As a children’s publishing professional and author, among Andrea Davis Pinkney‘s creative processes is directly conversing with that audience–children– about books. “They tell me they like stories with heart,” she says. Heart, in fact, is definitely Pinkney’s approach to her craft. The Vice President, Executive Editor of Trade Books at Scholastic has worked in publishing for more than 30 years. “Time flies when you’re having fun,” Pinkney cheerfully remarks.
She is also a New York Times bestselling and award-winning author (the Coretta Scott King Award and A Poem for Peter, anyone?) and acquired the cult-favorite, The Cheetah Girls by Deborah Gregory, to name a few. Before building a thriving career as a book editor, Pinkney was a senior editor at Essence, in which she highlights the parallels of magazine and book publishing.
Check out our full interview with Pinkney to learn more about what she calls “beyond category,” how she hopes publishing will evolve, the mistakes she’s made as an editor, the importance of profit and loss statements, why authors and illustrators don’t interact in publishing, and more!