Chapter Two: Ascending Action with a Big Twist! Bologna Brief with Frances Plumpton

Frances Plumpton in conversation with Susanne Gervay

Held over four days in the European spring, the Bologna Book Fair is a working trade fair in Italy especially for children’s literature. Literary agent and head of SCBWI in New Zealand, Frances Plumpton represented Australia and New Zealand at the Book Fair.

Some points Frances made:

• SCBWI International only has a booth at the Fair every two years so it’s best to attend in those years otherwise it can be a lonely time.
• SCBWI members from across the globe are welcome to meet others here and use it as a place ‘of refuge’ in the massive area.
• The next SCBWI-attended one will be in 2018.
• In 2016, there were over 1200 exhibitors. 98 countries and 55 languages were represented in the books and illustrations. 131 literary agents attended and so did 25,000 attendees.
• IBBY also has a booth there.

Presenting at Bologna:

You can showcase your own book, but this year Frances represented our regional showcase which allowed people to browse through the books she’d brought. They included books from our two countries.

Some illustrators are able to get critiques with top illustrators and art directors. You can also sit at the SCBWI booth’s table and illustrate for the public as they walk past. The booth has a digital display as well. Frances also reminded authors they need to know if they have translation rights when presenting their books.

Illustrators have the chance to pin up an example of their art with business card on The Art Wall – a magnificent sight apparently.

Frances thought authors might have better chances to present their work at the smaller publishers’ booths. Certainly worth having conversations with them.

Anyone can buy the books at the end of the Fair, and most of the books are donated to the International Youth Library in Munich. Fellowships and grants are available here which may be worth checking out. http://www.scholarshipportal.com/students/browse/scholarship/1017/international-youth-library-munich-fellowship-programme.html

Frances also offered some great advice if you visit the Book Fair – don’t book your stay in the cheaper accommodation near the Fair site as it’s too far out of town in an industrial area. Best to be in the city itself – the connecting public transport is excellent.

There is so much to see in Bologna besides the Book Fair!

Jackie French and Gregg Dreise among those at this year's Bologna Book Fair

SCBWI creator and conference delegate, Peter Taylor then responded to Susanne’s quest for questions:

'Time was tight and when Susanne asked for ‘one last very quick question’, and instead I took the microphone and gave a short account of my Bologna experience in 2010. That was obviously unplanned and I would have liked to have prepared and said more.

While gatekeepers kept me out of the stands of Usborne and Walker Books, for example, when I arrived well-dressed between other publishers’ appointments, their personnel asked who I was and what I was looking at, wondering if I was their next appointee. I said ‘I am an author looking to see if you have any books likely to compete with my new one....’ (they were all curious to find out if mine would compete with a book of theirs, and were eager to chat) ‘…and I’m also looking to see if you have any gaps in your list that I may be able to fill.’

Publishers often do want a book on a specific subject, but don’t advertise the fact.

I studied a wide range of papercrafts at art colleges and in the past I’ve also been a biologist, school teacher, museum curator and natural history freak.

My book at that time was Practical Calligraphy, pub. Hinkler Books, and a Canadian publisher at Bologna also had a new calligraphy book on their stand. They said ‘…but we didn’t really want a calligraphy book. What we actually wanted a book on drawing borders, but we didn’t find anyone to write it.’ What an opportunity! I can send a proposal and sample chapter on a creating border designs…

Trying the same lines at the London Book Fair, I suggested to one publisher, GMC Publications, that I could write a ‘Fun Lettering for Children’ book for them, but they said ‘What we’d really like is a book for adults on Calligraphy for Greetings Cards and Scrapbooking’ – which I created over two years and didn’t follow up on other leads.

At Bologna and the LBF, I also found publishers wanting books written on papermaking, recipes that children can cook, the sea shore, baby elephants, fungi, kangaroos, small furry animals, and more. I wonder if any of the publishers still want a book on any of these topics – I’ve kept their business cards…

But just knowing that a publisher wants a book on fungi may not be enough to write a successful proposal and sample chapters. Attending Bologna is useful to see the overseas publisher’s ‘house style’, especially in a series, and their books may never appear on a bookstore or library shelf for consultation in Australia.'

SCBWI at the Bologna Book Fair 2016 (essential reading) http://bologna.scbwi.org/scbwi-bologna-book-fair-2016/the-wrap/

Australia/New Zealand at the Bologna Book Fair: http://www.scbwiaustralianz.com/our-blog/2016/1/28/scbwi-stand-at-the-bologna-book-fair-april-4-7-2016

THE BOLOGNA BOOK FAIR 2017… http://www.bookfair.bolognafiere.it/en/home/878.html

 Thank you, Frances and Susanne for this very interesting session. It certainly whetted my appetite to attend the Fair one day.

Sheryl Gwyther Roving Reporter

#SCBWISyd

Chapter One Keynote Address by Tara Weikum - The State of the Market

Tara Weikum delivering her Keynote Address

The state of the market for illustrators and authors with Tara Weikum, Vice President of HarperCollins USA.

