1. Please tell us a little about your background and what brought you to children's publishing.
I always loved reading, and I was the kind of child who preferred to curl up with a book rather than play outside. I majored in English in college, and had a concentration in Spanish, and I also studied French and linguistics. I thought I might be a translator. My mother worked for Doubleday. When I graduated from college, she suggested to me that I would love being a children’s book editor. Mothers are always right!

2. What is your all-time favourite book?
That’s like trying to pick which of my children is my favorite! Impossible.

3. What book(s) are you proudest of having worked on? Why?
This is a tough question, too. I am bound to leave out wonderful books that I am very proud of. I look back to a turning point early in my career—fifteen years ago--when I published Blue Tights, Rita Williams-Garcia’s first book, and Colombian author Lyll Becerra de Jenkins’s The Honorable Prison. I feel as though I found my editorial “voice” in that publishing season. My “voice” was multicultural (before the word multicultural was even used), and this was a turning point for me because I found what really mattered to me—publishing important books by talented new writers who had a lot to say about the world, and who opened up new horizons to young readers.

4. How would you describe the publishing program at HarperCollins Children’s Books? What kind of books do you publish and how many new books do you acquire each year?
HarperCollins Children’s Books has a terrifically diverse program. We are the champs in publishing best sellers, but we also have a list that often includes winners of the Newbery, Caldecott, National Book Award, and other awards. There is room for the literary and the commercial on our list.

I publish anywhere from twelve to twenty books a year, usually averaging about twelve to fifteen. (I work three days per week.) I acquire and publish picture books, nonfiction, and fiction for middle graders and young adults. The picture books and nonfiction need to have bookstore appeal, rather than strictly school and library appeal. I publish an occasional I Can Read book or a Festival book for our merchandise line, if I fall in love with something that fits into one of those imprints. One of the great things about being at Harper is that the editors can publish into other imprints, such as I Can Read, Festival, Trophy paperback, Tempest hardcover and paperback (young adult), Rayo Spanish-language and Hispanic-themed books, etc.

I also coordinate the Rayo imprint for the children’s division. Most of the books I publish are not part of the Rayo imprint, but I do try to find, edit, and publish wonderful books for the imprint.

5. How would you describe the children’s publishing program at Rayo? What kind of books do you publish and how many new books do you acquire there each year?
Rayo is dedicated to publishing books in Spanish, bilingual books, and Hispanic-themed books in English, as well. This is a joint venture with the adult division, which also has a highly successful Rayo imprint. The number of books we publish is not fixed—it all depends on what we find. Any children’s editor at HarperCollins can publish a book under the Rayo imprint.

We have done many translations into Spanish of our best-selling and classic English-language titles. What I am looking for is more original material, particularly contemporary stories. Middle-grade and young adult novels are particularly welcome. Bilingual picture books are also needed. We don’t publish folktales.

6. What opportunities are there for anthologies at HarperCollins Children’s Books or Rayo? Collections of short stories by a single author? What about poetry?
At the moment, we are finding that sales of anthologies and collections of short stories have slowed down a bit, as so many have been published recently. There is room for great poetry, depending on how it is done.

7. What do you look for in book? What thrills you?
A new and distinctive author’s voice; passion that shines through in the writing; great storytelling; wonderful writing; something new and different.

8. Is there anything you definitely do not want to see?
Right now, I am not looking for folktales or fairytales. I am not a good judge of science fiction, since I don’t read much of it myself.

9. What, for you, is the role of the "ideal editor?"
The ideal editor stays in the background and helps the author work to his or her potential. Ideally, no one will know that the editor exists. Often, I am the author’s friend, confidante, muse, helper, and midwife.

10. What do you perceive as the role of the books you publish in the lives of contemporary children?
I am proud to work in the children’s publishing field, as I feel that my work can have a positive impact on children’s lives. All of us in the field can be proud of what we do.

11. Are you aware of any trends in children's publishing at the moment? How do you feel about them?
Publishing books by celebrities is a huge trend. I am not a big fan of this trend at all, as I don’t think it generally makes for the best books.

12. What say does the sales/marketing department have in the look or type of the book you produce?
The sales department has input into what kind of jacket we put on a book. That makes sense, as they are the ones who have to go into the stores and sell the book—they are on the “front lines.” In order to acquire a book, we discuss it with the directors of sales and marketing, too.

13. You work with writers from both sides of the Atlantic. Are you aware of any differences in the choice of material or subject matter by American/European writers? Are there any differences in the way that material is handled?
I think that European children are much more sophisticated in their taste. I have also noticed that, in general, Spanish publishers publish more fantasy than we do.

15. Are you accepting unsolicited manuscripts at the moment?
I will accept manuscripts from writers who attend the conference, as they will hear me speak and will get to know what I am looking for. I am always open to queries (by mail rather than by e-mail or phone, please).

16. What do you see as some of the common mistakes authors could AVOID making when submitting?
I think that authors need to spend a great deal of time reviewing their manuscripts and revising before sending anything to an editor. Authors need to make the best first impression possible.

Rosemary Brosnan spoke at the SCBWI International Conference, “Oceans Apart, United by Story,” 4-6 July 2003 in Madrid, Spain.