BREAKING INTO THE NONFICTION MARKET:
An interview with children's author Jennifer Reed
By Dianne Ochiltree
Jennifer Reed is a savvy writer who has targeted her talent and editorial experience at a lucrative, and often overlooked, marketplace: nonfiction books published for the school and library market. From her home office in Darlington, Maryland, she juggles her book-writing projects with her duties as creator/editor of the popular online children's magazine, WEE ONES (http://www.weeonesmag.com/). She also teaches Writing for Children and Teens at the Institute of Children's Literature as well as 'Creative Writing and the SAT Essay' at her local high school. She recently took time from her very busy day to talk to us about writing nonfiction for kids, a topic in which she's quite the expert!
Q. How, and why, did you start writing nonfiction for children?
A. I'd worked on several magazines and newspapers as and editor and a staff writer before I got involved in children's writing. I'd written a lot nonfiction pieces and really enjoyed it. When I started having my family, I decided I wanted to stay home and become a children's writer. Although I'd submitted both fiction and nonfiction for publication, it was my nonfiction that sold first. SKIPPING STONES accepted an article I'd written called, "Springtime in Japan", and I was paid in copies, not cash. However, the letter I received from the editor was awesome. She told me it was beautifully written and I finally got the encouragement I needed to continue pursuing writing for children. I realized early on, too, that it was easier to sell nonfiction. This was in 1998, when the market really started to open up to nonfiction writing for children.
Q. How did you make the transition from writing magazine pieces to nonfiction books for kids?
A. After I'd sold several nonfiction articles to different children's magazines like HOPSCOTCH, BOYS' QUEST, and others, I got a job as a regular contributor to CRINKLES MAGAZINE. The magazine was just being launched, so I got in at a good time. I wrote for every issue for two years, and I think this experience---not to mention the 30 additional nonfiction articles added to my clip file during this time---is what got me my first book-writing jobs.
Q. What was your first nonfiction book for kids, and how did you get that first publishing contract offer?
A. My first book contract was with Chelsea House. I actually wasn't thrilled about writing a book on the Love Canal (a hazardous waste site in New York State) but they needed writers for this particular series, and I felt I couldn't turn my back on this opportunity. The pay wasn't bad for a first-time author, either. It was hard work and required a lot of research but I got the book written under a tight deadline. It was published in 2002, and I've done several more for them since---as well as for other publishers targeting the school and library market.
Q. How do you go about getting your book contracts, in general? For example, do you put together a book proposal? How do you find out what a particular publisher is looking for?
A. The nonfiction publishers I write for work a bit differently than trade publishers. They usually have series for which they must find authors. I've never proposed an idea to a publisher. Instead, the editors have given me a list of topics needed in a given series and asked me to choose which ones I'd like to write about. My initial contact with a new publisher is to send a letter and resume, along with samples of my work. I usually get a standard response of "we'll keep your resume on file." If I've not heard anything from a publisher after a few months, I'll send another letter reminding them that I'm still interested in writing books for them. It's important to remind editors of your availability and make sure it's done in a nice, professional way. The 'squeaky wheel' theory has paid off for me!
Q. Speaking of that, how many books have you had published to date?
A. I've published15 books to date, including one novel and one picture book. Thirteen titles are nonfiction titles from Chelsea House, Enslow, Kidhaven Press and Capstone. In addition, I have seven books under contract with Enslow, Capstone and Tangerine Sky. For more information about all my books, you can check out my author website, www.jennifer-reed.com.
Q. How do you do your research? Is it fun, or frustrating?
A. Research is hard and time-consuming. I always use the Internet to get started. But, as you know, it's not always reliable or complete. I use my local library to dig out more information. Every publisher I've worked for wants primary resources, which often includes my own experiences. For example, my second book contract with Chelsea House, on the royal Saudi family, was offered to me in part because I'd lived a brief time in the Middle East. I also interview a lot of different people, sometimes famous people, in order to get facts and perspective on my book subject or topic. For example, my biography of Paula Danziger couldn't have been done without contacting her immediate family, and friends, many of whom are well-known children's authors themselves. That was great fun. Research is only frustrating when you can't find enough of it.
