Well $#*%, I wrote a story with talking animals.

Leslie K

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Hi all. I'm one story in to a new WIP, & I was thrilled with the progress: a fun voice, colorful characters that were coming to life for me on the page, a rich sense of place. Problem is, I didn't do all of my homework, (I was just so excited! No excuse of course, but I'm sure a few of you can empathize). As you can tell from my post title, while I was busy poring over my childhood faves, I'm only just now starting to realize what it is that I've done & in researching the market, I'm afraid I may be holding the dreaded overly-precious unsellable anthropomorphic slush puppy. Help! I'm already in love with the process & these characters. Do I fold? Children's lit is new to me (hence the rookie mistake). I've got an editor & peer review weighing in on craft, so the writing itself has merit, but is it even possible to sell an animal talkie these days? Does anyone have genre specific tips beyond "write well" & shout out to Watership Down/Charlotte's Web/something newish with talking raccoons?
 

Jamesaritchie

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Honestly, I've got an editor & peer review weighing in on craft, so the writing itself has merit bothers me a lot more than the talking animals. As an editor, I want a writer's words, a writers vision, a writer's imagination, and a writer's sense of style, voice, and originality, not that of some other editor, or of the writer's "peers". When I get something another editor has gone over, and the writer's "peers" have gone over, it seldom works at all.

This aside, anything can sell, if it's done well enough, and if it has an original aspect that makes it stand above other stories and characters. Stories with anthropomorphic animals are a tough sell, but this just means you have to do it better, and have a good, original aspect. Same old, same old is not going to sell, but this is largely true of any kind of story.
 

heza

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I could have sworn I saw someone not too long ago on #MSWL MG looking for anthro animals. Can't remember if it was an agent or a publisher. And... it might actually have been on someone's wishlist link. But I can't find it now, so I also might have dreamed it.
 

Ravioli

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Talking animals - talking to humans, or among themselves? There are wildly successful stories with talking animals, such as the Warriors saga by Erin Hunter and the authors' other series featuring dogs and bears. There was The Animals of Farthing Wood which was absolutely beautiful.
Attempts have been made to write animal characters without "real" talk, but this extremely limited dialog flexibility and topics. Let's put it this way, many books with human characters are set in non-English places. The book still depicts dialog as English. Why, if Chinese or Martian characters can appear to speak human English, can't foxes and cats?
 

Leslie K

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Oops! I meant to fix a typo & deleted my post. Must have needed an edit.

Thank you you both for your quick responses. @heza, If it comes to you, I'd be very interested. @jamesaritchie, Could you say a little more about your concerns? I completely agree with the point I believe you are making about how too much input can be the death of originality. I was under the impression, however, that sending completed stories through edits & peer review was a big "should" in the writing world. I'd be very interested to hear more about why it might be a "shouldn't" in this case. If it helps, (or hinders), my editor is a working novelist/MFA prof, & the peers are either other writers familiar with workshop format or parents of children the age I'm hoping to target (7-10).
 

Kylabelle

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I don't know, not being at all active in children's lit, but is it considered a cliche, or overdone, to have talking animals?

That's sort of a shame, if so. I think I would really enjoy a story with talking racoons, especially if the author were knowledgeable about actual racoon behavior in the wild and in human proximity. It could be most cool!

But then, I am neither agent nor editor, so my opinion is just one of a casual reader.
 

Leslie K

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@ravioli, Thanks for your reply & the suggested titles. I'll look them up. The animals I'm writing are full on anthropomorphic. They talk to each other, stand upright, and wear clothes. After a little research, I'm afraid this may be the kidlit equivalent of farting in an elevator. There are quick nods to their animal insincts, (dancing crane, nimble fox, bespectacled mole), and I made the characters into animals so I could loosen the rules on human behavior and explore some timely powder kegs, gender fluidity, social justice, in a world where philosophy & kindness reign supreme. Just putting out a few feelers to see if this pursuit belongs in the "quaint hobby" category next to my mediocre knitting.
 

Leslie K

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@danielatorre Thanks for the tip! I wasn't able to access the link, but googled "Gemma Cooper animals" and found her interview with Agent Hunter. Awesome. Put a little wind back in my sails.

@ravioli Still sounds interesting, now even more so :)
 

cwgranny

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Talking animals are still being published frequently in picture books and magazine stories (though sometimes it's an illustrator decision and not an author decision) and less frequently but still steadily in children's novels. One of my secret identities is book reviewer for a children's magazine and I see arcs from all the major publishers -- the anthro animal novel is doing just fine -- not huge, but steady. The reason you hear "no talking animals" is because it tends to be the go-to place for folks just beginning to write, so many talking animal manuscripts are derivative or just poorly written. Since it does no good to say, "No poorly written books," editors & agents instead look for other common elements to the books that are extreme beginner efforts (rhyme, talking animals, it was all a dream stories, death stories -- especially pet death stories) and say "none of those." The reality is that books in all the "no-no" areas are being published. It's simply a matter of how well one does it.
 

Chris P

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cwgranny's post reminded me of an SFF magazine saying one of the story lines they see too often is "twee little fairies with wings flying around being twee." I wonder if too many talking animals stories fall into the "cute for the sake of cute" category. Story trumps all, in my opinion, and I imagine if the story--talking animals or not--is a good story told well it will sell eventually.
 

Kylabelle

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Plus which, racoons are cool. Wearing those shades all the time. :greenie
 

Leslie K

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Thanks all. I did some "boots on the ground" research this week, going into bookstores & seeing what's displayed prominently in a few local booksellers. I was relieved to find more than a few talking animal books. High concept, well written, with a solid author platform seemed to be making NYT bestseller lists. Original idea, great writing, an author with cred, these are all comfortably familiar goals, & I will continue on with the project. I took notes of publishers who are picking up these contracts & scoured acknowledgements for agent names. Got a few leads. I was worried that the anthropomorphism was a fatal faux pas, & while it looks like there's a bigger bouncer at the door, I'm relieved to find a door does indeed exist. Thanks for the suggestions and feedback, everyone. I am grateful a spot like this exists. Yay AW!
 

ctripp

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I realize this post is 2 months old now but had to chime in and say cwgranny is absolutely right! Publishers SAY no anthropomorphic animals, no rhyming books because both are usually done poorly. Often it's a manuscript about "willy the worm and lulu the ladybug find the true meaning of friendship". They see this all the time and just want to avoid it all:) But, in reality, I venture to say at least half the picture books being published (or are already available) are anthropomorphic. In fact I could name more of these PB's then I could books that feature only human children:)
 

Taylor Harbin

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I agree with the others. Craft > fear. I wrote a story about a kingdom of rabbits that was shortlisted in a contest. Even though I'm working on another project right now, a little voice keeps whispering in my ear that I should write more stories about that character...

Dang it all! I do not need to be chasing this lead when I've got stuff to finish!
 

maghranimal

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I'm only two years chiming in, but there have been plenty of talking animal books in the past 5 years. Midnight War of Mateo Martinez had a 12 yr old MC and he dealt with military trained skunks and raccoons. Tumble & Blue has chapters from an alligator POV (though he also transforms into a man). Flora & Ulysses, Desperaux (Newbery!), Magicians Elephant (though Kate DiCamillo, so a grain of salt must be taken—she can do what she wants).

I agree that it's a tougher sell based on what's popular, but certainly isn't impossible.