Voices on Writing: Kelly Sonnack
A children's agent discusses writing and publishing for the younger set
by Barbara Demarco-Barrett

Before joining the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Kelly Sonnack spent three years with the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency where she agented children's and adult work. And before that, she served as an acquisitions editor under the Academic Press imprint of Reed Elsevier.

Kelly specializes in all types of children's literature (picture books, middle grade, young adult, and graphic novels).

Titles Kelly has represented include Steve Watkins' Down Sand Mountain (Candlewick) and Goat Girl (Candlewick); Merrily Kutner's Alphabet Magic (Roaring Brook); Jin Pyn Lee's The Elephant and the Tree (Running Press); Candace Ryan's Animal House (Walker); Neil Johnson & Joel Chin's The Falling Raindrop (Tricycle Press); and James Burks' graphic novel Gabby and Gator (Yen Press); and Anne Osterlund's two upcoming YA novels with Speak/Penguin.

Kelly is a frequent speaker at conferences, including the La Jolla Writer's Conference, SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) chapter events, San Diego State Writer's Conference, and the Southern California Writer's Conferences. During her leisure time, she cooks with her fiance and friends, plays in a softball league, spends time at the beach and with family, and reads.

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett: You came to agenting via editing. Why the change?

Kelly Sonnack: I was an acquisitions editor for a textbook company, managing the Soil, Insect, and Plant Science list. I worked with some great authors (some of the best minds in the world), but it was material I couldn't truly enjoy because it was so high level. At the end of my time as an acquisitions editor, I looked for a way to get closer to my dream of working in children's literature. Then the agenting door opened.

BDB: At the Dijkstra Agency you handled both children's and adult books. Now you're focused on children's. Why?

KS: I've just always loved this area and have learned that I'm good at what I love, luckily. I do still represent a handful of writers of adult fiction and non-fiction, but I think the adult market is a lot tougher right now, so I'm extremely selective about adding anything new to my list, in the adult world. The children's market, I've found, is much healthier than the adult's right now.

BDB: Of the various aspects of children's literature—picture books, middle grade, young adult, and graphic novels--what seems to be selling best these days?

KS: Picture books have taken a hit, as they always do when times are tough. YA has remained steady and, if I had to choose, would be what I'd say is selling best. That's partly because adults are reading more YA these days than ever before (thanks to J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer). They've changed the industry in a big way.

BDB: Does this vary? One season it's YA selling madly, the next picture books?

KS: Well, we haven't had golden times in picture books since the '80s, and I don't expect we will for a little while yet since they're expensive to produce. I'm hearing that middle grade is going to be the next to pop, but we'll see. We certainly are seeing a trend in highly illustrated books for teens and preteens. Not necessarily graphic novels, but books that incorporate a lot of visuals.

BDB: I would think there would be more writers with picture book ideas than the others.

KS: Yes, it's typically true. A lot of parents, once they have kids, try their hand at picture books. And, a lot of them think writing for kids is easy. Which, by the way, it is not.

BDB: Speaking of picture books, I've heard writers should never submit illustrations unless they are professional illustrations.

KS: Correct.

BDB: On the other hand, I would think that with graphic novels, the illustrations would be a vital part of the project submission.

KS: Correct again. Publishers are usually unwilling to buy just a graphic novel script. They want the author to work with an illustrator from the beginning, since the art is such an inherent part of the project.

BDB: Getting back to the YA market, do you foresee it becoming saturated?

KS: Not saturated, though certain genres within YA are becoming a little crowded. A lot of editors are saying things like "no more vampires, no more dead girl narrators," for instance. But paranormal isn't dead. We just need to find ourselves a new monster since we've seen enough vampires and zombies for at least a little while.

BDB: Some portend the end of reading, yet teens seem to be reading quite a lot. Do you think the change will be the delivery method—from a book made of paper to the e-book—and not reading itself?

KS: I do think we're going to see a huge change in the medium of the book. Teens haven't quite latched on to the e-readers, but I think that moment will come. I don't think that means the end of reading, though. I think most of us are glad we have music via our iPods and not record players anymore, or clunky Walkmans and Discmans. So we just need to look forward to the future, even if it feels uncomfortable.

BDB: What are you thrilled to see come in the door?

KS: Quality writing and characters I can't get out of my mind. A highly original story.

BDB: What about children's nonfiction—how's that doing?

KS: I'm really enjoying children's nonfiction right now and recently closed a three-book picture book deal that was for a nonfiction series, at auction, which was exciting though rare for a nonfiction project (and picture books, actually). However, there's a limit to which editors I can go to with nonfiction, so I'm careful about who/what I take on. They have to have an uncanny skill to bring "boring" subjects to life for kids, plus a commercial bent.

BDB: What about "voice"? How important is "voice"?

KS: Voice is everything. Not being the age of your character, a writer of children's lit really has to reach into their soul to remember what it felt like to be a kid. What the problems were that a character faces at eight, is nowhere near what we find challenging as an adult. And all of that comes through voice. It's the character feeling so real and alive on the page that you can hear them talking to you.

BDB: How do you like to receive submissions—email or snail mail? Query, plus a few pages?

KS: Email. Send an email to me with "QUERY" in the subject line. Include your cover/query letter and then follow it with the first 10 pages (double spaced) of your book (or entire picture book manuscript). For more information and tips, go to our website (www.andreabrownlit.com).

BDB: What's on your nightstand right now?

KS: Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter; The Tender Bar: A Memoir by J.R. Moehringer; The Schwa Was Here by Neal Shusterman, and about a jillion manuscripts.

BDB: Any books/authors you said no to that you've lived to regret?

KS: Not yet... Or they haven't come to haunt me yet.

BDB: Tips for writers of children's/YA fiction or nonfiction?

KS: Read the books your audience will read and know who the current successes are. Don't just read classics. Help create new ones by supporting and buying books by living writers.

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett is editor of The ASJA Monthly and author of the award-winning best-seller, Pen on Fire (Harcourt, 2004). She hosts Writers on Writing on KUCI-FM, which you can now access on your iPhone and that podcasts at http://penonfire.blogspot.com