VICE PRESIDENT, ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER AT RANDOM HOUSE
Conducted by Philomena O'Neill, March 2006
1. What's your favorite part of your job?
Hard to say. I love both managing my editors, who are very like writers in temperament. I love having the big picture of what our imprint is publishing. I love working on books with authors especially in the beginning when it's all brainstorming and ideas. I love trying to figure out what to do with a book to grab readers attention, whether it's cover art or title.
2. What's your least favorite part of your job?
Negotiating with agents and too many meetings and presentations.
3. How would you characterize your publishing house? In other words, in what ways do they see their publishing house as being different from other publishing houses? What do they consider to be unique about themselves? What is their identity?
Well Random House is huge, and, by name and definition RANDOM. For the Random House children's imprint (within the RH children's division there are multiple imprints: Knopf, Crown, Dell, Doubleday, Golden, etc) our catch phrase is accessible. While we want to appeal to librarians and parents we truly see kids as our primary target. So you won't see anything too slow-moving or precious or sophisticated coming from us. We also do every format within our imprint from board books and novelty and picturebooks to beginning readers and middle grade and Young Adult titles. (some imprints focus on specific age groups or kinds of books) Our group has also had a lot of editors who have "grown-up" here, which is unusually in publishing where editors tend to move around a lot.
4. What could illustrators do to make your job easier?
I don't find illustrators to be difficult in any way as a group. But just like working with any creative person, it is always helpful to be open to suggestions and be flexible. I like it when illustrators also have their own vision and don't necessarily need to be told exactly what to do (but this all depends on the project).
5. What kind of interaction between editor and illustrator is now common in your experience. Some of our members recall there used to be more lunch meetings. Is management curtailing such things or are other pressures coming to bear?
Well, unless it is an author/illustrator, editors are less likely to have regular direct contact with the illustrator. The relationship is stronger between the designer of a book and the illustrator. I think lunch meetings are more a thing of the past because writers and illustrators can now work very effectively and quickly with people using the internet. I've been in publishing for over 15 years and there weren't a lot of lunch meetings then either, so perhaps this is perception comes from those who were working before 1990?
6. Do you see any trends in the industry? For example the apparent trend of celebrity books, or the popularity of historical fiction. Do you see something new on the horizion or the end of a current fad?
I think that board books and picturebooks are going to be coming back around. But that's more from what seems to be a baby boomlet than from anything trendy. Publishers are not the best at following trends because the creation of books requires a lot of lead time, so there's not a lot of quick response (a little, but it's not often worth it). The celebrity book thing has been around for a while. Some work, some don't. I don't feel like its ever going to take over the industry.
7. Do you have experience working on book & toy combination projects? How far book publishers can go with this direction until they become more like toy/game manufacturers?
We do a tiny bit of this, but that's because Random House has Dr. Seuss and Pat the Bunny and the Disney/Pixar license. However, it is very important to our book buyers that books be books. In the mass market outlets (Target/Walmart) we are competing with toys, but I still think that most parents prefer to get a book over a toy for their child, especially if the price is right.
8. Can you offer your opinion on the difference between a trade book style vs. a mass market style vs. and educational style? Do you see a difference between the three?
An excellent question. There is a difference but there are also cross-overs. Trade is usually more author driven, mass market is character and brand/license driven, and educational is educationally driven (must have clear educational component).
9. What are the advantages or disadvantages to commissioning illustrations through an artists rep vs. a individual illustrator? Which do you find yourself working with more often?
This doesn't fall to me so I have no opinion on it. (whew!)
10. Of the recent books you've worked on which have been the most
successful? Can you discuss why?
I have worked on Magic Tree House for years. I think these books sell incredibly well because there is something for everyone, plus the adventures are very much a mirror of how kids imaginations work. Also, we have not overpublished Magic Tree House, so there has not been a sudden glut in the marketplace, only a slow and steady build over 14 years. I also work with YA fantasy author Tamora Pierce who has been writing for over 20 years. Her success rose after Harry Potter was so succesfull and she has a very nice following. Interestingly enough, her fans follow her as they get into their 20s and 30s as well. She's also one of the few fantasy writers whose consistent focus is strong heroic girls.
11.With today's book market so driven for the bottom line, how hard are editors looking for new artists and writers? What's an estimate of how many books should sell for the first year for a new artist/ author to be considered a success by the publishing house?
