Journey of an idea to book

Pegasus, a children’s book publication, are very keen and focused on children’s education and better career for the next generation, which is only possible, if they are given good, value added education. With a team of creative authors and editors, who come up with great learning ideas and techniques, Pegasus ensures accuracy and quality by using the most effective learning ideas for children in every age group. So, here is a look at Pegasus’ tough screening process for every book it produces, shares Shobhika Khurana, publishing manager, Pegasus.

There is a lot that goes in making of a good book. A book’s journey starts with an idea and then it undergoes scrutiny through various departments, i.e., content creation by the author, followed by the editorial, design, illustration and quality check. Here’s a peek into the journey of an idea into a book.

What needs to be published?

Based on the sales figure, demand from the readers (which we receive through emails and surveys), trends that are going in the market, books to be published are decided.

Once the type of books to be published are decided, editorial experts and sales team put their heads together to come up with new concepts for children’s books.

This idea is then taken to the next level— the creating of actual content which depends on a number of factors, such as the subject of the book, genre, target age group etc. Based on these criteria, an appropriate expert author is selected to write and visualize the content.

What is the role of the author and editor?

Idea is shared with the author keeping in mind several factors. Age group plays a vital role in the same. Keeping in mind the age group, text is written which is easy for the child to understand as per age. Number of pages to be written in a book is decided. These are shared with the author for the content writing.

Once the content is written, it goes through the first round of editing wherein; the concept’s execution, basic grammar etc. are checked and reviewed. The content goes through the first filtering at this stage.

Editor ensures the vocabulary is as per child’s understanding. They also ensure the facts written in the book are correct, there is no plagiarism done.

How is a book designed?

Right after the text is ready; there is a set of brief given to the illustrator, where imagination gets its wings. An illustrator understands the brief and draws what should be drawn in the book (as suited to the age group), illustrations that a kid relates with and understands.

Pencil drawn illustrations are reviewed by the editors for their correctness and appropriateness. These approved illustrations are then sent for colouring. Few samples are created to see what kind of colouring will suit the content and the illustration style best. Illustrations are then coloured based on the sample approved.

At this stage, text and illustrations are ready to be designed.

Designing plays a very important role in children’s books. A lot of care is needed while designing the book for different age group. First being FONT, designer has to keep in mind the age group when deciding the FONT of a book. For instance, lowercase alphabets are used for younger readers. Overly violent scenes are avoided. Religion and public sentiments are also kept in mind.

When is a book ready for print?

Book becomes ready for review, where it is once again checked by the editorial team. Marked corrections are then carried out by the designer. After the designer incorporates the corrections, the file is sent for quality check. The editorial quality check ensures that the best material is given to the reader and the design quality check ensures that the aesthetics of the book are at par with what our competitors provide in the market.

The last thing before a book goes into print is the ferro or the plotter (a proto type of what the completed book would look like) is sent to the author to finalise the copy which is then sent for printing.

Successful books by Pegasus

Books like 365 stories, collector’s edition, and theme based activity books , vast range of encyclopedia’s are among Pegasus’ bestselling books. Many of these books are sold throughout the world, and are being translated in several other languages (Spanish, Arabic, etc.) to reach out to many kids around the world.

Tips for selecting a book for children:

At Pegasus, following factors are kept in mind while selecting a book for children:

• Rigorous quality check: A strong screening process to make sure only the best goes to the reader.
• Age Centric: Each book should be carefully compiled keeping the target age group in mind.
• Lexile Reader Measure: Books should be graded under the Lexile Reader Measure, which ensures that the books adhere to reading and learning capabilities of the age group for which a particular book has been compiled.
• Value for money: The books should not only be of the best quality but should also be priced reasonably, so that every child can enjoy these books without worrying about the cost.
• Curriculum for lot of schools: Books can be based on common curriculums and subjects that are found in books in various schools in different parts of the world.