Maybe the books that they're trying to market aren't books that kids want to read. There are a couple of quotes that point to that:
> Connor was more blunt: “Maybe you think a book about a school shooting is really important,” she said, “but kids want to read a fun book. That’s what kids want today—they want to have fun.”
> But if you’re a new author who’s written a quiet, issue-oriented debut, “you might have to think about adapting, in a way.”
> Eberly, the book agent, doesn’t think the supply of serious, “award-winning” books will dry up. “Knowing the editors that I sell to, those are the types of books they want to shepherd into the world.”
Maybe kids would rather read fun adventure stories rather than the issue-driven stories that adults are pushing on them.
I think this is a big part of the problem. Publishers are looking for the next Harry Potter as if they were Y Combinator picking startups based on who's most likely to become the next unicorn.
> Connor was more blunt: “Maybe you think a book about a school shooting is really important,” she said, “but kids want to read a fun book. That’s what kids want today—they want to have fun.”
> But if you’re a new author who’s written a quiet, issue-oriented debut, “you might have to think about adapting, in a way.”
> Eberly, the book agent, doesn’t think the supply of serious, “award-winning” books will dry up. “Knowing the editors that I sell to, those are the types of books they want to shepherd into the world.”
Maybe kids would rather read fun adventure stories rather than the issue-driven stories that adults are pushing on them.