Chapter books are a traditional form of literature for beginning readers of all ages. Usually accompanied by art, chapter books have short chapters and fairly simple sentences that allow for most readers to progress through the story at a fairly swift velocity. They are a time-tested form of educational tool, but, more than that, a much loved form of literary entertainment.

Graphic novels are relatively new to the literary landscape and have their origins in comic books and illustrated children’s books. The market data on the Graphic novel marketplace is rather wide ranging. Conservatively, estimates on the size of the North American retail market for graphic novels are at $100 million in 2002, evenly divided between comic stores and bookstores, 33% higher than it was in 2001. A 20% growth rate was surpassed in 2003, though that growth rate was higher in bookstores.

Since 2003, graphic novel growth has exploded as alternative education programs around the country. Further, sequential format of graphic novels is looked to when it comes to moving the stories from the page to the screen – including movies, television and PCs.

Works of fiction and nonfiction have been around for thousands of years. Though the popularity of books as entertainment has waned in the face of technology, the market for such works is nevertheless massive. Further, due to the value of stories as conveyors of complex information, high and low ideas, in depth history, and difficult science, educators have increasingly focused their financial resources on getting young and old individuals to improve their reading habits. Libraries, in fact, have become one of the major markets for bound stories, while chain stores such as Barnes and Noble and Borders have learned to market the medium in ever more sophisticated ways. The growth for bound stories is as it always was, boundless.

The twenty-first century media world has exploded. The internet, cable television, wireless palm devices, satellite radio, the straight-to-video film industry, and the popularity of computer gaming have dramatically increased the need for good stories, especially those with an established visual look and partial storyboarding. More and more outlets require original “content” or “stories” that enchant, capture, and excite audiences. Media savvy individuals can strategically place good content in dozens of new and expanding markets that increase sales for traditionally published material while generating funds in the process.