Peter Economy - Writing Children's Books For Dummies

At the largest publishing companies what kinds of children’s books are always hot? “It seems to me that we’re becoming increasingly cyclical, so there’s very little that’s always hot. Picture books, for example, seem to go into downturns every ten years or so. Series books are less cyclical than they used to be. And nothing is more cyclical than licensed publishing, which goes up and down like a roller coaster every few years. Probably the steadiest category is fantasy; everyone likes to think that Harry Potter made fantasy into a bestselling genre, but the truth is that people like Philip Pullman and Brian Jacques were selling huge numbers long before J. K. Rowling came along.”

What kinds of books are most always not hot? “Picture books with long texts, expensive books based on holidays that can’t command high price points (like Halloween), and books that have depressing endings! I can’t think of a genre, though, that’s never hot.”

What turns a one-off children’s book title into a contender for a series? “A wonderful character (or characters). People can sometimes enjoy a great book that doesn’t have an impactful, memorable character, but a great character can supersede an otherwise mediocre book, leaving your readers clamoring for more.”

Any advice for new writers? “Do your homework and listen!”

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