by Sarah Olmanson, Production Editor, Lerner Publishing Group; with Amelia LeBarron, Designer, Interface Graphics What makes designing a series different when working with a partner like USA TODAY? I asked this question of Amelia, the designer of two Lerner series in partnership with USA TODAY. Her answer? Branding. Working with a strong partner like USA […]Read more "Designing a Series with USA TODAY"

By Carol HinzEditorial Director, Millbrook Press From the first day of kindergarten to the day I graduated from college, I loved school. I worked hard on my assignments, and I enjoyed getting the right answers. Even in college when most of my assignments were essays, I could still take satisfaction in having the right answer […]Read more "The Right Answer"

I’m going to reveal a huge secret. I hope I don’t shock anyone. Here it is: A lot of editors are bookworms. Some were born bookish, some achieved bookishness, and some had bookishness thrust upon them. But however we came to it, most of us, from an early age, have spent hours with our noses […]Read more "Noses in Books"

1. 2.  Stars at Tallapoosa The lines are straight and swift between the stars. The night is not the cradle that they cry, The criers, undulating the deep-oceaned phrase. The lines are much too dark and much too sharp. 3. 4. 5. 6. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it. -Andrew KarreRead more "An editor’s day in web surfing (for one book!)"

by Robin Mayhallcopyeditor for several Graphic Universe titles and author of Twisted Journeys #17 and a book in an upcoming series—titles still top secret! Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, novels or graphic novels, a lot of writers have trouble just getting started. Some struggle with actual writer’s block. Others just need a little jump […]Read more "GU Comics Day: Breaking Through"

When Lerner Publishing Group recently decided to publish books for sale in the United Kingdom (www.lernerbooks.co.uk), one of our main tasks was to “anglicize” the texts designated for that market. I immediately thought this was a poor choice of words. Consider the definition of anglicize from Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary: “to adapt (a foreign word […]Read more "Lerner Books UK"

By Kellie Hultgren, production editor Following up on The Invisible Word Count, last month’s post, here’s a look at some of the challenges we face in selecting photos for Twenty-First Century Books. As reading level increases, so does the difficulty of the subject matter. TFCB publishes titles for grades six through twelve, and the images […]Read more "Hard Photo Choices: Going with Your Gut"

By Carol HinzEditorial Director, Millbrook Press Designing covers for a new series is always a challenge. One of Millbrook’s new fall series, Life in Ancient Civilizations, was especially difficult. How do you capture an entire culture on a cover? Each book’s cover needs to appeal to the target audience (grades 3-6) while also giving librarians […]Read more "The Quest for the Perfect Cover: Life in Ancient Civilizations"

By Sara HoffmannSenior Editor Every school & library publisher has its own process for coming up with series titles. At Lerner, our process tends to be very collaborative. People from many departments get into the act. The process is a little different for every series we do, but here’s how it usually goes: • The […]Read more "Titling a Series"