"Children's book publishers have long had to cope with the awkward fact that the people they publish for are rarely the people who buy their books." ~ Leonard S. Marcus
"Where once it was a bunny eat bunny world now it's dog eat
dog."
"Designing a page in a children's book is more like a poster
than a text-laden book; it's more like making art rather than piecing
it together for the reader." Molly Leach
"Most new writers think it's easy to write for children, but it's not. You have to get in a beginning, middle and end, tell a great story, write well, not be condescending--all in a few pages." ~ Andrea Brown
"The best children's book writers are not people who have kids, but people who write from the child within themselves." ~ Andrea Brown
"Publishing is like the film and television business now. It's all numbers and ratings. Even good reviews don't matter unless the sales figures are good too. Children's books used to be immune to these factors, but the big corporations who own most of the imprints want big numbers from the children's book they publish. Sales and marketing people have the power." ~ Andrea Brown
"Children's authors generally write in one of two ways, either to please children or to please themselves. The more numerous of them, those who write to please children, have traditionally been the purveyors of ephemera and dreck; those who write to please them selves have given us most of the best children's books we have...." ~ John Goldthwaite
"No one has ever satisfactorily explained why there is or ought to be such a thing as teen-age fiction at all. In the case of science fiction and fantasy, for example, there is little being written for adults that could not be understood by any literate twelve-year-old." John Goldthwaite
"There are too many women in children's books, and far too many holding down editorial positions. The imbalance of male and female sensibilities might have been accepted in 1919, when Macmillan put together the world's first juvenile department, and, under the delusion that children's books belong to the ladies, gave it over to one; but there is no excuse for it today. There is no evidence that women understand more than men what children need and want.... With the exception of Beatrix Potter, every great children's novel was written by a man, and nearly all of them by a man with little or no professional interest in children or their literature...." ~ John Goldthwaite
"Publishing at its core is a reactionary industry responding to current trends, prevailing attitudes and , inevitably, demographics." ~ Angie Kiesling
"Teenagers are the demographic that almost everyone in the book industry -- librarians, publishers, booksellers -- wants. As the number of teenagers in the population has risen, so has teen buying power for all kinds of items, including books." ~ Perry Bacon Jr.
"Far too often, school-mandated reading lists don't offer any suggestions of books published in the last twenty years. Kids are being asked to read Steinbeck and Hemingway at the expense of writers like Cynthia Voight or Chris Crutcher." ~ David Gale
"In children's books the push to turn serious editorial work
into some kind of fourth-rate adjunct to the entertainment industry
seems inescapable to many." ~ George Nicholson
"Book covers with bare legs, bikini tops, shiny leather
handbags -- no, it's not "Sex in the City" but "Gossip Girl, one of the
new definitely grown-up series of novels for the 12-to-18 crowd." ~ Bob
Hoover
"With more than 36 million of the top three game consoles in
use, not to mention a lot more PC's, a good game title can sell well
over a million copies and build a lot of name recognition." ~
John-Michael Maas
"There are definitely more blockbuster children's books being
published now. They're being published like adult books, where all the
media surround some the biggest books hits at once and turns their
release into a publishing event." ~ Suzanne Murphy
"Here's what I like about celebrity books -- celebrity books bring readers to books who might never have found them. Not everyone knows what a Caldecott is." ~ Richter
"The idea of wanting to protect young people from life's realities is like trying to hold back time." ~ Angela Johnson
"There has been an increase in the age of the protagonist, the complexity of the plotting and the content -- the gravity of the content. ... I think it may be a reflection of a more sophisticated teenage population." ~Holly Koelling"The question of propriety--whether children's books should be as disgusting and violent as children--is a genuinely vexing one. On one side are what might be called the protectionists, who argue, in effect, that what children really like doesn't much matter. After all, if you let kids do what they want, they wouldn't read a book in the first place. To this group what's important is childhood, a hypothetical state of innocence and fancy." ~ Elizabeth Kolbert
"We live in a visual society, and providing illustration to support
storytelling is extremely appealing to young readers." ~ Marlaine Maddux
The best children's literature site is by David Brown, the Children's Literature Web guide. For those interested in book publishing, the "Quick Reference" lists to awards and best-sellers is useful as are the links to authors, resources for writers and illustrators, organizations, publishers, and booksellers. Authors and illustrators on the web is also most useful.
Several sites provide good access to authors on the web, including the Internet School Library Media Center's index to author and illustrator Internet sites.
The Children's Book Council (CBC) was established in 1945 to encourage children to read. Note the Teacher and Librarian page as well as the various FAQs on publishing.
There are many web sites for children's librarians. Fairrosa's Cyber Library of Children's Literature is a useful one.
Every Picture Tells a Story is an online gallery of original illustrations.
International Board on Books for Young People.
The International Children's Digital Library includes a wide range of children's books from a wide range of cultures. Well worth a visit.
KidsReads.com is a cheerful, friendly site for children and those who serve them. Includes author bios and contact information as well as reviews, excerpts, and interviews.
Magic Pencil: children's book illustration today is a British library exhibit of considerable quality and interest.
Picture Book focuses on the picture book industry.Harold Underdown's Purple Crayon: a children's book editor's site contains much useful information.
Bookwire, the Publishers Weekly website, provides some information about children's book publishing and a series of links to children's book publishers. The children's editors at PW create a free weekly email newsletter about children's book publishing. Good way to keep up.
TeachingBooks.net is a service for authors providing author close-up features, interviews, teacher's guides, and links to additional information. There is also information on about 250 awards, publishers, and booksellers.
Martin Salisbury's Illustrating Children's Books: Creating Pictures for Publication [Barons, 2004] is a first-rate introduction to the creation of illustrations using a variety of media and many excellent examples. Essential for anyone seriously interested in children's books. Another approach would be Julie Cummins' Wings of an Artist: Children's Book Illustrators Talk About Their Art and Leonard Marcus' Ways of Telling: Conversations on the Art of the Picture Book.
In the late 1800s, children's magazines played a major role in supplying reading material for children, including serialized novels. It was not until 1919 that Macmillan appointed the first editor of books for boys and girls (Louise Seaman). This was soon followed by similar appointments at other major publishing houses in the 1920s. Separate children's editorial departments were established after WW I.
The men who were responsible for the major trade publishing houses assumed that women knew much more about children than men so the children's book editors were women. This assumption remains popular today even though many men are now involved in publishing books for children.
From the beginning, children's book editors were committed to values and quality. There was little interest in giving children what they wanted.
In 1919, National Children's Book Week was established to recognize the value of children's books [just in time for the holiday gift buying season]. In 1922, the Newbery Medal was awarded for excellence in children's book publishing. Two years later, in 1924, Horn Book magazine provided thoughtful critical comment on current children's books. By the end of the 1920s, children's book stores began to appear.
