Your book is done. It might have taken you a weekend, or it may have been three years of writing on the back of napkins after dropping the kids off at school.
That’s not the tough part, though. Most beginners in children’s books realize that the actual writing is the easiest step of the process. What happens next? Illustrations, number of pages, book trim sizes, ISBN numbers, and many publishers who all want something else. Fortunately, knowing where most people fall off the train makes everything a whole lot easier.
Start With the End Reader, Not the Finished Draft
Do not invest a penny in illustration or editing until you know to whom your book is being marketed. “Children” is far too vague a term. A board book for one year olds is an entirely different proposition from a 32 page picture book targeted at five year olds.
Pin down the age group, then check a few things:
- Typical word counts for that age (picture books usually land between 400 and 800 words)
- Standard page counts, which are almost always multiples of eight
- How much text sits on each page
Just go to the library or bookstore and pick up ten books related to your field and listen to the way the sentences sound when read out loud and see where the page breaks occur and what percentage of the book is pictures. One day spent researching will save you months of editing later on.
Read It Out Loud, Then Read It to a Real Child
Children's books are performed, not read. Your parents will perform them out loud to you, probably late at night, probably for the fortieth time. If you can't say your words correctly, your parents won't be able to either.
Go over your draft out loud, noting where you fumble. Then, if you can manage, try reading it to a real child. See what expression you get on their face. Do they perk up at the page turn? Do they lose interest at page six? That child is the most truthful editor you'll ever have.
Don't Skip the Editing Stage
Because the word count is small, many new authors assume editing doesn't matter. It matters more. When a book has 500 words, every awkward phrase, odd rhyme, or inconsistent detail is impossible to hide.
If you can't afford a full professional edit, try this layered approach instead:
- Let the draft sit for two weeks before touching it again.
- Cut anything the illustrations can say instead of the text.
- Swap in a critique partner or a local writers' group for a second pair of eyes.
- Hire a proofreader at the very end, even if you skip the rest.
A proofreader costs far less than a developmental editor, and it catches the typos that make a book look unprofessional.
Choose Your Illustrator Like You're Choosing a Co-Author
Illustrations don’t just decorate picture books; they are half of the story! An art style that doesn’t fit can ruin even the best manuscript.
Consider samples, not just rate sheets. You need an artist who is able to create consistency in his illustrations of the same character through the entire book, since it’s something that many new illustrators find difficult to do. Ask for some character sketches first and set in advance how many rounds of revision there will be, in what format the files will be provided to you, and what kind of rights to the illustrations you’ll have.
Try to keep your instructions short. Authors often give illustrations instruction in one paragraph per page of their books.
Understand Your Publishing Routes Before You Pick One
There are three main roads, and each suits a different kind of author:
Traditional publishing It means that someone will publish your book, handle its printing, and distribute it. It means that you will need to find yourself an agent in most cases, wait for months to hear back from anyone, and lose a good deal of control over what you create.
Self-publishing puts you in charge of everything. You hire the team, pay the costs, and keep most of the profit. It's faster, but the workload is yours.
Hybrid publishing sits in the middle. You share costs with a company that provides professional services and some distribution. Quality varies a lot here, so check contracts carefully.
If you're leaning toward the traditional route, it helps to study the top book publishing companies that actually accept children's titles. Look at which imprints publish books like yours, whether they take un-agented submissions, and how long their typical response time is. Sending your story to a house that only does middle-grade fantasy, when you've written a rhyming bedtime book, is a quick way to collect rejections that have nothing to do with your talent.
Prepare Your Manuscript the Way Professionals Expect
Mistakes in formatting result in rejection without even getting past the cover letter. With picture books, keep it basic. The manuscript should have regular readable fonts, double-spaced writing, and a neat title page with all your information. No need for comments on artwork unless the story will be incomplete without them, as many publishing companies prefer to match the text with their artist.
Also, craft an intriguing query letter of two or three paragraphs – a one-liner introduction, a brief synopsis, and a sentence about yourself. Try not to say that the book will be enjoyed by every child; let the pitch reveal its magic instead.
