A Buyer's Market
Shannon Maughan -- 8/7/00
Children's audio buyers tell PW what influences their purchases
Children's audio buyers have the same tough job as buyers in any industry: keeping up with what their customers and accounts will want to purchase. But there's no crystal ball or magic formula for getting it right; that's why buyers have to rely on past experience. PW recently spoke with buyers from a variety of companies to find out what they look for when considering new children's audio titles.
Please note: due to corporate policy, one of the buyers could not be identified by name. |  | Licensed product, classics and award
winners score high with buyers |
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Children's audio buyer, Borders
Ann Arbor, Mich.
"We sell a diverse range of titles, but our top audiobook sellers are in intermediate fiction and early readers in the read-along format," said this buyer. "When I consider titles, I go with the strength of the author and quality of the production. My number-one priority is deciding who the reader/listener is."
When asked whether the look/packaging of a title influences the decision to purchase, the buyer responded, "Packaging is playing a larger role than in the past due to the great strides that publishers have made to the designs for the trade market. I have fabulous packages that hang on peg board and 'butter' boxes for YA and intermediate fiction."
This buyer is looking forward to the following fall titles: The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman (Listening Library), the reissue of the abridged Chronicles of Narnia Collection by C.S. Lewis (HarperChildren's Audio), Matilda Bone by Karen Cushman (Listening Library) and Irish Myths & Stories by Benedict Flynn (Naxos Audio).
Tony Zavaleta, buyer and marketing director
Earful of Books, Austin, Tex.
"Audiobook series are very popular with our customers. We're always on the lookout for good new ones. Currently, the Harry Potter series is the most popular with both parents and kids. When I consider new titles, I look at the publisher's reputation first. For example, we buy almost everything Listening Library d s, because their production values are pretty much second to none. For that reason, we like carrying those titles and recommending them. We carry Newbery Award winners and other award winners because people often look for those. And I try to talk to customers and store managers as often as I can about what kinds of books kids and parents are into."
Camilla Corcoran, children's audio buyer
Barnes & Noble, New York, N.Y.
"Harry Potter is far and away the leader in the children's audio area right now. We've also been selling a lot of the book-and-tape titles that are tie-ins to this summer's movies: Chicken Run, Thomas the Tank Engine and Dinosaur. A variety of things sell well for us, everything from Wee Sing sing-along tapes (Price Stern Sloan) to titles inspired by TV and video characters--Bear in the Big Blue House, Blue's Clues (both KidRhino) and Arthur (Little, Brown). Classic book properties do very well: Madeline (Penguin Putnam), Dr. Seuss book-and-tape titles (Random House), I Can Read book-and-tape sets (HarperChildren's Audio), titles by Roald Dahl (Harper), E.B. White and Beverly Cleary (Listening Library). And current and recent Newbery winners Bud, Not Buddy and Holes (both Listening Library).
"Author publicity plays a big role when I'm choosing titles. For instance, Harry Potter was already an exciting book and Jim Dale's voice makes it a great audio experience. Book-and-tape titles by celebrities always have strong initial sales, as well.
"Packaging and price point are important. I look at both the quality of the art and whether we'll be able to shelve or peg the title properly in our stores.
"This fall I'm looking forward to Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce (Listening Library) because Pierce's books do so well in our teen section. I also think the Magic Tree House books, which are enormously popular for us, will do very well on audio from Listening Library. And I'm very excited about the new, unabridged Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe read by Michael York, and the Chronicles of Narnia collection (both HarperChildren's Audio). On the music side, I really like the soundtrack to The Powerpuff Girls (Rhino); the TV show is really popular with kids and hipster adults."
Chauni Haslet, owner, All for Kids Books and Music
Seattle, Wash.
"We carry more than 3,600 audio titles, everything from lullabies to storytelling. In audiobooks, we carry more unabridged than abridged. I think it's a great encouragement for reading skills when children can follow along word-for-word with a recording. Besides looking for titles that are unabridged, I look at the interest level. There are very few recordings that I can recommend for five- and six-year-olds. I'd like to see publishers recording more of those first stories. And I wish someone would find a new approach to the classics--there are very few of those recordings that aren't dull. Monterey Soundworks has done some nice ones--abridged titles performed by a full cast.
"We do really well with the Boxcar Children series (Listening Library), Newbery winners and books on the Children's Choices lists. I love the Hank the Cowdog series (Gulf), Holes by Louis Sachar--it really affected me--and who's going to top Jim Dale and those accents for the Harry Potter books?
"In music, we still sell classic artists like Raffi, Burl Ives and Pete Seeger, who are being discovered by a new generation of parents. And Ten Carrot Diamond by Charlotte Diamond (Hug Bug Music) is far and away our bestselling audio title. It's appreciated by parents, kids and teachers."
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