Author Spotlight: Elma Schemenauer

Author Spotlight: Elma Schemenauer

05/16/2007

by: Anne McDonald

Dancing Word Publisher/Editor

Anne McDonald: Today, the Author Spotlight shines on prolific author and editor, Elma Schemenauer. Elma, thanks for letting me interview you.

Elma Schemenauer: I'm delighted to be here.

Anne McDonald: Elma, you’ve published 75 books so far in your career. How many are specifically for children?

Elma Schemenauer: 58

Anne McDonald: How did you get started in writing for children?

Elma Schemenauer: Writing always fascinated me but I didn't know how to make any income from it. My rural Mennonite upbringing nudged me toward more practical pursuits so I became a teacher. Then a series of events—orchestrated by God, I believe—led me to Toronto and an editorial job with a subsidiary of IBM, an educational publisher called SRA.

After I was hired, I was delighted to learn that the job involved as much writing as editing. Articles and stories I wrote at work were published in educational materials sold all over the English-speaking world. One of the first was an article about koala bears. Encouraged by what I learned from senior editors at SRA, I also began writing stories on my own time. One was a picture book, Newton McTootin and the Bang Bang Tree. It was published by McClelland & Stewart of Toronto.

Anne McDonald: You’ve written both fiction and nonfiction books for children. Do you have a preference for either?

Elma Schemenauer: I prefer fiction though there's generally more money in nonfiction.

Anne McDonald: You’ve written quite a few children’s nonfiction books. How did you go about researching the various countries covered in your books?

Elma Schemenauer: I've been privileged to write thirteen books about countries of the world, published by The Child's World of Chanhassen, Minnesota. I started researching by going to the Internet and learning everything I could about a particular country (keeping in mind that not all Internet sites are equally reliable). Then I did research in libraries.

When I'd written a draft of the book, I showed it to somebody with firsthand experience of that country, e.g. a citizen of the country, missionary, aid worker, or Internet contact. Based on that person's input, I revised the manuscript, double checking with the Internet and library as necessary.

I'd love to have visited Guatemala, The Philippines, Russia, and the other countries myself. Unfortunately I didn't have the time or money.

Anne McDonald: You write primarily for the secular market. How do you integrate Christian values, content, and worldview into books published by secular houses?

Elma Schemenauer: Secular publishers, departments of education, parents, and teachers generally agree that books for children should have "good" values such as kindness, forgiveness, and truthfulness. As a Christian I have those kinds of values (hope so), and secular publishers welcome them in my writing.

As for specific Christian content,it's often easiest to integrate into historical contexts. For example, there's no denying that Rhode Island was founded as a Christian colony in the 1600s, or that twenty Ugandan Christians gave their lives for their faith in 1886.

I include as much Christian content as I can reasonably fit into the context. Editors usually remove some of it, but not all. As a result more Christian content appears than might otherwise be there. I strongly believe that Christian authors and editors should work in secular publishingwhen they have opportunities. It brings the salt closer to the meat.

Anne McDonald: What is the submission process like with children’s books?

Elma Schemenauer: It depends on the publisher (or literary agent) you're approaching. Many provide submissions guidelines on their web sites. You can also write and ask for these guidelines. It's usually best to give publishers exactly what they want, no more and no less.

This often includes:

-A one-page query letter

-A synopsis, outline, or (in the case of a short book) the whole manuscript

-Sample chapters

-Your résumé

-Market research—information about similar books on the market and how yours is different

Anne McDonald: How is the submission process different between children’s fiction and children’s nonfiction?

Elma Schemenauer: With fiction you generally need to have the whole book written before querying a publisher. With nonfiction you can query when you have part of the book and an outline or summary of the remainder.

Anne McDonald: Could you give us an idea of what a chapter-by-chapter synopsis should look like?

Elma Schemenauer: Some publishers and literary agents give sample synopses on their web sites. As with many aspects of publishing, there's no one right way to write one. Here's a synopsis of my nonfiction book Uganda, published by The Child's World.

Anne McDonald: What advice do you have for aspiring children’s writers?

Elma Schemenauer: -Read books like those you're writing. That way you'll know what's out there and who's publishing it.

-Realize that even if you think your book is a work of genius, there's always room for improvement. Other writers may be happy to give you input provided you do the same for them. Critique groups (online or face-to-face groups) are good places to find such writers.

-Don't query a publisher about your writing until you're sure it's as good as you can make it. If you submit too early, you may waste opportunities. After an editor has formed an opinion of your writing, that opinion can be hard to change.

-Develop a thick skin. You may get many "no's" and "maybe's" before you finally receive a "yes."

Anne McDonald: The children’s market in the ABA has a reputation of being cut-throat. Authors closely guard their successful writing and submission techniques. How can new writers break into this field?

Elma Schemenauer: Submitting a query is the standard method for contacting a publisher. Other methods can also be worth trying:

-Enter writing contests. This can bring you to the attention of a potential publisher.

