Come this fall, the toys are back in town!

As Toy Fair moves into its new fall time frame in New York City, the wheels are in motion for The Toy Book’s 2023 Toy Fair x 2024 New Toy Preview Issue! In many ways, this could be considered a sequel or companion to our 2023 edition of The BIG Toy Book — the ultimate resource for the North American toy industry.

The Toy Book is now collecting editorial showcase submissions for the 2023 Toy Fair Issue. The deadline for new product submissions is July 25, 2023. Additionally, marketing and advertising opportunities tied to the issue are now available. If you want your products to be seen by members of the trade, including retailers, distributors, manufacturers, and more throughout the U.S. and Canada, The Toy Book is for you.

This issue will contain a mix of fall and holiday drivers and forward-looking 2024 new product previews.

This issue debuts at Toy Fair, September 30, 2023

Featured Categories in the 2023 Toy Fair x 2024 New Toy Preview Issue Include:

  • Action Figures & Collectibles: Traditional action figures and playsets for kids and collectors plus collectibles ranging from kid-focused micro figures that come in waves to high-end action figures, licensed pop culture merch, and beyond for kids and kidults.
  • Arts, Crafts, & Activities: Products geared toward keeping kids creative.
  • Construction: Building sets and construction materials of all kinds.
  • Dolls: Any toy that fits into the traditional doll category, including small dolls, baby dolls, fashion dolls, etc.
  • Games & Puzzles: Traditional games and puzzles, card games, tabletop games, roleplaying games, 3D puzzles, and more.
  • Halloween (NEW!) + Costumes & Roleplay: If your toy or game has a Halloween or seasonally spooky theme (ghosts, goblins, witches, monsters, etc., we want to know about it! This section will also include some of the hottest costumes and role-play products.
  • Holidays (NEW!): If your toy is specifically designed for the winter holidays, including Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, etc., and is available for quick shipping to retailers this fall, we want to know about it! Elves, reindeer, menorahs, advent calendars, etc.
  • Impulse & Novelties: Cash register fodder, rack toys, and other pocket money items (including candy!) can be found here.
  • Infant & Toddler: Baby toys and toddler fun — this showcase features juvenile brands.
  • Outdoor & Active: Toys that kids can play with outside or get them moving, such as ride-ons and wheels (including bikes, scooters, skateboards), water toys, and outdoor games.
  • Pets (NEW!): Have pet products with a toyetic spin or a top license? This is the place to show them off.
  • Plush: Traditional stuffed animals and plush in all sizes and variations.
  • Preschool: Products geared toward the massive audience of kids ages 3-4
  • Toy Adjacent: Products sold in a toy store that aren’t necessarily toys and games.
  • Trading Cards: Both sports and non-sport trading cards (and accessories) are hot.
  • Vehicles & R/C: Die-cast vehicles, radio-controlled vehicles, action figure-compatible vehicles, pull-back cars, construction vehicles, and more. If it has wheels, treads, flies, or floats, this is the spot.
  • What’s New: Our miscellaneous section for other items that don’t fit elsewhere, such as robotics, tech, and entertainment.

Additional Highlights include:

  • Exclusive Features: You’ll have to wait and see them on Sept. 30!
  • Property Profiles: A look at select properties making waves in the toy department.
  • Select Toy Book departments plus exclusive features covering all aspects of the industry, including retail, the state of freight, hot trends, packaging, invention, marketing and public relations, and much, much more.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES & INSTRUCTIONS:

There is no fee to submit for editorial consideration.

If you have products that you want retailers and the rest of the industry to see, we’d love to share them.* Due to the large number of submissions that we receive, we request that you read and adhere to the submission requirements below. Only products that are NEW FOR 2023 or 2024 will be accepted.

Please send your new product descriptions in a Word document attachment to James Zahn, james@toybook.com

PDFs and/or PowerPoints will not be considered. List the suggested age, MSRP, and availability (e.g. Fall 2023, Spring 2024, etc.) whenever possible. Please group your descriptions by category, and do not send more than three items per category. We will choose, at our discretion, 1-3 items from each chosen company per category to showcase.

Please submit using the following format:
PRODUCT NAME | AGE GRADE | MSRP $USD | AVAILABILITY DATE
(Street date, month, or season, i.e. Now, Holiday 2023, Spring 2024, etc.)
Short description of your product.

Prioritize your submissions in each category, listing your most important items at the top of each category list, and your most important category first. Please only include top-line talking points in the product description. Our space is limited, but we will try to cover as many of your products as possible.

Please include high-resolution 300 dpi images with transparent/no background as email attachments. If possible, include an image of every item for each category, and name your images so that it is clear which item it is.  Great lifestyle images in landscape orientation are also accepted for category features.

Please do not send PDFs or PowerPoint presentations, and DO NOT embed images within documents.

*Please note that due to the large number of submissions that we receive, inclusion in The Toy Book is not guaranteed. The Toy Book editorial team, at its sole discretion, may approve or reject a submission for any reason. We reserve the right to categorize products, edit product descriptions for length, clarity, and adherence to AP and house style, and may limit the total number of products showcasefor this no-cost editorial opportunity. We do not, for any reason, include legal symbols in editorial coverage.

Send your submission by July 25, 2023. If you need an extension, please send an email to james@toybook.com ASAP. 

EMBARGOES: Be assured that ALL EMBARGOED SUBMISSIONS will remain confidential and will not be revealed until The Toy Fair Issue embargo lifts on Sept. 29, 2023.

ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES:

This issue of The Toy Book will be distributed through a multitude of touchpoints, reaching thousands of retailers throughout North America. We are offering the following options to expand visibility for your new products and get your toys onto more retail shelves this year:

  • Print and digital magazine advertising
  • Toy Report and toybook.com digital ad placement
  • Sponsored E-blasts (limited quantity available)
  • Combination print/digital/editorial packages

For ad rates and marketing opportunities, please contact:

  • Jackie Breyer, Vice President & Group Publisher: jackie@toybook.com
  • James Devin, Executive Director of Sales & Marketing: jd@toybook.com
  • Stephanie Infantino, Sales & Marketing Executive: stephanie@toybook.com
  • Rivers Jackson, Sales & Marketing Assistant: rivers@toybook.com

Advertising Deadline: August 19, 2023

FUTURE ISSUES

Want to get in on the action with future issues of The Toy Book? Check out our 2023 editorial calendar for details on what we’re cooking up for the year ahead.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

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