Sunday, August 2, 2015

Deborah Halverson: Up-To-The-Minute Market Report



Author Deborah Halverson creates and updates the SCBWI Market Report (available as a member benefit within "The Book: Essential Guide To Publishing For Children" at scbwi.org, under 'resource library.')



Taking us inside our publishing world numbers, Deborah offers a "behind the scenes look," telling us about new submission opportunities, the influence of media tie-ins (John Green's "The Fault In Our Stars" was the top-selling e-book last year), how readers have settled into a mindset of multiple formats, and what editors are interested in seeing more of.

Deborah's keynote is packed – packed! – with information. Some highlights by age-category:

Picture Books
Diversity is important, but still need strength of story and craft as well.

Chapter Books
Editors are interested in highly illustrated upper chapter books/lower middle grade.

Middle Grade
Lots of interest in Middle Grade fiction. "Everything goes in middle grade."

Young Adult
Editors are wanting books that "push beyond a black and white view of the world."

Woven through with quotes from her interviews with editors and agents, we're getting an incredible snapshot of our industry. Two more tidbits:

There's a "sense of dynamism" re: Indie Bookstores

one editor was looking for middle grade that has "a literary soul with commercial legs."



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