"Giggle Snorts: Humor for Intermediate Readers (and Lots of Other Stuff)" with Heather Delabre

Mel: is Mel Boring, moderator of this chat with Heather Delabre, and editor of the ICL Web site.

Heather: is Heather Delabre, Editor of SPIDER Magazine of the Cricket Group. Her topic this evening is "Giggle Snorts: Humor for Intermediate Readers (and Lots of Other Stuff)." The term "giggle snorts" came from a young neighbor of Heather's; Paige told her of the things in SPIDER Magazine that made her giggle and snort. To get to know Heather is to understand why she has made such a success of editing SPIDER, a magazine for ages 6 to 9, which has one of the highest circulations of the many magazines in the CRICKET family. Heather says that she lives in a bubble most of the time, holed up in her office, surrounded by towering stacks of manuscripts. Tonight she gets to talk with personalities behind manuscripts, and that is something she loves to do. Heather is a popular conference speaker.

Green shows the usernames of the people who asked questions of Heather Delabre.

Mel: Heather Delabre is Editor of SPIDER Magazine. She is often asked how she, who has no children, can edit a magazine for children. The best answer is simply the successful way she has done it. Tonight she will share the secrets behind the success of SPIDER, and details such as what she looks for in both articles and stories that she accepts for the magazine. YOU will get to talk with the real live person behind the towering stacks of manuscripts that SPIDER receives. Settle back for a very intriguing chat. I'm very pleased to introduce Heather Delabre to you, because I have myself made a very special friend in preparing for this chat with her. Heather is Editor of SPIDER Magazine, perhaps the most intriguing title for a magazine of all the magazines in the Cricket Group of magazines and book publishing. A WARM WELCOME to you, Heather!

Heather: Thank you, Mel! I'm delighted to be here.

Mel: Heather Delabre, were you a writer as a child? And would you remember anything you wrote then?

Heather: My highest aspiration when I was a kid was to be a writer, but I don't actually remember writing anything until 3rd grade. That first story was a variation of "The Three Little Pigs." My teacher got quite a kick out of the punk-rock piggies with green, spiked hair and leather jackets.

Mel: HA! Great! Did you read children's MAGAZINES growing up?

Heather: Actually, no. I occasionally grabbed my brother's copy of RANGER RICK, but I was definitely a "book" person. I wanted something I could sink my teeth into for longer than a magazine. :)

Mel: You're the editor of SPIDER, for kids age 6-9, were you always attracted to that age range of children in your writing and editing?

Heather: To be honest, no. I felt that YA was the area I wanted to be in until I began reading SPIDER and fell in love with the contents and the kids (through their letters).

Mel: For SPIDER's age range (6 to 9), what is funny?

Heather: A whole lot is funny to you when you're between 6 and 9. Gross-out humor, to a certain extent, is pretty big with that age range. I recently accepted a hilarious poem that's a variation of the nursery rhyme about the cow jumping over the moon. The main difference is that the cow propels herself over the moon by way of...um...expelling air out of her rear.

Mel: Flatulently funny! J What's not funny for SPIDER?

Heather: Usually, nonsense poetry is a tough sell. It's very difficult to write successful nonsense poetry and we accept very little of it for SPIDER. Also not funny are inappropriately anthropomorphic animals for the sake of humor. My friend and colleague Paula Morrow (whom many of you have "met" here in this room) is famous for this quote: "More often than not, anthropomorphic animals are merely children with fur." And to that I say, and how! If you're devising a story with those animals, try a little test for yourself: If you were to transform those talking animals into children, with the same basic dialogue and setup, would you still have a strong plot? Or is the novelty of the story tied up in the animals alone? Another problem area is slapstick humor. It's rarely successful as literature, although it works quite well for comic books. Writers DO nail the occasional slapstick piece, but it's difficult to do. I know that I can't even write good slapstick! Humorous poems (or any poems for that matter) that are merely lists of objects are a no-no, too. However cleverly juxtaposed those objects are, it's difficult to write something truly unique. Also stay away from stereotypical stock characters (but that might fall under the "slapstick" area, too). And, no matter how well disguised the devices are, stories that are too preachy, didactic, or message-driven are usually unsuccessful as humor for kids.

