How To Sell Rights & Understand Licensing In Children’s Books

Debbie Bibo is a literary agent and editorial producer of children’s picture books and illustrated books. A native of Northern California, she moved to Milan in 1992 and worked for years in art publishing before founding Debbie Bibo Agency in 2011. The agency represents and promotes an eclectic selection of debut and award-winning authors and illustrators from around the world. Many of the books her agency represents have won multiple awards and have been published in over 25 languages. She has worked as an editorial consultant for international museums and holds courses on the process of picture-book making and the children’s book market at Mimaster in Milan, the Europe Institute of Design, and Ars in Fabula in Macerata, Italy. 

Currently the international foreign rights manager at Giunti Editore, I am involved in the rights sales for titles across the catalogues for Giunti Editore, both children and adult, as well as for other companies within our group. I began in publishing in 1990 as the foreign rights manager for Dami Editore, working closely with Andrea Dami and Piero Dami; Dami International joined the Giunti group in 2008. Originally from California, I graduated in English with an Italian minor at Stanford University, and I have lived in Milan since 1985. 

Joanna Everard has gained valuable experience working in Rights at nine publishing companies from start-ups to large conglomerates, selling every type of rights, and working on high-profile brands.  In her most recent role as Group Rights Director at Bloomsbury, she managed a team of 17 across Adult, Children’s and Academic lists.  She taught on the Selling Rights course at the Publishing Training Centre, UK, for more than 10 years.  

Helen McAleer runs a media consultancy specialising in IP, publishing and TV production, Helen McAleer Ltd. Drawing on almost 30 years’ experience of the children’s sector across all key media she works with clients including publishing houses Macmillan Children’s Books, UK and Macmillan Children’s US,  literary agents the Soho Agency and Producers Fourth Wall and Kelebek.

Helen is also a non-Executive Director of Irish production company Jam Media and non-Executive Chairperson of UK Producer and Publisher Fourth Wall and a non-Executive Director of Rocket Licensing Agency.  

Belinda Rasmussen is the MD of Macmillan Children’s Books, a division of Pan Macmillan and a leading UK Children’s Publisher. Amongst many other bestselling children’s brands, authors and illustrators, MCB is  home to The Gruffalo, a picture book created by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler and translated into 105 languages and dialects, 

Rasmussen has led the business through seven consecutive years of revenue and volume growth driven by investment in new areas of publishing and focus on brand management and IP extensions of core properties, such as Rod Campbell’s Dear Zoo. Under Rasmussen’s leadership, MCB has particularly strengthened the preschool and fiction side of the business and ramped up Macmillan Children’s licensed properties, for example working with Moomin Characters on launching a very successful programme of Moomin books in the UK and internationally. Another recent MCB acquisition includes premier league footballer and philanthropist Marcus Rashford's non fiction debut title You Are a Champion. MCB and Rashford have also entered into a partnership to get books into the hands of children from vulnerable and underprivileged backgrounds.