-Join a group (Internet-based or other) whose members include published authors, literary agents, and perhaps editors. Membership in such a group helps you understand the publishing world. It could also lead to useful contacts.

-Attend events where publishers are likely to be: book launchings, book fairs, conferences, etc. Once while I was browsing book booths at a conference, I noticed a publisher I hadn't heard of: Globe/Modern Curriculum Press. I introduced myself to the sales representative. He suggested I contact the company president about freelance editorial work. The president astonished me by contracting me to write a series of books of historical short stories. They became known as Yesterstories.

-Your book may fit into a series a publisher is planning. Watch for information about such series. For example, my novel Jacob Jacobs Gets Up Early was published as part of the New Waves series from Nimbus of Halifax.

-If you're a teacher, seek opportunities to review or pilot educational materials in your classroom. That way you establish personal contact with a publisher and learn about markets for the kinds of materials you write. You may even be invited to write something for that publisher. I've seen it happen.

Anne McDonald: You’ve edited hundreds of books. What are some of the major publishers that you have edited for? How did you get started with them?

Elma Schemenauer: After eight years as an in-house writer and editor at SRA, I went freelance. Among publishers I've done freelance editing for are:

-Prentice-Hall. I did a lot of writing and editing for Globe/Modern Curriculum Press. Then the company was sold—more than once, I believe—and eventually bought by Prentice-Hall. My connection with Globe/Modern brought me to the attention of Prentice-Hall.

-Grolier. Having noticed Grolier's series of children's books about values, I wrote and suggested I write a book in that series. The editor replied that they weren't publishing any more in that series, but were planning a new values series. I said let me write a book in the new series. That led to my writing two values storybooks, What It Means to Be a Friend and What It Means to Be Responsible. Once I got acquainted with Grolier, they had me edit a number of books for young readers.

-Canadian Bible Society. I was referred to them by a publishing consultant for whom I'd edited a book on Baptist history.

-Nelson, McGraw-Hill, and Key Porter. I was recommended to these publishers by other freelance editors. Often freelance editors who find themselves with too much work will recommend other editors.

Anne McDonald: As an editor, what are your responsibilities?

Elma Schemenauer: They vary depending on the situation and may include:

-Guide and encourage the author during the writing of the manuscript.

-Once the author has written the manuscript, suggest revisions to improve it.

-Work with the author to revise the manuscript. For example, ask questions to help the author clarify puzzling sections, help the author eliminate unnecessary repetition, suggest ways of reordering material when that seems appropriate, identify awkward sentences that need rewriting. Some authors prefer to revise their own manuscripts. Others prefer to have the editor handle many of the revisions.

-Work with the publisher and author to obtain any needed illustrations for the book.

-If necessary guide the author in preparing captions for illustrations.

-Work with the publisher and author to prepare the book's preliminaries (e.g. title page, copyright page, acknowledgments, foreword, introduction, table of contents) and end matter (e.g. end notes, index).

-Ensure that the mechanics of the manuscript are correct and consistent, e.g. punctuation, spelling, capitalization.

Anne McDonald: How do you find balance in your life?

Elma Schemenauer: I try to start each day with devotional reading, prayer, and physical exercise—either home gym-type or walking on the nearby mountainside. If left to myself, I'd probably spend the rest of the day at my computer. However, my dear husband also works at home and is a more balanced person than I am. He breaks up his day—and mine—with gardening, bird-watching, chatting with neighbors, going for drives, etc.

Anne McDonald: What types of books do you enjoy reading? Who are your favorite authors?

Elma Schemenauer: I can get interested in almost any kind of book, but I particularly like well written adult novels that explore people's relationships with God and others. Among my favorites are Gap Creek (Robert Morgan), The Wonder Worker (Susan Howatch), Children of the Day (Sandra Birdsell), The Defilers (Deborah Gyapong), The Power and the Glory (Graham Greene), Songbird (Lisa Samson), The Only Best Place (Carolyn Aarsen), Lambs of God (Marele Day), Sweeter Than All the World (Rudy Wiebe), and Paradise Park (Allegra Goodman).

Anne McDonald: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our audience?

Elma Schemenauer: I'm grateful for the way God has guided my life, and the wonderful people He's brought into it. Some final words for aspiring children's authors:

-Work hard.

-Keep smiling.

-Pray a lot.

Anne McDonald: Thanks so much for stepping into the Author Spotlight. Please keep me informed of your upcoming projects.

Elma Schemenauer: Thanks for the opportunity. Upcoming projects—in the last few years, I've been writing adult novels about topics like Mennonites, mismatched marriages, faith versus doubt, racism, and mother-in-law troubles. Someday I hope to inform you that they're on their way to being published.

Author Spotlight Is A Production

Of Dancing Word Writers Network

www.dancingword.net