During the same period, a rich relationship between children's book editors and those developing strong youth services programs in public and school libraries developed. This relationship has had a dramatic impact on the nature of children's book publishing over the years. In fact, a few leading librarians become "gatekeepers" for children's book publishing. As the institutional (libraries and public schools) market for hard cover children's books expanded, leaders in youth services librarianship played a major role in determining what was to be published.
The newly developing group of children's librarians
was instrumental in encouraging American book publishers to abandon the
traditional custom of allowing books for children simply to happen when
an adult writer, by chance or by design, created something that
appealed to children. Instead, the librarians urged the designation of
special editors whose sole responsibility would be to secure and
develop books for young readers. These editors and librarians naturally
formed strong friendships of great mutual benefit.
Librarians were very value-oriented in their selections so an emphasis on quality was paramount. They were not interested in series (popular from the 1930s on with the Bobbsey Twins or Nancy Drew) or other popular initiatives to expand the market for children's books. Publishers loved series because they seemed to sell themselves. Early children's librarians such as Anne Carroll Moore placed series novels in the trash.
By 1935, nearly 700 children's books were issued in a single year. In 1938, the Caldecott Award was announced and with the Newbery became symbolic of excellence in publishing books for children and teens.
In 1942, the first Little Golden Books were issued. The 25 cent, full-color picture books had an immediate, dramatic impact. The retail, non-institutional market began to increase notably as five and dime stores, drugstores, and markets began to sell inexpensive children's books. This was the beginning of a mass market for children's book publishing. Many librarians were quite negative about this development since not all of the popular books were of high quality.
In 1945, representatives from 30 trade publishing houses formed the Children's Book Council (CBC) which has played a substantial role in making children's book publishing more visible. However, at the same time, some trade publishers still did not have a distinct juvenile or children's department. At some publishing houses, books for the young were fitted into the general list haphazardly and irregularly.
Children's book publishing has grown rapidly in the last few years. In most recent years, it has been the fastest growing category in trade publishing Better educated parents with more disposable income and higher expectations for their children have created a substantial and growing market for quality books. At the same time, more children and teens have their own money to spend on popular, mass market titles.
In 1950, the success of Random's Landmark books created demand for non-fiction series, especially from school libraries. With more color illustration, non-fiction books on popular topics sold well. In 1957, HarperCollins launched its "I Can Read" series which began the early or beginning reader series with Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik. The series was very successful and many others followed.
In the 1960s, publishers begin to issue books in so-called "library bindings." These editions were popular with librarians, but critics argued that there were often no more durable than the standard edition.
In 1965, Congress passed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act which provided funds for schools to purchase books. This had an immediate impact on the institutional market and encouraged publishers to issue more titles. With available money for book purchasing, more publishers began to target the school market.
In the 1970s, more small presses published children's books, adding substantially to the variety/diversity of titles and subjects available. However, many of these publishers found distribution difficult. Paper reprint editions of well established children's books became increasingly popular, especially with the school book clubs.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the rapid increase in the number of chain book stores with larger children's departments substantially expanded the market for children's books. This trend also increased the power of chain book buyers over children's book publishers. Certainly, there was more emphasis on popular titles. In 1980, 2,623 children's book titles were published. By 1990, the number had increased to 4,711. From 1985-1990, children's book sales more than doubled, after doubling between 1980 and 1985. In 1984, the "Step into Reading" series began the first original paperback early reader line and it too was enormously popular.
A 2006 Yankelovich survey on children and reading included some of these highlights:
Typically, only one percent of all children's MSS received annually by publishers become finished books. Some that did not make it:
Many adults believe that almost any one who can tell a tale can create a story for children. The short length of many books and their limited text make it seem easy. However, it is difficult to tell a memorable tale and the artistic component is much more difficult that it appears even though some children's book illustrations seem casual and informal.
If a submitted proposal has possibilities, the author will be asked to submit sample chapters. If that goes well, the editor prepares a profit and loss statement, indicating how much it will cost to prepare and manufacture the book and how many copies will sell. Then the editor works with the marketing department to verify earning predictions and examine the competition. The final decision is based more on sales potential than intellectual content.
Children's book publishers are more cautious today. Non-fiction, especially science, can be easier to sell than fiction. Middle grade fiction is especially difficult to sell.
Historically, children's book publishing was based
on an
apprenticeship model. The newcomer would watch an accomplished
professional, do delegated tasks, ask questions, and grow into
professional status. Today, these one-to-one relationships are less
common. There is more pressure on assistants to be assertive and
seek out learning opportunities. There is much less opportunity to
learn by listening and watching. Supervisors often have little time for
training. Meetings may offer some opportunity to watch and learn, but
there may be little opportunity to participate and ask questions.
Training and education requires more initiative and self-study.
Forming relationships beyond your department is recommended. "Editors
learn from authors, designers learn from artists and marketing
directors learn from booksellers, teachers, and librarians."
Each year, new children's imprints arrive. Some are from established houses as Houghton Mifflin's Graphia with a list aimed at older teens. Razorbill is a new imprint from Penguin aimed at those twelve and up with a focus on commercial fiction. Milk & Cookies Press was created by a book producer and will be distributed by Simon and Schuster. The focus is on "exciting new formats" for picture book classics and bringing celebrities from other fields into children's book publishing. New publishers appear regularly. Some recent examples discussed in Publishers Weekly include August House, Kane/Miller, MacAdam/Cage Children's Books, Tanglewood, Just Us Books, Rising Moon, and Smithsonian Kids. Rationales include reissuing books now OP, developing a niche [storytelling, Black history and culture , South West U.S.], providing U.S. editions of distinguished books published abroad, and building on name and brand recognition {Smithsonian}.
According to the Ipsos-Insight market analysis, 2003 consumer spending on children's books increased by 11 percent from 2002 and amounted to about two billion dollars. However, unit sales increased only two percent. This means that market growth is the result of price increases. Market growth is slow and the consumer base is shrinking. Clearly, this is a mature market, but one that will fluctuate based upon demographic changes. PW uses "soft" to describe the current market and notes that hardcover sales are declining more rapidly than paper. Paperback books for grades two - six remain a popular category.
Publishers are especially concerned about the decline in sales for picture books, formerly the cornerstone of children's book sales. At the same time, mid-list books have not done well.
Today, hardcover fiction, especially fantasy and adventure is
the star category. Although there are concerns of too many titles and
too many series, the fantasy market continues to sell well and the
genre has expanded. Since fantasy stories are nearly always issued as a
series, once the first book does well those that follow sell with
little marketing push.
Many publishers place more emphasis on large first printings for celebrity and brand name authors, highly anticipated sequels, and media related titles with less emphasis on the back list. Thus, book publishing for children is becoming similar to that for adults. This approach has more risk potential and creates problems for the retailer who may end up with too many copies of a slow moving front list title and not enough space for the steady sellers. In fact, back list sales have been slower. Picture book sales continue to be down. At the same time, some hardcover series do well. Books tied to film and TV continue to be popular and receive more publisher attention. Emphasis on licensed characters and marketing opportunities receive considerable attention. Still, many fine, high quality works are published.