A moderate success for us with a picturebook would be over 7,500 copies sold. A real success would be twice as many. How hard an editor is looking is more personal than one might think, a newly promoted editor or someone who has just gotten their own imprint and is looking to build a list is probably looking the "hardest". The rest of us are just looking for things we like that we think will have some kind of broader appeal.
12. How much importance is put on previous sales figures when choosing an illustrator?
Depends on the writer and on the project. Obviously the better sales are always going to be better!
13. What percentage of illustration assignments go to illustrators Random House hasn't worked with before?
I don't know specifically, but I'd say 20-30%. Which includes covers for middle grade and YA.
14. Are you still involved in choosing illustrators or is your job more administrative? If so, where do you usually find your new artists?
Our designers and art directors do most of the initial choosing of illustrators (sometimes pulling samples of as many 10 artists to consider for one project). They then work with the editor, and sometimes myself or our publisher, to make a final decision. Some editors go to a designer with samples of what they like. My focus the last few years has been in older books (only a few picturebooks) as well as managing our editorial group.
15. What makes you enthused when seeing art samples? What turns youoff?
I can't quantify this. I like it when I see variety but consistent quality. It helps to see more than one or two pieces.
16. What percentage of samples you receive are of professional quality?
From submissions, only a handful. From artists portfolios, the majority are well done.
17. If you find illustrators online, do you look at specific sites (like PBAA, I-Spot, etc.) more than emails?
No, but I know many who do.
18. How often do you go through samples and how often can, or should, samples be sent? What constitutes good marketing versus being a pest?
Samples should be sent if your art style changes. Otherwise, once or twice a year is fine. Monthly is pest-y.
19. Is sending email samples the way to go?
They can clutter up someone's email box, so I'd say to do it sparingly. I'm also fond of the one postcard with webpage address, if I like the piece. I also hang up pieces on my wall that I especially like, so that I can keep someone in mind.
20. Is there a desired subject matter that you don't see in samples/portfolios? (Or vice versa, subject matter that is overdone?)
I'd love to see more people and fewer animals.
21. Is there a desired artistic style(s) that you don't see insamples/portfolios? (Or vice versa, artistic styles that are overdone?)
I think there is a nice variety out there.
22. Are there common mistakes illustrators make in how they present samples or in the samples they choose to show?
Again, it depends how one shares the work. If you have a postcard with one piece, it should represent your work. Sometimes we like one piece of art, but nothing else the artist has done seems to reflect it.
23. Do you like a very consistent style from an artist or do you like to see that the artist is versatile and can do several styles?
I like to see several styles if someone has it, but I don't care if someone only has one style as long as it works!
24. Do you have specific illustration needs for Random House?
No, just variety as we publish for all age groups.
25. Are there common mistakes illustrators make in illustrating books?
Not being able to hold a character, consistent proportions. Not enough white space.
26. Do you look for specific qualities in the illustrators you work with other than beautiful illustration samples?
See above!
27. What were the characteristics of a project that you felt wentthrough the production process like a dream?
Art style was consistent with artist's samples throughout. Artist had good suggestions for different layouts which were incorporated. Artist showed that the words inspired him and also add his own ideas, making the book a richer one.
28. What were the characteristics of a project that turned into aproduction nightmare for you?
Artist didn't seem to really understand the flavor/feel of the book and characters, and while willing to make changes they were always so slight as to be undectable.
29. Do you direct the design staff or is it a collaborative decision between the design staff and yourself? Or, is the art look pretty much completely in your hands?
Almost always collaborative. Sometimes with middle grade/YA covers I know just what I want, and hopefully the designer agrees!
30. What do you do when, after contracting the artist for a particular project, the artist does not agree with some of your art direction? How much wiggle room do you allow? Do you expect an artist to lock-step with you to the alter? What is your method for resolving differences?
I like to hear what the illustrator has to say, and certainly the more experienced the artist the more credibility they have. Usually it is resolved
through dialogue. If something is non-fiction there really isn't wiggle room as we are often working with experts who know best.
31. Can you think of a project that required major changes? What were those changes and did they eventually satisfy both the illustrator and the publisher?
We have had more than one project that the original artist ended up not working for the project and we had to get a new one.
32. How do you feel about working with overseas illustrators (i.e. Non-USA)?
Better now than ever. We have had a few language barrier issues, but pretty minor.
33. What might make the PBAA site better or easier for you to use?
I wish that on the homepage (the opening page) the user could click on a piece of art and see the whole piece and who the artist is and where the piece is from and click on an illustrators name and jump to their info, rather than having to go to another page to find them.