Month: May 2005

The New Trend

Some CBA publishers have dabbled in the YA marketplace, and not done well economically. When you sell a book for only $4.99 it’s a challenge to make money from it.

More recently books geared for older youths are selling in trade format in the $12 range. They run 300 pages or more, and cater to the same kids who gobbled up Harry Potter and Tolkien. Witness the success of Bryan Davis’ Dragons In Our Midst series, and Donita K. Paul’s Dragonspell series, both of which launched in the CBA market, but have now crossed over to selling on the shelves of Wal*Mart.

Some have called these types of fiction crossover fiction in that the fiction transcends the YA audience to appeal to older youth and adults alike.

If you’re writing to sell, take note of this trend!

The Economics of Trade vs. MM Formats

Consider the economics of book publishing, particularly in the CBA (Christian Booksellers) marketplace.

Fiction books are typically published in either hardback, trade paperback (5"x8" to 6”x9”) or mass-market paperback (4"x7") formats. When was the last time you saw a CBA fiction book in a mass-market paperback format? [Tip: some refer to these formats with the abbreviations ‘HC’ (hard cover), ‘Trade’ (trade paperback), and ‘MM’ (mass-market paperback)].

Why do CBA publishing houses avoid this size?

Economics. The CBA marketplace is a bit different than the books you see at the grocery store or other market outlets. CBA booksellers cater to a niche market, and customers will buy a trade paperback as readily as a mass-market paperback. The trade paperback may command $12 while a mass-market paperback sells for no more than $8.

Do the math. You can see which will make the publisher more money.

Young Adult (YA) novels don’t look like YA books anymore. Walk into any bookstore and you’ll see the books becoming bigger, thicker, and with beautiful covers.

The marketplace for Young Adult books is changing. Two reasons:

1) Harry Potter & Tolkien Books
2) The Economics of Trade vs. MM Formats

Harry Potter & Tolkien Books

First let’s think about the Harry Potter effect. Prior to H.K. Rowling’s blockbuster success with the Harry Potter series, conventional wisdom was that young adults wouldn’t read books over 200 pages. Harry Potter books are thick, almost Bible-like in size.

Now things have changed. Youngsters have voted with their pocketbooks to purchase books in the 300 to 400 page range. The Lord Of The Rings movies then rode on the coattails of Harry Potter to sell 400-500 pages books to a YA audience.

To be fair, this is really a change in the older YA marketplace. The 10 to 15 year old crowd has blossomed into a distinct buying group whose demand publishers are now rushing to fill.

Tomorrow we'll talk about the way economics is shaping the market.