Q&A with Emily Mitchell
What is your favorite part of your job?
- WHITNEY HOUSTON ANSWER: I believe that children are our future, so I love being part of the creation and discovery of new stories that spark a connection in a kid, showing them new possibilities or reinforcing deeply felt beliefs.
- JIMINY CRICKET ANSWER: When I help an author or illustrator bring a book to market, I’m making someone’s dream come true. That makes me feel like I’m doing good in the universe.
- TMI ANSWER: Jammies. Also possibly not showering till 10 or 11am because I got caught up in answering emails or reading manuscripts.
What kind of manuscripts do you typically like? Are there types of manuscripts/genres that aren’t the best match for you?
I love a good read-aloud picture book, whether short (WHAT WILL FAT CAT SIT ON?) or long (LIBRARY LION). I have a soft spot for funny middle-grade fiction and chapter books (classics like RAMONA THE PEST, newer gems like FLORA AND ULYSSES). I like contemporary stories and historical stories, and I’m a sucker for good nonfiction, especially compelling narrative nonfiction for MG and YA (Nicholas Day, Dashka Slater, Sarah Miller). I like mysteries and puzzles, but I’m not a great fan of high fantasy or horror. I also have a pet peeve for extra-long books (300-, 400-, 700-page books for young readers that don’t need to be that long); precise and concise language is, to me, more impressive than a sprawling epic.
What is the single most important element in a manuscript or illustration in attracting your attention?
Far and away, it’s voice: something that makes a story distinctive and recognizable, without crossing the line into gimmicky. E. L. Konigsburg has voice; so does Dav Pilkey. Jacqueline Woodson has it across multiple genres, from picture books to adult fiction. Voice isn’t just a text thing, either—artists have voice, through their line, use of color, and choice of medium. You can tell a Christian Robinson book from across the room, no matter the subject matter: that’s voice, too.
What are your particular preferences or pet peeves regarding submissions? Is there anything that might make a query irresistible to you?
Pet peeves: spelling errors, grammatical errors, punctuation errors, typos. Everyone makes them—I certainly do—but queries and manuscripts with obvious errors are harder for me to take seriously. On the flip side, if you can make me laugh, you have a leg up.
What excites you about the industry at present?
We Need Diverse Books has been shining a light for more than a decade on an obvious problem in children’s publishing: 85% of professionals in the industry look like me (white, female, heterosexual, cisgender, upper middle class). No matter how good my intentions are or how hard I work to recognize and name my own biases, I still look at the world through the lens of my experience and my privilege. I’m grateful to all the creative artists and industry professionals who are promoting and effecting real change to expand our workforce and help create a truly inclusive bookshelf for young readers everywhere.
I am also heartened by the work of Authors Against Book Bans, Publishing Professionals Against Book Bans, and the countless librarians, teachers, and public servants across the country who stand up for our First Amendment rights and the right to read freely.
I’m also continually amazed by the human capacity to find and tell new stories. The anonymous, grouchy author of Ecclesiastes may believe “there is nothing new under the sun,” but I see new things every day.
Are there life experiences that you would say influence your viewpoint?
I’m a Midwesterner-turned-Masshole, a mom (human and dog), a singer, an Episcopalian, a little sister, a Broadway baby, a baseball fanatic, a terrible eater, a reluctant exerciser, and, in my heart of hearts, a twelve-year-old.
Can you share some of your favorites to give a fuller picture of your range of interests?
Movies/TV WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, THE PRINCESS BRIDE, TED LASSO, THE SIMPSONS (Conan era), HEATED RIVALRY, FAWLTY TOWERS, THE PITT, DIRTY DANCING
Plays & Musicals A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, INTO THE WOODS (not the movie), IN THE HEIGHTS, GUYS AND DOLLS, SHE LOVES ME, JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE
Books THE WESTING GAME (I love puzzles! And smart kids!), CLEMENTINE (it makes me laugh that silent-open-mouthed-hysterical-heaving laugh), AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES (again with the smart kids!), NIMONA by N. D. Stevenson, CLICK CLACK MOO (funniest use of the word “ultimatum” in all literature). Adult writers I love include Ann Patchett, Colson Whitehead, Mary Roach, and Jenny Lawson.
Gadgets My desktop coffee-mug warmer
Vacations Everywhere in Italy; Seattle; Rio de Janiero; England/Scotland/Ireland. I have family in San Francisco, Chicago, and New York, all of which are fun to visit.
What’s on your Spotify? I’m ashamed to note that I almost never listen to music while I work, and though my spouse and children compare their Wrapped lists every year, I barely open Spotify. In the car I listen to WERS 88.9 (the Emerson College radio station) or whatever cast recording CD feels right for the moment. (Yes, I said CD. I am dinosaur, hear me rawr.)