Beth Anderson, Children's Writer

Some topics and themes are “evergreen,” eternally relevant, but they present their own challenges. Check out this post from author Christine Van Zandt about how she handled a familiar topic and made it special. 

GIVEAWAY! Christine is offering a copy MILKWEED FOR MONARCHS to one lucky person who leaves a comment below!

Congratulations to Angela, winner of Lynn Becker’s JUNE MOON! 

Behind the Scenes: How to Sell an “Evergreen” Manuscript

by Christine Van Zandt

First off, what is an “evergreen” manuscript? One about Christmas trees? It could be! Evergreens are books that resonate with readers time and again. You know: stories about sharks or dinosaurs, the struggles of moving to a new place or having a new baby in the household. And, yes, holiday books.

I chose to write about evergreens galore: the butterfly life cycle, metamorphosis, and migration.

Although evergreens sell, publishers can be reluctant to buy one because they probably have a book (or several) similar to your manuscript on their list already. They don’t want to compete with themselves, or may feel the market share is too small (not enough profit to be made). Yet, I sold my manuscript—and you can too!

I started with an idea that I could not let go: I wanted to get word out that the nearly extinct western monarch needs our help. I began researching and reading widely on this topic. In July 2020, I put words to paper and, after many revisions, sent my critique partners the first (of many) drafts.

My early attempts were drawn directly from my life: how we bought our first milkweed plant and found it had monarch eggs. Soon we had lots of cute caterpillars. Until predators ate them all. There’s a reason we’re told not to write our anecdotes: no matter how fascinating they seem to ourselves, they’re not that interesting to others!

So I fictionalized the story and added humor. Those manuscripts felt too upbeat, glossing over the truth. I wanted to share how monarchs were barely getting by and I couldn’t find a way to do that and be funny at the same time.

My next try was back to nonfiction. I thought my unique angle would be to update the facts. Many books showed western monarchs flourishing, their numbers in the millions. Those days were gone. Less than 1% of their population remained. I felt passionate about sharing these statistics. Maybe too passionate because the text seemed didactic—another pitfall we’re told to avoid.

Since I also write in rhyme, I thought some soothing lyricism softened the message. It still wasn’t enough.

During this time, I began volunteering for insect conservation organizations and became more engaged with this community via online groups and in-person meet-ups. In my yard, watching generations of monarchs, I realized the story I wanted to tell was the butterfly’s story. Eureka!

I crafted a poem bringing in the butterfly’s viewpoint and titled it Butterfly Dreams because I’d written that, deep down inside of the chrysalis, the butterfly dreams as it undergoes metamorphosis. This strays from strict facts because we

don’t know if insects dream (it’s presumed they do); however, adding a slight element of personifications emphasized the monarch’s yearning for survival.

Instead of the typical ending with the butterfly migrating to their overwintering grounds, I began with a mother butterfly leaving from there as the weather warmed, flying north to seek milkweed plants where she could start the cycle once again.

Although many factors contribute to this butterfly’s decline—home gardeners using pesticides and habitat removal to build homes or for farming—I kept returning to the fact that monarch caterpillars could only eat milkweed, and people weren’t planting it much anymore.

No milkweed, no monarchs.

That was another critical shift, bringing the milkweed plant center stage. With this new angle in mind, I carefully crafted a short (~200 word) poem and included relevant facts in the back matter. (Some of this eventually moved into sidebars.) This multi-layered version and its execution felt right. I finally got the thumbs-up from my exacting critique partners. My 40-page manuscript was ready to be queried!

At the same time, I entered contests and, in 2021, was awarded “Most Promising Manuscript” at SCBWI’s MayFest. One of my dream publishers was there and took my book all the way to acquisitions, then passed. I kept on!

At the SCBWI-LA conference later that year, my manuscript won first place. This attention helped land me a top-notch agent, Liza Fleissig. Her agency provided further critique.

Out on submissions, the manuscript captured the interest of three (!) publishers. Though a big house was in the mix, I chose a midsize one because the editor, Andrea Hall, loved my book. She saw how I wanted to showcase these amazing insects but also include a hopeful call to action: please plant milkweed.

In March 2022, I received a deal memo. During negotiations, I requested an illustrator from Mexico (many monarchs overwinter there). That wish came true: Mexican artist Alejandra Barajas’s lovely art has taken the story to the next level. The book was published as Milkweed for Monarchs by Beaming Books in February 2024, about 3 ½ years from that first draft.

Looking back, I see that my early attempts were not good enough, and the story had to go through life cycles of its own before it could evolve into the treasured book I have today. I don’t mind trying something and setting it aside if it doesn’t work because I believe that’s part of the creative process. Not everything I write will be published. Most of what I write won’t be published. And that’s okay with me. Persisting is part of the process.

If you have an evergreen manuscript, it may need a fresh perspective to land a contract. Don’t be afraid to try different ways to write about a topic you are care deeply about. I’m glad I did!

Don’t forget to leave a comment to get in the drawing for a copy of MILKWEED FOR MONARCHS! (US addresses only please. Winner announced 6/21) 

And if you enjoy a book, please support authors and illustrators by taking a moment to leave reviews online. 😀