The last guest session at this edition of my creative writing programme was with Daphne Lee, consulting editor at Scholastic Asia. It was everything I expected it to be – informative, detailed, and full of laughter. She answered questions, told us about the publishing process, and shared a manuscript with us, detailing how the editing process works. It was fascinating to see how the book took shape!
Here are a few of the questions I asked and the responses we received.
Varsha:
How do you decide whether to publish a book?
Daphne:
It’s hard to say. Voice is key. Things like grammar and spelling mistakes matter less. To me, even plot does not matter as much as voice. Thoughts and ideas draw me in.
Varsha:
While I understand that typos and grammar may not be the only things that are crucial, what do you feel about shoddily edited work? Work that seems carelessly written?
Daphne:
I think it really depends on the story and whether I’m willing to put in the work that publishing it would involve. The grammar won’t make my decision for me; the story and the potential I see in the voice do.
I also don’t like writing for an author. I make suggestions, but I don’t want to do the writing for them. More than once, I’ve cancelled a contract because a book isn’t shaping up the way I would like it too. But I suppose that is part of the job!
Varsha:
How many manuscripts do you typically receive per week?
Daphne:
Between 20 and 50 unsolicited manuscripts, I would say. I mark them as submissions and I allot some time to read them, but it’s time-consuming. The Scholastic website does mention how long to wait before considering it a pass from me.
Varsha:
Do you ever publish work written by children?
Daphne:
No, that’s also the company policy. You have to be 18 to submit work, and I agree with it. Where’s the rush? I know that when I was a child, I found myself imitating the style of the book I last read, and that is natural! I think you need to give yourself the time to find your own voice.
Varsha:
What about self-publishing? What do you feel about that?
Daphne:
Just my opinion, but like I said, children haven’t yet found their best voices. Yes, they are writing the best they can, but self-published work is often unedited. It isn’t even proofread. Do you think it’s fair to charge people to buy a book that is sub-par? Writing doesn’t pay anyway, so I think that publishing is just the icing on the cake, to use a cliche. If you enjoy the process of writing, don’t obsess over publishing your work.
Daphne also spoke about writing our own stories – stories about people and places that represent who we are. I was so glad she did!
All in all, it was quite an intense session, one that I wish I could have attended when I was a child!
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