Mel: You would've bought nonsense poetry from Shel Silverstein when he was alive, I'm sure. When you say "nonsense poetry," do you mean HIS kind of poetry, Heather?

Heather: Actually, yes. (And don't tell anyone I said this, but not all of his poetry was successful, either.) :) But, in general, that's what I mean. It's difficult to write that stuff well.

Mel: You're right! And I must tell you for us ALL, Heather, that we really appreciate your full and DETAILED answers!

Heather: LOL. I hope y'all don't get bored (pun intended, Mel) with my longwindedness.

Mel: Pun happily ACCEPTED! J Is there a way to gauge whether or not the content will be funny to a young reader?

Heather: Well, sure there is! I had a little neighbor (before my relatively recent move) who actually coined the term "giggle-snort". I had given Paige (then seven years old) a gift subscription to SPIDER and she would periodically pop over to my apartment to tell me that certain stories had given her the "giggle-snorts". If I remember correctly, the first one she mentioned was "Cows in Outer Space" from the July 99 issue, and so she was my first little test subject. You can do the same things, too. Test your work on an audience in the age range you're writing for, nieces, nephews, neighbors, your own kids, etc. You could also volunteer to do a story time at a local library. In that library setting, you shouldn't read your own work (because then you're getting into the areas of serious guinea-pigging), but read some published books. Some of those published books are wildly successful with kids, and some are only wildly successful with critics and awards committees. (In case you hadn't noticed, those two types of readership are oftentimes at opposite ends of the spectrum).

Mel: GREAT ideas, Heather--THANKS!

cynde: With all you do at SPIDER, do you still find time to write?

Heather: Unfortunately, a great deal of my personal writing is put on hold most of the time. But, of course, I write an awful lot of material for SPIDER, so I can still get my "fix."

Mel: Here are two RELATED questions, Heather, so I've ENLARGED certain words in each one to distinguish the difference:

schmooma: What type of MANUSCRIPTS represent SPIDER's greatest need?

Heather: Well, to begin with, I'm not cutting back on accepting any genre at this point. So bring on the engaging nonfiction, realistic fiction, humor, fantasy, sci fi, folk tales, historical fiction, poems, crafts, recipes, and puzzles! Holiday pieces are usually quite coveted, especially for the less mainstream holidays. And I never receive enough material for the takeout pages. But in general, I love to see stories about active, spunky, take-life-by-the-horns kinds of characters. Weepy, terrified protagonists often come across as whiners and don't make for a positive reading experience. Strong characters motivate and inspire young readers. They're empowered by characters near their age who aren't afraid of life. That's not to say, however, that characters with problems aren't important. All kids have concerns and are worried about various aspects of their lives. The essential element in stories with characters like that is showing that the character learns/grows/overcomes his or her fear by the end of the tale. Life is a learning curve, as we all know, so realistic problems with realistic solutions are very relevant to young people's lives. The story that comes immediately to mind as an example of this is "The Hero in Tent Three" (July 02, if I remember correctly). This story has realistic fear and gentle humor and an uplifting conclusion.

Mel: Here's the second, related question, which you've already nicely anticipated, and covered, but I want to make sure it gets asked:

andrea_mc: Is there ONE type of STORY you'd like to see MORE of?

Heather: Well, really, I'm looking for pretty much anything. My files have a wide variety of genres in them, but every issue of SPIDER contains one folk tale, one nonfiction piece, one realistic fiction piece, one humor or fantasy or sci fi, a poem or two, etc., so feel free to submit anything! :)

Mel: Is there a "recipe" for writing successful humor?

