<description>Is there a formula for success? 

What do you do when "A new twist on something familiar" starts to feel overly simplistic? 

Enter editor Ivan Taurisano, editor at Abrams, who works from the opposite direction of most editors: he can think of a concept that's marketable, then put together the team to make it happen. 

We discuss: 

***Collaborating with Licensing Partners: Ivan works closely with major brands like Disney, Netflix, and others to create books that resonate with current market trends.

***Data-Driven Decision Making: Unlike traditional editors who wait for manuscripts, Ivan actively seeks out market trends and creates content that meets those demands.

***Monitoring Bestseller Lists: Checking Amazon and New York Times bestseller lists to identify common themes and outliers.

***Examining BISAC Codes: Understanding how books are categorized to spot market trends.

***Creating Engaging and Humorous Content: Books should be fun and engaging for children, encouraging a love of reading.

***Finding the Sweet Spot: Balancing humor and content that resonates with children while being appropriate for parents.

Ivan Taurisano was born in Rome, Italy, and moved to the United States almost ten years ago to pursue a children’s book publishing career. The guiding principle of his work is that a child whose life is changed by a book will always be a step closer to becoming an adult who will change the world. Ivan’s all-time favorite book is James and the Giant Peach, and his best friend is a chihuahua named Bilbo.

Ivan has a BA in English and Creative Writing, an MA in Children’s Literature, and an MFA in Writing for Children. He started his career at Sourcebooks as an Editorial Assistant, then moved on to become an Assistant Editor. His responsibilities included developing children’s board books, picture books, and graphic novels, as well as acquiring board books and picture books. Ivan has worked with many successful series and brands, including How to Catch, Little Heroes Big Hearts, Sesame Street, Disney, Tokidoki, and Pokémon.

Currently, Ivan lives in New York and works at Abrams as an Associate Editor on the Children’s Entertainment Publishing and Content Development team. In this role, he focuses novelty books, board books, graphic novels, and select MG and YA titles. He is especially interested in stories with a strong commercial hook, crave-able content, compelling characters, and series potential.

Board books and picture books: Ivan is interested in children’s board books and picture books that are kid-centric, interactive, character-driven, and have series potential. He enjoys titles with a strong hook, fun read-alouds, great rhymes, bold and playful imaginative stories, books that break the fourth wall and invite reader participation, as well as seasonal stories such as Christmas and Halloween.

MG: Ivan is interested in plot-driven, action-packed adventures with a strong commercial hook, compelling characters, magic, quests/competitions, and high stakes.

YA: Ivan prefers strong commercial hooks, well-plotted, character-driven, atmospheric stories, and series potential. He loves fantasy, magic, and quests/competitions. He likes unique, morally grey characters, memorable villains, and propulsive, cinematic writing.

Ivan is not the best fit for nonfiction, retellings, historical fiction, biographies, and novels in verse.

***
Schedule a meeting with Ivan here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/ivan-taurisano</description>

Is there a formula for success? 

What do you do …

Is there a formula for success? 

What do you do when "A new twist on something familiar" starts to feel overly simplistic? 

Enter editor Ivan Taurisano, editor at Abrams, who works from the opposite direction of most editors: he can think of a concept that's marketable, then put together the team to make it happen. 

We discuss: 

***Collaborating with Licensing Partners: Ivan works closely with major brands like Disney, Netflix, and others to create books that resonate with current market trends.

***Data-Driven Decision Making: Unlike traditional editors who wait for manuscripts, Ivan actively seeks out market trends and creates content that meets those demands.

***Monitoring Bestseller Lists: Checking Amazon and New York Times bestseller lists to identify common themes and outliers.

***Examining BISAC Codes: Understanding how books are categorized to spot market trends.

***Creating Engaging and Humorous Content: Books should be fun and engaging for children, encouraging a love of reading.

***Finding the Sweet Spot: Balancing humor and content that resonates with children while being appropriate for parents.

Ivan Taurisano was born in Rome, Italy, and moved to the United States almost ten years ago to pursue a children’s book publishing career. The guiding principle of his work is that a child whose life is changed by a book will always be a step closer to becoming an adult who will change the world. Ivan’s all-time favorite book is James and the Giant Peach, and his best friend is a chihuahua named Bilbo.

Ivan has a BA in English and Creative Writing, an MA in Children’s Literature, and an MFA in Writing for Children. He started his career at Sourcebooks as an Editorial Assistant, then moved on to become an Assistant Editor. His responsibilities included developing children’s board books, picture books, and graphic novels, as well as acquiring board books and picture books. Ivan has worked with many successful series and brands, including How to Catch, Little Heroes Big Hearts, Sesame Street, Disney, Tokidoki, and Pokémon.

Currently, Ivan lives in New York and works at Abrams as an Associate Editor on the Children’s Entertainment Publishing and Content Development team. In this role, he focuses novelty books, board books, graphic novels, and select MG and YA titles. He is especially interested in stories with a strong commercial hook, crave-able content, compelling characters, and series potential.

