On Children's Books--A Day in the Life

I often get asked what's it like to be a children's editor, what's my day-to-day life like. It's hard to encapsulate because no two days are alike. There's lots of meetings, lots of phone calls, lots of emails and lots of trying to find time to do the actual work of editing in between all the meetings, phone calls and emails, but today felt like a pretty typical day, so I made note of what I did:

A Day in the Life

7:00am-9:00am: Reading at home

10:30am: Arrive in the office

10:30am-11:00am: Read a colleague's submission to discuss at Editorial meeting

11:00am-11:30am: Production meeting--generally known as the meeting where Editors lie to Managing Editorial and Production about how close projects are to going to copyediting or design i.e. being ready to publish. It's a miracle when a projet is meeting all its production schedule deadlines...Reschedule an agent lunch (second rescheduled lunch date with this agent. Oy!)--snow storm coming, too much to do and can't lose three hours today; apologize profusely to agent and pick a new day that I will definitely, absolutely not cancel.

11:30am-12:15pm: Editorial meeting--discussed department housekeeping items such as due dates for Sales sheets and copy and presentations for our upcoming Launch of our Winter 2015 list. Discussed two submissions for possible acquisition; one was a proposal for a horror novel we decided to pass on and the other was the second novel from an author whose debut we published last year that we've decided to acquire; spirited conversations were had on both projects.

12:15pm-1:00pm: Work with my Business Manager and Publisher to put together an Acquisitions P&L (Profit and Loss Estimate--a document we use to decide how much we should pay for a project by projecting potential sales and deducting things like overhead and the cost of paper in the year you think you'll publish the book); route for appropriate signatures.

1:00pm-1:30pm: Quick lunch at my desk.

1:30pm-1:45pm: Review final jacket proof for a middle grade novel due to publish in the spring.

1:45pm-2:15pm: Rework P&L and reroute for signatures.

2:15pm-3:00pm: Catch up on emails. Highlights--an agent emailing to recommend two illustrators for a picture book manuscript she knows I'm trying to pair with an illustrator. Publicity Alert announcing EW excerpt went live for one of my books; celebrate via email with author, agent and publicist. Group Publisher and Head of Sales approve last minute cover change for upcoming middle grade--just in time to make the catalog deadline; send revised cover to author and pray she likes it, but prepare to regroup if she doesn't. Audio sale for a YA; send good news to author.

3:01pm: Lament how it is 3:01 and I've gotten nothing done.

3:02pm-3:33pm: Lose 31 minutes of my life I'll never get back waiting in line for my Grande Non-fat, no water, no foam Chai Latte. Kick myself for not bringing a manuscript with me to read while I wait because of course Starbucks is already a bad scene in the 3 o'clock hour...

3:35pm-4:18pm: Reading/Editing

4:18pm: Consider a cover comp for an upcoming publication that has just arrived in my inbox. Like the concept, but execution not quite right; decide to sit on it for a bit to think through my feedback for the designer.

4:25pm:Receive final signed P&L and prepare offer to agent.

4:40pm: Send offer to agent; fingers crossed that offer will be accepted because I love, love, love this book!

4:41pm-8:00pm: Reading/Editing in the office.

8:00pm-9:30pm: Catch up on emails; make copies and file a few things; organize work to take home (three manuscripts to edit; two submissions to consider) in case there is a snow storm and I can't make it in tomorrow; clean up office somewhat...give up...go home.

Well, it's not earth shattering excitement, but there it is. Missing from this run down would be a couple things I did yesterday: finishing an eight page, single spaced editorial letter and discussing another set of edits with the author via telephone; rejecting two submissions. When I describe this day, most people are a little surprised and sad that my day doesn't include duets with Disney characters. To those I say...me too.

Stacey