Heather: My first response to that question when asked is always, "No," and then my second response is always, "Well...kind of." It's a difficult thing to put into words. The only kind of writing that DOES have a formula is--you guessed it--formulaic fiction. But, in general, kids have to first be able to connect to the "joke," developmentally speaking. As an exaggerated example, a funny poem about, say, office antics won't work for children. While they might get the gist of the poem, they wouldn't catch the full effect of the humor because they don't have working knowledge of office life. I recently rejected a hilarious poem about writer's block. It was funny to me as adult reader/writer/editor, because those moments hit me ALL the time! But a seven-year-old hasn't yet hit that level of writer's block in that grown-up sort of way. And, come to think of it, I'm now reminded of a joke book I recently edited, "You Must Be Joking!" by Paul Brewer. At the end of all the jokes, Paul offers "17 1/2 tips for reading, writing, and remembering your own jokes." These tips were written for a child audience, of course, but the funny thing is that if you transform almost all of these tips into "adultspeak" and apply them to writing humor, you have your "recipe". Hold on one sec whilst I grab the book off of my shelf.

Okay! Here are a few examples. Paul's Tip #2: "Start with easy to remember jokes...." Translation: start with what you know, merely as a leaping point. When I, Heather Delabre, was a kid, I adored Christmastime, because it was then that I could come up with wacky and creative and secret presents for my family for the ultimate surprise on Christmas morning. So, taking that idea and using it as a leaping point, you could create a hilarious story of a kid devising presents and setting up presents for her family, but add a framework to make it an undercover, special-ops holiday mission, with the main character speaking in secret-agent-type lingo while she goes about her plans. Let's see, another tip: Paul's Tip #14: "Be aware of the timing of your joke...." Translation: Don't give away your story's "punchline" too early (i.e., in the title, or before you've fully developed your characters, etc.). One more, then we'll move on, I swear ;). Paul's Tip #16: "Be careful not to tell jokes that will hurt other people's feelings…." Translation: Humor at the expense of your child protagonist or at a detriment to her self-esteem is not the way to go. Too many kids are tormented at school by classmates; you don't want to accentuate their problem by turning it into something perceived as funny.

Mel: EXCELLENT and PRACTICAL suggestions!

mbvoelker: Humor doesn't come instinctively to me. Can it be learned or is it a gift?

Heather: Wooooo...um... I couldn't say, to be honest! I'm a wisecracker by nature, but I couldn't really tell you whether or not the folks from whom I've accepted humor stories have a "gift" or are just persistent in their technique.

Mel: Maybe a suggestion here. Perhaps the biographies of people like George Burns, Bob Hope and Phyllis Diller would help answer that question. Were those people humorous from birth? Just a thought!

grandy1983: Hi, I finished a middle-grade story, but I am having a difficult time figuring out what genre it falls into. How do I find the right market for a story that doesn't seem to fall into fantasy, humor, etc, but is intead a mixture of different genres?

Heather: Well, normally EVERY story has a dominant genre; you might need to re-examine it to see it clearly. For instance, I recently edited a really funny story about a little boy who is chosen by the fairies to live with them, but his sister is too afraid for his safety. Technically, I'd call that a fantasy story with lots of humor IN it.

Mel: A pre-submitted question now, Heather:

Vijaya: I have been studying SPIDER for three years now. It's a delight! Although it's meant for children aged 6-9, most of the pieces seem to be geared toward the older children (8-9). I have had a couple of stories rejected because "they fall in between LADYBUG and SPIDER and are not right for either." So, do you not like to have pieces geared specifically for the 6-7 age range? Or is it that you think those stories will not hold the interest of older children, that they will think they are too "babyish?" Please clarify.

