July - August 2002

INTRODUCING THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET REPORT
By Sandra Guy

Just as some people drive on the right-hand side of the road and some people celebrate Christmas in the heat of summer, children’s book publishing worldwide is as varied as an ice cream counter in Italy. The English need a co-edition to make a picture book break even, the French don’t like working with agents and some Canadian publishers will only work with writers from their own country. To help the uninitiated navigate the wide world of difference that exists in children’s publishing, the SCBWI is launching the International Market Report (IMR). The report aims to meet the needs of local members living outside the US as well as to introduce SCBWI members to publishers in other regions.

The IMR replaces the earlier “SCBWI Guide to Foreign Markets” publication and has been designed as a companion
report to Connie Epstein’s “Publishers of Books for Young People.” Where Connie’s report presents everything you need to know about publishers handling children’s books in America, the IMR is taking on the rest of the world!

It’s true that America remains the biggest and most sought-after market for children’s publishing. But publishing opportunities do exist elsewhere and many SCBWI members have their eyes on them. The SCBWI has grown enormously over the last six years. We now have a total of over 18,000 members, with 620 living outside the US. Many of these members write in English and look to publish in Australia, Canada, and/or the UK. Others write in other languages and look to completely different countries to publish in. Then, too, there are members wishing to sell the foreign rights to their published books. And let’s not forget the opportunities abroad for illustrators: Illustration styles can and do travel.

But competition is tough, both from local creators of children’s books and from the international “stars” of children’s literature. So if you are thinking of submitting to a foreign publisher, not only does it have to be a good story, well told and meet the guidelines of the publisher you are submitting to, but it also has to be different from what’s already available in that country and be understood by children who may not be a part of the culture in which the story takes place. This doesn’t mean you need to change your setting, rub down the sharp edges of a story, or bury a history lesson in your book. But it does mean you need to research the market you are interested in selling to.

The IMR is the starting point for that research. Entries are categorized by country and each gives important information on who is who in children’s publishing and what they are looking for. We’ve also included the trade fairs publishers attend and what languages they will read submissions in. It’s an ambitious project and one we’ve just begun.

To get us going, we asked the Regional Advisers in countries outside the US to contact at least two publishers in their regions. In many countries SCBWI is relatively unknown, so we are breaking new ground. Getting publishers involved will take time. By inviting these local publishers to speak and increasing their awareness of the SCBWI and the SCBWI’s awareness of these publishers, we’ve already made inroads. A lot of making the IMR work falls on the shoulders of Regional Advisors, who may or may not already have contacts in the local publishing world. So far, there are entries for Canada, France, Israel, Mexico, the Philippines, and the UK. We expect input from the other (non-US) regions over the next few months.

The report is designed to be a guide to International Markets. Like Connie’s report, it’s not a substitute for doing your homework. Respect what the publishers have written in the report. Don’t assume they will read in English, if they don’t specifically say so. And be aware that while some publishers will speak English and be happy to build a relationship
with you in (what is to them) a foreign language, others won’t even consider it. If a publisher has a website, check it; otherwise, make sure you get a catalogue. And remember SASE means stamped with stamps from the country your publisher is located in (all this is made easier with the help of on-line postage providers in many countries). If you are interested in publishing in a particular country you might want to check the local chapter’s website. Reading interviews with editors at key publishing houses and making contact with other members publishing in that country can only help you hone your submissions. Remember, publishing practice is very different in different countries and the books produced
are equally wide in their response to the reading needs of children.

I’d like to thank all the people who have contributed to the first International Market Report, the publishers who agreed to be part of it, the RA’s who did a tremendous amount of work contacting publishers in their areas and Erzsi Deak, the tireless team whip. Special thanks also to: Karen D’Arc, Ann Kordahl, Alain Machu, and Noreen Kruzich Violetta.