Sarah Rockett has been working in the children's publishing industry for more than a decade and truly believes that picture books have the power to change the world. She loves traveling, spending time outdoors, and—of course—reading. She lives in Michigan with her husband, young son, and lazy cocker spaniel. She is currently an editor for Sleeping Bear Press as well as for Cherry Lake Publishing and 45th Parallel school and library imprints. Sarah also works as a freelance copywriter, editor and project manager for creative and corporate projects. She has completed projects with ProQuest, Universal McCann, University of Michigan, Hudson Legal Offices and more.

How did you get your start in book publishing? What was the transition like, from working in production and children’s editorial at Penguin Books, to acquiring for Sleeping Bear Press? Has coming out of the world of major trade book publishing, with a background in production, helped to inform the way you publish children’s books?

Getting my start in children's publishing required a lot of persistence and luck. I started in magazine journalism, moved to academic book publishing, then to production for a Penguin adult imprint. Eventually, I was able to move from there to editorial for Penguin Young Readers—which was a dream. When I moved back to Michigan in 2012, I reached out to Sleeping Bear Press and was eventually hired in at an entry level position. At the time there were some personnel changes and I was able to move up from there pretty quickly. Having both editorial and production experience let me wear a few different hats to serve the smaller Sleeping Bear group. And my background with Penguin has really made me appreciate the benefits of a smaller publishing house. I enjoy understanding where we fit in the market and feeling like each book we work on is an important and valued part of our list. With a smaller team (in-house and of authors/illustrators) and list compared to the larger houses, we're able to focus on every person and every project in a way larger groups cannot. In turn, I really look to acquire projects that I'm passionate about and fit well on the larger Sleeping Bear list, with authors I'm able to foster longer term relationships with. 

“It's been a little bit of trial by fire, but I think it's ultimately strengthened us.”

What has it been like to see publishing go through so many transitions in recent years? What was it like for independent publishers, such as Sleeping Bear Press, in having to cope with the aftermath of the recent COVID-19 pandemic?

Spring of 2020 was scary for everyone—independent publishers included. But as schools moved virtual and kids had to spend more time at home, we started seeing the valuable role our books could play. Many of our picture books work well in both the trade and school/library markets and we've always liked to include educational back matter when we can, which meant a lot of our books could really serve parents and teachers as they navigated online school—and just keeping kids busy and engaged at home. Being a small and flexible group, we were able to adjust quickly and work to get our wonderful books into their hands, and our authors and illustrators all stepped up as well to do virtual events, guides for teachers, and recorded readings. I think the time showed us what we're capable of internally—we've been able to pull off some really impressive acrobatics this year to answer market demands. It's been a little bit of trial by fire, but I think it's ultimately strengthened us. I'm just super ready to see my colleagues and authors in person again!

Sleeping Bear Press is also partially known as a Michigan-centric publisher, but what else is SBP known for in the world of children’s book publishing?

We love being Michigan's children's book publisher! We try to build really personal relationships with our local stores and libraries and try to visit as many of them as we can every year (in normal years, at least). But yes, we really are so much more than a regional publisher. Right now about ninety-percent of our frontlist is for the national market. We pride ourselves on showcasing wonderful artwork and beautifully-designed books. And we try to focus on meaningful stories that can have real-life and/or educational tie-ins. I mentioned we're a small, passionate group, so every book is really created with a lot of love and care—I think that comes through in our final products. 

What do you see as the major benefits of going with an independent publisher such as Sleeping Bear Press, over a big five publishing house?

The personal attention and care we give our authors and illustrators is really where we set ourselves apart. It's a true collaborative team effort as we create each book and work to promote it. We want our authors and illustrators to feel pride and ownership of their books and to feel supported by the Sleeping Bear team. Each book we publish is an extremely important piece of our list and we put our full effort into every project—from editorial and design to publicity/marketing and sales. There are no small books on our list—or small authors/illustrators on our team. 

“…kids have been carrying a lot lately…”

What do you find is working well in the world of children’s picture books—any existing trends or new ones on the horizon?

I love that we're seeing more diverse voices and perspectives in children's picture books—I'm sure that is an area that will continue to grow. I also think, coming off a year or more of virtual schooling, that families are seeing the benefits of having books that have some societal, educational/STEM, or social-emotional aspect to them. We've seen a big uptick in our nonfiction this year and I think we'll continue to see growth there. On the other hand, I think that kids have been carrying a lot lately and we'll also see a push for just fun, humorous stories that let kids be their silly selves. I think it's so important for kids to have access to books on a range of topics from a range of voices. 

What is your editing and project acquisition process like?

Acquisition at Sleeping Bear really involves the whole team. Editors bring the projects we love forward to discuss as an editorial group and from there we plan the list of titles we'll bring to our larger acquisition meeting. The acquisition meeting involves voices from all of our internal departments which helps us build a list that will work holistically—from editing to design to marketing and sales. Once we've approved a project, I love working really collaboratively with my authors. I want to be sure they feel ownership and pride in the project. 

You recently acquired Keri Boyle's The Hole Story, in which a young astronomer finds a black hole churning in her desk and when her galactic guest gobbles the thing she loves most, she must embark on a reality-bending journey that might just end up being one way. What was it like working with Keri on such a fun and informative book?

I love this story! And I love working with Keri. She's such an engaged author, from start to finish. Her first book with us, Otis P. Oliver Protests, came out just before lockdown in the U.S., which was so unfortunate—it's so funny and timely. But I'm thrilled to have this next book with her. Keri's humor is spot on, one of those voices that both kids and adults will laugh at. And I love that The Hole Story is both just a fun and silly story, as well as being about a passionate young scientist. Keri has really gone above and beyond with our back matter for this, talking with a scientist at MIT to get some wonderful information on black holes to include in the book. This one fits into so many categories for us—strong girl character, STEM content, humor. We're just waiting on initial sketches now, and I can't wait! 

Where do you see the future of children’s book publishing headed for both larger independent publishers such as Sleeping Bear Press and major trade book publishing?

I think with some of the larger houses merging and focusing so much on classics and/or their larger properties, there is additional room for growth with independent publishers. The wonderful thing about independent publishers is that we have the opportunity to pursue and publish new authors/illustrators and fresh concepts—and respond to immediate market demands. I think that keeps the industry really dynamic. Great books featuring a range of perspectives are so important to kids, they're essential to expanding a child's worldview, building vocabulary, and developing empathy and interests. I think the children's publishing industry is going to be strong for a long time—and that there's room, and a need, for both indie publishers and the big houses.   

Do you have any advice you could share for hopeful writers eager to become published authors?

Have as many people read your work as you can stand, listen to them read it back to you, and take their feedback openly and seriously but discriminately. Don't be afraid to scrap sections or entire drafts to try something new—those old versions will always be there to go back to or use in a different way. Look at submissions as a necessary process you're getting practice at and not only as a means to get published.

Can you finish this sentence? I love reading because...

It takes me outside my own life and every book teaches me something new.