Heather: Excellent question, Vijaya! When figuring out age-appropriateness, you have to take a lot of things into consideration, word limits, tone, protagonist age, topic, vocabulary level, etc. SPIDER stories shouldn't have heavy punctuation, and I always suggest that authors stay away from difficult or "irregular" syntax. Beginning readers have the ability to think and speak on that level of inverted syntax, but they haven't yet developed the skills they need to read it. With that said, introducing SPIDER readers to new, slightly advanced words IS something we do from time to time. Our cast of bug characters peppering the margins define difficult words for the kids, and so help them to ease into it, so to speak. So getting the root of your question, Vijaya, when any author is told that her story is a "cusp story," caught in limbo between SPIDER and LADYBUG, we're referring to one of a few possible problems. Perhaps your protagonist is five and the topic is age-appropriate, but she's speaking with a much older vocabulary. Or your 5-year-old is speaking at the appropriate level, but has very advanced thought processes...you get the idea. It's usually a combination of a few things.

Vijaya: I have been submitting nonfiction articles for your consideration as well. Since there is already CLICK - do you automatically share those manuscripts with editors of CLICK?

Heather: While there is some sharing of manuscripts between the magazines, for the most part, I don't send submissions on to the nonfiction editors. This is because their magazines have theme lists, and it's extremely rare that I'll randomly receive a submission that automatically fits their pre-set theme. Most of the articles for CLICK, ASK, and MUSE are commissioned, so what the editors look for from potential authors is a resume with your background, interests, professional qualifications you have in certain research areas, levels of expertise, etc. Then they contact you if they feel your areas of interest and skills will fit a particular thematic need.

Mel: Vijaya tells me she asked for CLICK's themes with a SASE and never got a response. Do they still provide those theme lists for freelance writers?

Heather: Huh! If you sent in a SASE, you should've received a theme list. Something might've gotten crossed in the mail somewhere, so I'd send in another SASE, Vijaya.

Mel: Thank you, peanut!

Heather: It wasn't updated the last time I checked, so beware of that, Vijaya and peanut.

patrickr: I see that there's a "Best of Cricket" book coming out. Are there plans for a "Best of Spider"?

Heather: Alas, we're not that established ;). But I AM delighted to report that this January marks SPIDER's 10th anniversary!

Mel: HAPPY TENTH ANNIVERSARY, SPIDER!!!

chitty: Do you accept stories from India,with typical Indian words?

Heather: We accept stories of all cultural and religious backgrounds, and oftentimes we do include terms in the culture's language. The important thing to remember, though, is that you shouldn't get too heavy with the foreign words. We have only so many bug definitions allowed per issue. :)

chitty: Do I need to give the meanings of the Indian words?

Heather: Always! We do have a few people on our staff who are fluent in certain languages other than English, but if you don't supply the definitions and pronunciations, we poor editors are forced to fend for ourselves, desperately searching for the perfect on-line dictionary to translate or desperately searching for someone who's fluent in the language, and we all know that the dictionaries aren't always accurate!

wendyhaber: Do you prefer to see a whole nonfiction article or a query first?

Heather: In all honesty, if you send in a query, you'll receive a letter from our executive assistant asking you to send in the whole manuscript. We don't accept queries.

Mel: What is proper etiquette when submitting manuscripts and when working with editors after a manuscript has been accepted for publication?

Heather: First and foremost, always include a SASE. And never EVER cold-call an editor to find out if your manuscript has been received and whether or not the editor's read it yet and whether or not the editor thinks it's good and to tell the editor that she really SHOULD like it because you spent a lot of time on it. (Can you tell that this has happened to me before?) Calls like this kinda screw up my workday groove, so to speak, and tend to make me crabby.

Mel: I might mention that the unfairness of those cold-calls is why we don't ask an editor here in the chat about specific manuscripts submitted, Heather.

Heather: We don't keep a log of manuscripts we receive, because it'd take way too much time to log a thousand or so manuscripts each month. So if you send in a SASE, you'll receive a response. Also, if an editor asks you for a rewrite, don't disregard the editor's suggestions for revision. I've had authors write me to tell me that they disagree with suggestions and that they refuse to rewrite, and then they ask if I won't just consider the story the way it's written. That's where the trouble lies--I've already considered the story as it's written, and I felt that certain areas needed work. I'm not saying that editors are never wrong (that's hardly the case!), but a complete disregard for suggestions isn't going to make an editor want the story more.

peanut: Do you look at all the manuscripts that are submitted to SPIDER or do some get filtered out/rejected before they get to your desk?