Increased interest in book rights for film, TV, and other media have created an environment where the children's book market is becoming more like that for adult books:
This list may not reflect recent changes in trade book
publishing, but it does give a sense of the major houses (re: sales) in
the last two years. These publishers account for about 70 percent of
all
children's book sales.
Increasingly both trade and mass
market children's books are sold in a wide variety of outlets. Here is
a ranked list that reflects the past few years:
Here is a ranked list of the type of books purchased in 2002:
Children's book publishing is divided into two segments: the trade segment where books are primarily distributed via retail book stores, and the mass market segment where books are distributed via a variety of mass market outlets. As indicated above, the mass market sales are notably large, but focus on just a few titles. The growth of the national bookstore chains with their super stores in more communities has substantially expanded access to children's books.
While there are many publishers of children's [includes tweens and teens] books, and more new ones each year, the retail market is dominated by five large publishers who produce about 65 percent of the books sold:
The smaller presses produce works of quality, but visibility and marketing can be difficult. Many of these publishers are invisible to most book buyers, although the web has created many more opportunities.
Many different publishers issues children's books for sale via the trade. These include small privately held businesses, run by individuals with mixed motives and priorities to large conglomerates (many foreign owned) whose investors demand notable profits. As book publishing has become more rational, more bottom-line oriented, children's book publishing has become much more focused on profitability. There are more media tie-ins and more mass-merchandising of children's books. Brand name authors are sought and receive persuasive offers from other publishers. Series are especially popular because they are relatively easy to sell after the first volume receives recognition. Mass market and trade paper editions have become increasingly important.
Traditionally, there was a solid distinction between the trade and mass markets. In recent years, this distinction has become fuzzy. Trade publishers have entered the mass market. For example, Harper-Collins has launched its HarperActive imprint with a focus on licensed products, especially in conjunction with sister company Twentieth Century Fox. Golden Books has developed a trade line.
As with trade publishing in general, new children's imprints are launched regularly. Small publishers focus on a smaller number of titles and provide more attention to each author and each book. Medium sized and larger publishers launch new children imprints, i.e. Bloomsbury USA or the Roaring Brook Press begun by Millbrook Press.
Clearly, there is less interest in the school and library market and greater focus on selling entertainment to the masses. With their funding problems, the library and school market has become less important to the larger publishers. Most libraries and schools have considerably less purchasing power today than in the past.
The Library market relies heavily on book reviews. School Library Journal, Booklist, Hornbook, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books at the University of Chicago reviews determine which books are selected for libraries and schools. Interestingly, Hornbook began as the newsletter of the Bookshop for Boys and Girls in Boston. Since reviews sold books [in the old days], there was little need for other sales initiatives. At the same time, few mass media sources reviewed children's books so most adults remained relatively ignorant of children's book publishing. The major exception to this ignorance were the Newbery or Caldecott winners (and honor books). As the awards became more visible, they became the major sales initiative for children's books. Most adults know little about children's books so an easily seen indication of quality and reputation was welcome. Back list sales are often driven by awards. As one commentator said: "Put a bright shiny sticker on the cover, any sticker will do, it makes customers think they are buying a book that someone--anyone--has honored, so it must be good." A typical award-winning book will sell between 40,000 to 50,000 copies in contrast to 4,000 to 10,000 copies for a successful title without the award.
Although they have done poorly in recent years (in Chapter 11 bankruptcy before being purchased), perhaps from poor management, Golden books developed (1942-) the mass market for children's book publishing and remains a leader. Their brand name recognition is very strong. Many adults remember with fondness a favorite Golden Book from their childhood. Golden Books have sold more than 1.5 billion books and continue to sell about 70 million books per year. Until recently, Golden Books held a near-monopoly in mass-marketing children's books along with Random House and Grossett & Dunlap. They issued the first touch-and-feel book, Pat the Bunny, and the first scratch-and-sniff book.
In 1998, Golden Books developed, in the midst of financial reorganization, a trade book list under a distinguished children's book editor, Margaret Cuyler. The list included a beginning reader's series, a hardcover Golden Books Family Storytime series (numbered to encourage collecting), hardcover Golden Books Treasuries ($19.95), and a new non-fiction line. So far, the trade books appear to be successful.
Golden Books Family Entertainment was an unsuccessful attempt
to transform Golden Books from a children's mass market publisher to a
trade publishing house with multimedia division. In 2001, Golden Books
was purchased by Random House.
Children's book clubs represent another very successful mass market initiative. There are several variations. Continuity programs appeal with several books for one dollar plus shipping and handling. Two books per month then follow with each book reasonably priced. This plan appeals to parents who want their children to begin and continue to read. Selecting children's books is difficult for many parents and they appreciate a service that provides them with a few selections of high quality, "safe" books.
Club editions represent another possibility. The Weekly Reader Children's Book Club is the largest of these providers. Children's Book of the Month Club is another. BOMC's BookPlanet is a book club focusing on readers from six to twelve. Like book clubs for adults, these are based upon the negative option where parents receive 12 to 16 catalogs or flyers per year with recommended selections. The free book offer (but you pay for postage and handling) requires that a minimum number of books be purchased, often two to four, during the year. Most subscribers have children under six so the clubs appeal mostly to parents of beginning readers to those just starting chapter books.
School clubs have reached the widest audience and have been notably successful. Here, the books (videos, posters, computer games...) are marketed directly to the classroom. Teachers do most of the work which includes distributing the flyers, collecting orders and payments, and distributing the books. For their work, they are able to select items from the list for their own or classroom use. Scholastic is the largest and most successful of the school book clubs. Troll was number two with its six book clubs and more than 15,000 book fairs, but is now owned by Scholastic. School book clubs sometimes have their own editions printed. Most books are mass market or inexpensive trade paper editions. Given the large number of books sold, large editions are printed. Since book club rights are sold separately from paperback rights, in some cases the book club edition appears before the paper editions reach the bookstore. In a few cases, the literature suggests about two percent, the text of the book club edition has been altered to eliminate censorship concerns. These book clubs, especially Scholastic and Troll, account for about 20% of the children's market, more than the chains and independents combined.
Children's book stores have found these book clubs to be difficult competitors with their direct sales and teacher endorsement/ involvement.
There is some controversy about the degree to which younger people are less interested in reading, have less time for reading, and are less able to read. Some recent studies suggest a declining market for books for children, tweens, and teens. Not all who have studied the data are as negative or as fearful. Still, publishers are rightly concerned about their ability to maintain or expand mind- or time-share.
