View a 5-minute video of summit directors Shannon Marchese (Tommy Nelson) and Linda Howard (Tyndale) talk about this year's Children's Book Summit.

Immediately following PubU, the second annual PubU Children's Book Summit will begin the afternoon of November 17, from 12:30 to 5:30 pm. This Summit will feature the following topics presented by industry experts in Children's literature and the market it serves.

Recording available for attendees

Children’s Book Market Trends from The NPD Group, NPD Books

Brenna Connor, Manager of Industry Insights, NPD Books, of The NPD Group, will break down the state of the U.S. children’s book market including key trends to watch, high growth areas, and sales performance by genre, format, and age range. It’s a can’t-miss session based on the latest NPD BookScan data and Brenna’s industry expertise.

Session One

Children’s Publishing 101: 6 Key topics in 45 minutes

Linda Howard, Associate Publisher for Children & Youth, Tyndale House Publisher and Shannon Marchese VP/Publisher of Tommy Nelson come together to give a rapid fire, eagle’s eye view of some of the most talked-about topics in children’s publishing including:

• production challenges affecting our book formats and prices
• reaching the homeschool market
• digital products for kids including the growing audiobook space
• publishing diverse voices, own voices,
• how does an acquisitions team find new writers?
• what about YA?

Session Two

Marketing and Publicity is for KIDS

Can you successfully market a kids’ book? Is there any potential for PR for your children’s publishing line? The answer is yes! Children’s marketers have to be more creative than many other genres, but kids’ books do appeal to many people and outlets. Finding the right pitches and hooks will help you get your books noticed. Come learn innovative ways to get your book promoted by the outlets you are pursuing, and maybe find a few new possibilities as you listen.

Session Three

Understanding Kids Today: Why Ramona Quimby is still a Hero in a “Kardashian-world”

Join our two experts in the children’s space, a kids’ publishing professional and product creation visionary and a licensed Christian counselor specializing in children’s and family therapy, in conversation about what is new with our 21^st century kids and what remains timeless and how we can be of service in our publishing work to both dichotomies. We expect to touch upon topics like diversity and inclusion, being digital natives, and what accelerated development looks like for books.

Session Four

Content Matters: How to Determine Age-Appropriate Subjects and Content for Readers

Creating developmentally appropriate content for kids is important. Telling a two-year-old to explore the vast wonders of the universe is like talking to the wind. But tell them that they can have a lollypop if they pick up their toys, and you have their full attention! From concrete communication that will speak to the littlest of children to abstract thoughts that will encourage your teens to dig deeper into important topics, we’ll talk about writing for all ages and stages of childhood.

Session Five

Brand Building

Building a brand isn’t easy. It takes time, perseverance, and effort. But, when it works, it can be great for everyone involved! VeggieTales, Berenstein Bears, The Action Bible, and other popular brand prove that it can be done, and done well. Come learn some foundational tips for starting and building a brand, discover some of the pitfalls to avoid, and how to strategically grow a single product into a successful brand.