Guest Interview: Chris Cheng & Sarah Baker on Publishing Trends & Bologna 2018

By Melanie Rook Welfing
for SCBWI Bologna 2018and Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Note: This is part of a series focusing on the Bologna Children's Bookfair.

SCBWI Netherlands Regional Adviser Melanie Rook Welfing talks with SCBWI booth organizers Chris Cheng and Sarah Baker.

Chris Cheng…

• has the best job creating children’s books 
• lives in a very old, creaking floorboards, house 
• owns a library filled with more than a few thousand children’s books 
• is co-chair for the International Advisory Board of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators 
• is ambassador to the National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature 
• failed art in kindergarten 
• has ridiculously long hair 
• is a reporter for Cynsations

Sarah Baker is the Director of Illustration and Artist Programs at the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, where she manages and develops the illustrator grants, awards and scholarships, advises and mentors SCBWI illustrator members, and serves as the designer and art director for the Bulletin and all other SCBWI publications.

Before coming to SCBWI, Sarah designed children’s books at Penguin Young Readers Group. 

Hi Chris and Sarah! Thank you both for participating in the 2018 SCBWI Bologna Book Fair interview series. 

Before we dive into SCBWI's role, I’d like to ask about one of the bigger trends in children’s publishing. Chris, can you comment on reports saying the publishing industry in China is putting more emphasis on Chinese writers, instead of just seeking translated work? Is this having an impact on the amount of translated work, or is there room for both? 

Learn more about Chris Cheng.

Chris: China was the country of focus this year at Bologna and that market is booming.

China is definitely promoting Chinese writers and illustrators and their works. Some promote work in more traditional Chinese style (art) while others have entries that are very influenced by published work outside of China.

There are now quite a few new China-based competitions that are focused solely on Chinese-created work. These are being promoted to Chinese creators. Some of these are also open to international creators as well and the SCBWI will be promoting some of these as the time draws near for those initiatives.

At the same time as publishing their own Chinese-created and -themed work, Chinese publishers are seeking titles created in other countries that are suitable for both translation and to be printed in English. I talked to a number of publishers who wanted the original book – not for translation but to publish in English. And they were engaging work that was relevant to Chinese children. But they very much also wanted to have the titles originating in China with Chinese themes and creatives to be published in English-speaking countries.

Since our last attendance at Bologna in 2016 there were quite a few new Chinese publishers of children’s books. Some of these are publishing less traditional Chinese titles while others are publishing very traditional Chinese titles. There were also new publishers who publish solely for the Chinese education market as well.

What is the role of SCBWI at Bologna? Can you share a bit about the history of the SCBWI booth at Bologna, how has it changed, and plans for the future? 

Chris: SCBWI Bologna is all about showcasing the recently created PAL works of our global membership, whether they be authors or illustrators.

The first showcase, under the magical leadership of Erzsi Deàk, was held in 2004 in conjunction with a conference. That conference has now morphed into the Europolitan conference that is held in our non-Bologna years.

Our physical booth doubled in size in 2016. We also created our first digital catalogue that is now distributed to publishers in our global database.

Our showcase has always displayed the art from our illustrator members, but last year this evolved into a digital gallery that was judged by industry experts – the finalists were then on display on large panels having in our booth – providing not only an attractive appearance but also enticing publishers. 

Members were able to showcase their work at the booth, and the illustrators creating art were a huge draw. Some of our members seen creating works at the showcase were then snaffled up for publication.

There were presentations from SCBWI at the author and illustrator cafes at the fair – these are always hugely popular. But our author members were not left out.

This year we created the Dueling Illustrators Manuscript contest, where members were able to submit an unpublished picture book manuscript.

These were then judged by Emma Ledbetter (senior editor, Atheneum), and the top six manuscripts were read aloud for our extremely popular Dueling Illustrators Competition.

Also new this year was a team creating our Social Media Presence. We had Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - all under the name of SCBWIBologna. Just search for #BBF18SCBWI and see what we were up to. Our Bologna presence is always evolving, but crucial is the showcasing of our member’s recent PAL creations.

Learn more about Sarah Baker.