For many years, publishers have been frustrated by their inability to grow the market beyond the book stores, especially in earlier decades when many communities lacked a book store. Mass market distribution created many retail opportunities, especially for publishers with popular, inexpensive titles. A mass market edition of a popular children's book might sell 75,000 to 100,000 copies compared to 7,500 to 15,000 for a traditional edition.
Random House purchased the Happy House, crayon, coloring book, game and puzzle business in the 1980s to get into the mass market. In 1983, the Random children's division became a "merchandise group" which provide a variety of mass market products besides books.
Discount stores, including Wal-Mart and warehouse clubs sell
many children's books. Target, Wal-mart, K-mart, Kroger, and warehouse
clubs like COSTCO are interesting in selling books that sell
themselves. Brand name recognition is crucial. The Berenstain Bears and
the Cat in the Hat are good examples of books that
are "presold." Discount stores stock a small number of titles. Some may
be of marginal quality, but with considerable mass market appeal. Mass
market retailers are only interested in proven products such as the
Harry Potter books. Since they purchase in large quantities, the
discounts can be deep. The mass market can provide a dramatic
increase in the number of people who purchase children's books. The
down side is that returns can be disastrous if the book does not move.
Besides the discount general variety stores, children's books can be attractive to chain specialty stores such as toy which stores now account for about 40 percent of all children's books sold and the percentage is increasing. Here the emphasis is on books with licensed characters or brand names such as Richard Scarry or Rugrats. There are some toy related imprints. Fisher-Price, Playskool and Nintendo have arranged with publishers to have books issued that feature their products and characters. The Tonka Truck books are examples of selling books based on consumer recognition of a brand name.
The web provides publishers and authors with opportunities to build communities of readers interested in a particular author, series, or imprint. Online marketing grows rapidly, especially for those who publish books for tweens and teens. As more "kids" spend large blocks of their time online, that's where publishers need to be. Web presence for children's, tween's, and teen's books includes:
Children's book selling has changed dramatically during the past few years:
Until recently, there had been a dramatic increase in the number of booksellers specializing in children's books. As is true of independent book stores in general, the rapid growth of the chain super store with its relatively large children's section has made life difficult for most children's bookstores. The school book clubs have also had considerable negative impact. Most successful independent stores rely heavily on sidelines. Warehouse stores, other discount stores, and web book stores have substantially increased the competition for selling children's books. Still, children's booksellers remain a noted presence at the ABA. There may be between 350 and 700 children's bookstores in the U.S. The professional association is the Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC) which has 500 bookstore members. There are also regional associations such as:
While the numbers seem fewer than before, there are new independent children's bookstores being opened, usually in small towns, often in tourist areas or in communities with colleges. Connections with local teachers and the ability to provide book fairs for local schools seems to be important in long term success. Side lines are important, especially those not likely to be found in chain stores. It usually takes about five years to become profitable.
One of the characteristics of the independent book store is handselling. "Handselling is the practice of a bookseller talking up a book to a customer, and often physically placing the book in the shopper's hands to demonstrate features. This requires excitement about the book and keen familiarity with it. You can only handsell books that you care about." Staff picks are usually easy to handsell. Handselling is especially important with children's books since most adults are unfamiliar with authors, publishers, and how to select the right book for the right child. Being able to relate books to particular ages and interests is complicated by the fact that many children don't read at their grade level. Typically, about 55 percent of the books bought in the children's bookstores are hand sold versus 33 percent in other stores. Handselling requires staff who have read and really like the books stocked. The major problem with handselling is that it is labor intensive and many stores lack the staff or time to do it as often as they would like. For example, "If you're a bookstore owner and you're proud of how much you hand sell, you probably haven't sold many books." It is also important to know and like children. There is no substitute for staff knowledge and enthusiasm. Most chains do no handselling. Without handselling, guidance and explanation must appear on the package to substitute for the knowledgeable store employee. Display racks, author tours, events kits, more and better signage, cross-merchandising, and events by booksellers may somewhat substitute for handselling.
Major problems for independent children's bookstores include:
The average children's only store contains about 1300 sq. ft. The typical independent store has about 440 sq. ft. devoted to children's books which is much less than the average chain store's children's department.
About 85 percent of selling space is devoted to books in children's bookstores versus 93 percent in general independents and in chains. Sidelines are more important in the children's only store. The major sideline in the children's book store is audio (including book and audio packages, others include bookmarks, posters, coloring books, calendars, rubber stamps, games and puzzles, dolls and t-shirts based on characters, and book plates. Plush or soft-toy replicas of children's literary characters are popular. Sidelines are usually more profitable than books. Shrinkage (theft) may be a problem with books and also with side line items that are easily placed in a pocket.
An average children's store carried about 7900 titles, the general independents about 2700, national chains nearly 1900, and regional chains about 2800. Back list is especially important in selling children's books. Children's stores stock is about 72 percent back list in contrast to the general independent with 70 percent and the chains with 64 percent. Adults, who still purchase many books, often want the books they loved as children for their children or grand children. The front list takes lots of handselling, and people sell what they know.
The typical children's book found in retail outlets wears a soft cover. Children's stores carry 35 percent hard covers in contrast to general independents at 38 percent and chains at 41 percent. Hardcover's are more likely to be purchased as gifts.
Picture books were traditionally the most important category. This is less so today. Besides their traditional appeal to children, quite a few adults buy/collect children's books for themselves.
Children's stores order about 43% of the front list from a major publisher while general independents would order about 36 percent and chains 54 percent. Front list purchases have declined notably in the past few years. Typically, children's stores display new books for about 18 weeks, general independents and chains about six weeks. Most new children's books are purchased from publishers, but refills are from vendors. The average book return rate is 14 percent for hard covers, and 5 percent for paperbacks. While these return rates are quite low, they may be substantially higher for media tie-in books when interest suddenly fails.
The average length of a visit to a children's bookstore is about 24 minutes. This contrasts with a visit to a general independent of 20 minutes and to a chain of 25 minutes. The average purchase in a children's bookstore is almost twice that of others. Mothers and teachers are the leading customers followed by grandparents and children.
Most children's book stores, about two-thirds, hold book fairs, but few chains or other independents do. Author appearances and autographing are popular methods of promotion, especially for name authors and mid list authors seeking to increase their popularity. Since an author tour may cost $1500 per day, publishers are careful [more so today than in the past] in selecting authors and communities. Character (non author) appearances are much less expensive and the same character can be touring several cities at the same time. Costume Specialists produces "walk-about" costumes for about 11 publishers and then makes them available to stores, schools, and libraries. Many children prefer meeting the character to meeting the author. Barnes & Noble even has its own costume character company. Book and reading clubs, story hours, direct mail, and customer newsletters also work well. Author recognition is extremely important and visible authors who visit the local area experience notable sales, especially of back list titles. Increasingly, children's bookstores coordinate author visits with local schools. Well-known authors tend to focus on larger cities. Typically, an author visit should result in the sale of about 200 copies of a work.
