Publishing quality children’s books that sell demands considering all shopper motivations

Getting parents to exchange their hard-earned cash for a kids’ book can be a challenge in a down economy, but moms and dads will still plunk down the money if they are motivated.

“Purchases are made because of content,” said Laura Minchew, senior vice president and publisher of specialty publishing at Thomas Nelson. “Story, felt need, message, the look of the book—these things motivate a buyer.”

Publishers walk a fine line when it comes to price, consider how much is a consumer willing to pay and what value-added elements will make them feel they are getting a good deal. 

Overall, there is a changing landscape in kids’ books, including new authors, publishers and partnerships. 

This fall marks B&H Kids’ first full release cycle since re-entering the children’s market. Since its launch, B&H has seen its children’s books become best-sellers, its Firebird book receiving a 2013 Christian Book Award nomination from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, and more than 25 titles releasing this fall and winter. 

And partnerships are deepening product lines for companies like DaySpring, which recently entered into an agreement with Crayola, a company with a 99% brand awareness and considered the number-one brand by moms. Clearly, kids’ publishing is broadening and diversifying. 

In this year when children’s issues have taken center-stage, Christian publishers are addressing key issues that affect kids, including bullying, and are looking to provide books that relate to the new Common Core Standards national education initiative.

DOWN-AGING AUTHORS

Best-selling Christian market authors have been dropping into kid space of late. 

“We’ve always had some of this movement, but the massive down-aging is huge,” said Mary Manz Simon, children’s market specialist, who will lead her 19th consecutive Children’s Trends Workshop at this month’s International Christian Retail Show. 

Examples of authors down-aging include Randy Alcorn, who wrote his first graphic novel for tweens for Kingstone Media. Eternity ($16.99) is a “testament to the sobering, yet hopeful word that Christ gave in the book of Luke,” said Art Ayris, CEO of Kingstone Media. 

The June release features artwork by Javier Saltares, a former Marvel illustrator on such projects as Wolverine.

Adult authors transitioning to writing for the younger set often receive a boost because women who purchase trade titles are most often the same purchaser of children’s books, said Annette Bourland, senior vice president and publisher at Zondervan. 

“These authors are trusted by parents and have an established platform,” Bourland said. “Consumers begin their purchase search by starting with a product or a person they recognize, then move outward from there.”

Bible teacher Joyce Meyer is one example of an author who has moved into kids’ books, finding success with her first two Zonderkidz titles, Every Which Way to Pray and Field of Peace. Meyer returned in May with two new kids’ titles. Wonderfully Made ($15.99) is the third in the “Everyday Zoo” series, and The Precious Princess Bible Doodle Book ($7.99) features 75 stickers and activities, including decorating a pair of royal slippers, designing a princess gown and creating an invitation to a royal ball. 

Best-selling author and blogger Angie Smith, wife of Selah lead singer Todd Smith, partners with a 20-year-old illustrator Breezy Brookshore for her first children’s book. Audrey Bunny (October, $14.99) is about a stuffed animal that fears her imperfections will make her less worthy of a little girl’s love. This B&H Kids story ties into Smith’s I Will Carry You, which details the passing five years ago of the Smiths’ newborn daughter Audrey. 

At Thomas Nelson, Max Lucado’s new holiday book for kids, Itsy Bitsy Christmas ($14.99), is a hardcover jacketed September release that tells the nativity story from a new point of view. 

Following Colleen Coble’s April release of Rock Harbor Search and Rescue (Thomas Nelson), a middle-grade novel based on her best-selling “Rock Harbor” series for adults, she returns in July with her first preschool children’s title. The Blessings Jar ($12.99) is a board book that celebrates the bond between grandparents and grandchildren and teaches little ones an important lesson about recognizing even the smallest of God’s blessings and being thankful for them all.

“Authors like Lucado and Coble are great writers with an established brand, core audience and a proven track record,” said Minchew. “They are ideal to partner with on children’s books because their strong stories with empowering messages can be easily translated for the younger crowd. “

Written by New York Times best-selling author Mark Batterson and illustrated by Antonio Caparo, The Circle Maker for Kids (August, $15.99, Zonderkidz) reveals the true legend of Honi the circle maker, a man whose bold prayer for rain saved a generation. 

PRICING PRODUCTS

Although some publishers forecast the death of the picture book two years ago, Simon said the format is still alive. 

Instead, “parents are using print books as a vehicle to spend screen-less high-quality bonding time with kids,” she said.

But Simon cautions publishers to be realistic about pricing these books. Her advice is straightforward: “Forget a $14.99 SRP.”

The picture book may not be dead, but Noelle Pederson, manager of Lion Hudson Distribution for Kregel Publications, said there have always been very few buyers in the Christian market willing to pay for them. In fact, she believes this category seems to be suffering in the Christian market even more than in the general market. 

“I suspect it may be our tendency to value utility over aesthetic,” she said. “Why buy a book like Creation Song [Kregel backlist] that has imaginative, colorful, hand-drawn illustrations when it’s simply Genesis retold?” 

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