Our next #AskSwanwick twitter chat, Wednesday, 3rd June 2015, has two professionals talking about the dark arts of editing and different ways to break into the children’s market.  Catherine Coe and Rosie Best are both involved with keeping the prestigious children’s and YA’s anthology Undiscovered Voices – an anthology that has helped to launch the careers of writers and illustrators now responsibility for over 120 published books. The contest for the fifth anthology is currently running (www.undiscoveredvoices.com). We’ll be touching on this as well as book packaging and subtle art of editing.

Catherine Coe is a children’s book editor with fourteen years’ experience. Previously senior commissioning editor at Orchard Books, she is now a freelance editor and enjoys working with many major publishers and agents, as well as directly with writers. Catherine’s commissioned and edited a wide range of highly successful fiction, from Beast Quest and Rainbow Magic to The World of Norm and Gallagher Girls – and she’s worked with top authors including David Almond, Vivian French, John Agard and Mary Hoffman. Catherine is also the author of over twenty children's books.

Rosie Best is an editor at Working Partners, where she’s worked for nearly nine years on creating and editing all kinds of series from Rainbow Magic to Ferals, and is always on the lookout for new, exciting voices. She’s an Undiscovered Voices winner (2012) and her YA novel Skulk was published in 2013. She’s also written several series for Working Partners.

Don’t miss this exciting twitter chat! Just search for the hashtag #AskSwanwick on Wednesday, 3rd June 2015 at 8pm (UK Time) - if you're new to twitter, make sure you follow 'all' not just 'top' search results. To ask a question, tweet using the #AskSwanwick hashtag followed by your question. You can find an easy guide on how to follow and tweet-etiquette here: http://www.swanwickwritersschool.org.uk/twitter-chat.html.

Selected highlights of each session are available on the Swanwick website for a few weeks after each chat – but nothing beats following it in person at the time and asking questions!


Best wishes,
The Swanwick Tweet Team (Benjamin, Karin, Andrew and Mike). 

New York Agent John M Cusick (Greenhouse Literary Agency) answered questions in our latest #AskSwanwick tweet chat. John represents picture books, middle-grade, and young adult novels. His agency has a strong emphasis on ‘working creatively with clients’ and becoming author’s ‘long-term partner through the publishing process and beyond.’

As a writer as well as agent, John was aware that being both ‘is definitely a balancing act’, but one that helps him in both roles. ‘Being a writer helps me discuss writerly woes and difficulties with my clients,’ he confesses. ‘Sometimes, it's a kind of two-way therapy.’

A large focus of the chat was on the booming YA/teen marker in the US and UK. One particular concern was the danger of ‘over-saturation’. John didn’t think the teen market is in danger of being over-saturated, although he warned that ‘because the market is so competitive, you should always be sending out your absolute best work. Even *good* books can have trouble finding traction. Your work also needs to feel unique, fresh, grabbing.’

John highlight that there's a ‘wonderful swell in minority voices in YA’ with diverse characters and authors, although in his submission pile, he is seeing a lot of ‘boyfriend died in car accident only girlfriend knew he wasn't a good guy’ themed work (so it’s perhaps best to avoid that!). He thinks paranormal YA romance is still ‘tricky’ (‘It has to have a very fresh concept.’) and debut dystopian is another problematic area. It’s possibly better to avoid the label on submissions and instead use ‘fantasy or sci-fi’ to describe the work. John pointed out, just because ‘a story is taking place in the future doesn't necessarily make it dystopian’.

Other good advice to writers included: 

 It's now easier than ever to book your wonderful Swanwick week as we can now take Credit and Debit Card payments. To find out how go to Booking, Prices and How to Book, where you'll find all the information you need.