KidLitVic2017 Lessons

Guest blogger Pamela Ueckerman

Pamela Ueckerman grew up as much in Avonlea, Middle Earth and Narnia as she did in England.  She also had a love affair with Spike Milligan’s limericks. She now lives in Melbourne and is the mother of two boys. Pamela teaches creative dance and writes stories that are infused with the magic of childhood.

After six months of looking forward to Kidlit Vic 2017, I almost didn’t make it as one of my children fell sick the day before. The stress! But, make it I did and oh my, it didn’t disappoint. Being in the same building with so many talented and caring authors, illustrators, editors and publishers for a whole day was incredibly inspirational.
 
The networking was priceless and the panels very informative. The 15-minute one-on-one assessment that I booked was worth every dollar and every minute of stress trying to decide what to submit. I didn’t book myself into any of the workshops this year as I wanted to attend the panels, but I intend to next year.
 
If you missed out on a ticket, do get yourself one next year as nothing can compare with being there.  But, for those that did miss out and would love a taste of what we learned, here are some of the most interesting points that I took away from the panels. 

Forgive me for this being quite author-focussed, it’s what I do, and remember that these are the views of a small selection of publishers and editors; in some cases, it’s one person’s opinion. ​

• Publishers encourage authors and illustrators to send their manuscripts to multiple publishers at a time. Do your research and send it to as many publishers as you can who are open and would suit your manuscript. Be upfront - mention that you’re submitting to multiple publishers in the cover letter and let them know if you get picked up. However…
• They publish very few manuscripts from the slush pile. For one publisher, it was one in three years, another said 1%, another smaller publisher had published none. So, if you want to increase your chances of getting a foot in the door you need to network, network, network. Publishers and agents are happy to take submissions from people they’ve assessed at events.
• If that doesn’t discourage you from submitting unsolicited queries, know your publisher, and show this in your cover letter. Mention that you’ve looked at their website or that your book would sit nicely in their list, for example. Also, submitting a storyboard might help as it shows commitment and understanding of the industry
• If you want to pitch a series, submit the first book along with outlines for subsequent books as well as a timeline for how long those books can be complete by
• Be diverse… But not for the sake of being diverse. This was discussed in all panels. Don’t default to a specific gender or race, but also don’t include token diverse characters by stereotyping,
• Challenge assumptions – of gender norms, race, etc. Not all boys hate pink, for example.
• For picture books: the market is oversaturated with Australian animals/Australiana and grandparent stories (according to some publishers)
• Rhyming books – they love them, just be really good at it.
• Specialist knowledge can help (for example scientists)
• Don’t think about book categories while writing, this is for the publishers and booksellers to decide. However, do think about the age of your protagonist, kids want to read up (usually two years older)
• Publishers want to nurture the careers of authors, this was unanimous. So, be professional at all times, don’t burn bridges.
• Don’t worry about celebrity books, publishers set aside a few spaces for these each year and their higher sales provide more money for nurturing career authors.
• Every kids’ book needs “heart, smart and fart” (grin).  Children want to be challenged, they want to connect and they love to laugh
• Illustrators should demonstrate that they can draw people - from different angles and with different expressions. The eyes are important for an emotional connection.
• Bestsellers can suck the oxygen out of that type of book, publishers and booksellers are reluctant to publish more of the same for a while.
• And finally, the most important point that the panel members were unanimous on is that authors need to write authentically, with strong characters and voice.

 
I highly recommend to all aspiring and emerging authors and illustrators to book a ticket to next year’s event and fully immerse yourself in it.

You can find more out about Pamela over on her website: www.ueckerman.net

Pamela Ueckerman catching up with Megan Higginson at KidLitVic2017

For more coverage and different perspectives:
From an organiser's perspective: The KidLitVic 2017- Meet the Publishers Conference Wrap-Up by Nicky Johnson 

Tania McCartney gives her view of KidLit, along with what she is up too on her blog, Works-in-progress, KidLitVic and Crystal Kite!

Romi Sharp reflects on her experiences on her blog,  KidLitVic2017 Reflections 

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