Q. What do publishers expect to see submitted along with the finished manuscript?
A. A professional bibliography is a must. This usually means following the publisher's guidelines. Also, I always keep my CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE on hand for quick reference. I use www.easybib.com to cite my references. It's this simple: authors must include all the information necessary to document facts with the manuscript in the bibliography. Anything less only frustrates the editor, makes you look unprofessional, and can jeopardize your ability to get another book contract with that publisher.
Q. Are there resources on the Internet, or on the bookshelf, to help beginning writers learn more about this genre and marketplace?
A. The various market guides, such as CHILDREN'S WRITER'S AND ILLUSTRATOR'S MARKET, often list publishers who are interested in nonfiction. I go through the listings and make note of the ones I want to write for the most. Then, I hit the library and check out books they've published to get a good idea of their formats and style. I always visit their websites, too.
Q. What were the financial considerations you had to weigh in targeting this type of writing marketplace versus others?
A. I didn't really weigh any financial considerations. I wanted to write and publish books, and for me, someone who loves nonfiction, the decision seemed easy enough. The more experience I've gained, however, the better the pay has become. Most books I write are work-for-hire, while a few have been for an advance payment and royalties. Of course, like anything in this business, author payment arrangements vary from publisher to publisher.
Q. How does the marketplace for school and library books differ from the traditional trade market?
A. If you're a nonfiction writer wishing to submit to the trade market, you need to know what kinds of books they publish and follow their submission guidelines. Manuscripts most likely will be formatted the same way you submit nonfiction work to a magazine, though: the text of the book comes first, and then any back matter. 'Back matter' is defined as your bibliography, extra information for sidebars, index, and so on. It's hard to choose or propose a topic to a trade publisher unless they specify somehow that they're looking for books on a particular subject. Basically, you write what you know, follow their guidelines, submit and hope for the best. I think trade publishers are looking for good nonfiction, too. Don't be afraid of submitting to smaller publisher---they are often better to work with.
Q. What's the most rewarding thing about writing nonfiction for kids?
A. I get to teach kids about things they might not otherwise care about. It's challenging to write nonfiction. You have to entertain while telling the facts. You have to write to a given word count, and for a specific target reader age. But knowing that my books might encourage young children to read is awesome!
Q. What advice would you give other writers wanting to try their hand at writing nonfiction books for children?
A. I'm convinced that a nonfiction publisher won't take any writer seriously unless you have experience in some sort of nonfiction writing. The best place to do this is through magazine work. One way to get started is to look up magazines that have theme lists, and write a piece for submission. Magazines like COBBLESTONE, FUN FOR KIDZ, and many others, publish these themes in market guides and on their websites, and are eager to buy solid nonfiction. Magazine publishers will want to know that you can write for a specific target age, within a given word count, and can make factual information engaging and fun. It might take you a few years to get established, but it's worth it.
Q. Besides magazines, are there other markets looking for children's nonfiction?
A. Test publishing in another area in which authors who write nonfiction for young people are needed. Since the 'No Child Left Behind' act was initiated, test publishers have grown in number and they need articles to fill their test pamphlets. I got a job with Educational Testing Services to write nine passages, 350 words each for various age levels. That was an amazing experience, and a challenging one, too. In this sector, my work has been sold to Harcourt, SIRS, Houghton Mifflin and others.
Q. One last question: has your experience as editor of WEE ONES magazine influenced your own writing?
A. Yes! In the seven years that WEE ONES has been online, my work as editor has taught me how necessary it is to be able to sharply focus your writing on whatever target age, or specific word count, is required by the publication. My own writing has definitely improved because of this. I know how to look for redundancy, wordiness or sloppiness.
Dianne Ochiltree is a member of SCBWI/Eastern PA and an author of books for the very young. For more information, go to www.ochiltreebooks.com .