Sarah, you’ve participated in the Dueling Illustrators Competition that Chris mentioned. Can you tell us about that? 

Sarah: What I can tell you is it was very nerve-wracking!

Until we actually got started drawing, that is, and then it was so much fun.

I had never drawn in front of people live before, much less while being timed and competing with someone else.

But once we got started, it was an enjoyable challenge to quickly decide how to tackle each scene, and to just go with your gut and follow through with each idea, since there’s no time to change your mind.

It was also really fun to see how I and the other illustrator, Susan Eaddy, came up with different ideas on how to compose the scene and interpret the text.

It was great to watch the Dueling illustrators at the 2018 booth!

What are your roles on the SCBWI Bologna team? How do you work together? 

Chris Cheng's notebook
(full of Bologna plans)

Chris: My role in our Bologna presence is to work with the team that presents the Bologna showcase. I coordinate many of the activities – I like spreadsheets and task lists – but the team creates Bologna.

We have an enormous number of emails swapping ideas and enhancing activities from previous fairs, and we also discuss the showcase at the New York and Los Angeles conferences. 

Sarah: This year, I got more involved with the logistics of the booth, and bringing along “swag” like totebags, buttons, and postcards.

There is a lot of planning beforehand, meetings at various conferences, and lots and lots of emails! At the fair, it’s so fun to experience how everyone helping out at the booth works so well with each other.

It’s a great opportunity for members of SCBWI from all around the world to meet face to face and get to know one another better. Everyone does a great job of supporting our members participating in the booth with showcases, as well as informing the international publishing world about SCBWI.

Why should a member of SCBWI go to Bologna? What are the benefits? Writers versus Illustrators? 

Sarah: Attending the Bologna Book Fair is an amazing opportunity for children’s book creators.

They can get a sense of the children’s book market worldwide, meet people from the industry, and get a huge dose of inspiration. It’s truly eye-opening to see all the books and publishers from around the world, and see that books and trends are different in various countries.

And for SCBWI members, visiting the fair during a year when the SCBWI booth is on (every other year) gives them a nice homebase. While visiting the fair is beneficial for anyone creating children’s books, there is a distinct focus on illustration.

It’s somewhat easier for illustrators to bring postcards and pass them around to people they meet, which can lead to all sorts of opportunities after the fair. A great benefit for SCBWI members is that they can be represented at the fair even if they aren’t attending, by participating in the SCBWI Bologna Rights Catalogue and Showcase.

What tips can you give to new attendees on navigating the fair?

Sarah: The fair is huge and can be very overwhelming!

Make sure you check out the schedule ahead of time and pick out which events, workshops, and interviews you don’t want to miss. Also, give yourself ample time to roam around freely and take it all in.

Don’t ignore the halls housing booths from countries and continents that are very foreign to you. It’s an opportunity you don’t want to miss. Also, check out this wonderful blog post by SCBWI Andy Musser for great tips on visiting the fair.

Thank you, Chris and Sarah, for your time and insight. I’m already looking forward to SCBWI Bologna 2020! 

Cynsational Notes

At the age of 12 Melanie Rook Welfing’s life ambition was to be part-time author, part-time roller skater. The skating dreams died, along with the '80s hair, but the author dream lives on.

Melanie writes primarily for middle graders and has had stories published in Highlights and other magazines.

Originally from the west coast of Canada, Melanie now lives in the Netherlands with her husband and two daughters.

She is the Regional Advisor for SCBWI in the Netherlands.

Guest Interview: Editor Emma Ledbetter & Writer Zoë Armstrong on Picture Books & SCBWI's Bologna Manuscript Contest

By Elisabeth Norton
for SCBWI Bologna 2018 and Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Note: This interview is part of a series focusing on the Bologna Children's Book Fair. 

SCBWI Switzerland Regional Adviser Elisabeth Norton talks with the judge and winner of SCBWI's new Dueling Illustrators Manuscript Contest.

One event that always draws a crowd to the SCBWI booth at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair is the Dueling Illustrators.

In the duel, two illustrators each stand before a blank flip-chart, marker, charcoal or other drawing medium at the ready. A story is read aloud in ten segments, and after each one, the illustrators have just a couple of minutes to illustrate that portion of the story.

