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Publishing

A New Year Means a New Focus

Photo of a camera shutter representing a new focus

A lot has happened for me in 2014. This year, I graduated with my MBA from Anderson University. That is something I would have never thought of doing five years ago. If you would have asked me in early 2010 what my career goals were, I would have said I just want to continue being a designer and illustrator.

I don’t regret my career choice, and I consider design and illustration two great career choices. They allowed me to have a long career in publishing. They helped me feed two kids and for a time, allowed my wife to stay home with them. It was a great ride.

But about five years ago, I realized the world had changed dramatically, and it would do no good to ignore it. Technology has fundamentally changed the world of publishing and graphic design.

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Publishing

2013 Children’s Product Trends

Cartoon of two men. One is disheveled and looks like a bum. The other says, “When your wife goes away on a business trip, you really let yourself go.”

One of my highlights las week was to hear Children’s Product Trends for 2013 by Dr. Mary Manz Simon. I took a few pages of sketch notes. You can see them here:

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s2/sh/066b3038-3e58-45f6-b9af-dba60afce353/6a780d060b4a2a636d8992223f2521e2

I was excited to see Warner Press‘ Fun Family Devotions highlighted as one of this year’s products.

Christian Elden has done a great job designing this and Wilson Williams Jr. did a fantastic job on illustrating the cover.

Here are some of the highlights from the seminar:

  • VeggieTales is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
  • Smart phones are continuing to affect children’s publishing as well as publishing in general
  •  Brick and mortar stores are still an important part of a shopper’s experience. Don’t assume everything is online!
  • Picture books were pronounced dead two years ago. Now they’re back (yes, it’s a cycle)
  • Books with pictures are receiving a resurgence.
    • Graphic novels are becoming mainstream in Christian publishing
    • Comic books for middle readers are also popular
    • Middle grade, illustrated books are trending up because we live in a visually oriented world.

I am excited that visually oriented books are seen as a trend once again. Let’s face it, nobody wants to read block after block of text, especially a fourth grader that is connected to the Internet. We like to see some pictures.

On the whole, I feel excited about children’s publishing. It is a good time for author/illustrators. Let’s get those products out there so the kids have something they want to read!

 

 

Thomas Nelson adds self-publishing division

This article caught my eye today. The largest Christian publisher in the United States announced they are starting a self-publishing division called WestBow Press.


Is this technology that’s changing the landscape or economics? I see it as a little of both.

Technology has enabled self-publishing to be more affordable and easier to use. After all, I can comment on an article just a day old and it becomes published in the blog world.

Economics is also driving this. Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson, had this quote: “Publishers aren’t omniscient. “We miss numerous opportunities every year. Finding the next best-seller is like searching for a needle in a haystack. WestBow Press provides us with a kind of ‘farm team.’ We intend to watch the sales of these titles carefully.”

One one hand, it’s never been easier to get your book published. On the other hand, you will be expected to make more of an investment in the future. Self-publishing means you invest your money in your book. This may weed out people who are not committed to their manuscript. However, the haves will have an advantage over the have-nots. No money, no book.

What do you think?

Here’s the link to the article: “Thomas Nelson adds self-publishing division”
And here’s Michael Hyatt’s blog.
Speartoons are examples of my sketches and cartoons Please respect my copyright and ask first before you would use them.
All art copyright 2008 Kevin Spear. Use of graphics is prohibited without prior written consent.
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