Huge thanks to Anita Loughrey for this report of our EGMONT Meeting
Two editors from Egmont joined us at the Theodore Pub for the first of the SCBWI Professional Series. Ali Dougal is the commissioning editor for children’s fiction 5+ and Peter Marley is the commissioning editor for picture books.
Egmont is the biggest children’s publisher in the UK. They are split into three main divisions:
Licensed character books – they are number one publisher in the UK, with books such as Bob the Builder, Winnie the Pooh and Ben 10
Magazines – they are number three for children’s magazines, such as Disney Princess and Thomas the Tank.
Egmont Press - publishes a wide range including baby book, gift books and fiction.
PICTURE BOOKS
Peter is the commissioning editor for picture books at Egmont. He has been doing the job for eight years. They publish a wide range, including baby, toddler and gift books, quirky and humorous books and the sweet and cute lovable books. They like to nurture new talent and cultivate their backlist.
Peter is looking for something that has the x-factor and stories that are memorable and iconic with concise text that delivers impact in 800 words. He likes lyrical script that has the right amount of detail. Knowing what to leave out is the real skill. When the writer is finished they should ask themselves:
Is the story clear enough?
Is it obvious what is happening with the plot?
Is the story accessible?
Does the text flow?
Are there any undesirable stops at the end of a page?
Does it end plausibly?
Does it end too quickly or too softly?
Does it have symmetry?
He explained how he prefers books that do not rhyme as they are easier to sell internationally. He has found many authors are too fixated on creating rhyming text and will often neglect the story.
FICTION
Last year, even though nationally the children’s fiction market declined, the Egmont list grew. They are also expanding their digital list. They publish all genres for all ages. Ali is looking for something that will grab her attention. The author should be able to sum up what their book is about in one line. There should be a stunning voice that blows her away and it should be incredibly obvious how to package. She wants characters that she can fall in love with and genuinely funny jokes. She has to be able to champion the book in-house so she has to love it.
If she feels the book is not suitable for her she will pass it on to someone else at Egmont. She wants something commercial that will sell bucket loads of copies, or something literary that will win lots of prizes. It should have international appeal and export appeal. If your book does all those things well… you’re in there.
SUBMISSIONS
Most of their submissions come from agents. Peter likes picture book submissions in word documents, pdf’s or through the post. Submit by email to childrensreader@euk.egmont.com. It will go to a junior reader who will then pass it on to the correct editor for that submission. In the last few weeks 180 manuscripts have been submitted. Agent submissions come direct to the correct editor, as a good agent will know the right person to send it to.
Ali would like a writing sample of 2-3 chapters, a chapter breakdown, a synopsis and a fantastic hook. If it is a series, there should be an overview with a concise and clear vision.
OTHER POSTS ABOUT THE EVENT
Tina Lemon’s A Novel Way
Print Version