What does the public want?

[kangaroobee]

Hi there,

Lots of mums on here seem to mention series yet publishers today turn away from authors suggesting series. What happened to producing what the public want. You've guessed it I'm a picture book writer hoping to get published this year www.kangaroobee.wordpress.com
I have a few different stories (fairies, frogs)but I am the most interested in giraffe at the zoo. I try and think of other characters because of the series problem, but I can see so many adventures for giraffe I find it hard to try something else. I would love to know if kids prefer series or one off books.
I have a few classics on the shelf like The Gruffalo and I love Night Monkey Day Monkey, but one of my ds favourites is Duck on a Bike by David Shannon. I have noticed a lot of books in bookstores at the moment seem to be characters from the TV, which aren't always the best literary material. Food for thought anyway.
Thanks

I suspect a publisher does not want to risk a series from an unknown author/illustrator. Instead they prefer a one-off book, see how it sells, then try others of similar type.

Have you considered building up a fan base first, for example by producing a self-published book... as a free PDF perhaps. Promote via Facebook, Twitter etc.

Julia Donaldson didn't start out writing children's books - find out how she did start out (sorry it's a link to the DM). Publishers seem to come to authors, so if you build up a following, then maybe a publisher will get in touch.

Publishers don't want series ideas from new authors - books take years to polish before publishing, so imagine how long a whole series would take!

Also, although they know the market fairly well, publishers also don't know how the market is going to receive a book and, indeed, even if it is well received, whether the market is going to change before a series is fully published.

Maybe try sending one to publishers first before you write any more?

Thanks for the feedback, I hadn't thought of that. Although I have about 6 books ready I am trying to get going on twitter and blogging before I send them out to publishers.

i am a children's book obsessive and rarely if ever buy tv characters

i just think there are so many amazing books out there spanning decades... only the odd shop stocks the type of books i buy