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This is part of the online guide The Basics
of Writing for Children, by Aaron Shepard, found on Aaron
Shepard's Kidwriter Page. Excerpted and adapted from the booklet The
Business of Writing for Children, Second Edition, by Aaron Shepard, Shepard
Publications, 1997. Copyright (c) 1991-1998 by Aaron Shepard. May be freely
copied and shared for any educational, noncommercial purpose.
Children's Book CategoriesThese are general guidelines only. Category names and definitions vary from publisher to publisher, and may be stretched for manuscripts of high quality. Also, please be aware that books are getting shorter! Unless noted, page lengths refer to manuscript pages, based on about 250 words per page.
Picture book. Book in which illustrations balance or dominate the text, often in an oversize format. Typically, text and art are mingled on the page. Standard book length is 32 pages. Preschool to kindergarten. Two to four pages. Includes some "plotless" books -- alphabet, counting, concept. Picture story book. Picture book with more text and plot development. Typically, text and art are separated on the page, and the text could stand alone. Book length is still usually 32 pages, but can be more. Kindergarten to grade 3 or higher. Five to nine pages. Note: Though the distinction is helpful to a writer or illustrator, picture books and picture story books are most often lumped together and just called picture books.
Books in the preceding categories are meant to be read first to children. Books in the following categories are meant to be read mostly by children. Easy reader. An illustrated book for beginning readers, with text dominating pictures. Often split into several stories. Grades 1 and 2. One to twenty pages. Examples: Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat, Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad. Chapter book. A short, illustrated novel, split into brief chapters. Grades 2 and 3. 40-60 pages. Example: Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days!, by Stephen Manes. Young nonfiction. Non-fiction in picture book format. Grades 2 and 3. Ten to twenty pages. Middle-grade book. Grades 4 through 6. Novels -- 100-150 pages; non-fiction -- 60-100 pages. Published in slightly oversized paperback format. Young adult book. Grades 7 and up, but mostly through grade 9. Novels
-- 175-200 pages; romance -- 140-160; non-fiction -- 100-150. Published in
standard paperback format. The "age" of your manuscript is determined by a combination of page length, chapter length, complexity (of language, structure, plot, etc.), subject matter, theme, and age of main character. Book Publisher CategoriesTrade publisher. Sells directly and indirectly to bookstores, libraries, and schools. Typically offers royalties and an advance. Trade books are the most likely to be reviewed in important publications and to be purchased widely by bookstores and libraries. Most large trade publishers are in New York City. Often called publishing "houses," many of them shelter various "imprints" -- publishing divisions under individual editorial direction.Small press or small publisher or independent publisher. A trade publisher on a smaller scale than the giants in New York. May depend largely on mail order sales. May offer royalties with minimal or no advance, or a flat fee. Books are often specialized in subject matter and/or approach. NOTE: A small press may put more care into your book and keep it in print longer, and may also be smarter at marketing to a specialized audience. But for a more general audience, it seldom can match the promotion and distribution capabilities of a major publisher. (The same applies to self-publishing.) Mass market publisher. Sells directly and indirectly to bookstores and other retail outlets -- discount stores, supermarkets, etc. Typically offers royalties and an advance. Mass market books are not often reviewed, but can achieve impressive distribution. Educational publisher. Publishes educational materials for sale through specialized channels. May offer royalties with minimal or no advance, or a flat fee. Religious publisher. Publishes religious materials for sale through specialized channels. May offer royalties with minimal or no advance, or a flat fee. Book packager or developer. Sells ideas for single books or series to publishers, then subcontracts writers and illustrators to provide material. May offer royalties with minimal or no advance, or a flat fee. Can provide steady work, but often with low pay and no recognition. Subsidy or co-op or vanity publisher. Publishes manuscripts for a fee. NOTE: Regardless of claims, vanity publishers do not effectively promote or distribute books. You are advised to avoid them. If you only wish copies of your book for family, friends, and local bookstores, self-publishing can be much cheaper. Bookseller CategoriesRetailer. Buys books from publishers, wholesalers, and distributors, and sells them to their final owners, at or near the book's cover price. Retailers come in many forms, including stores, catalogs, book fairs, book clubs, Web sites. The largest of the retailers are the superstore chains like Barnes & Noble and Borders. However, independent (locally-owned) children's bookstores are extremely influential in the children's book field and sometimes determine the fate of a book.Wholesaler. Buys books in quantity from publishers at a deep discount, then sells them at a lesser discount to retailers, libraries, and sometimes schools. With local or regional warehousing and a broad range of titles, wholesalers serve as convenient middlemen. Typically, a bookstore might order a new book first from the publisher, then rely on a wholesaler for quick restocking. Two giants dominate this field: Ingram, and Baker & Taylor. Distributor. Stocks books of certain publishers, at a deep discount or on consignment, and sells them at discount to retailers and sometimes libraries and schools. Unlike a wholesaler, which merely takes orders, a distributor has salespeople actively selling to accounts. The publishers represented are generally smaller ones without their own salespeople. Some distributors operate also as wholesalers. |
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