Children's Literature @ NYPL

Children's Literary Salon in Retrospect: Publishing in the 21st Century on December 6

NYPL
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

I was happy to attend a session of the kid lit salon that again featured Leonard Marcus, a brilliant scholar of children's literature. The event is held at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. Betsy Bird, Youth Materials Specialist at NYPL, introduced the program. Jane Breskin Zalben (author) moderated the panel, which consisted of Laurent Linn (Art Director, Simon & Schuster), Leonard Marcus (author), Neal Porter (Editor, Roaring Brook), Caroline Ward (Librarian, Ferguson Library), Susan Roth (artist), and Elizabeth Harding (Agent, Curtis Brown). 

What Makes Books Sell?

Zalben asked the panelists to discuss the future of children's publishing. She wondered if Goodnight Moon would be successful if it had first been published in this decade. It was first published in 1947, and it did not sell well for the first decade.

Someone opined that it would not sell well.

Harding believes that now is an exciting time for picture book publishing. Today, picture books are not driven by Fancy Nancy or Pinkalicious, as they were a couple of years ago. It is difficult to predict what will sell well. Editors take projects that speak to them. Quiet books are not currently selling well.

Ward mentioned that one of the panelists (Porter) has done with quiet books.

Porter said that sales for Sick Day for Amos McGee were slow but steady. Quiet, steady books still strike a chord in the noisy world in which we live.

Leonard remarked that the success of some books hinges on librarian recommendations. Goodnight Moon opened up an entirely new genre of books for kids.

Roth stated that the words in Goodnight Moon resonate with kids.

Book Awards and Art Shows

Ward commented that there are more submissions for the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer and New Illustrators Awards nowadays. She is on the board. This is one of the few awards that acknowledges new talent. It is exciting to see the new work that is out there. Publishers are taking big risks in their quest for new books. Luckily, her public library has a good budget, and it buys much commercial material due to customer demand.

Linn mentioned that there were over 600 submissions for the Original Art exhibit of the Society of Illustrators. There is great variety in the subject matter of the books and the art.

Zalben met Linn when they both attended the Original Art exhibit. Large publishers are buying out small publishers. However, there are some self-published books out there.

Linn said that self-published books are not eligible for the Original Art exhibit.

Zalben stated that there was an argument on the committee of the Ezra Jack Keats Awards as to whether one of Brian Selznick's books should be accepted, since it is a graphic novel.

Porter mentioned that children's publishing is a dynamic field, and the definition of picture books is changing.

Linn notices kids playing video games nowadays. Kids do not think of books in the same categories that we do (e.g. trade books and mass market books).

Leonard believes that the book world is regenerative. Trends are cyclical. There are currently three museums in the United States devoted to children's books: the Mazza Museum, the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, and one other. Publishers are rethinking how to make print books available to kids. The digital revolution has served to reemphasize why physical books are so important to kids.

E-Books

Zalben likes the one-on-one intimacy of having a picture book to read to a child in ones lap. She asked the panelists if fewer books are currently being published for kids. She knows of some ebook publishing houses.

Roth finds e-books for kids difficult to get used to. She is a grandmother, and she likes paper. She is old-fashioned.

Zalben thinks that e-books are like movies in that they are often animated.

Porter asked Roth to discuss the process of epublishing. He knows that it is faster. One size works better for translation into digital formats. The picture has to fit on the screen. He knows of one book that was an ebook prior to becoming a print work, but it usually works the other way. Electronic art has to be photographed from a particular size in order for it to work.

Zalben tried her hand at epublishing, but it was way too much work, so she abandoned it. However, authors can get royalties from the sale of e-books.

Ward is a librarian, and she sees the end of the publishing process: the product. There is a vibrant market selection from which to choose. Libraries are starting to purchase circulating iPads that have apps already downloaded onto them. They are very popular, and they have many requests. As soon as they are returned, the next people in line check them out. Her public library is spending $20,000 this year on e-books. However, there is an annual $3,000 subscription fee for the e-books, which she does not want to pay. Librarians are trained to help patrons download e-books. Interestingly enough, some out-of-print books are now available as e-books.

Harding said that Curtis Brown just had its centennial. They have shelves of some out-of-print books, which they have decided to revitalize by publishing them as e-books. 

Zalben raised the question of how the proliferation of e-books affect kids. She believes that kids should be looking at books from birth, and she has heard that kids are not supposed to have electricity near their brains before they reach the age of two years.

