Author: Vidya Prabhakar
About a generation back, most young readers in India were exposed to books largely from the West. A glimpse of Indian writing was limited to the Amar chitra katha comic series and a few children’s magazines like Champak, Tinkle and Target.
Refreshingly, these trends are gradually changing. With more and more Indian writers & illustrators entering the scene, we are now able to cross cultural borders. India has a rich story telling tradition which can be banked on for making impressive children’s books.
Trends
India has a largely non-literate society. The market for children’s books can be divided grossly into good quality books for the urban English speaking elite and mediocre books for the growing middle class. Dearth of structured investment in community libraries, school libraries and specialised book shops limit the accessibility of good books to young readers. The key elements to publishing a good children’s book are easy text, attractive illustrations, fine paper quality, clear printing, simple language and above all affordable rates.
The entry of large multinationals like Scholastic and Disney is changing the dimensions of children’s publishing. As a result, Indian publishers are concentrating on their children’s book departments to meet competition and provide quality children’s literature at affordable prices! This will result in higher standards & more creativity, a very welcome change thereby opening up opportunities for new writers & illustrators.
The last 10-15 years has seen an emergence of private publishing houses such as Tulika publications, Tara publications ( both of which have been featured in the Publishers weekly), Apple books , Navneet Publications ( which plans to come up with eBook-learning products) .
What genres are Editors and Publishers looking for?
For those of you who are interested in writing & illustrating for children, there are plenty of areas to work on. I have tried to classify them by age group.
Children Under 5: Board books are very popular at this age group. These include word and counting books, introduction to concepts, nursery rhymes and picture identification books. Vibrant colours, simple & engaging text and top quality artwork are critical since these books are read aloud by adults.
Ages 4 – 8: Books for this age range are created keeping in mind that the child is just learning to read. Picture books with silly, wacky, humorous stories and easily identifiable characters along with short sentences works best for this age group.
Preteens: The success of Harry potter books has increased the popularity of dragons, wizards and gnomes. Fantasy, adventure and mystery are a hit with this age group. This age group requires action and solid stories with an uncomplicated plot. Short story collections are still popular in this segment. In case of non-fiction, the text must be lively and well organized. It is important to note that in this age group, books based on India folklore and mythology are hugely popular in the NRI market. These books are seen as a bridge by NRI parents to acquaint their children with their culture and roots.
Teens & Young adults: This age group has the capacity to understand and probe larger ideas. Fiction for this group has to be a little more advanced in style and plot .Values and feelings can be explored. Non fiction books need to adopt a lively readable style to stimulate the reader. Fantasy, travel related books and stories, biographies and realistic stories also find a place in the young adult market.
The other genres that are sought after include puzzle and game books, activity books that include magic/craft and science projects, books that offer pop-ups and other such tactile items for children to manipulate. Non fiction books on typical curriculum topics like environment, dinosaurs and such will likely be popular with publishers. Book translations, Poetry (short and simple verse) are gaining ground as well.
Future Prospects
Early literacy in India is gradually gaining focus. The need for good books for children is being recognised. There is room for being creative & innovative by exploring things from our everyday life in new, novel and exciting ways. Books that reflect our ethnic & cultural diversity with text and pictures while being affordable will be the ones to look forward to.
Highly creative writers and illustrators can help create wonderful children’s books. Simply focus on interesting and unexplored aspects of a child’s everyday life – that will provide you enough inspiration to work on a children’s book.
About the author:
Full Name: Vidya Prabhakar – Vidya is a Chartered Accountant and a Psychology postgraduate. She has worked in finance, banking and the content development industry. Reading, writing, baking and needle crafting are among her many pursuits.
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