines on that link above to reach our nonfiction editors.)

However, when I get a good submission, addressed to Samantha, or a submission for a book exactly like one we've already published, or a query for an idea that seems cool, but hasn't hit its target market at all (like a picture book for teenagers), it especially bugs me. Those people clearly didn't do their research, and it's frustrating.

Writing, my friends, is a business like any other. You wouldn't assume you could set up shop as a dentist without going to medical school, right? And you'd never hire a contractor who showed you photographs of the lovely roof he'd built in the basement. Do your research, take your time, find the right publisher, and work hard at revisions (there's another post right there). You'll find your queries reaching far more appreciative eyes if you do.

Questions? Let me know!

Illustrators, take note!

A comment on a post about our writers' guidelines asked about illustration submissions. I asked art director Bob Lentz to weigh in. Here's what he had to say.

We typically steer prospective illustrators to our illustrator submission inbox by asking them to send jpeg samples of their best work to il.sub@stonearchbooks.com. Some things to keep in mind before sending samples:

• Please send only your best work. Often times we’ll receive a sample from an artist that they created this year, and something that they created 5 or even 10 years ago. Although it may seem like a good idea to show progression in your work, we only want to see what you are creating today.
• Please send a maximum of 5 samples. Some illustrators will send more than 10 (and sometimes in excess of 20) samples, and that not only bogs down our email system, it becomes tedious to look through all of them. We often have a limited time to review portfolios, and we can easily lose interest if there are a lot of samples to wade through.
• Show range. Often times an illustrator works in two or more different styles, and we want to see them all. Remember: we publish books that range from early childhood to picture books to graphic novels and beyond. There’s something for almost any style if the illustrator fits.
• Only professionals need apply. Have you worked with a publishing house before? Have you dealt with demanding schedules and hard deadlines? Do you communicate well with art directors and designers? If you answered “yes” to all of these, then we want to hear from you. The ability to display professionalism and solid communication skills is just as important as the illustrations your create. In the end, the book is jeopardized if it doesn’t get to the printer on time.
• Be unique. We tend to look for styles that are rarely seen in the library and even trade markets. If your style or work makes us say “wow, that’s different!”, then chances are we’ll find the right fit for you somehow.

The power of the internet

Wow. The readership of this blog has suddenly doubled, ever since I posted on Twitter that we were looking for authors for a fun new middle-grade project. So, hi, new readers--please stick around, add us to your feed-readers, comment away, make suggestions, whatever.

After I twittered that we needed some new authors, the SAB Twitter account suddenly got about 50 new followers. It's been fun discovering these people--writers, mostly. And my email and the Stone Arch Books submissions email have been inundated with messages from writers looking for work. So much so that I haven't even gotten through all of them yet! (So if you sent something and haven't heard from me, don't despair!)

I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about submissions to Stone Arch. We have submission info on our website, but based on the amount of snail mail and full manuscripts we receive, I think some people aren't even aware that information is there.

So, here's a quick and dirty guide to submitting to Stone Arch/Picture Window.

* Don't send full manuscripts. Right now (and I'll let you know if this changes) we rarely purchase unsolicited manuscripts unless they are part of a completed 4- or 6-book series. In that case, send only the first few chapters of one manuscript.

* Have a desire to work for hire. That means we'll hire you to create a manuscript based on our specs. You'll need to be flexible, fast, professional, and creative, and in return, we'll be fun to work with; together we'll create great books.

* Send a writing sample. It should be fiction, and you should know what reader it will appeal to -- kindergarten kids? Middle-schoolers? Do your research.

* Email your submission to author.sub@stonearchbooks.com unless otherwise directed. I prefer samples that are pasted into the email, since it's easier for printing. (Please note that if you have already sent a submission, no need to resend.)

* Know that we only guarantee that we'll respond to samples that are right for us, unless they've been specifically requested by an editor or are sent by an agent. We get so many submissions that it's impossible to respond to each one.

I hope that gives insight into what we need. If you have a question, please feel free to leave a comment and I'll respond ASAP!