The Editor is honored to deliver the state of the children’s book industry keynote at the SCBWI 42nd Summer Conference August 2-5. She will also teach an intensive and two breakouts, as well as do one-on-one critiques. Registration for the conference just opened up. For details, read today’s full post or go straight to the SCBWI conference home page.

Dear Editor…

Will agents forgive ignorant query mistakes made by a passionate new PB writer? (My learning curve is still quite vertical, but flattening out slowly.) When should I move on from Literary Agency “X” to Agency “Y” or should I simply try the small publishing houses directly for PB manuscripts submissions?

Thank You,
Robert

Dear Editor…

Business Insider just ran the article “How Barack Obama Made His Fortune” by Walter Hickey that included details of President Obama’s book deal for The Audacity of Hope. Obviously I’d never get a $1.9 million advance, but how about the rest of the percentages? Would my book contract look like that?

Thanks,
Anonymous

Dear Editor…

You coordinated and completed a blog tour for your book a while back. Did you feel that it was worth all of your hard work? If did it all again, would you do anything differently?

Thanks,
A.

Dear Editor…

Is Amazon Children’s Publishing a paid market or a pay for print company?

Thanks,
Elizabeth

Dear Editor…

Amazon started a children’s book publishing imprint. I can’t find information about how to submit my manuscript to them. Are they accepting submissions?

R.

Dear Editor…

When you sign a contract, does the publisher get the rights to that book for its whole copyright time?

Thanks,
R.

Dear Readers…

SCBWI’s 2012 Summer Conference registration opens tomorrow, April 18, at 10am! DearEditor.com readers are getting this alert because a lot of you write for young people and this important annual 3-day event sells out—and the intensives on the extra day fill up almost immediately. If you were planning on registering, don’t delay. As you peruse the amazing schedule, note that The Editor will be there presenting the Current Market Report keynote, a breakout session on writing dialogue, an intensive on revising your MG/YA novel, and an intensive on creating youthful narrative sensibility. Read the rest of today’s DearEditor.com newsflash for details on her presentations; check out the full info on the SCBWI conference page.

Dear Editor…

I follow an agent blog where books are reviewed and the agent says why she would or would not represent the book. Very often, she loves the books, but then says, “I wouldn’t represent it.” I mean, why not? If you love a book, others might too. If you can sell it, you make more on commissions. Isn’t that what it’s about? Selling books that you like and making money in the process? Why so picky? Is this common or just this one agent? Seems very unbusinesslike.

Signed,
B.

Dear Editor…

What are the pros and cons of using a pen name? What if you are quite a private person? Is this enough of a reason to use one? If so, what are some good ways to choose one and how do agents and editors feel about the practice?

Many thanks,
The Writer Behind the Curtain