OPENING LINES October 2024
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Meet Kesia
If you're a children's author thinking of trusting your work to a freelance editor, you ideally want proof of their commitment, skill, and passion within the world of children's books – especially if, like Kesia, they've only been a freelance editor for a few months...
But what could be better proof of innate editing skill than breaking in as an Editorial Assistant for a Big 4 publisher? What could be better proof of commitment than rising to the level of Senior Editor for one of the UK's most groundbreaking children's publishers within a decade? And what could be better proof of passion than transitioning from there to literary agency and, ultimately, freelance editing?
That has been Kesia's incredible journey. She joined Pan Macmillan in 2013 as an Editorial Assistant, working largely for the SFF-focussed Tor imprint. She was then nabbed by Chicken House in 2015 to start as a Junior Editor, but rose swiftly to the heights of Senior Editor by 2023.
During that time, Kesia worked closely with Costa Award-winning author Jasbinder Bilan, Sunday Times-bestselling author Pádraig Kenny, and many other talents. In 2023, though, she swapped the towers of London for the skyscrapers of San Francisco, putting her talents to play for The Bindery Agency.
Editing was clearly her first love and principle passion, though, and she set out as a freelance editor in July 2024. Further evidence of her sheer enthusiasm for supporting writers, though, can be seen in her continuing work as Social Media Manager for Writing Day Workshops, who organise conferences for aspiring writers online and across the US.
So – could there be any better proof? How about this: Kesia's also an admired YA author herself, with three titles published by Bloomsbury. Her stories are soaked in the sci-fi/fantasy and horror that she's eagerly edited since her Pan Macmillan days, but she's also shared her affection for thrillers, historical fiction, and stories revealing and/or portraying underrepresented voices.
With such obvious enthusiasm for the world of children and young people's literature, will Kesia be as enthusiastic about the first 100 words of your manuscript? Enter this month's Opening Lines for the chance to find out!
How to submit your Opening Lines
- your story’s title;
- your 'elevator pitch' – usually just one or two sentences totalling no more than 40 words conveying the key character, crisis point, genre and/or theme of your story; and
- the opening lines of your story, (eg the first paragraph), to a maximum of 100 words.
Make sure we receive your submission by 15 November 2024. Three entries will then be selected at random to be sent to Kesia.
We’ll publish the results around the start of December 2024.
Please note that, by submitting to Opening Lines, you give Words & Pictures the right to publish the content of your submission anonymously. However, this is not an exclusive right, so you are free to submit your story elsewhere.
Who is eligible?
To join SCBWI and take advantage of the many opportunities like this one to be supported in the development and pursuit of your craft – and also find advice on marketing your work, meet fellow writers and artists and much much more – visit scbwi.org
If you've received feedback from Opening Lines, how did it help you? If it led to you finding an agent or a publisher please contact us – we'd love to hear your story.
Chip Colquhoun began storytelling for children in 2007 and was asked to write the EU’s guidance on using stories in classrooms in 2015. He became a children’s writer when The History Press commissioned him in 2016 to write Cambridgeshire Folk Tales for Children. He’s since had 22 books published, most as part of the Fables & Fairy Tales series he co-produces with illustrator Korky Paul (published by Epic Tales), and is currently working with the National English Hub, the National Literacy Trust, LoveReading4Kids.co.uk and BookTrust to raise the rate of recreational reading in schools. You can find him at storytellerchip.com
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