Children's booksellers have mixed feelings about floor displays and dumps. While they often bring attention to particular works and increase sales, there are too many, and often they are too large and not sturdy enough. Banners and posters work well where there is space to display them. Activity kits sometimes work, but often they are too complicated or time-consuming. Give-aways for staff or customers, if well-done, can have an impact. T-shirts, balloons, buttons, and bookmarks are typical promotional devices.
We are in the middle of a period in which the number of school children is substantially increasing. Adults are marrying later and having children later. The birth rate is higher among minorities. Increased immigration also has an impact. This population growth is most likely to be found in the Pacific Coast states, the Southeast, and suburbs. High school enrollment, in particular, is likely to increase substantially in the next few years. The good news is that more children mean a larger potential market. The bad news is that many of these children, and their parents, represent a non-traditional audience.
The substantial popularity of beginning reader series is linked to demographic trends. Over time. As Michael Stearns said, "We are now seeing a group of kids that has been raised by parents who are, in general, more education-focused and more affluent. These children have moved from picture books to early readers and are growing up with the publishing industry. If this continues to hold true, we'll see an impact on middle-grade books next."
Both political and educational leaders have stressed the importance of literacy and reading in recent years. Hilary Clinton's Prescription for Reading Partnership, announced in April, 1997, was notably successful. This program was based upon the pediatrician program Reach Out and Read (ROR), and the ALA's Born to Read programs. ROR has reached nearly a million children and about 300 libraries participate in Born to Read. The largest literacy organization is Reading is Fundamental, also a Partnership member.
Publishers play a major role in these initiatives by offering deep discounts on purchases and donating books. Scholastic and Random House have been especially visible as supporters of literacy initiatives.
Three segments purchase books for children and teens:
A 1998 Publishers Weekly survey looked at
adults and teens who purchase children's books. Adult purchasers are
likely to be female and books are slightly more likely to be purchased
for boys than for girls. Purchasers tend to be highly educated and
married. Intellectual and moral development are important rationales
for purchase. Most books purchased are intended to be kept for a long
time so durability is an issue. Price does not seem to be as important
as quality and likely impact. Awards have a notable impact on the
purchase decision. A child's request, books that the adult read as a
child, and books recommended by another adult are also important.
Adults are much more likely to buy fiction than nonfiction for
children. Most book purchases are impulse buys. Chain bookstores are
the most likely place to buy children's books and
adult books. When only buying children's books, discount stores and
school book clubs are more likely to be used.
A major national bookstore chain will have a few buyers for children's books and they have enormous power. Their decisions are based on past sales, author's reputation, and the amount of money the publisher is willing to spend on marketing. Stores require publisher fees for prime space, display attention, and the like.
Perhaps the most important trend is that more children's books are purchased by children rather than adults, especially children in the middle grades and teens. Children have money to spend and publishers create more books to satisfy children's wants rather than those of adults. This means more formula fiction, more series, and more works based on mass media characters, especially those on TV, movies, and games. Children prefer paper editions because they are less expensive and because they are more comfortable to handle. Paper editions are also less likely to remind children and teens of school books. Some children say that hard cover books remind them of textbooks. Children's publishers are placing more emphasis on sales and marketing and less on editors and searching for quality works. Bright color illustration overshadows text. Jackets and covers are increasingly important, especially for the middle school and teen audience, looking at books in chain stores and mass media outlets. " Attention deficit design" is fast, funky, bright, and hip with strong graphic elements. Most juveniles are shelved spine out in book stores, but front out in stacks in mass outlets.
Recent surveys indicate that children from five to seventeen like to read books, but reading declines notably after age of eight. Reasons for the decline include:
The substantial sales of "poop fiction" such as Captain
Underpants or Walter the Farting Dog indicate that what children want
is becoming more important than what parents may want. Obviously, such
popularity creates problems for youth services librarians who want to
please both children and parents.
There are a large number of series in this category, probably too many. As the demographics change, this is a category where retrenchment is likely. There will also be a need for more books for children for whom English is their second language. Like text books, these series require educational guidance from teachers, consultants, and educational writers. This makes them more expensive to produce and require relatively large print runs to break even.
Activity and work books are popular with parents. This
ties in with increased parent interest in helping their children to do
well in school, especially in doing well on required tests. These
disposable work books are relatively inexpensive
to create and manufacture so retail prices can be low. Spelling,
reading, science, math, and nature are popular subjects. Some activity
books, such as dot to dots, mazes, and coloring books are purely
recreational and are designed for children's quiet time. Activity books
sell well at many non-traditional outlets. Many books feature licensed
characters such as Pokemon, Arthur, and Pooh since these are easily
recognized and popular with retailers.
Random House, with its acquisition of Western Publishing which
became Golden Books, is the leader in the coloring and activity book
category [C&A]. This is almost exclusively a mass-market
business. This is the dominant type of children's book in drugstores,
dollar stores, craft/hobby stores, discount stores, and supermarkets.
For most buyers, this is an impulse item. Playmore is a leader in the
value-priced market. School
Zone and McGraw-Hill are leaders in the educational workbook
category. Simon and Schuster recently launched Simon Scribbles as their
coloring and activity book imprint.
Related to the substantial increase in children's
discretionary spending is much more emphasis on brands, especially for
books sold by mass market or discount retailers. Brands reduce risk and
make it easier to sell books. Just as people ask for Dell computers,
they should ask for Golden Books. Some brands may be associated with
the lower end of the market (Golden Books and Disney books) while
others appeal to the upper end (Nature Company or the DK Eyewitness
books). Goosebumps, although now in decline, is an excellent example of
how an author and series become a brand name. Traditionally, the brand
names in children's books have been author's and character's names: Dr.
Seuss, Arthur, Little House on the Prairie, and
Curious George are examples.
Brand name books can be "refreshed" with new packaging, including cover art. The best current example is the recreation of Nancy Drew into a contemporary young woman in a contemporary environment but still appearing under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. Hopefully, the appeal elements will remain the same. Feature films are also planned. The first Nancy Drew book, the Secret of the Old Clock, still sold about 150,000 copies in 2002 so interest in the older books remains high.
Increasingly, authors have become brands. One interesting trend is for more well-received adult authors to write children's books. Recent examples include:
As mentioned under brand names, licensing popular characters from the mass media or toys and games is increasing because licensing minimizes risk.Toy companies increasingly see themselves as providing an experience rather than just a physical product. As Fred Paprin said, ""We're not just in the toy business, we're in the children's entertainment business." Hasbro is a good example. It creates characters, art work, and stories so that toys are substantial intellectual properties. For example, there are more than 100 My Little Pony titles in print. There are more than 75 Tonka truck titles in print. Hasboro is creating parenting content to use the Playskool brand. Books are also being developed to accompany the release of the new Transformers film. In each case, established publishers issue the book such as Scholastic.
