History

Whilst working as Head Reader for Penguin Children’s Books in the early nineties (which then included Viking, Hamish Hamilton, Blackie and Puffin) Louise Jordan, founder of The Writers’ Advice Centre for Children’s Books, was receiving over 150 unsolicited submissions a week. Out of these submissions only one or two were making it through to publication each year. Yet Louise, along with other readers and editors at Penguin, simply didn’t have the time as part of her job to give individual feedback – which meant that the majority of those hopeful authors had no idea why they were being rejected.

It was only when a delightful picture book entitled Kevin Saves the World by a, then, unknown children’s author called Daniel Postgate landed back on her desk for rejection (she had passed it on to a senior editor) that Louise’s own frustration boiled over. She knew Penguin probably wasn’t the right publisher for that particular book but she also knew it was good. And if it was that good it deserved to be published.

She made the time to write a personal rejection letter to Daniel and suggested another publisher – a publisher better suited to that particular style of picture book. When Kevin Saves the World was published by David Bennett Books – the publisher she had suggested – she realised there were hundreds of authors out there who would benefit from individual and independent feedback from professionals who understood the whole world of children’s publishing both from a marketing and editorial perspective.

Hence The Writers’ Advice Centre for Children’s Books was officially opened in 1994 and, almost immediately, was flooded with manuscripts from hopeful authors all wanting to know one thing – why were they being rejected and what could they do about it?

Of course not all writers are Daniel Postgates and Louise’s initial concern was that negative feedback would be ill-received by potential authors. However the opposite has proved to be true. The majority of clients are pleased and relieved to finally find an objective editor who will be honest about their work even if the report may well not be an immediate recommendation for publication.

Since then The Writers’ Advice Centre has gone from strength to strength. One of its main strengths is that, unlike most other critique services and home study schools, it keeps completely up to date with current market requirements. There is no other advice service for children’s writers which offers such a solid sounding board from professionals who not only successfully write children’s books, but publish them as well. It has always been this inside knowledge of the children’s publishing world which gives The Writers’ Advice Centre its edge.