My Top Ten Reasons to Work in Children's Publishing

1 If, like me, your top reason for wanting to work in publishing is because you love books, then becoming involved in publishing is a great way to express a genuine passion. It certainly helps if you are someone who out of choice, would spend hours in bookshops pouring over book pages.

2 Children’s books matter – and they always will. Reading is such an important part of a child’s development – it sets them on a path for success at school and beyond into adulthood. To very young children that cannot yet read, a book is a genuine joy due to the artwork/design/textures – it's almost a toy – and this enjoyment starts them on a pathway to reading. By contributing to them being made you are actively involved in the advancement of a human being. That has real meaning. Interestingly, during full lockdown, Amazon continually prioritised the delivery of children's books and educational material, quoting them as key items.

3 The product being made is likeable. To be able to hold a book in your hand after months of working on it on-screen, knowing that you’ve been able to turn an idea into a tangible object that has the potential to be loved by a child, is a great thing.

4 You feel that on some small level, you are making someone’s day a little brighter – you are giving a parent something to share with their child. Essentially, you are making something you can be proud of, and that your sales team can sell with integrity – and that is incredibly important.

5 Following trends is fun. Keeping an eye out for what is selling well, what artwork style is selling best, which authors are breaking through is really interesting. Think of Charlie Mackesy – from Instagram to book author to social commentator. An awareness of what is going on in the world and how children are affected is essential for any editor and designer. They need to keep track of topics and subjects that can be integrated into their own publication programme. Even during Covid19 publishers have kept up to date with the needs of children and their families. Nosy Crow released a free book on Corona Virus within weeks.

Publishers who are able to turn books around efficiently and be innovative – even revolutionary – right now, will survive and even thrive in these bizarre times. Nosy Crow have been innovative, making a book that can be downloaded, and revolutionary – giving away what could be a best-seller for free.

6 You will meet and work with a lot of creative people. Working with other creatives helps to draw out your own creativity. The opportunity to discuss artwork styles, design features and other books you have seen allows new ideas to slowly grow to fruition. This forms a positive environment based around teamwork and collaboration.

7 Following on from the last point – you'll interact with lots of different external contributors. For example, you'll speak to authors specialising in everything from zoology to space. You'll work with hundreds of artists and illustrators, experts in paper craft, potentially even animators. 

8 You will gain a lot of transferable skills that can be used in other areas of the media. This is a big plus. Being able to create is an attractive quality in the job market. If you can express that you are forward-thinking, even better. 

9 There is potential (likely to grow) for flexible working or freelancing in the future if you spend time building a network of contacts and friends in the industry.

10 The process of making a book is varied, even when you follow set procedures. Each project is different with its own set of creative complexities. On some books you’ll work with an author that is reliable and who supplies their manuscript on time if not earlier, already typeset for your designer. Others will supply thoughts dashed down on a page and you’ll have to consider whether to send the text back to them. You’ll work with designers who send back layouts that look better than you could have possibly imagined – and ones who haven’t set up files properly. Every single title will be different, meaning you will learn a lot.

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My Top Tips

• Begin familiarising yourself with The Bookseller website if you haven’t already done so: https://www.thebookseller.com and take a look at their free children's guide on the homepage. Also register for newsletters on https://www.publishersweekly.com. 
• Do some online window shopping on the websites below, and make bullet point notes about the kinds of books that are favoured and promoted. Go and do the same in person, when you can. The point here is for you to start noticing who sells what and to notice the titles that appeal to different kinds of booksellers. You will need to know this information.

https://www.waterstones.com/category/childrens-teenage (upper-end bookshop – note publishers may have paid a lot to be featured on homepages)

https://shop.nationaltrust.org.uk/books-stationery/childrens-books.html (tourist destination)

https://www.whsmith.co.uk/books/childrens-books-and-picture-books/bks00080 (high-street shop)

https://www.theworks.co.uk/page/children-s-books (budget bookshop)

https://www.talesonmoonlane.co.uk (an independent bookshop)