Archives West Finding Aid

The Greenwillow Books Collection is a large collection and continues to grow. It is divided into eleven series: I: Correspondence, II: Production and Editorial Files, III: Manuscripts, IV: Office Files, V: Book Reviews, VI: General Author/Subject Files, VII: Catalogues, VIII: Folded and Gathered Proofs, IX: Posters, X: Audiovisual Materials, and XI: Artifacts. The major series designations, and most of the folder titles, come directly from the Greenwillow filing system.

Series I: Correspondence is arranged into three subseries. The first subseries (A) consists of General Alphabetical Correspondence and is intellectually arranged alphabetically by author and/or literary agency/publisher. Each folder contains incoming correspondence from several individuals/companies as well as intermittent carbon-copied responses from Susan Hirschman and other Greenwillow staff members. The second subseries (B) is General Chronological Correspondence. It is arranged chronologically from 1975 to 2007. Carbon-copied responses from Susan Hirschman to authors, artists, editors, and literary agents/publishers occupy this series. Researchers will be particularly interested in the quality of developing relationships between Hirschman and her authors and artists, and other publishing professionals. The third subseries (C) contains Author Queries and Rejected Manuscript Correspondence. The researcher will find ideas for stories, manuscript proposals, and copies of manuscripts and illustration by known and unknown authors and artists sent for Greenwillow's consideration. Of particular interest is Susan Hirschman's editorial advice and responses of rejection to author's already listed by Greenwillow.

Series II: Production and Editorial Files is the largest series in the collection. Each folder is labeled with the name of author and illustrator (if different from the author), title of book, and year(s), if available. The material contains the nuts and bolts of book production, and ranges from galleys, book blues and flap copy to copy-edited (photo-copied) manuscripts and printer's proofs with editorial questions/comments/recommendations. Some editorial correspondence, original contracts, promotional materials, and original artwork for a given title also appear in this series.

Series III: Manuscripts, primarily consists of photocopied manuscripts like those found in the Production/Editorial Files, although some original manuscripts exist among them. The manuscripts here serve as a distinct series, apart from the Production/Editorial Files and General Author/Subject Files (all three occasionally overlap) because they were organized and designated as such by Greenwillow.

Series IV: Office Files contains papers of Greenwillow's working procedures, processes, and production. The researcher will find art correspondence, art evaluation forms, author contract copies, awards, fact sheets, material about committees, organizations and workshops, memos/telephone message books, out of print reprint corrections, personal reviews, promotional material, publication of Greenwillow Books by others, Round Robin, royalty/book order forms, royalty information, sales and marketing forms, sales sample distribution/F & G galley orders, subsidiary rights, Susan Hirschman files, travel files, and William Morrow & Co. accounts payable voucher/check request forms, among other things.

Series V: Book Reviews consists of two boxes of copied and clipped book reviews for works by Greenwillow authors. This series is organized alphabetically by author.

Series VI: General Author/Subject Files includes files created by Greenwillow staff to track information about a given author, organization, or subject of importance to the firm. These files may include: advertisements, awards information, biographical sketches, clippings, correspondence, membership lists, and photographs, among other things.

Series VII: Catalogs contains Greenwillow and HarperCollins Children's catalogs from 1975 through the 2013. There are also some Greenwillow catalogs in series IV.

Series VIII: Folded and Gathered Proofs consists entirely of complete printed copies of Greenwillow titles that have not yet been trimmed to size or bound into a hard-cover casing. The pages are instead folded and gathered inside a soft cover or dust jacket. These proofs provide a final chance for editors to review a title before it goes to binding.

Series IX: Posters is made up of posters advertising Greenwillow titles and Greenwillow itself. The posters are described by author and title where appropriate, and poster title where they do not advertise a specific Greenwillow book.

Series X: Audiovisual Material consists of one box of audio and videotapes including audiobooks of The Abracadabra Kid by Sid Fleischman and The New Kid on the Block by Jack Prelutsky as well as a videotaped interview with Anita Lobel and a recording of the unveiling of the Amelia Bedelia Statue in Manning, South Carolina.

Series XI: Artifacts includes 2 boxes of display cutouts and promotional buttons, as well as two board games featuring Kevin Henkes' Lilly.