In the world of children's books, publishers are always looking to expand readership. National programs such as First Book, Reach Out and Read, Reading Is Fundamental, Prescription for Reading and others are making great strides in not only getting the word out about books, but putting millions of books directly into the hands of young readers. Children's publishers have the built-in advantage of gaining new readers all the time, though, of course, they are losing readers constantly, too, as kids progress out of various age groups.
Recently, a number of children's publishers have developed programs intended to increase readership across the board, rather than for a particular title or series. What follows is a sampling of those programs.
In spring 2001, author Jon Scieszka spearheaded the launch of a campaign called Guys Read, designed to get the attention of "the guys in the back of the room," boys who most likely do not read for pleasure. The Guys Read program provides brochures listing books that boys might like to read, aimed at adults who work with children and books.
In a similar vein, Walker & Company, in conjunction with author/illustrator Kevin O'Malley, is kicking off a campaign called Dads Read, in an attempt to teach fathers about books they might want to read to their children. O'Malley, who's been a stay-at-home dad since his children were young, noticed that the books his wife picked to read to their children were very different from the books that he chooses. "Fathers have a different sensibility," he says, adding that he likes to read books that are "funny, exciting, and adventurous, not sweet and cuddly."
In response to his frustration at not finding enough dad-friendly books, he has written and illustrated a picture book called Mount Olympus Basketball, which Walker will publish this spring. In a twist on Greek mythology, the book provides the play-by-play of a basketball game between the gods and mortals. Emily Easton, O'Malley's editor, says, "Girls are always the ones who pick up the Greek mythology books. Kevin wanted to give boys the chance to learn about Greek mythology, but in a fun way for them."
In order to spread the word about Dads Read, O'Malley and his publisher have come up with a list of books they think fit the bill of fun, exciting and adventurous. They will also be soliciting booksellers, educators and librarians to contribute lists of books they think are appropriate for this campaign, and hope to have a Dads Read shelf of books in bookstores and libraries for Father's Day.
This past fall, Harcourt Children's Books created a newspaper called Now Read This!, aimed at readers ages eight to 15. According to Sarah Shealy, associate director of publicity, the newspaper was distributed free through bookstores and libraries, and contained such features as author interviews, humorous classified ads, a crossword puzzle and an advice column. "We're hoping this effort will support our increased commitment to our fiction line," Shealy explains, "by attracting kids directly to our books and exposing them to new series or authors they might not have encountered before."
In April, Simon & Schuster will launch a monthly online book club for teens called Check Your Pulse (named for its teen imprint, Pulse). According to director of marketing Suzanne Murphy, the author will participate in a live online discussion, and there will also be Web postings so that readers can talk about the book with each other. "To kick it off, we'll be concentrating on books that we publish," Murphy says, "but eventually we'll be taking suggestions from kids and may be choosing books from other publishers as well."
More than five million mini-editions of S&S books were inserted into boxes of Cheerios that went on sale in early December, thanks to a Spoonfuls of Cereal promotion done in conjunction with General Mills. "The audience for Cheerios is much wider than the book-buying audience," Murphy points out, "and this is a great way to turn them on to reading. It gives kids a book to own, and hopefully it'll affect some lives and have some effect on reading in the family."
In another food-related promotion, HarperCollins Children's Books, along with Nestle Tollhouse Cookie Dough, embarked on a cross-promotion this past fall for If You Take a Mouse to School. The promotion included a consumer writing contest, as well as exposure for the book in neck hangers on 20,000 milk cartons in Winn-Dixie stores. Diane Naughton, director of children's marketing, calls the campaign a success in reaching new readers, because through Nestle's marketing, the book was seen by many children and adults who may not have known about the title.
Barefoot Books hosted several successful events this past fall in hopes of attracting new readers. More than 2,000 entries were submitted for the company's first poetry and art competition. Based on its March 2000 title Someone I Like: Poems About People, students in Massachusetts were asked to write and illustrate their own poem focusing on the importance of relationships. Awards were given to 18 young artists statewide.
Barefoot also hopes to reach new readers through a direct-sales initiative launching in June. According to president Nancy Traversy, the company has a track record of direct selling in the U.K., and sales in that area have tripled in the last year.