Board books and picture books: Ivan is interested in children’s board books and picture books that are kid-centric, interactive, character-driven, and have series potential. He enjoys titles with a strong hook, fun read-alouds, great rhymes, bold and playful imaginative stories, books that break the fourth wall and invite reader participation, as well as seasonal stories such as Christmas and Halloween.

MG: Ivan is interested in plot-driven, action-packed adventures with a strong commercial hook, compelling characters, magic, quests/competitions, and high stakes.

YA: Ivan prefers strong commercial hooks, well-plotted, character-driven, atmospheric stories, and series potential. He loves fantasy, magic, and quests/competitions. He likes unique, morally grey characters, memorable villains, and propulsive, cinematic writing.

Ivan is not the best fit for nonfiction, retellings, historical fiction, biographies, and novels in verse.

***
Schedule a meeting with Ivan here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/ivan-taurisano

The Formula For Successful Books with Editor Ivan Taurisano

<description>In this 1-hour session, you will learn the essential steps to position yourself and your book as valuable investments to agents, editors, bookstores, and beyond. 

(Want more? Join our workshop October 22-24, How To Be Your Own Best Marketer: https://manuscriptacademy.com/product/be-your-own-best-marketer | $39 early bird, $49 regular, $0 members). 

Whether you’re preparing for a book launch or just starting your journey, this training will provide you with insights to stand out to publishers, readers, and bookstores.

Key Takeaways:
1. Why Your Brand Matters – How to conduct a personal brand audit and refine your platform to attract attention from publishers and readers.
2. The Cost of Hosting Events – A behind-the-scenes look at bookstore events and how understanding costs can improve your relationships with event partners.
3. Creative Book Events – Strategies for planning engaging, memorable book events that go beyond traditional bookstore settings.

By the end of the training, you will have a clear understanding of how to present your book and author brand as a smart investment, setting the stage for future success.</description>

In this 1-hour session, you will learn the essent…

In this 1-hour session, you will learn the essential steps to position yourself and your book as valuable investments to agents, editors, bookstores, and beyond. 

(Want more? Join our workshop October 22-24, How To Be Your Own Best Marketer: https://manuscriptacademy.com/product/be-your-own-best-marketer | $39 early bird, $49 regular, $0 members). 

Whether you’re preparing for a book launch or just starting your journey, this training will provide you with insights to stand out to publishers, readers, and bookstores.

Key Takeaways:
1. Why Your Brand Matters – How to conduct a personal brand audit and refine your platform to attract attention from publishers and readers.
2. The Cost of Hosting Events – A behind-the-scenes look at bookstore events and how understanding costs can improve your relationships with event partners.
3. Creative Book Events – Strategies for planning engaging, memorable book events that go beyond traditional bookstore settings.

By the end of the training, you will have a clear understanding of how to present your book and author brand as a smart investment, setting the stage for future success.

Live Recorded: How To Present Yourself As A Good Investment To Agents, Editors, Booksellers & Beyond

<description>We love Bonnie Jo Pierson. Not only is she a Manuscript Academy alum and a published author, she’s a member of a 20-person writing group—and an expert on knowing what feedback to take, what to ignore, and how to tell the difference. 

After 17 years of writing, her novel is ready—and we talk about keeping work fresh, learning and growing as a person, and remaining emotionally open to your work and your life.

Bonnie Jo is the author of What Happens in Idaho, July 24, 2024. 

Gifted with a short attention span, Bonnie Jo Pierson wants to experience and do as much as she can. Using the great powers of YouTube she’s taught herself how to knit, crochet, paint with oils, acrylics, and watercolors, coach volleyball, play the piano and cello, ride a motorcycle, renovate a house, sing, sew, raise livestock, bake, and most importantly how to write. With a degree in biology, she’s a lover of all things science, especially in the microscopic world. 

She and her Navy veteran husband have four children and spent several years bouncing around to various locations in the United States. Now she’s made her home in small-town Idaho, where she’s attempting to resurrect her great-grandparents one hundred year-old farm. 

You can email her at bonniejopierson@gmail.com or you can find her on:

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorbonniejopierson/
goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23922408-bonnie-jo-pierson
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bonniejopiersonauthor 
twitter: https://twitter.com/BonnieJo_author 
tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bonniejo_author?lang=en</description>

We love Bonnie Jo Pierson. Not only is she a Manu…

We love Bonnie Jo Pierson. Not only is she a Manuscript Academy alum and a published author, she’s a member of a 20-person writing group—and an expert on knowing what feedback to take, what to ignore, and how to tell the difference. 

After 17 years of writing, her novel is ready—and we talk about keeping work fresh, learning and growing as a person, and remaining emotionally open to your work and your life.

Bonnie Jo is the author of What Happens in Idaho, July 24, 2024. 

