Our tale begins many years ago when two strangers met on the first day of art school. Their names were Emma and Lucinda and, while waiting in line that day, they struck up a conversation that would lead to a lifelong friendship.
Throughout school, the two friends spent time developing their abilities, which led them on an exciting path to the magical land of the children’s industry.
Both Emma and Lucinda fell in love with the place. So, they decided to stay. Emma found a wonderful home at ABC TV working to create incredible programs for kids. Lucinda explored the land, lending her many talents to roles like illustrating, reviewing, selling and selecting children’s books for the Children’s Book Council, Magpies and Good Reading magazines, Books in Print and more.
After many years, they realised their powers were stronger together. So, they teamed up and embarked on a mission to help create awesome content for kids.
What is Flying Pants Editing?
We provide manuscript appraisal and editing services for the children’s and education market. Our specialised service is tailored toward creating awesome books for kids, including picture books, tween and YA books, and children’s non-fiction and novelty books.
We help writers enhance the magic of their story through manuscript assessments for picture books and novels as well as full structural editing and even idea kicks to beat that writer’s block.
With over 30 years of combined experience in the children’s industry, we have a unique understanding of the market and audience. We know what kids and parents want and can help you get the nuances of age and stage right.
Lucinda Dodds
Superpowers: Editing, reviewing and illustrating children’s books
When it comes to children’s books, Lucinda is an expert. With over 20 years in the industry, she has a wealth of experience and knowledge just waiting to be shared with budding writers.
Throughout her career, Lucinda has worn many hats, working as a writer and illustrator to create, sell, review and recommend kids picture books and novels. She has worked for many iconic businesses in the industry, including Magpies and Good Reading magazines, Books in Print, Bloomin’ Books, Collins Booksellers, and more. She has also dedicated her time to the Children’s Book Council, is an MS Readathon ambassador and is a regular guest on ABC 774 chatting all things kids’ books.
“I’ve seen books change children’s lives. Putting a book into the hand of a reluctant reader and having them return with a new-found passion for reading is probably the most satisfying thing in the world.”
Emma Dobinson
Superpowers: Editing, producing and commissioning kids programming
Emma is passionate about creating quality kids content that is both entertaining and educational. For ten years she worked at ABC Kids helping to produce, commission and edit an amazing selection of kids programming, including Zigby, Adventures of Bottle Top Bill, Rollercoaster TV, and primary education content.
While she loves helping to produce amazing content, Emma also loves helping other creatives succeed. She has been a judge for the Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM) awards and the Romance Writer Australia (RWA) awards.
As well as extensive experience in children’s television, Emma is a skilled editor of written manuscripts. She has post-graduate qualifications in Editing and Publishing from Curtin University, as well as vocational training in Writing and Script Editing from AFTRS and Structural Editing by Nicola O’Shea, along with a mentorship with the Institute of Professional Editors Limited (IPEd).