Not all licenses are from toy companies, John Deere Books for Kids [produced by Parachute Publishing] are licensed from the tractor company. The brand gains more visibility and the books gain visibility from the brand.
Books based on Disney characters have long been popular and sell well in a variety of outlets. Other novelizations based on movies or TV programs sell well in mass market outlets, discount stores and in the school paperback book clubs. However, these books have limited back list appeal and may only be popular for short periods of time. Novelizations based on TV shows often target teen and pre-teen girls. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Clueless" are good examples. Novelizations or story collections based on TV shows often target younger children too with Teletubbies, Bob the Builder, Barney and Sesame Street. In 1998, 13 of the top 16 children's front list hard covers were licensed properties.
Publishers have long had licenses from toy makers. Reader's Digest holds licenses for Barbie, Tonka, Little Tykes, and Fisher-Price. Modern Publishing has licenses for Bratz, Build-a-Bear, Tyco, Fisher-Price, Tonka, DuelMasters, and Care Bears.
Both Scholastic (with Warner) and Penguin Putnam have long term contracts with Hollywood studios guaranteeing them a first look at new properties. Scholastic has a license for the next five animated films from DreamWorks. Penguin and BBC Worldwide have created a children's book imprint based on BBC characters such as the Teletubbies and Bob the Builder. These children's book publishers want to expand their audience by building on brand names created elsewhere. However, some film based books have done poorly in recent years, and publishers have become more careful. Still, the right film can really make a difference.
Children's publishing is becoming more like adult publishing. This means that the front list receives more emphasis. The quest is on for blockbuster titles, star authors, and media tie-ins. Publishers have shown interest in children's books written by celebrities such as Carly Simon, the Duchess of York, Ken Follett, Danielle Steele, Dom DeLuise, Whoopi Goldberg, Kirk Douglas, and Michael Bolton. These appeal more to adults than to children. There is no evidence that they sell especially well. Mass media and celebrity tie-ins may reduce risk and capitalize on popularity, but they may also have a short and uncertain life.
Brand names may also be licensed from popular consumer products. Examples include The M & M's Counting Book or the Kellogg's Froot Loops! Counting Fun Book. Not all book sellers and librarians are enthusiastic about board books based on candy and cereal brands. Froot Loops, Cheerios [The Cheerios Play Book and three other titles], M & Ms, Skittles, Hershey, Sun-Maid raisins, and Oreo cookies have all been featured in books aimed at younger children.
While not as visible, established characters in books for
children and teens can become licensing opportunities for the
publisher. Eloise, Harry Potter, the Grinch, Curious George and
Clifford the Big Red Dog are good examples. More than 150 companies
have paid licensing fees to produce Curious George products. Plush toys
of Narnia characters were produced. Saturation is a concern
here
since too many products can dilute the market and the brand name. Eric
Carle has licensed his content for a line of apparel, decor, and toys
with a leading infant product marketer.
Family oriented films and TV series have been much more popular in the last few years. The recent Narnia and Harry Potter films are good examples of how successful a book-based film can be.
More children's books are the result of co-production. This means that two or more publishers, often in different countries, agree to share the creation of a work which can be sold separately in different markets. There is a large and growing global market for children's books. Relatively inexpensive textual changes can be easily made for largely illustrated non-fiction works. For example, a heavily illustrated book on horses can sell in Germany and the U.S. without too many changes.
Packagers, independent book producers, are increasingly important for teen and children's books. By creating ideas for series and individual books while arranging for authors and illustrators, they save publishers time and effort. The "Goosebumps" series was packaged.
Children's and teen books have long been popular with some
adults. The lushly illustrated children's book appeals to adults with
an interest in colorful, timeless illustration. Some picture books have
limited text and beautiful art. While often
aimed at the pre-school market, adults use these as relatively
inexpensive but beautiful coffee table books. The Children's Book
Council has a list of children's books for adults. Many children's
fantasy books have considerable appeal to adult readers. Watership
Down is an older example. More recently, Phillip Pullman's Golden
Compass and the Subtle Knife have been
purchased by many adults who find the stories complex and rewarding.
Cicely Von Ziegesar's Gossip Girl,
a teen novel, was reissued as an adult mass-market paperback by Warner.
A variation of the cross-over title is the adult book adapted to a younger audience. Substantial editing produces a book that is smaller and easier for a younger audience to handle. Non-fiction works are the most likely candidates, especially those that would appeal to an institutional audience. Still, fiction is also possible. Three Clive Cussler novels have been revised for a younger audience. Robert Jordan, the heroic fantasy author, has done this by making a larger one volume work into smaller separates.
Publishers like series because they can create a situation in which future sales are nearly automatic. Rather than selling one author and one book at a time, the publisher can sell one author and dozens of different works. The emphasis is on series for middle schoolers and teens. The "Baby-sitters Club" books have sold more than 150 million copies. "Goosebumps" by R. L. Stine has sold more than 160 million copies. Mild horror fiction created the "boy market." There has been increased interest in fiction and non-fiction likely to appeal to boys. An easily remembered brand name, predictable plots, familiar characters, and a manageable vocabulary create large sales. Future works in a series are presold and many older children and teens will collect them.
Librarians and teachers often have very negative feelings about series because they are often not well written or insightful. "The comfort of sameness, repetition and the satisfaction of expectations fulfilled leaves children secure in the reading experience. The brevity of the books, their simplistic texts, writing style, diction and vocabulary are comfortable to children who have grown up on television language and plot (Judith Saltman)."
Non-fiction series have been staples in libraries for years, i.e. the states of the U.S. series. As a convenience, a series [if of reasonable quality] is quite an asset. Non-fiction books are sometimes called "supplemental books" because they supplement the textbooks and support the curriculum. In recent years, they are often tied to increasing test scores. Publishers like series because they can sell more than one book at a time and branding makes visibility and marketing much easier.
Traditionally, the back list has been especially important in children's book publishing where most books were purchased by adults who remembered particular works with fondness. Classic works were keep in print and sold year after year. In recent years, many publishers have let their back list decline and many well-received titles have gone OP. Back list items often do very well and it is relatively easy to predict likely sales. More bookstore buyers are passing on front list books by new or relatively unknown authors. Trade paper editions have become a popular way to keep the classics in print while reducing production costs. In the future, there may also be more original publishing in trade paper editions. Publishing on demand may also be used to keep back list titles in print without substantial storage costs.
Because the cover is seen as the "packaging, the poster for the book," publishers update cover art on back list titles more frequently. In particular, the emphasis is on "branding" or giving works by the same author a similar look. Common cover art also encourages collecting. Covers that seem to be dated or stale are updated. Art directors note that cover art may date very quickly. Cover art will also be changed when film or TV tie-ins occur. Back list titles may also be repackaged when there is a new front list release. Reissued back list titles, those with new covers improve sales.
