From Tots to Teens, StarMag
Well, first of all, there's the time and effort spent creating a (quality) picture book. The story may be told in just 200 words, but those words were chosen carefully so as to tell the story as effectively as possible. If you've written creatively you know that it takes a lot of skill to 
tell a story well if you're limited in the number of words you can use. How do you develop an idea, a plot, and characters in just 20 lines? What you must do is to choose the best words, ensuring that each one - alone and in combination with the other words - speaks volumes.
If the book is meant to be read aloud, you have to also make sure that the words flow well. Poor syntax trips tongues up and make reading aloud a chore.
So, it's not easy writing a good picture book. Some people think it's easy to write for children, but aside from the fact that the age of the reader shouldn't matter, and good storytellers put the same effort into writing a story regardless of who the book is directed at, the impressionable age of the audience should mean that even more care is taken to ensure the quality of the product offered.
And then there are the illustrations. They not only help to tell the story, they should add to the plot. Illustrators of note often create a parrallel story to the one that is told by the text. Good illustrations of course take a great deal of time and effort to produce. And there is also the cost of materials to take into consideration.
When it comes to the production of the physical book, there is layout and design to think of, much more than when producing a novel. Some publishers employ an expert whose work is to decide on the look of the book, including the best placement of text and pictures in relation to one another.
Printing a picture book would also cost a lot more than printing a novel as although less ink (text) is involved, a whole lot of more colour is used.
I found a blog (http://tinyurl.com/cd95wg) that breaks down the retail cost of a book. The breakdown is as follows:
Book Retail Price: RM29. The bookstore gets 40% (RM11.60) that takes into account discount, staffing, rent, etc; author/illustrator royalties account for about 10% (RM2.90); the distributor gets 10% (RM2.90); the publisher gets 40% (RM11.60) to cover the cost of editing, designing, printing and marketing.
Learn more by reading the Salon.com article Why Do Books Cost So Much at http://tinyurl.com/yn4p74.
The breakdown is the same for a picture book as it is for a novel. When you hear of authors getting huge sums of money for a book, it just means they get an advance against royalties. The bigger the advance, the more the publishers expect a book to sell. The better known authors and illustrators also command larger advances, and, in some cases, a larger cut when it comes to royalties, sometimes up to 15%.
Not that any of this knowledge will make it easier for most to part with their cash when buying books for their children. Perhaps what parents should do is look at alternatives - like libraries, or collectives. The latter might be formed by parents who club together to buy books for their children to share. Once their kids have outgrown the books, they can sell the collection, at a discount, to a new group of parents, or a neighbourhood kindergarten, nursery or playschool; or donate them to a home.
For those of you who have invested in books, considering their high cost, it really makes sense not to toss copies the moment you think your children have outgrown them. Think of your grandchildren! Unfortunately, space is a problem, but not if you come to view books as things of value. They're not just worth money, but also memories and dreams. When you think of the joy and comfort, knowledge and enlightenment they bring, they're not so very expensive at all.
If the book is meant to be read aloud, you have to also make sure that the words flow well. Poor syntax trips tongues up and make reading aloud a chore.
So, it's not easy writing a good picture book. Some people think it's easy to write for children, but aside from the fact that the age of the reader shouldn't matter, and good storytellers put the same effort into writing a story regardless of who the book is directed at, the impressionable age of the audience should mean that even more care is taken to ensure the quality of the product offered.
When it comes to the production of the physical book, there is layout and design to think of, much more than when producing a novel. Some publishers employ an expert whose work is to decide on the look of the book, including the best placement of text and pictures in relation to one another.
I found a blog (http://tinyurl.com/cd95wg) that breaks down the retail cost of a book. The breakdown is as follows:
Book Retail Price: RM29. The bookstore gets 40% (RM11.60) that takes into account discount, staffing, rent, etc; author/illustrator royalties account for about 10% (RM2.90); the distributor gets 10% (RM2.90); the publisher gets 40% (RM11.60) to cover the cost of editing, designing, printing and marketing.
Learn more by reading the Salon.com article Why Do Books Cost So Much at http://tinyurl.com/yn4p74.
The breakdown is the same for a picture book as it is for a novel. When you hear of authors getting huge sums of money for a book, it just means they get an advance against royalties. The bigger the advance, the more the publishers expect a book to sell. The better known authors and illustrators also command larger advances, and, in some cases, a larger cut when it comes to royalties, sometimes up to 15%.
For those of you who have invested in books, considering their high cost, it really makes sense not to toss copies the moment you think your children have outgrown them. Think of your grandchildren! Unfortunately, space is a problem, but not if you come to view books as things of value. They're not just worth money, but also memories and dreams. When you think of the joy and comfort, knowledge and enlightenment they bring, they're not so very expensive at all.
Yes, I agree with you totally on the matter that books are things of value. Although I think most parents in Malaysia still feel reluctant to spend money for their children books, but not on shoes, handbags or bigger car :(
Posted by: MQ | Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 03:13