Children's Literature Editors

Carrol from the San Francisco Bay Area wrote with the following question:

"I'm a student of yours from a few years back. I just finished writing my first children's picture book. I would love your help getting it edited. Can you a) meet me for coffee and/or b)refer me to a friend in the children's book area?"

To be effective, an independent editor in charge of helping you develop and/or refine your work before its submission to agents and publishers should be extremely aware of the current market regarding the genre of your book. That way he or she can help you shape your story to make the most of what your book has to offer in today's publishing world.

While I read about the publishing industry daily to learn what's selling in adult fiction and nonfiction, children's picture books are far enough outside that realm. Therefore I told Carrol she'd be better served to find someone who specialized in children's literature.

I asked her to give me a few days to collect some helpful leads, and lo and behold, within an hour I received an email update from a fellow wordsmith who happens to be a children's literature writer and a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

When asked, she suggested the following writing professionals based on those she's met in person:

• Summer Dawn Laurie: Her web listing on JacketFlap states she's an independent editor who worked in children's publishing for 10 years, first at Chronicle Books for Children, then at Tricycle Press, the kid's division of Ten Speed Press. The listing states she's edited more than 50 published books ranging from board books to picture books as well as middle-grade novels and nonfiction.

My writer friend said about Ms. Laurie:

She provided an individual 30 minute consultation and critique of 20 pages of my project during a conference. I found her to be very helpful, offering feedback, insights and suggestions about the further development of my project

• Nancy Lamb: A freelance editor, Ms. Lamb is the author of The Writer's Guide to Crafting Stories for Children as well as The Art and Craft of Storytelling. Her writing credentials list over a dozen published children's books, many of them through Simon & Schuster.

My writer friend said of Ms. Lamb:

I was in two small-group, highly individualized critique/feedback meetings which she led. I found her to be very knowledgeable and believe that she would be very thorough in her feedback.

• Martha Alderson: A plot consultant, Ms. Alderson is the author of Blockbuster Plots, Pure & Simple.

My writer friend said of Ms. Alderson:

Martha Alderson is a plot consultant, but I also found her to be knowledgeable about character development and theme. I was in two small-group, highly individualized workshops on scene tracking and plot planning. I found her to be very easy to understand. She simplified what had seemed complex about the structure of a book.

I also found an eHow article by K.E. Solis titled How to Find a Freelance Editor to Critique a Children's Manuscript, which is loaded with great advice, the first step being to join SCBWI.

Thanks to Carrol for the question and to our dedicated children's literature writer for the recommendations.

Happy writing!

Main Character Dead On in DEAD WITNESS

I had the pleasure of reading Joylene Nowell Butler's thriller, Dead Witness, over the holiday break. It's a fast-moving story about a Canadian woman who, while on a trip to Seattle, witnesses the murder of two men, an incident that then exposes her and her family to the possibility of being murdered.

The best thing about the book is that Joylene immediately establishes, via action, what makes the main character tick and the main problem with which she'll have to contend.


The Situation

Valerie McCormick lives outside of Prince George, British Columbia. She and her husband own a small logging business and are the parents of three daughters, ages 18, 17 and 12. Valerie's girls write a paragraph about their mother for a Mother's Day contest and consequently win her a free two-day trip to Jasper, Vancouver or Seattle.

She chooses the last city at the request of her husband, who in an attempt to woo a new client, wants Valerie to photograph a luxury boat the client is interested in buying, but is too busy to view in-person at the Seattle harbor where the vessel is berthed.

Valerie is on her way to photograph the boat when she witnesses the murder.


The Problem

For me, the following are clues as to what drives Valerie:

• Valerie didn't have to do as her husband, Ed, requested, but she does.

• Her husband did not have to request that Valerie choose her destination or use her time to take care of a business task, but he did.

• Ed did not go with Valerie on this getaway.

• After Valerie witnesses the murders and manages to escape, Joylene writes:

To calm herself she thought of her precious daughters... God, how she loved them. So much so that her heart hurt.

How she loved them, her daughters.

Marvelous! Now I know Valerie. Rather than clunk us readers over the head by telling us that Ed is a lout, Joylene instead shows us Valerie's grace and loyalty. Valerie does as her husband asks because he's the father of her three girls and is trying hard to earn the money necessary to keep them safe and happy.

By cutting Ed out of Valerie's thoughts during moments of duress, Joylene communicates that above all else, Valerie loves her daughters and will do whatever is necessary to keep them safe.

The question, of course, is how far will she have to go to keep her daughters safe? And thus the story takes off like a shot.


Two Unique Aspects

Lastly, I love books that teach me something new or take me somewhere new. Joylene's book does both.

In terms of the first, Joylene hits upon a unique angle by highlighting the legal and jurisdictional difficulties, obligations and issue surrounding a situation in which a citizen of one country witnesses a crime in another.

In terms of somewhere new, Joylene describes many landscapes as the story moves from place to place, from Canada to the U.S. to Mexico. The landscape that's most beautifully described, however, is that of the British Columbia countryside.

Nicely done, Joylene!