Houston SCBWI and the North Harris College Writing
Center hosted the fourth Editors' Day. This unique opportunity
gave access to editors, some of whom were from houses that restrict
submissions. This page is not being updated, but will remain online for archive purposes.
Editors
Sarah Sevier recently
joined HarperCollins Children’s Books as an editor, after spending
five years at Simon & Schuster.
She acquires and edits teen novels,
middle-grade novels, and a few picture books. She is always looking
for new authors and projects with excellent writing, a strong
narrative voice, and a solid, appealing central character. Some of
the books she has worked on include Semiprecious by D. Anne
Love, Golden & Grey (An Unremarkable Boy and a Rather Remarkable
Ghost) by Louise Arnold, and The Sacrifice by Kathleen
Benner Duble. Sarah is also the editor of the Super Goofballs
series by Peter Hannan, the Rotten School series by R.L.
Stine, and is involved with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House
series as well.
Sarah will accept three
chapters and a synopsis for a middle grade or YA novel. Illustrators
may submit 10 samples of 8 ½ x 11 inches photocopies, to be filed
but not returned.
Website for HarperCollins Children’s Books, a
closed house, is www.harpercollinschildrens.com.
Judy O'Malley
Executive Editor of trade
books for Charlesbridge Publishing, has over thirty years experience
as an editor.
Previously, she was Editorial Director of Houghton
Mifflin Children’s Books and earlier served as an editor at Cricket
Books. She is a former editor of Book Links, a publication of
the American library Association to connect books and classrooms,
and has produced professional books for teachers and librarians.
Currently, she is developing for Charlesbridge a new line of
transitional books, including early readers, young chapter books,
and middle grade books, ranging from picture books to middle grade
nonfiction and fiction. Her personal website is
www.judyomalley.com. Among authors she has worked with are Jane Yolen, Avi, Katherine Paterson, Eve Bunting, Russell Freedman, Nikki
Grimes, Lee Bennett Hopkins, Robert San Souci, Pat Mora, and George
Ancona.
Judy will accept submissions for picture books
(she publishes about one a year), early readers, chapter books, and
middle-grade books, either fiction or nonfiction on a two-month
exclusive basis. Proposals/outlines are acceptable and manuscripts
can run up to 50 pages, but longer pieces should have a proposal
plus at least one sample chapter for nonfiction or a chapter outline
and three sample chapters for fiction. Illustrators may submit 10
art samples in the 8 ½ x 11 size. Be sure to include your email
address.
Website for Charlesbridge Publishing is
www.charlesbridge.com.
Laura Morgan,
Executive Editor at Enslow Publishers, has been with the company
since 2000, having previously worked with several major publishers
to create textbooks and testing materials for the educational
market in all subject areas and grade levels. Currently, she helps
oversee the full editorial program of K-12 books for Enslow, a
company specializing in curriculum-related nonfiction series and
special interest single titles for school and public libraries.
Enslow publishes approximately 250 titles per year—including about
150 titles to meet the needs of middle and high-school readers
(grades 5–up), as well as approximately 100 additional titles
focusing on the early elementary market (grades 1–4). Subject areas
include biography, social studies/history, science, math, current
social issues, literature/language arts, and other topics of
interest to young readers. Representative series include Issues in
Focus Today, The Saga of American History, Understanding Literature,
Great Minds of Science, Disease Updates, Virtual Field Trips, Middle
East Nations in the News, I Like Biographies!, and I Like Science!
Submissions
for Enslow should be in the form of a proposal for a curriculum-related
nonfiction series or for individual titles within a series.
Outstanding single titles may be considered. All
submissions should be nonfiction
only. Submit a maximum of 20 pages of sample manuscript appropriate
for grades 1-2, 3-4, or 5-8, including interior chapter and list of
sources; opening/hook chapter may also be included but should not be
the only text provided in sample.
Website
for Enslow Publishers is
www.enslow.com.
Susan Pearson,
a native of Massachusetts, is a freelance editor for Chronicle Books. She brings an added dimension to this role with the publication of more than thirty picture books, poetry, and chapter books of her own. Her editorial career began at Viking, continued at Dial, and then she served as Editor-in-Chief at Carolrhoda as well as Lothrop, Lee and Shepard. Currently, she continues her writing career while acquiring for Chronicle. Susan’s personal website is www.susanpearson.net.
Susan will receive
manuscripts for picture books and chapter books, not to exceed 10
pages. Illustrators may send 10 art samples in 8 ½ x 11 inch size, which will be forwarded to Chronicle after Susan has seen them. Illustrators should place samples in a 9/12 envelope and include a business size SASE for Susan’s comments.
The website for Chronicle Books is www.chroniclebooks.com.
Rue Judd, publisher of Bright Sky Press,
brought her publishing expertise to West Texas a few years ago when
her husband assumed management of the legendary Lambshead Ranch near
Albany, Texas. She founded Bright Sky Press, a regional publisher
steeped in things related to ranching and the West, both for
children and adults. There is a diversity of authors ranging from
Helen Kleberg and Toni Frissel’s photographs of the King Ranch to
New Yorker Roxie Munro’s delightful depictions in Ranch and
Wild West Trail Ride Maze. A collection of photographs,
Revealing Character: Texas Tintypes, won a coveted award from
the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Museum in 2006. Other
children’s books include Baxter Barret Brown’s Bass Fiddle
and The Pledge of Allegiance.
Rue will accept manuscripts or proposals for
children’s books related to the West and particularly Texas.
Submissions should not exceed 20 pages. Illustrators may submit 10
samples in 8 ½ x 11 format.
Website for Bright Sky Press is
www.brightskypress.com.
SUBMISSIONS: Those attending Editor Day may bring
one appropriate manuscript or art portfolio per editor. Each
submission should be in unsealed, 9x12 manila SASE. Art
portfolios are defined as 10 samples of 8-1/2 x 11-inch photocopies.
Submissions will be boxed and shipped to the editors. In addition,
participants who are SCBWI members and Houston newsletter
subscribers have the opportunity to display their books and/or art
at the event.
