MARGARET PETERSON HADDIX

38
publisher’s
corner
Tanglewood Press
was founded in 2003
by Peggy Tierney and
is the home of many
wonderful books
for children of all
ages, including the
popular picture book
The Kissing Hand
by Audrey Wood.
Today Peggy shares
a glimpse into the
publishing world and
the process behind
creating entertaining
and memorable books.
P R E M I E R E I S S U E : F A L L 2 0 1 3
Tanglewood Press
Peggy Tierney, Editor & Publisher
www.tanglewoodbooks.com
Middle Shelf: How do you
choose books to publish?
Tanglewood Press: The first
step of publishing a book is the
selection of the manuscript to
publish. We have an employee
whose sole duty is to read
the manuscripts received (the
“slush pile”) and select a few
that stand out, maybe thirty or
forty in any year. Then the editor
will go through those few and
select one or two to publish.
MS: How often do you publish
books?
TP: Books are published by
season — the main ones being
spring and fall —and the work
on a book begins twelve to
eighteen months before its
release. Marketing and sales
plans also begin right away.
Bookstores ideally want to have
sample books and marketing
materials six to nine months
before a book is released. So
at the same time a manuscript
is being edited, marketing plans
and pieces are being created.
MS: How important is the
cover of a book?
TP: People often assume that a
cover is the last thing done for
a book, but it’s often the first.
Why? Because it is the most
important marketing piece of a
book. The ideal cover expresses
the story but should also be so
cool looking or create some curiosity
that it makes the customer
want to pick it up off a bookstore
shelf. Cover creation is a joint
effort between designers, illustrators,
editors, and the marketing
and publicity team. And it’s
way harder than it looks!
MS: Can you explain the process
of editing and printing
books?
TP: While the manuscript is
being edited, a developmental
editor looks at things like
character development, pacing,
tone, plot. Writers will rewrite
parts that can be improved. A
copy editor handles punctuation,
grammar, spelling. A proofreader
will then give the book
a final reading. Still, even with
so many editors working on a
book, little mistakes can slip
through.
After that, the designer takes
the manuscript and cover image
and puts them into book form,
ready to print. A production
manager arranges the printing
process, which is always done
by a printing company, not the
publisher. The marketing team
has prepared lots of materials
describing the book and why
stores should sell it, and the