Take a Smart Look at Self-Publishing Through Amazon
To many writers, self-publishing will always remain the most realistic option, and now it’s easier than ever before. Should you choose this path, then self-publishing your children’s book on Amazon using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) means that you can have your paperback, hardcover, or ebook published without any printing expenses because books are printed only when ordered.
A few practical points will save you headaches:
Select the proper trim size. Commonly used trim sizes for picture books are 8.5 x 8.5 inches and 8 x 10 inches. Ensure to check which trim sizes are supported by your selected format before commencing with illustrations.
Consider the bleed and margins. Illustrations that are drawn on the page edge should consider additional bleed, otherwise you will lose part of the illustration.
Use high-resolution images. Aim for 300 DPI. Blurry pictures are one of the most common complaints in reviews.
Order a proof copy. Colors on screen rarely match colors on paper. Holding the physical proof lets you catch problems before readers do.
Think of publishing a children's book on Amazon as a business launch rather than a single upload. The listing itself, meaning the title, subtitle, description, and cover, does most of the selling.
Give Your Cover and Description Real Attention
The book’s cover is judged in two seconds by the shopper and it should look good even in the thumbnail form. Check it out in that way. If the title becomes illegible then either change the font or increase the contrast.
In the description, keep in mind that you speak to the parent buying this book. Include the age group, the gentle message and some elements of the story. Short paragraphs with a couple of lines between them look much more readable on a smartphone screen, where many purchases are made nowadays.
Keywords for categories should be chosen by thinking of the parent searching for the book in Google Search. Expressions such as "bedtime story about sharing" or "books for kindergarten about friendship" make perfect sense as a keyword.
Budget Honestly, Then Add a Cushion
Costs take people by surprise. Just the illustrations can cost a few hundred dollars all the way up to thousands of dollars. With editing, cover design, ISBNs, proofs, and a bit of marketing thrown in, that number can quickly increase.
Everything needs to be itemized in a basic spreadsheet prior to starting. And then add another 15 percent or so for unexpected costs. That way you know the total cost going in, and can allocate budget appropriately.
Plan Your Marketing Before Launch Day
The quiet truth about publishing is that a book rarely sells itself, no matter how good it is. Start building an audience weeks before release. Some low-cost ideas that work well for children's books:
- Offer a free printable coloring page that matches your story
- Contact school librarians, teachers, and local parenting groups
- Arrange a reading at a nearby bookstore or library
- Ask a few early readers for honest reviews at launch
- Share behind-the-scenes sketches on social media
Parents love knowing the story behind a book. Your journey, your inspiration, and your illustrator's process are all content people enjoy.
Keep Learning From Others Who Have Done It
You don’t need to know everything on your own. Organizations such as SCBWI provide webinars, critique groups, and market information. Author online forums tend to be helpful in giving suggestions, particularly on which vendors to steer clear of.
When you’re evaluating the best book publishing firms against self-publishing companies, get feedback from authors who have used both. Ask what they would change. Their responses will be far more valuable than anything in an advertisement.
Be Patient With the Process, and With Yourself
No project is ever going to be seamless either. An e-file gets denied, a proof comes back with murky colors, an email takes six weeks to come back. This doesn’t mean your book isn’t succeeding. This means you’re doing something that requires patience.
Divide up the process into smaller stages and appreciate each little step along the way. The completed edit, the first sketch, the approved proof. Even small accomplishments keep you going when the goal seems distant.
Final Thoughts
The process of preparing your children's book for publication can be summed up in terms of being prepared, constructive criticism, and choosing the path that suits your goals. Know your audience, edit your text, collaborate with the right illustrator, and learn about your options. When you are planning to approach the highest publishing houses for publishing your children's book or you plan to publish your children's book on Amazon, then you need to know what is best for you.
There is a child somewhere out there waiting for your book. Some planning ahead will make sure he or she gets it soon enough.
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