CBC Increases Offerings On the Web

The Children's Book Council (CBC), an association of trade book publishers and producers of related literary materials for young people, has been steadily expanding its Web site with CBC Online at www.cbcbooks.org [1]. The site, which is an amalgam of components for an audience of librarians, educators, booksellers, writers, illustrators, parents, and member publishers, offers many resources for the public. Some features are for members only, and the newest listing, Awards and Prizes Online, is a subscription-based service.

By the end of 2003, according to CBC marketing director Michelle Bayuk, CBC Online was receiving five million hits per month. Although the monthly tally increases and decreases, the base monthly numbers continue to number in the millions. "Our audience consists of adults, parents, prospective authors -- anyone who wants a good source of information for what's going on in children's publishing," Bayuk told BTW. "Many booksellers make use of our resources for Children's Book Week and Young People's Poetry Week, but we offer much more."

Bayuk mentioned popular features such as CBC Showcase, published bimonthly and providing themed booklists with links to ABA's membership directory and BookSense.com. "This month's theme," Bayuk said, "is myths and magic. Hot Off the Press is a monthly feature of newly published or upcoming titles."

Under the category of CBC Perspectives are essays by a variety of professionals on topics including Poetry and Literacy or Multicultural Literature as Curriculum; "Author-Editor Dialogues" to open the writing process up for others to understand; and the series entitled, "In the Artist's Studio," in which various book artists discuss specific techniques used in the production of artwork. Well known illustrators and artists have contributed pieces on paper engineering (aka: the pop-up), illustrating with oil paints, and using relief-block prints. Meet the Author/Illustrator gives greater insight to noted personalities in the field. Booksellers can make good use of the site's links to authors' and illustrators' Web sites, along with information on scheduling author visits and Publisher contacts.

For aspiring children's book writers and editors, CBC Online includes a complete members' contact list and guidelines for manuscript and illustration submissions. Specific information for writers and illustrators seeking publication is detailed in the Publishing FAQs.

Currently, a complete annotated list of election-related books is a current feature available on line. Said Bayuk, "With resources like this one, we hope to drive teachers and parents to the bookstores." --Nomi Schwartz [2]