‘I’m parking my guilt’: confessions of a celebrity children’s book ghost writer

As an author whose own books never find their way to supermarket shelves, it’s frustrating work – but it puts food on my family’s tableOnce a rare species, celebrity authored children’s books have become stalwarts of supermarket books aisles. Perfect for a grandparent hunting a last-minute Christmas gift, or a parent looking for something that will appeal to a child reluctant to read, books by stars have become the go-to for many. Those buying them might have it in the back of their minds that these “authors” might not have done much of the writing. But that doesn’t matter, does it? As long as the kids are reading, that’s what counts.For children’s authors who do write their own stuff, it’s a little galling. They’d give their hind teeth for a spot on that shelf – and surely they are no less deserving of exposure and recognition. As a writer of children’s fiction, I’ve been known to turn a shade of green, too. But I’m conflicted, because in addition to writing original and mostly unrecognised books for young readers, I also work as a ghost writer. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2022-12-16 10:41:27 UTC ]
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Children's Books in China 2018: A Wide-Ranging Selection of Original Works from China

With nearly 100 Chinese publishers and at least half that many illustrators attending the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in March, a big contingent will be representing the land of 1.38 billion people. Most of the publications they are bringing to the fair focus on common themes and age-old plots... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children's Books in China 2018: All Our Coverage

The 2018 Special Report on children's publishing in China, plus related coverage. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children's Books in China 2018: Jieli Publishing House

The phrase “in the right place at the right time” seems tailor-made for Jieli. Its Usborne China imprint, launched in January 2017, came at an opportune moment when the Chinese market was ready for higher-priced toy- and game-based board books and novelty titles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children’s Books in China 2018: Beijing Bright Culture Development Company

For 16-month-old Beijing Bright Culture, making an impact on the market is the top priority, and Jef Nys’s Jeremy series (or Jommeke in the original Belgian) is the answer. “We have published only 25 out of the available 278 volumes, meaning that we have a built-in long seller in our portfolio,”... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children's Books in China 2018: Survival in China: The Bear Grylls (Middle-Grade) Story

As of February 2018, 12 volumes of Bear Grylls’s Mission Survival series have been published in China, with overall sales exceeding 6.8 million copies. The numbers are a surprise to many, including some at the Jieli Publishing House, though not to editor-in-chief Bai Bing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Childrens Books in China 2018: Untangling the Import Issues (and Rumors)

As of today, Peppa Pig remains a bestseller in China. Winnie the Pooh continues to sell, and so does Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. There has been no restriction on these titles or on other foreign publications and translations. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children’s Books in China 2018: The Rise of the Pop-Science Segment in China

Mention “pop science” in China and one blockbuster comes to mind: The Magic School Bus. It has remained the #1 children’s title since its launch in 2010, with online retailer Dangdang selling nearly half a million copies in an average year. On Singles’ Day—which is the equivalent of Black Friday... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children’s Books in China 2018: New Buds Publishing House

Small but beautiful” is our publishing motto, says editor-in-chief Ma Yuxiu of New Buds. “We have scaled down our annual output in recent years, opting instead to focus our resources on creating unique content.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children’s Books in China 2018: Xinjiang Juvenile Publishing House

XJPH’s books featuring Afanti (a Uighur protagonist) and the Mongolian epic Jangar are vivid reminders of what is possible from a publisher located in the vast Chinese interior, which borders eight countries and harbors 47 ethnic groups. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children's Books in China 2018: Social Media Marketing: Working the Platform

The past few years have seen social media, propelled by the all-purpose WeChat app and the Weibo microblogging service, become an indispensable promotional and sales channel in the Chinese publishing industry. Critics point to challenges facing publishers who depend on social media marketing.... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children's Books in China 2018: Key Colours Competition China: A Unique Model

The €7,500 grand prize of the inaugural Key Colours Competition China, which was awarded in August 2017, went to Wang Yuwei’s Mr Cat and Little Fairy; five other books received honorable mentions. All six works will be published in Chinese by Beijing Yutian Hanfeng, with print runs ranging from... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children's Books in China 2018: Joint Ventures in China: The Dos and Don’ts

There are several high-profile joint ventures (JVs) in Chinese children’s books publishing. The earliest was Children’s Fun Publishing, a collaboration between Posts & Telecommunications Press and Egmont Group initiated in 1994. Next came Hachette-Phoenix, which was cofounded by Hachette... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #chinese children #books publishing #joint ventures #fun publishing #hachette group #macmillan century


Children's Books in China 2018: IlluSalon Nurtures and Promotes Illustrators

IlluSalon, the biggest international illustration platform in China, works with around 4,000 illustrators from more than 50 countries. For Hou Mingliang, founder of IlluSalon and host of the Global Illustration Award (as well as president of Kids Media), young and professional illustrators–with... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children’s Books in China 2018: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press

This company needs little introduction, having collaborated with more than 500 international publishers since its inception in 1979. It is also China’s largest foreign language publisher and its third largest in terms of sales. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children's Books in China 2018: Flying High with Winnie the Witch

In April 2018, Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press (FLTRP) will publish Winnie and Wilbur: The Naughty Knight, the 18th title in the Winnie the Witch series. Plans are also in the works for illustrator Korky Paul to do a three-week tour of China, giving several lectures, including one... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children’s Books in China 2018: Kids Media

This low-profile multimedia company, established in 2014, collaborates with some of biggest brands in the world, including Disney, Dreamworks, and Lego. Kids Media excels at promoting and marketing these products. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Five Viewpoints on Creating Tomorrow’s Readers: Literacy, Digital, and Children’s Books

From Brazil, China, India, and the UAE, five children's book publishers spoke the growing urgency to build young readership as competitive digital enticements grow more seductive.  The post Five Viewpoints on Creating Tomorrow’s Readers: Literacy, Digital, and Children’s Books appeared first on... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-03-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Snow blights World Book Day celebrations but tour goes ahead

World Book Day organisers have said all events for the Biggest Book Show on Earth tour will go ahead despite the snow, although some authors have had to cancel their school appearances. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-03-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Seven-book deal for Nick East with Hachette Children's

Hachette Children’s Group has signed a seven-book deal with author and illustrator Nick East. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Awards for women, writers of colour, small presses – why are there so many books prizes?

There are so many literary prizes these days that they could be regarded as an industry in their own right – but they’re needed to change the status quoHow many literary prizes are there in the UK today? To Wikipedia’s tally of around 70, I can immediately add half a dozen more – and still they... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2018-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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