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| Kate Messner (L) and Melissa Manlove (R) |
Melissa Manlove is an editor at the legendary Chronicle Books in San Francisco. She acquires nonfiction for all age groups, and fiction for ages 0-8—mostly visual books.
Often nonfiction writers want to portray a clear view of the world with logic. The problem is that human beings respond to the world with their emotions.
Good nonfiction speaks to the heart and to the head.
We need to learn to jump from fact to feeling. As soon as your gut recognizes something that's important, the brain remembers it. "As humans we are very different from each other in the facts of our lives. But we are alike in our feelings."
"Narrative arc is about the journey from one state to another. It is about transformation." Sometimes it's about the character, and sometimes it's about the narrator who's transformed by information.
She gave us a few examples of how this works in books.
"Fear comes from knowing something terrible is happening but not seeing all of it," she said. That's dread—so that's how you'd make something scary. (See Katherine Roy's NEIGHBORHOOD SHARKS for a glorious example of moving from fear to wonder.)
Don Brown's DROWNED CITY, about New Orleans, takes us from dread to frustration to resolve.
JOSEPHINE by Patricia Hruby Powell and Christian Robinson, takes us on Josephine's transformation from fear and anger to hope and pride and triumph. There is a universality in her reaction as well as a uniqueness.
OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW by Kate Messner and Chris Silas Neal explores the isolation of being on top of snow and builds connection to creatures keeping safe in pockets beneath it.
Nonfiction helps us understand ourselves and the world around us—and can change the world. "Humans are good at thinking," she said. "The thing we're even better at is caring."
A new opportunity at the SCBWI Summer Conference, these informal conversations with faculty members including agents and artist reps (Ginger Clark, Erica Rand Silverman, Tina Wexler, Kirsten Hall and Brooks Sherman) and editors and publishers (Krista Marino, Neal Porter, Sara Sargent, Melissa Manlove, Stacey Barney, Kat Brzozowski, and Reka Simonsen) are a big hit!
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| Attendees with agent Ginger Clark |
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| Attendees with Publisher Neal Porter |
A dive into what the editors really love (and acquired!)
Alvina Ling is VP and Editor-in-Chief at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers where she’s worked since 1999. She oversees Little, Brown’s core publishing program (including picture book, middle grade, and young adult), and edits children's books for all ages. She has worked with such authors and illustrators as Peter Brown, Bryan Collier, Ed Young, Grace Lin, Wendy Mass, Justina Chen, Chris Colfer, Laini Taylor, Libba Bray, Barry Lyga, Holly Black, and Matthew Quick. She is the co-founder and former chair of the CBC Diversity Committee. She is on Twitter as @planetalvina.
The books Alvina shares about are:
For Picture Books, "Thunder Boy, Jr." by Sherman Alexie, illustrated by Yuyi Morales
for middle grade, "The Year of the Dog" by Grace Lin
And for YA, "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" by Laini Taylor
Melissa Manlove is an Editor at Chronicle Books in San Francisco. She has been with Chronicle for 12 years. Her acquisitions tend to be all ages in nonfiction; ages 0-8 for fiction. When acquiring, she looks for fresh takes on familiar topics as well as the new and unusual. An effective approach and strong, graceful writing are important to her. She has 17 years of children’s bookselling experience.
Melissa's books she shares with us - and the stories behind them - are:
"Picture This" by Molly Bang
"President Squid" by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Sara Varon
Moderated by Emma Dryden (standing, far left), the panel shares three books that they acquired (and why):
Seated, from Left to Right:Stacey Barney, Senior Editor (G.P. Putnam's Sons/Penguin)
Kat Brzozowski, Associate Editor (St. Martin's)
Alvina Ling, V.P. and Editor in Chief (Little, Brown)
Melissa Manlove, Editor (Chronicle)
Neal Porter, Publisher (Neal Porter Books)
Matt Ringler, Senior Editor (Scholastic)
Sara Sargent, Executive Edtior (Harper Collins)
Reka Simonsen, Executive Editor (Atheneum)
Kate Sullivan, Senior Editor (Delacorte)
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