From: Ginny Moore Kruse <gmkruse>
Date: Sat, 11 Mar 2000 08:42:20 -0600

I have been a subscriber for more than a year now, and although I find many of your topics extremely interesting, this is the first time I feel compelled to participate in the conversation.

The clarification about the Pura Belpre Award from Ginny Moore Kruse was not only enlightening, as Francisco Alarcon pointed out, but necessary. I certainly wish many publishers and editors of Latino literature would answer Ginny's question: Why it is apparently challenging to publish Latino literature for children and young adults?

Although I am only an author and illustrator of children's books, I would like to propose a possible answer. The challenge resides in the marketing.

For the past 12 years I have dedicated myself to the creation of books that celebrate my Latino heritage (I'm Puerto Rican.) My book Vejigante Masquerader was given the first Americas Award in 1993. The Bossy Gallito written by Lucia Gonzalez and illustrated by me, was a Pura Belpre honor book for both text and pictures in 1996, the first year of this award.

You would think since then, these two titles would have continued selling and reaching an ever increasing audience. And that publishing books with Latino themes have gotten easier for me.

Well, Vejigante Masquerader is now only available in a paperback bookclub version. The Bossy Gallito is available only in paperback. I have found that publishing books with Latino themes gets harder every time. Each book is a struggle. I find I need to come up with stories that in the eyes of the publisher, have broad appeal, they are to appeal not only to Puerto Ricans, but to all Latinos, and possibly to non-Latinos as well. This of course because the numbers of books sold within a year is what is important. I understand publishing is a business, however in the case of my books I have noticed they tend to gather momentum after one or two years in the market, once librarians and teachers discover them and place them in the hands of children. But by then, the hardcovers could be out of print.

The Census Bureau reports that by the year 2025 the Latino population will be the largest minority in the USA probably reaching half of the country's population. There is and there will be a market for books with Latino themes. I believe the challenge resides in the proper marketing of these books to make their publishing profitable. And until publishers find the formula to achieve this, editors will always think twice before signing a contract.

This year I have a new book out, Salsa Stories, published by Scholastic Press, and I have gotten intimately involved in its marketing to hopefully broaden the scope of its readership. To what extent this will help? Only time will tell. But whatever the outcome, I will continue committed to the creation of quality children's books that celebrate and share my heritage because I truly believe there is a need for them.

Lulu Delacre, author/illustrator of children's books. lulu delacre <luludela at erols.com
Received on Sat 11 Mar 2000 08:42:20 AM CST