Gifted with a short attention span, Bonnie Jo Pierson wants to experience and do as much as she can. Using the great powers of YouTube she’s taught herself how to knit, crochet, paint with oils, acrylics, and watercolors, coach volleyball, play the piano and cello, ride a motorcycle, renovate a house, sing, sew, raise livestock, bake, and most importantly how to write. With a degree in biology, she’s a lover of all things science, especially in the microscopic world. 

She and her Navy veteran husband have four children and spent several years bouncing around to various locations in the United States. Now she’s made her home in small-town Idaho, where she’s attempting to resurrect her great-grandparents one hundred year-old farm. 

You can email her at bonniejopierson@gmail.com or you can find her on:

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorbonniejopierson/
goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23922408-bonnie-jo-pierson
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bonniejopiersonauthor 
twitter: https://twitter.com/BonnieJo_author 
tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bonniejo_author?lang=en

The Art of Feedback: What To Take, What To Ignore & How To Know The Difference

<description>Promoting your book isn’t about making noise—it’s about making a difference for readers who need your story.

In this Manuscript Academy episode, we’re happy to join nonfiction book coach and marketer Allison Lane to:

– Break down exactly how to shift your mindset from fear to confidence and why it’s so important for your career:

– Self-Doubt and Fear of Visibility: Let’s be real—none of us love self-promotion. But we’ll show you how to do it in a way that feels authentic and actually helps your book gain the attention it deserves.

– Know Your Brand: Do you know what people really think of you? Let’s figure that out. We’ll walk you through how to audit your personal brand so you know where to focus your energy and where you might be wasting time.

– The Power of Comps: Comps (aka comparable books) aren’t just for publishers—they help you, too. Knowing your comps is a powerful tool for understanding where your book fits in the market and how to position it for success.

– Launch Strategies that Work: Events, launches, bookstore signings—they’re not just for fun. There’s a strategy behind them that most authors miss. Let’s break down how to make these events work for you, not against you.

This episode will help you shift your mindset, market your book with confidence, and understand what really moves the needle. It’s time to stop playing small. Ready? Hit play now.


* * *
Get your FREE ticket for our event, How To Be Your Own Best Marketer Whether Querying, Agented or Ready To Launch, October 10 at 8:30pm ET, at https://manuscriptacademy.com/allison.</description>

Promoting your book isn’t about making noise—it’s…

Promoting your book isn’t about making noise—it’s about making a difference for readers who need your story.

In this Manuscript Academy episode, we’re happy to join nonfiction book coach and marketer Allison Lane to:

– Break down exactly how to shift your mindset from fear to confidence and why it’s so important for your career:

– Self-Doubt and Fear of Visibility: Let’s be real—none of us love self-promotion. But we’ll show you how to do it in a way that feels authentic and actually helps your book gain the attention it deserves.

– Know Your Brand: Do you know what people really think of you? Let’s figure that out. We’ll walk you through how to audit your personal brand so you know where to focus your energy and where you might be wasting time.

– The Power of Comps: Comps (aka comparable books) aren’t just for publishers—they help you, too. Knowing your comps is a powerful tool for understanding where your book fits in the market and how to position it for success.

– Launch Strategies that Work: Events, launches, bookstore signings—they’re not just for fun. There’s a strategy behind them that most authors miss. Let’s break down how to make these events work for you, not against you.

This episode will help you shift your mindset, market your book with confidence, and understand what really moves the needle. It’s time to stop playing small. Ready? Hit play now.


* * *
Get your FREE ticket for our event, How To Be Your Own Best Marketer Whether Querying, Agented or Ready To Launch, October 10 at 8:30pm ET, at https://manuscriptacademy.com/allison.

How To Be Your Own Best Marketer Whether Querying, Agented or Ready To Launch

<description>Today is a special live recording of the Manuscript Academy podcast! 

In front of Manuscript Academy members, Jessica and Julie are joined by faculty member and Macmillan editor Christina Lopez in another installment of our Mystery Agent/Editor segment. 

Listen in as Christina critiques writer Karissa Riffel’s YA horror query and first page, and answers all your questions.

Want to apply for next Mystery Agent/Editor Consutlation? Sign up here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/submissions

Learn more about membership here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/membership

Want to meet with Christina? Sign up here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/christina-lopez</description>

Today is a special live recording of the Manuscri…

Today is a special live recording of the Manuscript Academy podcast! 

In front of Manuscript Academy members, Jessica and Julie are joined by faculty member and Macmillan editor Christina Lopez in another installment of our Mystery Agent/Editor segment. 

Listen in as Christina critiques writer Karissa Riffel’s YA horror query and first page, and answers all your questions.

Want to apply for next Mystery Agent/Editor Consutlation? Sign up here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/submissions

Learn more about membership here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/membership

Want to meet with Christina? Sign up here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/christina-lopez

Live Recorded: Mystery Editor Consultation with Macmillan Editor Christina Lopez

The Manuscript Academy brings you conversations with agents, editors, and writers who can help you on your publishing journey.

The Manuscript Academy

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