The tricky part?

They have never heard the story before so they have no idea what is going to happen next!

Paul O. Zelinsky and John Shelley, dueling illustrators

This year, SCBWI launched a new picture book manuscript contest in conjunction with this event, which is held daily at the SCBWI booth during the fair.

The 100 entry slots for the contest filled quickly, and then it was the job of Emma Ledbetter, senior editor at Atheneum, to winnow those entries down to the six finalists and to select the winner.

Paul O. Zelinsky and John Shelley, photo by Christopher Cheng

Today I’m talking with Emma and with Zoë Armstrong, author of the winning manuscript.

Welcome, Emma and Zoë!

Zoë, how long have you been writing for children?

I’ve been playing with verse since my seven-year-old daughter, Elodie, was very young. But a year ago, I enrolled on to the Picture Book Programme of the Golden Egg Academy here in the United Kingdom, and it has given me tremendous focus and a determination to make space for my writing.

I trained as a journalist so I’ve always written, but creative writing is something I was doing privately at home. I think it can take a while to find the confidence as a writer to actively pursue your creative ambitions. But if you hold your nerve, anything is possible!

Zoë with her daughter.

Can you tell us more about the writing that you do? Do you write exclusively picture books? 

I am a freelance copywriter, but my real love is children’s literature. I love that picture books are so rich in possibility, and how playful you can be with language and rhythm and ideas.

So, yes, picture books are very much where my heart is.

I tend to write quirky, lyrical stories, and I’d like to work with incredible illustrators and editors who have similar leanings. I try to write every day –– there is still so much to learn! –– and this practice has really elevated my writing.

What prompted you to enter the Dueling Illustrator’s Manuscript Contest?

I’m at that stage in my picture book writing journey where I’m determined to create opportunities, and jump in whenever they show up.

One of the things I love about picture books is the interplay between text and illustrations, so the SCBWI Dueling Illustrator's Manuscript Contest was a dream contest to enter!

Emma's office

Emma, there were 100 entries to this inaugural Dueling Illustrators Manuscript contest. Can you tell us about your process for narrowing 100 entries down to the top six? 

For me, this process—just like my job as an editor—had a lot to do with the gut feeling I had as a reader in response to each manuscript.

As I read the 100 entries, I sifted and organized them; those that stood out to me for any reason I put into a special pile, which started at around 20-30 manuscripts. Then I reread that pile, and continued winnowing them down from there until I landed on my six favorites!

What stood out to you about the six finalists and the winning entry, “When the Huggalumph Hullabalooed”? 

As a judge and as a picture book editor, one of the most important things to me is the vision I have, when I first read a story, of what a finished book might look like: for example, what art style might work; what interesting or surprising visual possibilities are available; what freedom an artist might have to bring their own touch and perspective to the story.

Though the manuscripts I selected through this contest are quite different from each other, what they all had in common is that they were stories I’d be interested in seeing come to life on the page—and which I thought could come to life successfully.

Other important factors for a strong picture book manuscript include a premise that feels unique and distinct, and thoughtful writing that draws me in—for its humor, its lyricism, or its cleverness, for example. For me, the winners I chose had these elements, too.

Zoë's office

Zoë, what was the inspiration for your winning story “When the Huggalumph Hullabalooed”? 

I often start by free writing before I begin to plot, and it was the rhythm and the mouth feel of the words that provided the initial inspiration.

I’m fascinated by the way that the musicality of a text can engage a young child, even if they don’t fully understand the precise meaning of each word. It doesn’t matter!

I read a lot with my daughter and I’m sure that must feed into what I write. But I also think that the poetry of our first picture books stays with us forever.

My own childhood was filled with Maurice Sendak, Edward Lear, Judith Kerr, Roald Dahl and so on… so it’s all in there, I think.

Also my daughter, Elodie, has one or two Huggalumph characteristics herself!

View from Zoë's office

Can you tell us about finding out that your manuscript was the winning entry? 

It was incredible to discover that “When the Huggalumph Hullabalooed” had won.

