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XXIV NATIONAL CHILDREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL
THE ART OF WRITING FOR CHILDREN TODAY – BETWEEN MODERN
MESSAGES AND THE FANTASY WORLD
COLLECTION OF REPORTS OF THE ROUND TABLE
Sliven, 11 – 12 May 2022
Compiler: Ph.D. Rositsa Petrova-Vasileva
THE BOOK IS FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED BY
THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA
THE ART OF WRITING FOR CHILDREN TODAY – BETWEEN MODERN MESSAGES
AND THE FANTASY WORLD
Collection of reports
ISBN 978-619-7239-36-2
Compiler: Ph.D. Rositsa Petrova-Vasileva
Scientific editor: Ph.D. Rositsa Petrova-Vasileva
Translated into English by Petya Kaneva
Cover Design: Boris Stoilov
Published by “Sava Dobroplodni” Regional Library
Printed by “Diagalprint” - Yambol
THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PUBLISH CHILDREN'S BOOKS
PhD Victoria Biserova /Enthusiast Publishing House/
Report of round table on topic
“The art of writing for children today – between modern messages and the fantasy
world”
Sliven, 2022
Publishing books for children is the most responsible. This belief has been central
to my professional value system for decades. Not because we have the right to
underestimate the work on books for non-child audiences, but because we shape quality
criteria and form taste in young readers. A reader who has already formed evaluation
criteria approaches the publication critically according to their personal readership
criteria - thematic, linguistic, visual, aesthetic, etc. Children form their taste with each
subsequent book that is offered to them in the various reading areas in which they fall -
home, friendly, educational, library.
The publisher is a person or collective body that prepares and publishes a
resource for public sale or distribution, usually on the basis of a legal contract under
which the publisher obtains certain exclusive rights against financial risk in publishing
and against consent to reward the author, most often with a share of the profits.
It is easy with translation titles that are negotiable and have fixed parameters. The
product has gone through a preliminary multi-stage evaluation, filtering, expertise and
feedback from buyers and readers. The contractual obligations of the publisher include
various requirements – approval of translation and cover, printing parameters. The only
local task for the publisher remains to be able to promote the publication. Increasing the
requirements and obligations of the publisher minimizes the opportunities for negligent
or irresponsible publishing actions. It is no coincidence that consumers trust the big
brands as a guarantor of quality once they have sold their rights or signed a license
agreement.
But should the role of the publisher be limited to the legal side (acquired
publishing rights)? The new models of creative publishing houses are based on the
teamwork and expertise of close specialists, do research, and spare no resources to
increase interest in books in order to gradually increase their use in children's daily
routine.
The work of a children's s book publisher is not limited to liking a finished
manuscript, adhering to editorial standards, and offering a published product on the
market. When, in the 2001/2002 academic year, the Higher School of Humanities at the
University of Bologna opened a master's program in Media and publishing, headed by
Umberto Eco, he was sought after by La Republika. To the question: How would you
characterize the publishing profession?, Umberto Eco answers: "With an answer
attributed to publishers such as Arnoldo Mondadori and Valentino Bompiani. A lady asks:
What does a publisher actually do - does he write books? No, the publisher answers -
that's what the authors do. Does he print them - the lady does not stop. No, that's the
answer, that's the job of printers. Then, is he selling them? No, that's what booksellers do.
So he offers them to booksellers. In no case, this is the concerm of distributors. So what
does the publisher finally do?" - the journalist continues impatiently. Umberto Eco's
answer is: the publisher does "everything else." [1]
Authentic Bulgarian publications are a platform for recognizing a responsible and
irresponsible publisher. Good intentions do not necessarily lead to a quality, useful,
accepted and good product. We need teamwork, a consistent approach and trust in the
expertise of specialists to create an authentic publishing product.
Creating books for children is a collaboration between authors, illustrators, artists
and designers, publishers, psychologists, speech therapists and educators, subject matter
experts, librarians, parents and children themselves. The first priority is to determine the
target impact of the book and to place it in an age frame according to the children's
development. Books can be used as toys, to look through, with a lot of illustrations and
less text, with more complex stories, with detailed illustrations, for reading aloud, until
you get to the books for self-reading.
The World Health Organization sets a framework for age periodization [2]. The
age groups are formally categorized for the purposes of the educational system in
Bulgaria in the Preschool Education Act (SG of 13.10.2015, las amended on 23.05.2018)
[3]; Ordinance №5 on pre-school education (from 03.06.2016, in force from 01.08.2016,
last amended from 31.08.2018) [4]; Ordinance №l0 on textbooks, textbooks and teaching
aids (from 2017, last amended on 24.04.2018) [5]; in the various national programs,
development standards and frameworks. Books are not just an educational tool. For the
purposes of children's emotional and social needs, the categorization by age may vary
and work for much smaller groups.
