We are so pleased to welcome Fiona Kenshole, senior agent at Transatlantic Agency, to discuss all things children’s books. If you’re writing picture books, early readers, chapter books or middle grade, this episode is for you. 

We talk about how children’s publishing is different from adult publishing, the elements each age group needs, building tension, creating voice, and writing about power and autonomy as seen from a child’s perspective. 

We also talk about image notes (and why they’re so controversial—plus a great story from Fiona on this), how even NYT bestselling authors do extensive edits, and  Fiona’s upcoming class on July 28.
Fiona will be teaching How To Write Children's Books That Surprise and Delight July 28 at 8:30pm EDT. You can learn more and get your ticket here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/fiona

Timestamps:  

10:15: How children’s publishing is different from adult publishing (also clip)
12:20: How to keep a child’s perspective in mind while writing 
13:53: Specific for each children’s age groups 
18:26 How to be funny 
19:56: Voice in middle grade 
25:20: Power dynamics in children’s books 
27:16 Building tension in middle grade 
36:55: Illustration notes, and why they’re so controversial 
40:16: Fiona’s class on July 28

How To Write Children's Books That Surprise and Delight with Agent Fiona Kenshole

The Manuscript Academy brings you conversations with agents, editors, and writers who can help you on your publishing journey.

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Content Warning: This podcast discusses suicide, grief, and loss. 

Pam O'Hara's beautiful writing captivated our expert audience during a recent Manuscript Academy panel, so much so that it was picked for our 2024 MSWL Agent Choice Awards. 

Pam joins Jessica and Julie to speak about her stunning memoir about love, loss, and losing a loved one by suicide. We discuss everything from platform, to crafting your voice, to how to position a serious and sad topic for your audience, and more. Agents and editors, this one is in need of representation, if you're listening and like what you hear. We know we did.

Learn more about Pam here: https://pamelaohara.com

Emotional Range, Sensory Details, And Pitching Works On Difficult Topics

Watch the free video version, slides and all (and get a coupon for our workshop!) at https://manuscriptacademy.com/emmy

Join our Three-Day Keep An Agent Reading Workshop, May 28-30, here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/product/keep-an-agent-reading-workshop

TIMESTAMPS: 

Essential Elements of a Query Letter (00:03:07) Dr. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon covers the essential elements of a query letter, including the metadata paragraph, summary, and bio.

Query Letter Writing Tips (00:06:06) Insights into the query letter writing process, including addressing the agent, book title, and genre.

Metadata Paragraph and Summary (00:09:18) Detailed explanation of the metadata paragraph and summary in a query letter, including the importance of personalization and book comps.

Writing Style in Summary (00:21:12) Discussion on mirroring the writing style of the summary paragraph with the manuscript's tone and voice.

Summary of Writing Style and Content (00:22:12) Dr. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon discusses the essential elements of a query letter and the importance of introducing main characters and conflict in the summary paragraph.

Publishing Bio and Relevant Credentials (00:23:51) Dr. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon explains the significance of including prior publications, accolades, training, and relevant professional credentials in the publishing bio.

Essential Elements of the First Page (00:26:54) Dr. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon highlights the significance of the first page in capturing the reader's interest and emphasizes the need to meet the main character, introduce the central organizing feature, and outline what helps and hurts the character.

Crafting a Compelling First Page (00:33:44) Dr. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon provides insights on writing the first page, including the importance of starting with action, introducing the main character, and establishing the central organizing feature.

Synopsis vs. Summary (00:41:18) Dr. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon differentiates between the synopsis and the summary, emphasizing the need for a bulleted list of plot points in the synopsis, including the ending, and avoiding a writerly tone.

Crafting a Synopsis (00:43:24) Advice on crafting a clear and informative synopsis, particularly helpful for pantsers.

Including Trigger Warnings (00:44:52) The importance of including trigger warnings in query letters and writing samples, and how to effectively incorporate them.

Bio in Query Letter (00:47:34) What to include in the bio section of a query letter, including personal experiences and writing goals.

Prologue vs. Chapter One (00:49:22) The debate over whether to use a prologue or the first chapter as the writing sample, and the impact on the query process.

Querying Across Genres (00:53:07) Advice for writers querying across multiple genres and how to communicate long-term career plans to agents.

Expressing Multiple Genres (00:56:54) Guidance on how to best express, showcase, or explain a book that spans multiple genres in a query letter.

Lived Experience in Query (00:59:56) The significance of mentioning own voices or lived experiences in the first paragraph of a query letter.

Commercial, Upmarket, and Literary (01:01:36) A breakdown of the distinctions between commercial, upmarket, and literary writing styles and tones.

Literary vs. Commercial (01:02:23) Discussion of literary and commercial books, with examples and explanations of each category.

Responsible Representation of Disabled and Chronically Ill People (01:05:07) Insights into the progress and challenges of representation in publishing, encouragement to include nuanced representation in writing.

Query Consultation Prize Winners (01:09:00) Announcement of three winners for a query consultation prize with Dr. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon.

Upcoming Workshop and Ticket Drawing (01:10:24) Details about a three-day workshop and the drawing of three tickets for the workshop, including instructions for winners.

Live Recorded: Query Class with Agent Dr. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon

We are honored that author Elizabeth (Liz) Holden, author of the forthcoming YA novel Mighty Millie Novak, allowed us to go through her work as a teaching tool for you--what each element accomplishes, WHY it works, and how you can do the same in your own query and first page.