Gimmick books are less popular today than in the past. While pop-up books are still popular, they are not as popular as in the past. Scratch and sniff books have largely disappeared. Do it yourself adventure books are much less popular than before.
Audio books remain popular both as a stand-alone product and also as part of a book - audio tape or book - CD package. Younger children enjoy well-read stories at home or on the road. As they begin to read, the read-along book - audio package works well. The major audio categories are:
Some larger stores will have listening stations in the
children's section. Although gradually, the CD is gaining ground on
audio tape. However, a typical CD can only hold 74 recorded
minutes versus the audiotapes' 100 minutes. CD has better sound quality
and many new cars have a CD player, but not a tape player.
Because of the lack of standards and the discomfort of reading on the monitor as well as the decline of the book reader appliance, children's ebooks have not really developed although CD versions of some popular children's books have sold well. TumbleBooks provides ebook collections available via its website. The TumbleBooks have read-aloud soundtracks and some animation. Both vendors offer an appealing product. This format is likely to grow in the future if digital rights management issues can be solved and if prices are reasonable.
Although slow to develop, ebooks for children, tweens, and teens are becoming more available. NYPL provides a good starter list.
The interactive book combines a children's book and an
interactive device, usually electronic or digital, that allows a child
to click or touch an image, a word, or a sentence and have words read
aloud. LeapFrog
Entertainment really launched a high visibility product in
1995 with its LeapPad, but competitors have made much progress. More
than 120 LeapPad titles are available. Mattel's Fisher-Price
subsidiary's PowerTouch
is rapidly developing a substantial list. Publications International
has its Story Reader units. Interactive books represent another
subsidiary right possibility for the publisher. The devices and the
books are sold in toy and discount stores. The pre-school market is an
attractive one.
For trade publishing in general, subsidiary rights have become very important in the last few years. Subsidiary rights income can make the difference between profit and loss. Authors also benefit from subsidiary rights income. As family oriented films and TV programs have become more popular, subsidiary rights have become important in children's and teen's book publishing. For example, Maurice Sendak signed with TriStar Pictures to develop films based on his books. The "Animorphs" books, the "Magic School Bus series", the "Busy World of Richard Scarry," and "Arthur" books are examples of successful subsidiary rights sales. Needless to say, a successful TV series dramatically increases book sales. For example, Arthur book sales tripled after he debuted on PBS. Hallmark will spend fifty million dollars to produce a six hour mini-series based on Gurney's Dinotopia books.
Proprietary books are special editions manufactured to be sold by a single vendor such as Barnes and Noble or Wal mart. Usually, these are back list titles. Some times, the vendor will ask for two or three shorter works to be bound into binding one a single volume. In some cases, the vendor will go to a book producer to create a new product. In a similar vein, some of the large chain book stores now publish their own books or editions. In both cases, this creates unwelcome competition for book publishers.
In the last few years, there has been a notable increase in the number of small presses publishing children's and teen books. Small presses fill gaps and add a rich variety of viewpoints. Often, this is the only opportunity for non-traditional views to be published in an attractive edition. However, distribution remains a difficult problem. While the Internet may help, there is no substitute for being available in the large wholesale and retail outlets. Amazon has made a substantial difference in providing easy access for many small presses. Small presses, more so than the large trade houses, are free to publish what they enjoy or believe in. Success often comes with publishing works about the local region, or state or region.
Trade and small publishers are interested in religious books for children. With increased interest in family values, there is increased demand for books with religious themes and views. Christian bookstores have traditionally sold these materials, but now they are much more visible in the national chains and independents. Collections of Bible stories remain popular. Few religious books are purchased by children. Most are gifts from parents and relatives.
Children's book publisher's and authors are increasingly visible on the WWW. Publisher's WWW pages provide relatively quick access to the front and back list as well as information about authors and illustrators, the opportunity to join a fan club, read author interviews, enter contests, download teaching guides, read chapters or segments from new or forthcoming books, and email or even chat with authors and publishers. The Scholastic WWW sites receives more than 5,000 hits per week. Authors, via their own website, may do a better job than the publisher in promoting and publicizing their own work. Still, kid-friendly websites create buzz and make both book and author much more visible. Some websites appeal to both the child and the teacher/adult who needs instructional or other information. Podcasting and blogging create additional opportunities to reach and develop a community interested in an author, a series, or a category. The increase in the number of home schooled children also provides opportunities for networking and brand building.
Publishers have shown considerable interest in children
between eight and fourteen years old [called "tweens" because they
are between children and teens]. This segment may account for eight
percent of the US population or about 30 million "kids." These tweens
have considerable purchasing power and represent a substantial
market. Some publishers don't like the term "tweens" and
prefer "middle -grade reader." Some argue that a better age range would
be from eight to twelve. The "Series of Unfortunate Events" by Lemony
Snicket is aimed at this audience as are the Mary-Kate and Ashley books
for girls. Reading skill and interests vary notably among these
readers. Films, TV, and
popular music have considerable influence on publishing so licensing is
important. Marketing types note that "kids seem to be getting older
younger" and that impacts reading tastes. Chick lit for tweens and
teens, beginning with Angus,
Thongs, and full Frontal Snogging is an example of a
relatively new category aimed at this audience. The Gossip Girl series
is a more visible example. In turn, the category quickly divided into
sub-categories including Brit lit, privileged chick lit, and others.
Dorchester Publishing launched an imprint for this audience call Smooch.
Many publishers and some librarians find the categories "young adult" or "young people" to be inappropriate and confusing, especially to potential customers. "The term YA is an odd one; it refers to no clear developmental age group. If anything, it seems to apply to people in their 20s who are just leaving college, beginning careers and starting families." (Marc Aronson) Teen is probably a much better category although it remains fuzzy. "We are treating teens as adults, which is how they want to be treated. If you produce books that look like adult books, they are more likely to buy them. (Angus Killick)" At the same time, some adult publishers are beginning to "publish down to these older teens."
There is considerable disagreement about the age range associated with "YA" or "teen." YALSA considers YA to include those between 12 and 18. Most booksellers see 12- and 13-year olds as the primary market since older teens are reading adult books. A few publishers, Scholastic for one, argues that there is a notable gap in books for those in the middle teens. Depending on the source, teen books may be read by those from 10- to 14- years of age. With the exception of fantasy, few teen books are read by adults or become cross-over titles.
Note that ALA's Michael L. Printz Award for Excellent in Young Adult Literature is the equivalent of the Newbery and Caldecott best book awards.
In recent years, the tween - teen audience has grown and received
increased attention from publishers. As Michael Cart says, "kids are
buying books in quantities we've never seen before. ... And publishers
are courting young adults in ways we haven't seen since the 1940s."
