There’s a study discussed by Publishers Weekly which gives us some insights into how the publishing world approaches the children’s book market. The study focused on who the consumers were for different stages of childhood. It also evaluated what buyers were looking for.[1] I believe this study reveals one of the reasons self-publishing is making inroads in the area of children’s publishing as well as in other areas.
Much of what the study found confirms what we would expect. Between ages 0–6, parents (especially mothers) make most of the buying decisions. From 7–12, mothers still hold the most power over book selections, followed by teachers and fathers. Even teens continue to turn to their parents and teachers for reading ideas, though they also listen to their close friends as well.
Role of Bookstores, Libraries and Author Popularity
The younger the reader, the more influence bookstores and libraries play on book purchases. School book fairs help as well. Both parents and children like to see a book before they purchase it. This means that from 0–6 and 7–12, Amazon is only capturing about 17% of the buying market. Only the most frugal go to the bookstore and walk out to buy it on Amazon.
Young Adult (YA) reading choices may be influenced up to 24% by librarians (displays and recommendations). Bookstores hold less influence. However when it comes to purchasing, most buyers didn’t walk into the store planning to buy a book. They went in to browse. Nearly 80% of the time, when someone walks out of the store with a book, they didn’t plan it, and 40% of the time they made the decision impulsively. They recognized the character or the series and “had to buy it.” Or the title is one that’s by a recognized author that the parent trusts.
Thus, recognition is a key element in buying decisions at every age. However, celebrity holds little value with teen readers. Sequels and familiarity with the author are far more important. Even the description on the back cover isn’t as important.
Resulting Commercial Approach
Electronic versus hard copy is one battle that’s still tipped in hard-copy’s favor. However, under-20 readers are equally comfortable reading electronic versions of most books. It’s this fact that’s making on-demand print models so attractive. An eBook resides as a single asset in a publisher’s inventory. The file that generates a hard copy is also a single asset. If a publisher uses this model, there’s less inventory to carry on the books. However, purchasing publication rights to a book still requires a reasonable expectation that buyers will want the book.
Even with the new model of eBook and hard copy sales, a book has to have major sales potential. This is even more important for a publisher who expects to print the traditional 10,000 copies that make up a minimum run. Thus even as a children’s author, having a ready-to-buy market already established may be a prerequisite to attracting one of the big publishing houses. It’s difficult to compete with Harry Potter or Dr. Seuss.
Yet, compete you must. Children’s books are business. Publishers take few risks. Their profit margins are too narrow.
It’s one of the major reasons self-publishing has become a reputable route to publication in the last 10 years. As long as an author follows the same quality protocols that have guided traditional publishing houses for centuries, there is no reason to ridicule the self-publishing model.
While our children are an important part of the market, we cannot afford to limit available reading material to a profit model. This is the main reason I stand behind print on demand. There are too many books that publishers would see no profit in publishing.
Do you agree that traditional publishers make publishing decisions in the children’s market primarily on whether there’s an opportunity to profit? Is it right to limit our children’s reading options to profitability?
