How well have children’s board books performed in the LDS market? Is this an area for which publishers would like to see more submissions?
I don’t have any figures on this but yes, I think there is a market for it and I think the larger publishers will consider board books.
If they’re not selling well and/or LDS publishers aren’t looking at them, in my opinion it’s because:
- Board books are expensive to make due to their construction, the board, full color images and the gloss on the pages to protect them.
- Limited audience = small print run = less mark-up = higher risk.
- Some of the board books I’ve seen look like they’ve cut corners with the illustrations. They just aren’t attractive. Ugly pictures = low sales.
That said, as a consumer, I would LOVE to see more LDS specific board books (with CUTE pictures) that I could use during Sacrament meeting to keep the kidlings quiet.
Go to your local LDS bookstore or look at their websites and see who’s doing board books right now. Then send them a query.
Yeah, I'd like to see more of those too. I bought a gorgeous board book with Greg Olson paintings for my son's baptism. I think I liked it more than he did, though.
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In the LDS market I assume (as opposed to the national market) one should enlist their own illustrator?
While I like board books and own several I have a hard time buying them. They are so expensive! I understand the inherent costs involved but to me my money could be better spent elsewhere.
They need to be something special to be worth it and for a long time now I haven't seen one that is.
Although board books are great, they are costly and have a short life span in the case of its intended audience. My kids all seemed to grow out of them quickly. Sac. mtng. is a fine time to watch how your child handles and cares for books and it can be a reverent teaching moment. The full size paper back scripture books are excellent because they serve as both a picture book for young ones, and also a precursor for youth and teenagers learning to understand scripture stories without so many difficult words found in the actual scriptures. As an adult I still love to read these books 🙂