From: janeyolen at aol.com <janeyolen>
Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:05:22 -0400

 Kathy asked Leonard: "Because I hadn't thought about it until this discussion and I'm curious to hear your answer, I'd like to repeat Sally Miller's question: does it seem to you that fiction for the middle-grade child is being a little neglected in favor of more of today's really lovely picture books at one end and the explosion of timely and well-written young adult novels at the other?"


I won't presume to know how Leonard will answer, but I want to point out two things. First, publishing is a business. And if it is "common wisdom" of the moment that they are selling high end picture books or ChickLit or mammoth fantasy trilogies better than anything else, a lot of those will be published. Authors always hear from editors that what they really want is middle grade fiction, preferably humorous. But in fact they want what they think will sell big and what they can get through the committee.

And that is the second thing I want to emphasize. Leonard touched on it already in answering a different question. In almost all publishing, certainly with the major publishers with multiple imprints, everything goes through the Committe's Mill, which grinds exceeding fine. A single editor no longer has the power to push through book after book on her own. Even editors with their own emponymous imprints have to answer to that greater group.

JaneY



 


Jane Yolen www.janeyolen.com

 








 
Received on Wed 23 Jul 2008 08:05:22 AM CDT