If you'd like to follow along visually, head to our YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/@manuscriptacademy, or the podcast episode page, https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-elizabeth-holden, for the captioned video, transcript, and more. 

And be sure to check out our other episode, The Roller Derby of Querying, in our feed.

TIMESTAMPS: 
Elements of a Successful Query (00:05:25) Analysis of the query's opening, use of comps, and character introduction.

Navigating Conflict and Tension (00:07:17) Discussion on building conflict and tension in the query and its impact.

Character Growth and Story Arcs (00:10:47) Explanation of character growth and the importance of story arcs in the query.

Personal Experience and Bio (00:12:13) Analysis of the author's personal experiences and bio presented in the query.

Flexibility and Professionalism (00:13:31) Discussion on the author's flexibility and professionalism demonstrated in the query.

Setting High Stakes (00:16:10) Analysis of the opening line and setting high stakes in the first page of the story.

Mighty Millie's Dream (00:17:50) Mighty Millie's aspirations and determination in roller derby are highlighted, setting the stage for the story's conflict and potential growth.

Coach Ann's Challenge (00:18:39) Mighty Millie's desire to prove herself and her ambition to be recognized as a formidable competitor in roller derby are showcased.

A Disastrous Setback (00:19:29) A dramatic turn of events leads to Mighty Millie's setback, creating tension and raising the stakes for her roller derby aspirations.

The Power Dynamics (00:21:04) The discussion revolves around the protagonist's power dynamics, her aspirations, and the fluctuations in her journey, setting the tone for the story's development.

Book Launch and Roller Derby (00:22:20) Elizabeth Holden discusses her upcoming book launch and the roller derby theme, adding an exciting real-life connection to the story.

Learn more about Liz here: https://elizabeth-holden.com/

Mini Lesson: What Author Elizabeth Holden Did Right In Her Query & First Page

View our in-depth video of what Liz did right in her query letter and first page here: https://www.youtube.com/@manuscriptacademy

Meet Elizabeth Holden, Physics professor, travel entrepreneur, and author of Mighty Millie Novak, a YA novel coming out from Flux Publishing in August. https://www.elizabeth-holden.com/

Liz is also the travel coordinator for our 2025 Manuscript Academy Retreat, which we're calling Enchanted Summer. Early Bird ends May 24. https://www.leapinghound.com/enchanted2025.html

Transcript + video at https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-elizabeth-holden

Timestamps:
00:02:03 - Writing Journey (00:02:03) Elizabeth Holden shares her writing journey, including querying experiences and the ups and downs of her writing career.

00:09:50 - Book Offer and Celebrations (00:09:50) Elizabeth recounts the experience of receiving a book offer and the challenges she faced due to being sick at the time.

00:12:11 - Viral Twitter Experience (00:12:11) Elizabeth shares the story of her viral Twitter experience related to the representation of queer characters in her novel and the subsequent impact on her querying process.

00:16:09 - Managing Multiple Offers (00:16:09) Elizabeth discusses the process of managing multiple offers from literary agents and making a decision about representation.

Querying and First Page Feedback (00:21:46) Discussion and feedback on the query letter and the first page of the novel.

Character and Conflict Introduction (00:27:33) The introduction of the main character and the presentation of internal and external conflicts.

Advice on Writing Process (00:33:05) Flexibility in mindset and recognizing when to take lateral steps in the writing process.

Leaping Hound Travel (00:37:13) Starting a travel company during the pandemic, focusing on niche topics and small group tours in Europe and Mexico.

Lake Bled Writing Retreat 2025 (00:41:09) Announcement of a writing retreat and vacation in Lake Bled, Slovenia, with details about the location and activities.

Enchanted Summer (00:44:44) Discussion about the magical and inspiring environment of Lake Bled, Slovenia, and the benefits of stepping away to focus on writing.

The Roller Derby of Querying: How Author Elizabeth Holden Found Her Agent

Please note: This episode contains mentions of alcoholism, recovery, and sobriety. 

We are so happy to welcome author Jessica Guerrieri and agent Ismita Hussain (Great Dog Literary) to the podcast. 

They're a great example of what to look for in an author-agent relationship--they're creative, collaborative, supportive, and successful (Jessica's debut book club fiction, Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea, comes out 2025 with HarperCollins). 

We also discuss re-querying, facing rejection, and the healing power of storytelling and personal narrative.

Meet with Ismita here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/ismita-hussain

Find the transcript and show notes here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-ismita-hussain-jessica-guerrieri

00:44 Introducing Jessica Guerrieri
00:54 Ismita Hussain's Journey from Healthcare to Literary Agent
01:55 Jessica Guerrieri's Writing Journey and Sobriety
03:04 The Power of Perseverance: Jessica Guerrieri's Path to Publication
04:18 The Editorial Process: From Query to Preempt
06:58 Understanding the Preempt and the Publishing Process
10:50 Revising with Resilience: Jessica Guerrieri's Approach to Feedback
17:13 Building Trust and Thickening Skin in the Publishing World
21:31 Looking Ahead: Plans After the Book Deal
22:02 Embarking on a Unique Memoir Journey
22:13 Exploring Motherhood and Recovery
22:48 The Power of Sharing Personal Stories
27:02 The Role of Fiction and Nonfiction in Recovery
29:42 The Importance of Representation in Literature
39:57 The Value of Specificity in Storytelling
43:15 The Memoir Market and Connecting with Agents

How To Write Children's Books That Surprise and Delight with Agent Fiona Kenshole

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