Everyone loves a holiday and editors
are no exception. Writing seasonal stories offers some-thing for
writers in all genres and for readers of all ages.
"There
are so many wonderful holidays throughout the year and seasonal books
are an obvious way to help children celebrate and get in the spirit of each holiday;" says Carolrhoda Editor Ellen Stein.
Most editors agree that Christmas is
one of the most popular holidays to write about with Easter, Valentine's Day, and Halloween coming close behind. That
doesn't mean writers should ignore these more familiar holidays but it
does mean that the competition may be a hit intense. Writers might want
to explore some of the lesser-known or less frequently covered
holidays.
"There are numerous books published in time for Halloween and Christmas," says Larry Rosler,
Editorial Director for Boyds Mills Press. "They're published because
those holidays are
marketable. So there's always a need for good material."
Overlooked?
Rosanne Tolin,
Managing Editor at Guideposts
for Kids
on the Web agrees that good material is always welcome.
"Christmas and Easter are probably the most overdone. But I don't get that
many pieces that are
purchase-worthy for either
of these holidays, because writers often submit stories that have been
done so many times
before. Holidays like Memorial and Labor Day are often overlooked, as are, surprisingly,
Mother's and Father's
Day."
"I don't know
of any holidays that are overlooked," says Rebecca Waugh, Editor at
Dial Books for Young Readers, "but of course that doesn't mean there
isn't room for more books. I think what's more important is the idea,
or how the holiday is approached."
"I'd say that Christmas and Halloween
are probably the most crowded holidays in terms of picture books," adds
Stein."But each of these holidays is so kid-centered and is surrounded
by such vivid images,
it's no wonder why! Hanukkah seems to me to be a slightly underdone
holiday. Thanksgiving is another holiday that I think has plenty of
opportunities for storytelling."
Evocative
Writers with an
interest in various cultures should explore the possibility of holidays
and seasonal stories with an international twist as well as the
familiar. At Highlights
for
Children, Senior
Editor Marileta Robinson says, "We would like to see more stories about
Jewish
and Muslim holidays, and about holidays from other countries and
from various ethnic groups in the U.S. But we also need good
stories about Christmas, Valentine's Day, Halloween, and other common
holidays."
How
can a writer capture and keep an editor's attention when telling a
seasonal or holiday story? The same way they do with any other story:
Do something different, tell an old story in a new way, find an
unexpected twist.
"As I do in any story," says Emma D.
Dryden, Vice President and Editorial Director for Margaret K. McElderry
Books, "I look for originality—something fresh and unique that will
help the story compete and stand out among other seasonal stories."
According to Stein, "Each
year it seems that the bookstore shelves are more and more crowded with
holiday books, so when I review holiday picture book submissions, I
try to look for something different or unusual. A seasonal story with
a different sort of twist or unique emphasis would catch my eye;
something that will stand out from the usual holiday fare. I also look
for beautiful, compelling language and voice. A writer who has a
dynamic or poetic storytelling voice can often bring tried-and-true
holiday images and stories to life in a special way.
A strong story remains key. "We look
for a good story first, and other elements second," says Robinson. "The season or holiday may be the starting
point for the story in the author's mind, but the reader and editor
look for a good plot and interesting characters. Having said that,
using the season or holiday can add interesting details to the story
and make it unique."
Waugh concurs. "I look for
a really strong story that also happens to be seasonal. There are
already so many books for almost any holiday, so I feel that a strong
story and good writing are the key factors that will make a book stand
out above the crowd."
Options
A seasonal
story doesn't have to be about a holiday. It can be writing about the
seasons: winter, summer, spring, and fall. Unless the holiday is key to
the plot, writers shouldn't try and force the story into a holiday
mold. In doing so, they may find themselves unnecessarily limiting
their options. As with all genres of stories, opportunities for
publishing seasonal and holiday stories vary from publisher to
publisher.
Tricycle Press Project Editor Abigail
Samoun explains, "Marketing seasonal stories is difficult for us as an
independent press because the selling time is so short and competition
from the bigger houses is so strong. So we publish very few actual seasonal stories. For us,
such a project would have
to work as both a seasonal story and a year-round story. One of our
bestsellers, Pumpkin
Circle, accomplishes
this admirably: it's a story about the growth cycle and gardening. but
sells well in the fall because of its harvest/pumpkin content."
