Julie Strauss-Gabel grew up balancing a love of reading and writing with a love of working with kids. But it wasn't until she took a children's literature class during her junior year in college that her passion for books and her commitment to studying child development came together. An English major at Amherst College, Julie earned a Master of Education degree from Harvard before starting a career in publishing at Hyperion Books for Children in the subsidiary rights department. From there she went to Clarion Books as an assistant editor and rose to associate editor. She is now a senior editor at Dutton Children's Books.

Anna Olswanger: Writers complain about the way editors play "musical chairs." Why do editors move frequently from house to house?

Julie Strauss-Gabel: We move jobs just like any professional—to pursue opportunity and deepen our career experience. Finding a list that's the right fit is as critical for an editor as it is for a writer, and the process is not dissimilar from what we suggest to authors: look at catalogs, read the backlist, get to know the editors already at the house and find out what they're looking for, understand how that imprint fits into a larger house or stands on its own, understand the place that house holds in the industry and its reputation, know how books on the list are marketed and distributed.

It starts with the most basic questions: Do I want to be part of a trade hardcover, paperback, or mass market house? Big house or little house? Conglomerate or independent? Large list or small list? A lot of knowing the right fit when you find it is also knowing the kind of books you want to edit, much in the same way that authors must know where their manuscript fits into the publishing landscape and what it needs to survive in today's publishing market.

Olswanger: What do you enjoy about working at Dutton?

Strauss-Gabel: Being at Dutton allows me the freedom to aggressively pursue the books and the talent I am most passionate about—to build a list that reflects my style. The first question that I ask myself when I open a submission is whether or not this is a "Julie" book. That's an amazing freedom. Then I ask myself if my vision fits into the overall list that we are building together as a house. A wonderful thing here at Dutton is the editorial collaborative. We each follow our own vision, but there's a support network in place for sharing work and brainstorming ideas. We challenge each other to challenge our authors and illustrators.

Olswanger: What are the steps you take in accepting a manuscript? You read a manuscript, you like it. Then what?

Strauss-Gabel: It varies a bit from manuscript to manuscript, but generally when I see something that I believe in—and often after I have done some revisions with the author—I share it with our publisher, Stephanie Owens Lurie. We discuss if the manuscript will fit with the Dutton list and if we will make an offer. Dutton also has regular editorial meetings that include all of the editors and our art director where we can share projects under serious consideration.

Olswanger: Do you go out looking for new writers?

Strauss-Gabel: Absolutely! I'm always excited to discover a new voice—someone I can build a list with. The best way I can do this is by reaching out through agents, interviews, conferences, and word of mouth to let people know the kinds of projects on my wish list. I always keep my eyes open for innovative work in magazines and journals, or a talented writer from another field who might have an interest in writing for kids.

Olswanger: What makes you want to work with a writer?

Strauss-Gabel: Once I'm hooked by the writing, the author's ability to respond to queries and revise effectively is going to make a huge impression. The skill and commitment to make something good into something excellent, and something excellent into something exceptional, are qualities in a writer I'd want to work with.

Olswanger: What are you looking for now?

Strauss-Gabel: Right now, I want fiction, particularly contemporary YA. I'm always looking for something smart and original, with a high-concept idea and a fresh voice. By high concept, I mean a plot that can be pitched in a sentence or two—it's a unique idea or situation that drives a story. I'm also drawn to any piece that appeals to the outsider in all of us and that has a hip, funny, edgy quality with insight and attitude. I'm doing a lot of upper YA, and I relish taking on tough subjects that reflect the challenges today's teens face.

Olswanger: What are some of your newer fiction titles that you're proud of?

Strauss-Gabel: I'm proud of Looking for Alaska by John Green, a debut YA novel. John is an astounding new voice. Alaska is about Miles "Pudge" Halter's transforming year at boarding school. A fan of famous last words, Pudge has gone to Culver Creek in search of what the dying poet François Rabelais called "the Great Perhaps." At the Creek, he befriends the very sexy and endlessly intriguing Alaska Young and is swept up into a labyrinth of school pranks, first love, and devastating loss.

The Boy From the Basement by Susan Shaw is a page-turning and deeply touching book about surviving abuse. It was chosen as part of the Barnes and Noble "Discover Great New Writers" program. On a lighter note, Confessions of a Closet Catholic by Sarah Littman is a funny middle grade novel about a Jewish girl who gives up being Jewish for Lent. I'm also proud of the fabulous, funny middle grade titles from Lauren Myracle, who has a great sense of the daily dramas of middle school girls and friendships. I love the way she writes about siblings and family!

Olswanger: What do you think authors should do in the way of promotion?

Strauss-Gabel: More and more it is critical to the success of a book—especially a first book—that authors get out and do as much on their own to promote the title as possible. School visits can be a key part of this. So are using local connections and affiliations. Authors should target local book events and conferences, send out postcard mailings, look online, go to conferences. Not only do authors have the advantage of having the time to dedicate to their book exclusively, but they also best know the work and their market.

Freelance publicists and the growing list of books on self promotion can help authors improve their self-promotional efforts either for a career or just for one title. Still, authors should be realistic about expectations, especially in the beginning, and not be afraid to ask the editor what's the norm. Be mindful that the relationships you're building in the field with local booksellers and librarians are going to be relationships for the whole of a career. You want to nurture and handle those relationships with care.

Olswanger: What would you change about the children's book publishing industry if you could?

Strauss-Gabel: I wish I could wave a magic wand and change the misperception that children's books are easier to create, less important. I'm sure that most editors—and authors—have encountered people who think writing for children is a passing hobby and that anyone could write a children's book in five minutes. Children's books play an unparalleled and critical role in educating us from childhood on in how to draw strength from adversity, how to love others and ourselves, how to be citizens of the world, how to be human. I think writing well for children is one of the most challenging and most important creative endeavors, period.

Olswanger: What's your advice to writers, both new and previously published, who can't find a publisher now?

Strauss-Gabel: Keep writing, keep revising. It's important to move forward even while waiting on answers. Be open to constructive criticism and be aware of how the work can grow. Also be aware of the market and where your style fits in so that you can better target submissions and also better understand why some manuscripts donąt seem to be working. Be patient, always strive for the best. Nothing is ever going to be more important than the craft, so keep at it.

Text © copyright 2004 Anna Olswanger and Julie Strauss-Gabel. Visit Harold Underdown's The Purple Crayon for other interviews by Anna Olswanger.