Heather: Ah! Excellent question, peanut. I see NONE, as in ZERO, folks, of the unsolicited manuscripts until they've first been filtered through our off-site first readers. The ones the first readers feel are strong enough to make the editorial cut get passed on to me. The others the first readers just form-reject. So if you receive a slip of paper with a pre-scripted note, you're receiving something from a first reader. And if there are comments on the back of that slip of paper, they're also from the first reader, not from the editors (except in rare instances).

Mel: GREAT assurance for us writers, Heather, thanks!

cynde: Once a piece is accepted, how long before we'll see it in print?

Heather: That's a variable, actually. I already have every single issue of 2004 planned, and every story that's sitting in my files right now will run in 2005. So the wait is getting shorter than it was in previous years. Puzzles, poems, recipes, and activities might sometimes languish a bit longer in the files. I use them usually only when they fit a thematic need, so they sit, patiently waiting, for the perfect story or poem pairing. :)

rite 1: How many stories (fiction) can we submit at a time?

Heather: I recommend submitting each story separately. And send only five poems at a time.

rite 1: Is it ok to submit the same story to many magazines at the same time?

Heather: if you submit a manuscript to any of our fiction line (BABYBUG, LADYBUG, SPIDER, CRICKET, and CICADA), that one manuscript will be read with every magazine in mind. So you needn't send us more than one copy of it. As for simultaneous submissions, we DO accept them because we want to make sure that an author has every opportunity to be published, whether it's with us or someone else.

pax: In a nonfiction bibliography, can you include Web sites?

Heather: A-HA! I was waiting for this. Thanks for asking, pax. Including Web sites is fine. You're much better off finding official sites, though, like the "National Audubon Society" instead of "Joe's Web Page of Burds." But a bibliography that's made up of ONLY Web sources is immediately suspect to us. The same goes for encyclopedia sources. One of my best nonfiction writers is always on top of her research. She has some Internet sources and some book sources, but she also usually has at least two interviews with professionals in whatever field she's researching, as well as materials from professional organizations. And although I fact-check everything in her articles, just as I do for all other manuscripts, I have yet to find a single factual error in any of them, and I've edited quite a few of them for both CRICKET and SPIDER.

RealityCzech: When considering articles and stories for SPIDER, are you more concerned with the opinions of the children who read the magazine or the parents who pay the subscription costs?

Heather: To be honest, I have to be concerned with both. My most important goal is to provide literature the kids can relate to and enjoy. I want their reading experience to be fun! And I also pay close attention to the likes and dislikes the kids mention in their letters (They're a wonderfully opinionated group!). But this IS a business we're running, too, which means that we also take parental concerns into consideration. The bottom line is that 6- to 9-year-olds don't have checkbooks--Mom and Dad order and buy the subscriptions.

Heather: Paula and Bob's story of how they got started is fabulous! Unfortunately, mine's far more boring. :)

Mel: Must be a GOOD story, then! J

Heather: LOL, Mel! I began as an intern during the summer before my senior year of college, and I must've done a pretty decent job, because they contacted me a few months before my graduation to offer me a position. I began as an editorial assistant (bottom of the barrel, so to speak), but I worked my way up. I've worked--in one way or another--on every fiction magazine we have.

Mel: I believe the Cricket Group recognized a brilliant editor very early on, Heather!

andrea_mc: Do you like getting illustrated manuscripts from artists?

Heather: I neither like nor dislike it, Andrea. We evaluate the art and the text separately, but we do have author/illustrators we use often. So feel free to send a manuscript in with art.

blumoon: Does SPIDER ever use age-appropriate ghost stories?