Most teens surveyed thought that reading was fun, "cool," and made them feel smarter. Nearly three times as many girls as boys read for fun, perhaps because boys spend much more time on video and computer games. However, books based on popular video games are popular with boys [another example of the importance of the brand, here the name of the game].Paperbacks are the format of choice. Older teens spend more on books than younger teens. Fiction is slightly more popular than non-fiction. Teens like (ranked):
As children become older, they tend to read less for pleasure. High school, with its required reading and increased homework, seems to create a disinterest in reading. Older children are also likely to spend more time with computers and TV. One recent study found that about 58 percent of teens read books for pleasure during a typical week and spent about four hours. In contrast, 97 percent watched TV for about ten hours each week. Girls are substantially more likely to read for pleasure than boys.
In 2002, about 40 millions books were sold to teens (aged 14-17), an increase of nearly 6 million books from 2000. Marketing to Kids estimated that by 2005, teens would be the largest single demographic segment in the U.S. Many of these teens have money to spend on books. Major problems in selling books to teens include:
Because the teen years are often confused and introspective, self-help books are increasingly popular. The Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul and its spin-offs sell well. Teen spirituality has become a "hot new market." This category includes alternative religions and paganism.
Many teens are caught up in pop culture so that celebrity biographies are popular if often short-lived.
Heroic fantasy and science fiction is increasingly popular with teens, but adult books are preferred.
Graphic novels are also increasingly popular, especially with male readers who are often reluctant to read other categories. Note however that manga has a strong female teen focus and audience. Besides the teen and tween market, graphic picture books with comic content conventions [panels, voice bubbles ...] are receiving considerable publisher attention with Roaring Brook, Scholastic, and Puffin launching imprints. Given the appeal of graphic content to a wide-ranging audience, from child to adult, and with considerable cross-over potential, graphic novels are receiving major attention from most major publishers as well as specialized ones. Traditionally, many adults, including quite a few librarians, have a negative perception of this format. Several traditional publishers of books for children of various ages are now creating creative novel or "comic" imprints. Scholastic's Graphix is likely the first graphic novel imprint focused on children. At the same time, traditional comic publishers such as DC Comics are creating new imprints as well such as the Minx imprint for girl teens. The comic - graphic novel style is also likely to be seen more frequently in books for younger children.
Teens prefer the mass market paperback because it is more economical and easier to handle. Some publishers have begun to issue original and reprint editions in trade paper formats. Provocative or unusual jackets catch attention and create impulse sales.
The older teen has been neglected by most publishers and may
receive more attention in the future. Stories for this audience are
sexier and much more realistic. As teens buy their own books they
want stories that speak to them and reflect their own culture and
situations. As one editor said, " there is much more meat to the
stories." A critic made this comment: "What she found was a literary
world filled with traumatic images and plots that mirror daily
headlines. Child abuse, abandonment, alcoholism, incest, teen suicide,
rape, self-mutilation -- all are recurring themes in young-adult
novels. Coping with grief becomes the order of the day for young
characters." [Barbara Feinberg as quoted by Marilyn Gardner].
Some publishers learn more about teen wants and needs via focus groups, informal interviews, and reader's clubs (Avon) where some teens receive free books in exchange for their reaction and comment. Here is a publisher website that provides some insight into this process.
Publishers cannot afford to advertise teen books via the mass media, but advertisements and reviews in teen periodicals (Teen People, Jump) seem to work well. Book - music promotions can work well with works related to the contemporary music scene.
There has been considerable controversy about hard-edged
fiction for teens, especially those that deal with dark and difficult
topics such as mental illness, sexual preference, rape, murder, sexual abuse, and
addiction. The Internet, news and entertainment television have
expanded the boundaries of what is familiar to at least some teens.
Still, many adults, including some librarians, are anxious about so
many grim books by such talented authors. As the library/school market
declines in importance, publishers are more interested in issuing books
likely to appeal to teens rather than adults. Gay and lesbian
characters and situations are receiving more attention and the
relationships are more explicit. Gay characters find love, sex, and fun
in contemporary stories. While controversial, there is an audience -- a
reasonably substantial one -- and there are cross-over possibilities
with adult gay readers.
Web site marketing may be an inexpensive way to reach the large number of teens with computer access. A good example is www.Teenreads.com.
New marketing initiatives include Target stores teen book sections in selected stores.
Although children's book publishing continues to do well, there has been some retrenchment within the last two years. Some publishers grew their list too rapidly and issued too many titles. The future looks better since many states have tax surpluses and part of that money is spent on education which will increase school and library funding.
The institutional (library and school) market is not as important as it once was and the "want" oriented retail market has become much more important. The strong relationship between children's librarians and book editors may weaken as library sales become less important. Book buyers for mass market and discount outlets are much less concerned with textual or graphic quality than librarians or teachers. There may be less literary fiction. At the same time, librarians and teachers will continue to reject many popular titles that seem to lack substantial quality. The decline of the institutional market is likely to reduce the number of original cloth books and thus there may be fewer reprint rights for paper editions.
The institutional market is especially concerned with the back list since it needs replacement copies of standard titles. For a variety of reasons, publishers have not always done a good job in maintaining their back list. Standard titles are frequently out of print or out of stock.
With a few exceptions, children's book publishing has not met the needs of minority youth. While there has been some improvement with African-Americans (Disney's Hyperion Books for Children has an African-American imprint--Jump at the Sun), little has been done for Hispanic-Americans or Asian-Americans. Much remains to be done, especially as the non-White and non-Anglo publication grows in number and importance.
Segregating books by age is problematic. The age and grade level tags are often unreliable and differ from publisher to publisher. Tags create barriers. Teens and adults may not want to read a tagged for younger readers even though it is appropriate.
The power of the national chain bookstores has been discussed elsewhere. Here, I will remind that there may be only one or two book buyers for a chain with hundreds of stores. These children's book buyers are gate keepers with enormous power. Certainly, they influence publishers by suggesting what to publish and not to publish.
One of the major changes in children's publishing has been the move from an institutional orientation (libraries and schools) to the child or teen as a consumer. Discuss the assets and liabilities of this change.
Librarians have been accused of elitism in their disdain for popular, mass market titles for children. To what degree is that appropriate? Is it true that the less expensive, more popular titles sold in discount stores and elsewhere are usually of poor quality?
The loss of independent children's book stores has been mourned by many. Similarly, critics are unhappy with the rapid growth of chain super stores. What are the assets and liabilities of the children's departments in the chain super stores?
Teen and tween books generate a variety of problems. Which ages and/or grade levels do you associate with these books? Libraries frequently don't know here to place them and there is some question about the degree to which teens are interested in teen rather than adult books. What is the proper place for these books in the publisher's list and in the bookstore?
Age and grade tags are a continuing problem. Often they are not reliable and differ notably from publisher to publisher. What might be done to make these more reliable or more useful for those non-professionals selecting books for children and teens?
