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MEET THE EDITOR: ABIGAIL SAMOUN of TRICYCLE PRESS

Official title and role at Tricycle:
My official title is Project Editor, but since we have a small staff here at Tricycle, it means I do a lot more than edit books. I read unsolicited manuscripts that come in; I search for new illustrators to work with; I develop projects with the potential to appear on our list; I’ve edited our seasonal catalog and written copy; I respond to permissions requests; I keep in touch with authors and illustrators we’d like to work with; I answer agent submissions; and finally, my favorite, I art direct and edit picturebook and board book projects. Generally, I manage three to four books a season and these range from board books, to nonfiction photographic books, to classic picturebooks, to middle-grade fiction.

Background
I was born in France and came to America in 1981. My father is French and my mother, American. When I came to the U.S., I could understand English but didn’t speak it. I was sent to a Franco-American school and, as so often happens with children, became fluent within a year. Oddly enough, I have no recollection of “learning” English. As soon as I could speak English, I began writing stories and by ten was well on my way to becoming a full-fledged bookphile. I studied English Literature as an undergraduate and received an MA in journalism and French Studies from NYU. After internships at magazines and working on a documentary for the PBS show American Masters, I began working at Tricycle Press in 2000.

All time favorite book
This is an exceptionally tough question because I love many books for many different reasons. One book that’s been a favorite since childhood, a book that eludes the classifications of “children’s book” or “adult book,” is Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, which I love for its capacity to delight, its flights of fancy, and its deep respect for and understanding of the land of childhood.

Books proudest of
I am especially proud of our picturebook Yesterday I Had the Blues. The author was an unknown when I pulled her manuscript from the slush bin but the rhythm and language of her story struck all of us at Tricycle. We had never worked with Gregory Christie before and didn’t know who his agent was, but I loved the work he’d done on Deshawn Days. I wrote him a letter, included the manuscript, and crossed my fingers. Just a week or so later, he left a message on my voicemail saying how much he liked the text and wanted to work with us. He was such a wonderful fit for the story that Publishers Weekly said that the author and illustrator “riff on the range of human emotions with the agility of longtime collaborators.” It received three starred reviews and was awarded the 2004 Ezra Jack Keats award for best poetry as well as the Bank Street Books Claudia Lewis Award.


Describe Tricycle
Tricycle is the children’s book imprint of Ten Speed Press, which has been around since the early seventies and is best-known as the publisher of What Color is Your Parachute and one of the most popular (not to mention earliest) vegetarian cookbooks ever published: The Moosewood Cookbook. Like Ten Speed, Tricycle’s list tends to be quirky and offbeat. We publish books that are a little different from the norm. We also like books that make kids think, such as G is for Googol which explores math topics, and The Philosophers’ Club which has kids consider some of the big questions that have perplexed humanity since Socrates’ day.

Stats
We look for quality board book, picturebook, and middle grade text. We publish fiction, nonfiction, concept books, educational books with a strong trade appeal. We produce about 16 to 18 new titles a year (not including paperback conversions and reprints). We like our seasonal lists to be well rounded, including books for a range of ages and interests; board books have done well for us but we limit the number we publish to about two a season since their price points are so low. Picturebooks remain the backbone of our lists and we publish more of those by far than anything else. In recent seasons we have developed some middle-grade fiction series and these seem to be doing well for us.


Agents
Tricycle accepts unsolicited manuscripts. Some of our best-selling authors came to us through unsolicited manuscripts. If a manuscript is good, it WILL stand out. We answer agents' submissions faster than we do unsolicited ones but we do not otherwise treat these submissions any differently. An agent may help an author get through the door at a big publisher but small houses generally depend on unsolicited manuscripts. Part of why I like working for an independently-owned smaller publisher is that we get to be the ones to give unpublished authors their first chance.

Art samples
We receive art samples regularly and file them away should a project come along that would suit that particular art style.

What grabs your attention in a book?
Clear, thoughtful writing. An original premise. Something that hasn’t been done a million times before---or a new twist on an old idea. Strong voice. A carefully crafted story that draws the reader into its world.

Anything you’re not looking for?
Stories full of easy sentimentality. Stereotypical characters. Convoluted language, needless exposition and detail, stilted dialogue. Formats that clearly don’t fit our list: institutional books, educational books with no real trade appeal, early readers, celebrity bios, or celebrity authors.

Perfect book for Tricycle?
Our current list is an excellent showcase for the types of books we like to produce: The Milestones Project includes photographs and stories from kids all over the world about the shared experiences of childhood (lost teeth, best friends, first day of school…). The book is intended to make kids think about our common humanity. The Dangerous Snake and Reptile Club by renown children’s author Daniel San Souci simply celebrates the pure joy of childhood summer days of playing with your best friends. Finally, Ten Little Elvi, has kids counting with the King of Rock’n’Roll himself.

Role as editor
I like to think of my role as editor as being something of a “creative midwife.” We want to help authors (and illustrators) get their vision down on paper in the clearest, most powerful, most fully-developed way possible.

Role of books
Books can entertain and delight children. Books can also deepen their understanding of those enormously complicated animals called human beings. Books can make children more empathetic, more imaginative, more verbal. They can teach children to communicate their ideas and feelings more fluently. They can help children understand their ideas and feelings, and thus themselves, better. The books that we read as children have a tendency to stay with us long past childhood---and seem to have a special place in our hearts.

MEET THE EDITOR: ABIGAIL SAMOUN of TRICYCLE PRESS Official title and role at Tricycle: My official title is Project Editor, but since we have a small staff here at Tricycle, it means I do a lot more than edit books. I read unsolicited manuscripts that come in; I search for new illustrators to work with; I develop projects with the potential to appear on our list; I’ve edited our seasonal catal... More