1. Please tell us a little about your background.
Emma Dryden: I was born and raised in Manhattan, in New York City, and I graduated from Smith College with a degree in English. I worked as an intern at Viking Penguin Children’s Books during the summer of my junior year in college and my first full-time employment was as an Editorial Assistant at Random House Children’s Books. I left Random House in 1990 to become an Associate Editor with Margaret K. McElderry Books which was, at that time an imprint of Macmillan. I became Editor in 1995 and upon Margaret McElderry’s retirement in July 1998, became Senior Editor of the imprint. I am currently Vice President and Editorial Director of Margaret K. McElderry Books.

2. What are some recent titles of which you’re particularly proud?
ED – Recent titles that reflect the voice of Margaret K. McElderry Books include:
picture books, BEAR SNORES ON by Karma Wilson; illustrated by Jane Chapman; MUHAMMAD by Demi; and SOCCER BEAT by Sandra Gilbert Brug, illustrated by Elisabeth Moseng. Fiction, THE PUPPETEER'S APPRENTICE by D. Anne Love; LOOSE THREADS by Lorie Ann Grover; and ALEUTIAN SPARROW by Karen Hesse. And in poetry, IF THE SHOE FITS by Laura Whipple, illustrated by Laura Beignessner.

I admire the work of authors Angela Johnson, Virginia Euwer Wolff, Annette Curtis Klaus, David Almond, and illustrators David Shannon, Janet Stevens, Pamela Paparone, and Anita Jeram.

3. What are the features that grab your attention in a manuscript for children aged 2-7?
ED: I am drawn to picture-book manuscripts that have a lyrical quality and lend themselves to being read aloud. I look for manuscripts that are appropriate in subject matter and tone for picture book age readers between the ages of 2 and 7. I am not so interested in object/play/toy books. These kinds of books would be better suited for my colleagues at Little Simon, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing that publishes novelty books.

4. What is your definition of the dividing line between middle-grade and young-adult (YA) fiction?
ED: There is no clear-cut dividing line between middle-grade and YA or TEEN fiction, although I do think the age of the main character/s in a story will dictate the audience for whom the book is intended. The subject matter of a manuscript as well as its level of graphic description will also dictate the audience for whom the book is intended.

5. What are your needs for middle-grade novels? YA? Are you interested in series?
ED: We are actively seeking strong middle-grade and YA or TEEN fiction manuscripts. McElderry Books does not publish series. We don’t publish horror, science fiction, or religious work. Otherwise, we are open to all genres. We have a new editor at the imprint, Karen Wojtyla, who is looking for edgy and literary novels, in the style of Robert Cormier and David Almond.

6. What are the features of a well-written middle-grade novel that catch your eye? For a YA?
ED: For both middle-grade and YA, I am caught by a convincing and authentic narrative voice, a believable and compelling setting, equally believable and compelling characters, and a good story.

7. What does your ideal cover letter include?
ED: Cover letters should be no longer than one page and should include a brief description of the manuscript and a summary of the author’s credits and/or background to indicate why or how the author came to write the particular manuscript.

8. Are you accepting unsolicited manuscripts at this time?
ED: We are not currently accepting unsolicited manuscripts. We will accept query letters about picture books, novels, or non-fiction projects, which should be sent with a letter-sized SASE. We try to respond to queries within three weeks, after which time we will indicate whether we want to see a complete manuscript or a partial manuscript and a synopsis.

9. Do you accept simultaneous submissions?
ED: We do accept simultaneous submissions, but authors must indicate in their cover letter that the manuscript is being submitted simultaneously.

10. How do you feel about receiving more than one manuscript in the same envelope?
ED: I prefer not to receive more than one manuscript in the same envelope.

11. What are some common mistakes that authors could avoid when submitting?
ED: Authors can avoid submission mistakes by finding out the submission policy, since every publisher has a different policy. Some common submission mistakes include submitting a complete manuscript when the publisher only accepts partial manuscripts and synopses; submitting a manuscript without an SASE; submitting the kind of writing that the publishing house does not publish.

12. Is requesting that a manuscript be “recycled” rather than returned (to avoid excessive postage costs) okay with you?
ED: It is fine for authors to request that we “recycle” a manuscript once we’ve made a final decision about it. Authors should still include a letter-size SASE in which we can mail a letter or card indicating our decision.

13. Are you willing to read a French manuscript?
ED: I am willing to read a French manuscript as long as some sort of English synopsis and sample translation accompanies it. I read a bit of French, but not enough to judge a manuscript properly without help.

14. What are your illustration needs at this time?
ED: Illustrators should send us a letter and art samples that we can keep on file. The samples should clearly emphasize the artist’s palette, the style of artwork in which the artist is most comfortable working; the artist’s ability to illustrate animals, children, and backgrounds. Artists should send samples to our Art Director, Ann Bobco, whose address is the same as mine (see roster).

15. Anything else?
ED: If people living abroad and in the U.S. make every effort to follow our submission guidelines, it makes our work more timely.

Thanks!