A World of Opportunities in Book Publishing
Monday, March 21, 2011 at 4:48PM The book publishing industry is forever changed. As consumers have grown comfortable making online purchases, they've been abandoning brick and mortar stores for the ease of shopping at home. That fact combined with a retail recession has created a tremendous negative impact on large chain and small bookstores alike. A third factor in the equation is the transformation of print readership to digital e-readers and files. The publishing industry has been transformed, and it will never be the same. We think this is wonderful news for those who wish to publish children's books.
Why?
The children's market will always desire print publications. Yes, digital publications will grow and be part of the landscape, but the children's market will always hold a strong place for print. And as distribution channels of large and small bookstores dwindle, we have to ask ourselves to consider the buying habits of those who purchase books for children.
If you ask a successful, traditionally published children's author where they sell the most books today, they will most likely tell you that school programs, community events, speaking engagements, conferences, and their own websites tend to be the most target-rich environments for quality sales. The fact remains that regardless of how a book came to be, an author will most likely need to connect with these venues in order to cultivate sales. Through a traditional publisher, the author will receive a small royalty per book when books are sold this way. If you are independently published, you see 100% of your profit per book.
It sounds easy - and if it were easy, everyone would be doing it, right?
Whether your book is published traditionally or through your own label, it still needs to be good. This has been the missing link for many who have chosen to "self-publish." In order to compete, it is imperative to put your book through the rigors of strong editorial, custom design, and a quality printing process. If you do, you will have a high-quality, professionally produced publication, and there will be a world of opportunities ahead.