The SCBWI delegates were very excited to welcome Tara Weikum to the stage. She is the vice-president of Harper Collins USA, as well as editorial director of HC children’s books. She has worked in publishing for over 20 years and publishes middle grade and YA (teen).

Tara told us that Harper Collins is the second biggest publisher of children’s books. They publish about 500 books a year including backlists and are celebrating 200 years of publishing this year.

Tara’s team of six people publish 10-15 books a year. Her passion has always been for YA.

She shared some of her favourites. For example, ‘Big Mouth Ugly Girl‘ by Joyce Carol Oates, ‘Inside Out and Back Again’ by Thanhha Lai, and showed us the covers of other junior fiction and teen fiction.

A few years ago Tara said she only had a few middle grade on her list. However, in 1996, the National Book Foundation began a category for teens. Now just about every publisher in the states has a category just for teens. YA had been very popular but there has been a tipping point and middle grade began making new ground. For example, ‘The One and Only Ivan’ has sold over 1 million copies. It was on the bookseller list before it won awards. Tara didn’t publish Ivan but is working with Kathryn on a new series in 2018.

Several factors have helped improve sales for children’s books.

• The Times began a children’s book list and there are now six lists. It enabled the children’s list to become more competitive.
• There has also been teen movies adapted from books which has resulted in lots more sales.
• Social media also promotes books and enables authors to promote to their target audience.

During the years there was a downfall in selling children’s books, some booksellers blamed Amazon for the fall out in bookstores. Just recently, however, Amazon set up stores in America. E-books sales were also blamed, but recently there has been a downfall in this market. Based on research e-books peaked in 2014. Some books sell well in e-books, but now e-books are not so cheap. There is also screen fatigue, a lot of people like holding a book in their hands. Tara said they still expect to see some growth with ebooks but not like it has been.

Inspiring

We were all interested to know what was the biggest trend and groaned when Tara said colouring books are still selling extremely well. They are even selling colouring-in books to go with children’s books. We perked up when she said highly illustrated books such as The Dork Diaries and graphic novels are bestsellers, as well as novels and non-fiction with girls as main characters. Also books about science and computer coding. In 2014 people tweeted on the Internet about the lack of diversity in children’s books. Since then a hashtag and a formal organisation are addressing that issue and more diversity books are being published.

We Need Diverse Books #weneeddiversebooks

Tara ended with the following wise words. “Don’t follow trends". It’s a good idea to read outside of your area, even if you are not writing those books.”

Someone from the audience asked whether American publishers were interested in publishing Australian stories. Tara answered that most publishers in the States only work with agents. There are hundreds of agents in the States. Agents are keen to take a chance with Australian authors, but there is a barrier if something doesn’t feel American. It depends if the humour and characters etc cross-over.

Maria Gill Roving Reporter

#SCBWISyd

The Ballad of SCBWI Conference 2016 - or The Spelling Beast

To reiterate our midpoint Story Arc post - 'SCBWI people can party', hearty as it were, arrr!

Here's the little ditty that whet our appetites on the Dinner Dance Party night by poet master, Harry Laing, aka red hot speller; aka twister on the dance floor.

So here we are at The Menzies

soon we’ll be whipping up frenzies

‘cos SCWBI people can party

they’re not just kids’ literati

no they’re crazy, they’re wild

(ask their strange inner child)

or that’s what I think

but then I’ve had a few drinks

first up…Susanne Gervay

who does it her way

she’s a true force of nature

a passionate creature

her voice is commanding

do you think she’s demanding?

when her eye falls on you

you just bloody well do

Tracy get up here

Harry…where are you (feelin’ the fear!)

Susanne’s not really scary

though she can look a bit glary

people do things for her

(would they dare to demur?)

um…er…um…er

Susanne, you’re a star

which brings me to stellar…

cue Deb Abela

she just gets everywhere

look – she’s under your chair!

and she’s on drugs

now she’s under the rug!

hum, what rhymes with Abela?

here’s a word – fella

blokes, guys, yes men

there’s not many of them

I feel like a minority

triumph of the sorority

yes, you can jump to your conclusions

he’s got masculine delusions

that’s just the way it is

not so much manuscript as Ms

but let’s get back to this feast

and the famous spelling beast

it’s more fearsome than a bee

you’ll get so anxious you will pee

right, spell SCWBI

mmm…S..Q..U..I..B..B..Y?

go to back to your table

with a can’t spell label

OK, next word: seceded

but why is that word needed?

it’s what WA have done

they’ve gone off on their own

so how do you spell SCWBI?

Deb Abela, take more drugs, tell me!

C..C..Q..E..P..P..Y..E

ShhhhKWIPPPYYYY

meaning squib, a firework, verbal joust

but I’m sure my time is running out

is there anything I’ve missed?

here’s a final checklist:

are you branded or stranded

has your contract landed

are you showcased, po-faced

is your profile mostly web-based

are you upbeat or defeatist

can you spell TMETUS

did you quiver at the pitches

develop involuntary twitches

have you handed over cards

have you done the hard yards

and I think we’ll leave it there

it’s time to let down the hair!

©Harry Laing 2016

#SCBWISyd