Heather: Yep. I believe it was October of last year when we printed "The Bogeys of Old Lucky Mine," and I have several other Halloween-y stories on file.

Mel: Just that TITLE of the Bogeys story is enticing!

ladybug1315: What is the MOST important thing to remember when submitting?

Heather: Hmmm... I would have to say send in that SASE. You're guaranteed a response, good or bad, that way. And please don't try to use gimmicks (like brightly colored paper and such). Let your writing speak for itself, and for goodness sake, don't EVER put confetti or glitter in your envelope! That makes me VERY crabby! :)

grandy1983: What should I do if I'm not sure what genre my middle-grade story falls into?

Heather: Well, I'd say ask the folks in your writing group, if you have one,and if you don't have one, get one! They're great fun and monumentally helpful.

passion: What ages are your SPIDER readers? What ages are children who get BABYBUG? LADYBUG?

Heather: BABYBUG = 6 mos. to 2 yrs.; LADYBUG = 2 to 6 yrs.; SPIDER = 6 to 9 yrs.; CRICKET = 9 to 14 yrs.; CICADA = 14+

schmooma: What type of folk tales do you buy for SPIDER?

Heather: All types--from a wide variety of times, places, cultures, languages, etc.

kay kay: What are your favorite types of stories to see?

Heather: My favorite types of stories to see are well-written ones. ;) But I can't say that I prefer any one genre over the others.

cup: What is your usual response time to a manuscript submission?

Heather: Approximately three months, give or take a few weeks.

annebaker4: For nonfiction, do you require an expert's review, as HIGHLIGHTS does, for instance?

Heather: I'm not sure how HIGHLIGHTS does it, exactly, but if you mean to ask whether or not we require an expert to write the articles, no, we don't. And we don't always require an expert to look over the manuscript, although we do try to find one, if we can. We are beyond serious about fact-checking, though. (My many, many hours in libraries are proof of that!)

Mel: HIGHLIGHTS, I believe by the way, requires now that you send an expert's opinions with the first submission of nonfiction.

chitty: Is it possible to get a sample copy of your magazine, which is not available here in India?

Heather: Absolutely! Just send in a written request for a sample copy, include a money order for (American currency), and an International Reply Coupon.

Mel: I might mention that an International Reply Coupon is bought at the post office, and sent with the request. Then the publisher in the U.S. cashes it like a check to cover the cost of the stamps.

Heather: Thanks, Mel!

Mel: You're warmly welcome!

passion: Do all articles have to have photos?

Heather: Not at all. Very rarely do we accept an article AND photos in the same submission. We accept the text, and then we put our very busy photo researcher to work finding photos that fit our need.

dawgprint1: Does SPIDER also have a theme list, and if so is it listed on your Web site?

Heather: SPIDER doesn't have a theme list. I do all of my issue planning for an entire year in about three days. I just piece together themes while I do that. It's simpler than trying to find unsolicited manuscripts to find pre-set needs.

rite 1: Do you always need to identify main characters' ages?

Heather: Not always. In fact, if you can SHOW how old your character is, in mannerisms, vocabulary, actions, etc., you're probably better off.

andrea_mc: How far in advance should I send a seasonal submission?

Heather: Well, as I said, I plan a whole year in advance, so even my biggest holiday issue (the December issue) is already planned for 2004. So feel free to send in seasonal material whenever the mood strikes you to write it.

kay kay: What are your favorite types of nonfiction to see?

Heather: I like seeing manuscripts that are a little different, hard sciences, histories, and the like, because we see so few of those. But the kids respond very well to animal features. For animals, though, the lifestyles and behaviors of common animals (housecats, etc.) or animals that've been extensively written about, should be things to stay away from. I'll tell you this: If I never see another tree frog manuscript, I can die a happy woman! :)

Mel: HA! J

kay kay: If you received a manuscript with words without definitions you needed, and the author submits by e-mail, would you simply e-mail them and ask about the questions you have?

