Meet Our Judges: Melissa Manlove, Chronicle Books

Melissa Manlike loves, loves children’s books. With a background study of the Classics in college it wasn’t the most direct route to editing. But a job at The Storyteller bookstore changed everything. She loved it there so much that she stayed three years. By happenstance one of her customers was an editor at Chronicle Books who told her about the internship program at Chronicle. She applied and six months later was hired as an editorial assistant—that was twelve years ago.

Her acquisitions tend to be all ages in nonfiction. Asked about submissions, she offered that she receives ten manuscripts a week to review, but the overall interest numbers in the thousands each month. Her job keeps her busy but just recently she was a keynote speaker, a breakout session speaker, member of the manuscript critique faculty,and an illustration contest judge for the Los Angeles SCBWI Writers & Illustrators Day. And she still spends a few hours a week at the bookstore.

Asked about the future in children’s books she said, “The demand that created the higher-than-average demand for YA books is over, the number of children will be more evenly spread over all age groups.” What’s missing in children’s books? Scary stories/horror is Melissa’s reply.

She enjoys the process of producing children’s books and strives to involve the author, illustrator, designer and production manager at all levels, a team approach, “I truly want each member to be pleased with the result of our work.” she says. Many an illustrator and author see her as their dream editor. A long way from the days when she and her sister would go camping with their dad and read Shakespeare around the campfire. www.ChronicleBooks.com

Melissa is on our jury for the 3x3 Picture Book Show.

3x3 International Illustration Awards No.14 open for entries
Three shows: Professional, Picture Book and Student, open to all illustrators in all countries
Call for Entries poster

Deadline: Midnight, Friday, March 24

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