I’d been following the SCBWI Bologna updates on Facebook, and I saw that my text was being illustrated by two superstar illustrators –– Caldecott Medalist Paul O. Zelinsky and John Shelley, who was shortlisted for this year's Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.

That in itself was really exciting, and then to actually win!

It’s been an invaluable opportunity to receive feedback from an editor of the caliber of Emma. The report she has written is thoughtful and encouraging, and I can’t thank her and the SCBWI enough.

I’ve already reworked “The Huggalumph” with Emma’s comments in mind. I guess it’s time to look for a great literary agent!

Emma, the guidelines for the contest specified that manuscripts not be longer than 350 words. For several years now authors have been advised to keep their picture book manuscripts short - 500 words or less. Do you see this trend continuing? 

Three hundred and fifty words is definitely on the short end of the picture books we publish! Word counts can vary greatly depending on things like the age group they’re targeting, and whether they’re fiction or nonfiction.

But yes, in general, there has been a trend towards brevity in recent years. I see this not as brevity for brevity’s sake, but because often, a manuscript reads as “too long” because it would simply be a stronger story if it were shorter.

When I edit a picture book text, sometimes I’ll encourage an author to condense when I find that there’s excessive description; too many different plotlines going on at once; or too much information incorporated (this can be a particular issue with nonfiction).

Every word is important in a picture book, where space is precious and limited—so every story needs focus and intent.

Based on your experience as an editor, what is the one thing that you think picture book authors should keep in mind when crafting their stories? 

Especially for authors who are just beginning or are early in their careers, it’s important to remember that once your text leaves your hands and is paired with an illustrator, it’s just as much their book as it is yours.

This idea understandably can be difficult to come to terms with, but it’s a crucial mindset for producing the best book possible.

Though the author’s input is important to me (of course!), I want the artists I work with to have the freedom to bring their own vision to the story, too.

In those early stages, when an author is first crafting their story, they can keep this in mind by asking themselves questions about how certain text might come alive visually.

For example, “is it important to the story that I write that my character is wearing a green shirt; or can I let the artist make that choice?”

Not only will this make your manuscript more appealing for an illustrator, but it will help you improve your story, too, by bringing in the focus and intent that I mention above.

Thanks so much for talking with me today! Zoë, we wish you and the Huggalumph great success! Emma, any last thoughts for our readers? 

Thanks for having me, Elisabeth! And thanks to all of you authors who submitted your work to this contest. Keep writing (and reading)!

Cynsational Notes

Emma Ledbetter, senior editor at Atheneum, joined Simon & Schuster in 2011 following internships with Little, Brown; Nickelodeon; and Nick Jr.

A graduate of Yale University with a B.A. in Art History, Emma has edited all kinds of books for kids. These include the picture book Ida, Always by Caron Levis, illustrated by Charles Santoso (Atheneum, 2016), which The New York Times called "an example of children's books at their best" as well as the ALA Notable middle grade novel Quicksand Pond by Newbery Honoree Janet Taylor Lisle (Atheneum, 2017).

She is especially fond of Edward Gorey, the Clementine series by Sara Pennypacker, and the Frances the Badger series by Russell Hoban.

Check out the books she’s edited, as well as some of her favorite children’s literature, on Pintrest; bonus points if you can decipher her Frances-related Twitter handle, @brdnjamforemma.


Zoë Armstrong is a British writer. After graduating from City, University of London, she trained as a journalist, and has worked in public relations within the charitable sector and in education.

She spent her childhood reading Maurice Sendak and Judy Blume in Oxford and Paris.

Her love of children’s literature persisted, and Zoë is now a member of the respected Golden Egg Academy for children’s writers.

Zoë lives with her young daughter in Brighton, on the South Coast of England, and works as a freelance writer. You can find Zoë on Twitter.

Elisabeth Norton grew up in Alaska, went to University in Tennessee, and lived for many years in Texas.

After a brief sojourn in England, she now lives with her family between the Alps and the Jura in Switzerland.

Elisabeth writes for a variety of ages and reading levels, including picture books, chapter books and middle grade books.

She serves as the regional advisor for the Swiss chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

When not writing, she can be found walking the dogs, playing board games, and spending time with family and friends.