Tolin recommends that writers try for an angle that offers multiple opportunities for
readers of Guideposts
for Kids. "I look for
a fresh approach on seasonal themes and for stories that encourage
interactivity. For instance, last fall we ran a story titled 'Take a
Tree Walk' that was inspired by a hook of the same title. The nice
thing about the piece was that it suggested ways for kids to get
outside and look at trees and leaves in a whole new way."
Soft Spots &
Pet
Peeves
Editors' tastes are as varied as the magazines and hooks they edit. As
with any type of publishing, it's important for writers to research
before they submit.
Robinson describes what Highlights looks for in seasonal submissions: "We
like stories that help kids think about the meaning behind the holidays
they celebrate and appreciate the value of holidays from other
cultures. So we love it when we find a story that can do this and is
also entertaining and fresh. We also like stories that use humor to
deal with family issues centering on holidays. Folktales about
holidays are also welcome."
"I'd like to see more fun and humorous Hanukkah stories offered," remarks Stein. "I find that Hanukkah picture
hooks tend to focus mostly on teaching the traditions of the holiday.
Not that this isn't valuable, but I'd like to see the same variety of Hanukkah books as there are Christmas books available,
including humorous stories and heart-warming, beautiful stories."
Tolin reminds writers not to tell the
same story the same way again and again. "I don't need another
manuscript on the real story of St. Nicholas, or one on egg decorating
at Easter time. I do have a soft spot for stories with an ethnic feel,
or ones that include unusual trivia that a kid would find interesting."
"My biggest pet peeve," says Waugh,
"is when an author writes a story in rhyme and allows the rhyme to
decide where the story is going. Not literally, of course, but by
putting that sort of constraint on the text, I think it's very
difficult for the text not to become predictable. I'm always impressed
when someone can write clever rhyming verse, but generally I tend to
prefer straight prose. On the other hand, I have a soft spot for humor."
"My pet peeve," says Dryden, "is a
seasonal story that's too nostalgic and sentimental. I don't like
seasonal stories with highly anthropomorphic animal or vegetable
characters. I like a lovely mother/child or father/child story and stories about the joy of
giving?'
Many of the mistakes that appear in
seasonal stories are common to all types of writing." Sometimes a
seasonal story will be a series of impressions about a certain holiday
or event, but without a narrative thread to hold it together. I like to
see a story with a solid beginning, middle, and end. Just the seasonal
angle is
not enough for me," says Waugh.
Rosler says a common mistake is that "manuscripts about the religious
holidays are often too preachy" Equally disappointing, says Robinson,
are stories that "sound like an encyclopedia article rather than a story or treat a holiday
in a cliche and
superficial way." Rosler adds that writers err when they "attempt to
tailor the story to the market, rather than tell a story from the
heart.”
Mistakes Stein sees are
"predictability and unoriginality. Taking a creative approach to
holiday stories is important if you want your story to stand out. It's
also important to keep the reader in mind when writing a holiday story.
Sometimes it's easy to get-carried away with our own adult memories of a holiday, forgetting a child's
perspective."
"It's a mistake," advises Dryden, "to send in a Christmas story in the fall
and expect it to be published for that coming holiday season."
"This may sound obvious," explains Stein, "but take a close look at
what's out there. Read the
competition, read reviews, and browse bookstore displays before a particular holiday. Think
about reading your story
out loud to a child: Will
it hold his interest? Will she want to hear it again? Think about what made a particular holiday special to you and
try to translate that into
a story that will have meaning for children today?”
Waugh encourages writers to "make sure
the story is focused on a child's experience. In other words, why is
this holiday important or interesting from a kid's point of view? And
while I like humor, lately I've come across some holiday stories that
try so hard to be different from the usual fare that they go a little
overboard. I generally don't like humorous holiday stories that are too
zany or absurd. After all, holidays are about celebrating something and
it's good to keep that in mind, too.”
"Figure out what draws you to one book
or repels you from another," suggests Dryden. "Look for what sort of
story might be missing or what book you can write that will not get
lost among all the others."
"I really do love
so many holiday stories!" says Stein. "Christmas, Halloween,
Valentine's Day, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah: Each holiday offers such
interesting and fun traditions, warm feelings, and a chance for
families to connect in a special way. There are so many angles to
explore about each of these holidays. And holidays are a wonderful
time to share books and give them as presents."