Heather: Well, first, we don't accept e-mail submissions. But if I need a definition or translation from an author as quickly as possible, I usually do use e-mail, if that author has provided an e-mail address. But it's also important to note that after that brief discourse on what you need, you shouldn't cold-e-mail an editor about unrelated manuscripts later on.

patrickr: You've accepted one of my stories ("Dinner At Blue's"). Is SPIDER generally receptive to more stories with the same cast of characters?

Heather: Hi, Patrick! Nice to see you. Normally, we don't have a lot of recurring characters because we have a serial each month that serves that specific purpose. But we do have a few on file right now that fall into the category you speak of, so it's definitely not unheard of.

albertine: Do different editors there take care of, say, nonfiction or fiction, or do they all go to the same one?

Heather: Our editors aren't divided up in that way. I, as the sole editor of SPIDER, am the editor of every single manuscript--fiction or nonfiction--and the other editors are pretty much the same way. Some editors prefer to receive more nonfiction or more fiction manuscripts, but they always receive a mixture.

passion: When we include a SASE, how come it may take months to get a response?

Heather: Because your manuscript comes to our office, then gets mailed to our off-site first readers, then gets either form-rejected at that time or gets sent on to our office, and then several editors have to read it and write reviews of it, and it has to be approved by our editorial director…and you get the idea. :)

Mel: Here are two very similar questions, Heather:

izzy: Is a cover letter required if all manuscripts are seen by first readers?

Heather: I prefer to see cover letters, if for no other reason than to allow me to get a better idea of who you are, and it's never a bad idea to give a brief list of pieces you've had published elsewhere. But on the whole, it's not totally necessary, just preferred.

charmariefoster: Hi! Could you tell me what you look for in a cover letter?

Heather: I don't look for a summary of the story you're submitting, but I do look for clues into your writing history and clues into your personality. But most of the time, to be honest, I look for typos in cover letters. A typo-less cover letter means that someone's taking his or her time, and that's important.

barb: What types of fiction stories do you see too much of and what types of fiction stories do you see too little of?

Heather: Actually, I can't say that I see too much or too few of anything. I usually receive just enough holiday stories to fit the bill, but sometimes that area's a bit lacking.

lcf: When you say "planned" stories for future issues--as you mentioned earlier--do you mean stories picked out by you from what's already been submitted unsolicited, or stories that you've requested writers to write?

Heather: I don't commission ANY work for SPIDER, unless I'm in a total bind/scheduling nightmare. And it's also important to know that my word is never the final word when it comes to SPIDER stories. Two other editors also read them and write up reports, then our editorial director makes the final call.

Mel: Heather, I have gotten so involved in both asking the questions AND listening intently to your answers that time has flown by without my noticing it. But we must bring things to a conclusion now as the top of the hour approaches, even though I don't want to do that. For I feel that we have merely begun talking with you, even with all we have learned tonight. Would you please consider returning to our chat room someday to continue the GOOD thing we've just begun with you this evening?

Heather: I would absolutely love to, Mel! Thanks so much for having me tonight.

Mel: I think annebaker4 said it BEST:

annebaker4: This is the best chat I've ever been to.

Heather: Wow! Thank you, Anne!

Mel: Because of Thanksgiving coming up two weeks from today, out next Guest Chat will be THREE WEEKS from now, on Thursday, December 4. That evening, Beth Troop, who has been here before, will be chatting about the topic, "Perspective: Looking at the Two Sides of the Publishing World." Beth is the absolute best person to speak about how things look from BOTH the writing and the editing sides of the desk in publishing. She was for years an editor at HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN, an ICL instructor, and is now a full-time high school teacher. Beth Troop will bring wisdom to us from BOTH hemispheres of children's writing!

Mel: Again, Heather Delabre, THANK YOU for being our guest tonight, and for your detailed and patient answers to all of our questions! You mentioned being "crabby" a couple of times, but I sure can't believe that, after listening to you tonight! See you all again in, remember, THREE (instead of two) weeks!