Linn told us that picture e-books have words that can be spoken aloud. Applications (apps), on the other hand, are much more interactive. You can play some of them like you play video games. Apps may require 400 illustrations because they are essentially videos. Picture books, conversely, require 32 or so illustrations. Also, apps are very inexpensive; some sell for 99 cents. In 2013, e-books were 3% of Simon & Schuster's sales; in 2014, e-books comprised 2% of sales. Illustrators think of print books first. Picture books have a defined size (e.g. 9" X 10"). Some illustrations have so much detail. With electronic devices, the artists do not know which size the kids will see the pictures. Unfortunately, kids might miss vital portions of the illustrations if they cannot see the detail on an iPhone that the artist intended them to. The pictures tell part of the story in picture books, and this is why conversion of print books to e-books can result in lower quality work. Some picture books may not lend themselves well to being converted to e-books.

Porter agreed that there has yet to be created a format for e-books for kids that are as effective as picture books at helping kids develop the burgeoning literacy skills that they will require in order to succeed in life. He is gratified that the world has recognized this. The children's publishing industry is currently quite healthy. 

Zalben is open to different forms of entertainment. There can be different formats for a book. This is similar to sometimes being in the mood for a book and sometimes in the mood for a movie.

Porter sees illustrators and authors possibly working together in the future to create something that is not a print book or an electronic book. Perhaps the new product will involve some animation.

Print Books

Linn stressed that the book is not broken. Also, he admonished people to recognize that being a fan of paper is not old-fashioned. Perhaps we could re-envision liking print books as new-fashioned. He personally does not want to carry five books to the beach; he would rather bring an iPad. However, he owned many books when he was a kid. He wonders how to get that feeling with e-books. I suppose that you could save the digital files.

Harding has four young boys in her house, and consequently they have many books. There is an expectation that devices will be interactive, while books are more passive. The two formats provide a qualitatively different experience for the user or reader.

Ward mentioned that some of the print books that have metamorphosed into apps have been terrific. One of the Beatrix Potter books has been transformed into an app. However, some of the apps do not generate enough capital in order to justify the cost. Sometimes, when e-books are viewed on smaller devices, the text and pictures become separated, resulting in a disjointed experience. Viewing e-books on iPads provides the best experience; however, some inexpensive devices do not display e-books well.

What the Future Will Bring

Zalben asked the panelists to provide any parting words about the world of children's publishing and where it is headed in the future.

Ward proclaimed the libraries are evolving along with the digital revolution.

Zalben is not  in favor of some libraries' decision to remove comfortable seating to create a techno atmosphere. That seating is crucial to allow customers to feel at home in the library. It creates a venue for mothers to connect with other mothers, and the kids can crawl on the floor and look at books. This is more natural for them.

Linn opined that storytelling is at the crux of children's publishing and it's very reason for existence. Kids love stories and they will always love stories. Print books are not disappearing, and the book professions will continue to exist and hopefully thrive. 

Porter agreed that storytelling will always serve to entertain and transmit cultural values and expectations.

Linn traveled to China, which has recently discovered and begun to publish picture books. In 2004, there were 50 picture books being published in China. In 2014, there are 2,000 different picture books being published there.

Audience Questions 

Zalben opened up the floor to audience questions.

Bird needed to let an NYPL staff member make a correction about when the library started serving preschoolers.

Lamb provided some historical context for when United States libraries started serving kids. In the late 19th century, the Hartford, CT public library started provided books and activities for juveniles. In the mid-20th century, the sentiment began to arise across the country that public libraries could serve preschool-age children. This impacted the production of picture books. Nowadays, public libraries provide baby lapsits. Three and four-month old babies participate in listening to simple stories and songs. She loves seeing all of what is out there in terms of literature in the variety of formats in which it is published.

An audience member asked the panelists to elucidate what they mean by "quiet books."

Zalben mentioned that it has to do with language, pacing, rhythm and tone.

Marcus said that many books are now being reviewed by the readers on their own terms.

Zalben piggybacked by saying that Goodreads produces a different quality review that you get from professionals who have much training in the field (ie. School Library Journal or Hornbook).

Linn likes reputable reviews. Since it is impossible to read all of the books that are out there, those sources help people figure out which books to purchase.

Another person asked how the editors sell books.

Porter likes to use word-of-mouth. Certain books can take a long time to sell. Blogging helps get the word out.

Bird likes Julie Danielson's blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. The two coauthored a book with the late Peter Sieruta. In the blog, Danielson describes and shows the process of creating picture book illustrations.

Harding mentioned the dearth of picture books in Barnes & Noble. She advises authors and illustrators to carefully and thoughtfully promote their work.

Upcoming Children's Literary Salons

Saturday, January 3 at 2 p.m.
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, South Court Auditorium
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