It is too easy to underestimate or overestimate the children's audience, when the
book is approached subjectively only by the personal judgment of the creators of the
book. Adults create children's books, but do they know the stages of children's
development well? The role of psychologists is a key to accurately identifying target
groups - by age and interests. The danger of children reacting as: "This book is for babies",
when their receptive abilities are underestimated, or rejecting a book when their reading
interests and abilities are overestimated, is enormous. That is why many "good" books
for their authors remain misunderstood by children.
How do you write about children?
Writing for listeners and writing for readers is different. The volume of the text is
influenced by the stages of children's development - the change of concentration, increase
of vocabulary, knowledge and reading skills change the reading needs. Books with little
textual content through short stories and everyday situations to educational publications
are suitable for listeners. Newly literate readers are good listeners and impatient readers.
Readers who have well-formed reading criteria need educational books and leisure
books.
Precisely created publishing product does not always guarantee the reader's
interest. Excluding extremes - children overwhelmed with books and children without
access to books - the right approach to other readers is to offer books of interest.
However, the interests of children are first and foremost the result of upbringing.
Therefore, the basic role of adults is to form and improve them.
Do we know our children / readers well? Do we know when and which book to
offer? Offering books for every situation and for every emotional state – this is the
formula for building a loyal readership. The innate curiosity of children is key to be
encouraged through books, this is the only way we form readers, and the reader is equal
to a thinking adult.
The creation of groups on social networks actively involved parents in the
publishing process. Publishers’ opinions of the products did not end with the book's
commercial success, when they received feedback from parents on readers' reactions.
Direct interaction between parents and publishers leads to the continuation of publishing
series or thematic lines; to correction of fonts, of the ratio text-illustration-typesetting
field-white fields; until the republishing of books, etc.
The eternal tandem author-illustrator
The collaboration between the author and the artist, whether the illustrations are
predominant, whether they retain (translate the content for the children visually and
allow them to read on their own) or supplement the child's attention or complement the
textual content is key to the publishing product. The author and the artist are copyright
holders and are equally important to the book and the children. It is no coincidence that
the roles of a person who illustrates his own story or tells textual visual content coincide.
How to draw for children:
• Encouraging curiosity - do the illustrations answer questions, do they raise
additional questions;
• Do they provoke interest - do the children return to the illustration, do they want
to look at it closely, are they interested in the text;
• Forming aesthetic criteria - children form their taste through illustrations, a
variety of drawing styles and techniques enrich their taste;
• Characters and emotions - children are associated with the characters, it is
important that their emotions are conveyed gesturally.
The work of the publisher is not limited to the assignment and subsequent
approval of the text and illustrations. There are many more decisions to be made after
consultation with experts:
• Design - psychology of colors (how colors affect children's emotions), fonts (are
they suitable for independent reading, for reading by a parent in dim light);
• Conversations with parents - what topics can unlock the story of conversations
between children and adults;
• Polygraphy - formats (are they suitable for self-reading, for reading in bed, for
viewing on a hard surface), paper (comfortable and safe for viewing by a child), binding
(will it fall apart with frequent use), is the book heavy;
• Encouraging activity - can children apply knowledge and skills in their daily
lives; can they solve their educational, social or emotional problems;
• Opportunity to work with educators and librarians - can they include the book
for educational purposes in the children's daily program.
Creating children's books is the responsibility of the publisher. Publishers are not
omniscient and omnipotent. The main role of the publisher in children's book publishing
is to form the right team to create a useful book. Whether it is for educational
development or for dealing with emotional and social issues, a children's book should be
useful. A useful book is easier to become a favorite, and hence a commercial success.
References
1. Еко, Умберто. Издателят прави „всичко останало“: Умберто Еко пред в „La
Republika“ [по повод дейността му като преподавател по изд. дело]. Прев. от итал.
Емилия Георгиева. В: Литературен форум, XII, 12-18 март 2022, №10, с. 13.
2. World Health Organization (2019). Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary
behavior and sleep for children under 5 years of age. World Health Organization, 2019.
https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/311664
3. Закона за предучилищното и училищното образование (ДВ от 13.10.2015
г., посл. изм. от 23.05.2018 г.) – https://www.mon.bg/bg/57
4. Наредба №5 за предучилищното образование (от 03.06.2016 г., в сила от
01.08.2016 г., посл. изм. От 31.08.2018 г.) – https://www.mon.bg/bg/59
5. Наредба №10 за познавателните книжки, учебниците и учебните
помагала (от 2017 г., посл. изм. от 24.04.2018 г.) – https://www.mon.bg/bg/59