Members of the SCBWI come from delightfully diverse walks of life.  Kathiann M. Kowalski is a prime example of this.  After obtaining a Bachelor's degree in political science from Hofstra University and a law degree from Harvard, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review, Kathi practiced law for 15 years with an emphasis on environmental issues and litigation.

Kathi is a prolific writer with over 375 articles and stories to her credit.  Her list of 17 books for young people includes titles such as: Order in the Court: A look at the Judicial Branch (Lerner, 2004), The Everything Kid's Nature Book (Adams Media, 2000), and Global Warming (Marshall Cavendish, 2004).  Her topics range from political science to space science to alternative medicine.  The March 2005 issue of Cobblestone Magazine contains great examples of the kind of magazine work Kathi does.  She has received awards from the Society of School Librarians International and the ASPCA, and her books have been listed on the Pennsylvania School Librarians' YA Top Forty Nonfiction Titles.

Kathi will be a presenter at the Northern Ohio SCBWI Annual Conference on September 10th, 2005.

1. You have published a lot of non-fiction books and articles on a myriad of topics. How do you find your project ideas?
Sometimes author guidelines indicate editors are looking for certain topics. Then I do preliminary research and prepare a query. In other cases, I’ll be interested in a topic and then pursue it to see what comes of it.

I also read several journals regularly and subscribe to press releases from various government agencies and universities. Often items that intrigue me as an adult also spark ideas for children’s nonfiction.

Don’t underestimate the news headlines as a source of ideas, either. When I pitched my 2005 article on the science of tsunamis, for example, I knew many children had heard about the large tsunami in December 2004 and would want to know more.

2. What is the ratio of projects assigned to you compared to those you have pitched to editors?

On days when I get turned down, I like to think of myself as a major league baseball player. Even the best pros don’t get a hit most of the time.

While I’ve never calculated the actual ratio of total proposals to total acceptances, I’d guess my overall batting average is still less than .500. The odds are usually better if I know a magazine will be doing an issue on a subject, versus sending in a query blind. If writer’s guidelines or a theme list says an editor is looking for queries on a particular subject, sometimes I’ll even develop two or three queries slanted towards that topic. Even then, though, I’m competing with other authors who are also submitting queries, so there are no sure things.

Even when a query gets turned down, I’ll hold onto my preliminary research so I can pitch a piece later. There are lots of publishers out there with different needs. Plus, those needs change with time—even at the same houses.

3. Do you have a favorite research method or resources you use regularly to start your projects?

This depends on what sparked the idea. If I’m responding to an editor’s call for queries on a topic, I may start at the children’s room of the library to get an introductory overview before delving more deeply into a particular aspect of it. Or, I may play around with an Internet search engine and see what types of things come up.

If a press release or news item sparked my interest in the subject, I may start with any sources that it notes, and then follow up with additional research.

See Kathi’s article on research, Write Here in Ohio at: http://www.scbwiohio.org/articles/write_here_in_ohio.php

4. How do you determine when you have done enough research to start writing?

One answer is that you probably have enough when you start to run into the same information over and over in your research. Of course, that could also be a sign that you haven’t cast your research net wide enough. On the other hand, if you wait until you’ve studied an area enough to write a doctoral thesis, you’ve probably got way more than you need, and chances are you’ve missed your deadline too.

When I have enough information to start explaining something aloud to a friend or family member, then I usually have enough to start writing. That doesn’t mean I’m finished with my research, however. I almost always find issues that need follow-up research while I’m writing. Nonetheless, the process of starting to write helps me see the “holes” that need further work. Once I’m “done,” I look over all my research materials and notes again to make sure I didn’t leave something out.

5. Who has the responsibility for creating an index for a non-fiction work, the author or editor? How is the content of the index determined?

This varies from publisher to publisher. Some companies do this themselves, which is great. Other publishers may ask the author to do this, giving a number range for how many entries are needed. Often, that determines the level of detail one can go into in the index. A longer index may allow for more subheadings under particular topics. It can also allow more entries for names of individuals, places, court cases, diseases, etc. Obviously, the particular content depends on the subject of the book.

6. What is your ultimate objective or philosophy in creating non-fiction for children?

I want children to share my excitement and to care about a topic as they enjoy reading. And I want to encourage critical thinking so young people will develop informed opinions.

I don’t shy away from writing about serious topics, either. Children don’t need their reading sugar-coated, and they don’t want to be preached at. They want facts, honesty, and respect.

7. What kind of program do you take to the schools you visit?

A lot depends on the students’ age, as well as teachers’ interests and objectives. Sometimes I demonstrate educational activities and crafts that relate to science, history, cultures, or other subjects. Kids in the audience love to be volunteers.

Other times I talk about what it’s like to be a writer, where I get ideas, and how my writing gets from the manuscript stage to the finished magazine article or book. Still other times, I talk about the craft of nonfiction research and writing, with an aim towards helping students improve their own skills in those areas.

8. How has being an attorney influenced your writing?

Some of my books and articles directly touch on legal topics. A few examples are Order in the Court: A Look at the Judicial Branch, Lemon v. Kurtzman and the Separation of Church and State Debate, and “Statistics in the Courtroom” (Odyssey, December 2003).

Even when the subject matter isn’t about law, however, my training and experience affect my work. An attorney needs to learn about the law thoroughly and present it to clients and/or courts so they can apply it in real-world cases. A children’s nonfiction writer needs to research a topic thoroughly and present it to young people so they can appreciate the issues. Often, they’ll need to apply what they learn in their lives too. Skills for interviewing clients and juggling deadlines come in handy too, as does experience with hard work and perseverance.

Being an attorney also influences how I approach my work in general. In writing, I aim to treat my editors with the same honesty and respect that I would give a legal client. And both legal projects and writing projects carry a responsibility to do the best job I can and to complete work on time.
I think my legal experience also helps me maintain perspective as a writer, so I don’t take criticism or rejection personally.

9. Are you involved with a critique group and how does it influence your work?

I’m not presently involved with a formal critique group. However, I have used the SCBWI manuscript exchange program and found the reviewer’s comments very helpful. I also enjoy the critique sessions that SCBWI-Northern Ohio schedules from time to time. Besides getting the benefit of other people’s input, it’s interesting to listen and form my own sense of what works and what doesn’t.

10. What new books or articles are on the horizon?

There’s always something new. In fact, that’s one of the things I enjoy about writing. Attack of the Superbugs (about drug-resistant diseases), Salvadorans in America, and Taxes: Open for Debate are all due out this fall. Forthcoming magazine articles will focus on chocolate, the operating room, Afghanistan, and origami—but not all in the same article!

Barbara S. Huff lives in Oberlin, OH where she enjoys the writing process and some really great rejection letters that come with it. Her day job is as an assistant librarian at the local grade school. At night she helps young and old people enjoy the process of learning to play the cello. She can be reached at bhuff@oberlin.k12.oh.us.

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