New Member, Brown Books Kids
Welcome new Regular Member, Brown Book Kids!
They are a hybrid publisher in the Dallas area. PW named Brown Book Kids a Fast Growing Indie Publisher and we are delighted they joined the CBC community.
What’s the origin story of Brown Books Kids?
In 1994, Milli Brown read a publishing contract for the first time, and asked herself a question: why should authors be forced to surrender the rights to their work as a requirement for getting their book published? That question identified a need that created an idea that has become Brown Books Publishing Group. As a company, we have always considered high-quality projects that prospective authors bring forward, regardless of a manuscript’s intended audience or message. Establishing a children’s book imprint became a logical outgrowth of the strong expressed desire of so many who were passionate about their manuscript.
What are the benefits of being a hybrid publisher?
As the first hybrid publisher, you would expect us to laud the virtues of the business model that Milli Brown created. The truth though is we don’t really think of ourselves as a “hybrid publisher.” We are a successful, large independent publisher with an author-focused process. The major benefit that we see in how we operate? Strong, deep relationships with our authors. Of course, the major benefit to our authors is having a strong, deep relationship with their publisher.
Some of your books, like the Finding My Way series, revolve around special needs and inclusion. Did that focus develop organically? Our acquisitions practice has a strong bias for books with purpose. For us simply offering pleasing books does not match well with the kind of high-integrity authorship we attract. Even in its earliest days, Brown Books Kids embraced books that taught life lessons to the youngest readers. Today we have continued that tradition across STEM-focused titles like Magnet Max by career early childhood educator Monica Hughes, SEL-focused titles including The Power of Piggie Bear by Mara James, founder of the Extraordinary Lives Foundation, and as noted in your question Jo Mach, a career occupational therapist who brought us the Finding My Way series, where differently-abled children are put in the role of author of their own stories.
What are your favorite bookstores in the Dallas area?
We have enjoyed our relationship with Interabang, which we appreciate as a carefully curated indie DFW bookstore. In terms of the breadth and scope of their children’s section, however, nothing beats the Stonebriar Mall location of Barnes & Noble.
How have authors responded to an award-winning hybrid publisher?
As a publisher, our greatest reward is always having more books to publish, and more authors to introduce to the reading public. The strength of the Brown Books Kids list has grown to represent a substantial portion of the publishing activity for Brown Books Publishing Group overall.Beyond the buzz we have managed to generate in the author community, we have over the past two years signed several titles offered to us through literary agents. The Toot Fairy, Cheesemaker Durdsden, and Billan by Bard by Mark Huffman highlight a new list of humor books for children with an embedded message. Mark’s agent referred him to us, and we are thrilled to be embarking on what we see as a long collaboration with him in the coming years.
Where can educators, librarians and booksellers learn more about Brown Books Kids?
Beyond our website, our collections are browsable and orderable on Edelweiss (Brown Books Publishing Group), in Follett’s Titlewave system, on Publisher Alley, and through Ingram Book Company along with many other wholesalers. Look for a front-cover feature on the upcoming K-12 Resource by Ingram Content.
