Oh, You Work In Publishing? GREAT!
I promise, after having read this article, that no matter what agents, publishers, editors, and what have you ever come in contact with me, I will never ever suggest a children's book idea of my own without significant and extensive requests to do so. Dear God, what a occupational hazard.
The sad thing? Librarians also get children's book ideas all the time. That might be an interesting follow up post to this article. My worst was the woman who showed me her picture book that, as far as I can remember, was entirely about a rabbit pooping in a garden. It ties with the one I received from the former 1999 small town beauty queen (submitted by her mother). But at least I don't get these things at funerals, weddings, dentist offices, after cesarians, etc.
posted by fusenumber8 @ 12:03 AM
5 Comments
5 Comments:
Let me guess, was the title Little Bunny Poo-Poo?
Sorry. Couldn't help it...
- Jay
Marion Zimmer Bradley's advice to aspiring writers was "Don't listen to anyone who can't sign a cheque." Initially, I was confused, as I was a teenager who interpreted it literally. Later on, I thought of this advice when patrons would bring me their manuscripts or ideas for children's books. I wanted to be encouraging of creativity, but I was glad I wasn't in the position of evaluating their manuscripts for publication.
I have mastered the art of saying with a straight face that "I can't look at your manuscript because I would then have a conflict of interest when the published book is submitted for review to the Horn Book."
As an author you get this, too. I’ve never done it, having too much sympathy for aspiring writers (or maybe sucker is a better word), but awhile back I thought of the perfect quasher. Let the person get out about one line, then throw up your hands in a mixture of astonished admiration and alarm and declare, “Stop! Stop! Don’t tell me any more. I might be tempted to steal it!”
I once overheard a great librarian say to an aspiring author with manuscript in hand: "I don't understand how half of what gets published gets published, so don't ask me what's publishable!"
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