Friday, May 16, 2008
The View from the Internet Marketing Manager's Office...
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Stella
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2:20 PM
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Friday, May 9, 2008
A Unique Collaboration
Erica proposed that we think about sharing the translation cost and dividing the English language territories where our respecitve companies were strongest. A & U would take Australia, New Zealand and the UK (where they had a distributor), while Annick would take North America. Thus began a unique collaboration in publishing outstanding books originally published in a foreign language. We each found German readers and asked them to produce assessments. We then shared our respective reports before deciding to make an offer to the publisher: two distinct territories, two separate rights contracts
In addition to being shortlisted for the prestigious Marsh award--a UK award that recgonizes stellar translations, Mimus went on to receive wide acclaim in review journals, including the following: Best Books of the Year, School Library Journal, YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, and the Book of the Year Award, ForeWord Magazine.
Together we are able to search for the best fiction in other languages, an experience that has been beneficial to our respective companies, to our position in the international market place, and to the idea that there are unique opportunities for publishers to work together in new and exciting ways.
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Annick West
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11:20 AM
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Labels: Allen and Unwin, Mimus, partnership
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Superheroes, Sabayad and SUVs: My Friend Jamal podcast review
Click the link below to check out a podcast review of My Friend Jamal from the fine folks at Just One More Book!!
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Annick Press - Children's Book Publisher
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11:50 AM
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Labels: Anna McQuinn, Ben Frey, Just One More Book, My Friend Jamal, podcast, review
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Would you like another cappuccino? Or, how to do business at the Bologna Book Fair.
We've just returned from the Bologna Children's Book Fair where Annick exhibits every year in order to meet with international publishers. What do we do there? Aside from consuming a lot of cappuccino, gelato, and other Italian culinary delights, we have a booth to display our recent books and present them to foreign publishers who may wish to acquire rights to publish our books in their market (depending on the market, that may mean publishing in translation).
Here's a photo of the corner of our booth this year:
We set up meetings in advance, every half hour for the three and a half days of the fair, and meet with about 60 different publishers and sub-agents from countries in Europe, Scandinavia, Asia, Australia, Latin America... It's really exciting finding that synchronicity, talking with a publisher from across the planet who shares our publishing sensibilities and aims. There's a wonderful global community of children's publishers out there. And personally, I love working with people from different countries and cultures and languages. Books really can bridge cultures!
Preparation for the book fair begins about three months in advance with the booking of appointments, preparation of catalogues, and cover blow-ups, shelf talkers, and other booth display materials. And the follow-up - that is, sending publishers the books they requested to review - can also take months, but the results can be very rewarding and very exciting (see The Little Black Book for Girlz goes to Italy! for an example of what can result from a book fair).
Though we've only just returned, here are some of the Bologna highlights this year:
- Receiving an unexpected offer from a prestigious Italian publisher for The Apprentice's Masterpiece by Melanie Little (the cover of which is featured in the large poster in the photo above). Stay tuned for an announcement of an Italian rights sale!
- Hearing several publishers describe The Bite of the Mango (to be published September 2008), the astounding true story of Mariatu Kamara's voyage from victim of war to UNICEF Special Representative co-written by Susan McClelland, as the most outstanding book of the fair! We expect international rights sales of this memoir will be swift.
- Receiving so many compliments on the quality and innovation of our books (kudos to our editors!)
So now it's all about follow-up. And the great thing about cappuccino? It can be enjoyed while working here in Toronto too.
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Susan
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3:05 PM
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Labels: Bite of the Mango, Bologna Book Fair, Little Black Book for Girlz, The Apprentice's Masterpiece
Friday, April 18, 2008
The Best Job in the World, or, The Slush Pile Part 2
I love to read and I think I have one of the best jobs in the world. A part of my job is to read the unsolicited manuscripts that come into Annick...and there are hundreds. There is always the possibility that the next manuscript could be the special one; the one that interests and excites you, the one you want to publish.
Posted by
Annick Guest
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3:56 PM
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Labels: Editor, manuscript submission, unsolicited manuscripts
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
The Queen and I
Author of Kids Who Rule: The Remarkable Lives of Five Child Rulers
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Annick Authors and Illustrators
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11:30 AM
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Labels: Charis Cotter, Kids Who Rule, Silver Birch, The Queen
Friday, April 11, 2008
The Slush Pile
Now that spring is here it doesn’t seem appropriate to be talking about slush, but as publishers we mean something quite different, of course. This is a silly way to lead into the question that we might most frequently be asked: how do I get published? For the record, I think the second most asked question is, “How many manuscripts do you receive each year”? We’re often not asked the third question that I would anticipate follows the first two: how many unsolicited manuscripts are published?
The answers, to the chagrin of the asker, is that virtually none of the manuscripts submitted are published; perhaps one, maybe two every couple of years. We receive thousands per annum. The sad truth is that so many of the manuscripts demonstrate real potential - we wish we could bring them into development. They may be based on a terrific idea or demonstrate some lively, engaging writing that shows flourish and promise. But can we take it on and fit it into our publishing program? Most often not and I’ll explain why in a moment. First, I should mention that we also receive a great deal of material that is totally unsuitable for Annick. Anyone wishing to submit a manuscript should spend time thoroughly researching publishers to make sure that what they’ve written is an appropriate fit with the company’s publishing program.
Every publisher has their own philosophy and approach to literature. We discuss ours on our web site. In a nutshell, manuscripts must be written to a high literary standard, be inventive, resonate with the reader, and advocate the priorities that this house stands for: encourage kids to think critically and analytically, entertain, and convey that change and getting by are possible no matter how difficult and elusive the challenge may seem.
The vast majority of ideas or requests to authors to submit stem from editorial story meetings. We’re constantly discussing topics that are of concern to the contemporary child. We search out exciting ways to offer a fresh, new look at a subject. We’ll also discuss which writers might be a good fit. Once we’re rounded out the various components of our list, YA fiction, illustrated non-fiction, etc., there are few, if any, spaces left. So if you’re wading into the slush, you’ll have to bowl over the reader with a work that is innovative and brilliantly constructed. That reader will need to hear a strong, clear voice that has something compelling to say to youth.
Posted by
Annick Press - Children's Book Publisher
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3:58 PM
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Labels: how do I get published?, manuscript submission, The Slush Pile



