Resources: Trends in Children's Book Publishing
Suggested online resources for more information on trends and not-exactly-trends in children's book publishing--these short lists are not exhaustive. Items on them may address specific trends (types of books) or much larger ones (the economy).
General
- Trends in the 1990's--This is a compendium about business trends I created several years ago. It's a snapshot of some of the trends and events of the 1990's.
- Panel Discussion about the Future of the Industry -- April 2009.
- Is Reading Dead? (No): A study reported on by Wired in January 2010.
- UK Sales Trends
- Publishers Weekly: The trade journal for publishing and the first place to go for authoritative information on the business.
- The Children's Book Council: The trade association for children's book publishers.
- Association of American Publishers
- Publishing Trends
- Book Industry Study Group
The Recession of 2008-2009
- MediaPost Publications - The Future Of Media Round Table - 09/15/2008
- Have We Reached the End of Book Publishing As We Know It? -- New York Magazine
- Cold Outside in Book Publishing
- Carol Reidy of S&S on the Publishing Environment
- AAP Reports 2008 Book Sales - 3/31/2009 - PW
- BISG on 2008 and 2009 Book Sales
- Outlook for the Economy -- May 2009
Specific "Trends"
- The Tween Market: A 2002 piece in Publishers Weekly
- Problem: Boys Don't Like to Read. Solution: Books That Are Really Gross - WSJ.com
- “Think Future” Panel Debates What Makes a YA a YA - 4/30/2008 - PW
- Embracing Technology in a YA World - 7/17/2008 - PW
News 2008
- September Bookstore Sales
- Hope for the Holidays: A Bookseller Survey
- Small Publisher Postpones Spring List
- What Kids Are Reading
- Strategic Changes at Candlewick
- Philadelphia Closes Libraries
- Looking Back: The 1974 Macmillan Massacre - 4/10/2008 - PW
News 2009
- The Effect of the Economy on the Bologna Book Fair
- Small Decline in Book Sales Projected for 2009 - 4/27/2009 - PW
- Simon and Schuster Q1 Results - 5/7/2009 - PW
- More On-Demand than Traditionally Printed Titles in 2008 - May '09 - PW
- State Tax Revenues Continue to Decline
- One Publisher's Status: Scholastic Mid-2009 (July PW Daily)
Recommended book:
Minders of Make-Believe by Leonard Marcus: A concise and readable history of American children's publishing from Colonial times through the mid-1990's.