How to Publish A Children&039s Book in 2022 (6 Simple Steps)

so you want to publish a children’s book. first of all congratulations! writing a book is a great achievement and not something to be taken lightly. you had that idea you decided it was worth taking that idea and turning it into a book.

then you did the hard work. you sat in the chair, you opened that blank document and you wrote all those words from beginning to end.

You are reading: How to publish childrens books

now you’re taking the next bold step: putting all that effort into the world.

many people dream of writing a book. some people even talk about writing a book. few people manage to write a book.

so before you continue, take a second to realize how far you’ve come! celebrate the fact that you have gone from an idea to a draft book. well done.

how to publish a children

How to Publish a Children’s Book the Right Way

but now it’s time to introduce it to the world. writing the book is a big process, publishing it in the world is another.

I have two good news for you.

first, you’ve come to the right place! I’m going to describe how you can get your book from your computer to the masses. It’s very doable!

Secondly, publishing a children’s book is very similar to publishing most other books. You’ll be following a process that’s not too different from publishing books for middle grade, young adult, and adult readers. however, there are nuances around illustrators and format when determining how to publish a children’s book.

However, there is a twist, and we’ll get to that in a moment, so hold on tight.

so where to start?

1. writing your children’s book

Before planning and writing your children’s book, identify exactly who your target audience is. Children, yes, but ideally you want to get to know the child you are writing to.

Answer some of these questions to determine this:

  • Do you write to a boy or girl?
  • what age?
  • What do you like to do in your free time?
  • How much free time do they have?
  • Are they outgoing or shy?

Know your target audience as best you can before you write that first word. then when you’re writing, keep your audience in the forefront of your mind.

One way to do this is to create a pinterest account and create a board for your target audience. pin people who look like your target individual, print the photo and save it to your desktop.

This will remove the ambiguity of writing for a wide audience and help you identify exactly who will read your book.

Also keep in mind that depending on the age of your target audience, you may be writing a book that will be read to your audience, rather than being read by your audience.

This will expand the words you can use in your writing, since an adult or older child is likely to read the book. but remember, your audience still needs to understand what is being read. Including a word here and for a child to ask and learn from is sometimes necessary (and even beneficial!), but do so sparingly.

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2. edit the book before publishing

After you’ve drafted your children’s book, it’s time to edit it. there are many editing styles, different rules to follow, and stages you can take your book through.

The key thing to remember is: you’re done editing your book when edits no longer make it better.

Especially in the case of children’s books, keep in mind the rule of the show, don’t say anything. children have vivid imaginations and it is important to create the space for them to use this imagination. If you’re writing an illustrated book, illustrations will ideally reinforce your copy, rather than show what your copy doesn’t communicate.

I’ll say it again: creating a picture book is not a free pass to tell your story instead of showing it.

Whether your audience is reading to themselves or being read to, use the appropriate words to conjure up images in your audience’s mind. Let them imagine the story.

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don’t just say “the cat was angry”. show, through words, the cat stomping away. your illustrations should act as additional engagement, not the story itself.

3. get illustrations for your children’s book

Speaking of illustrations, choosing the right person to help you create the images for your books is a crucial part of a successful publication. this section answers how to start this process in your children’s book.

In traditional publishing, something called a book proposal is a prerequisite for publication. this proposal includes the pitch, book synopsis (think back cover copy), longer synopsis, target audience, marketing plan, etc.

Creating a proposal for your children’s book will help you a lot when it comes to moving forward with the illustrations. When you find an illustrator you like, send them your pitch so they get a better idea of ​​what your story is about, as well as the voice of their work, your target audience, and other details that will influence the illustrations.

If you work in graphic design and plan on doing the illustrations yourself, having a reference proposal will still be a huge benefit. Even though children’s books have far fewer word counts than middle grade books, it’s easy to forget the details. a proposal is an organized collection of those details and therefore extremely useful.

If you want to find an illustrator instead of doing it yourself, a simple online search will present you with many options.

Personal references can also be a great option. If you’ve attended writing conferences in the past, reach out to the contacts you made and ask if they know anyone, or if they can point you to someone who might.

Contact local colleges. perhaps a graphic design student could illustrate your book as a final project or for her professional portfolio.

Remember, if you’re hiring a professional illustrator, communicate your vision as best you can, but leave the details to the professional. that’s why you’re hiring them, after all!

a note on illustrators

When designing your children’s book illustrations, especially the cover, remember who you’re marketing to. if you write to six-year-olds, they won’t be able to buy your book. your marketing tactics will likely be to the parent, grandparent, or guardian who will buy the book.

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That said, you want your cover to grab the attention of both the buyer and the target audience. If your book is on a shelf at Target, Walmart, Publics or Mejier, work with your illustrator to create a cover that catches the child’s eye and also draws the interest of the adult you’re with.

4. publish your children’s book on amazon

When you self-publish on Amazon, you are in full control of your book. this is a crucial part of self-publishing your children’s book and something you should consider following to the letter.

here is a brief description of how to publish your children’s book on amazon:

  1. create a kindle direct publishing account
  2. compose your book title & subtitle
  3. write your book description
  4. choose the right keywords
  5. select the right categories
  6. upload your manuscript
  7. create a book cover
  8. price your book

If you’ve already created a book proposal as mentioned above, steps two and three are already written.

For a more in-depth look, complete with photos and videos of how to do this step-by-step process, simply click here.

5. pre-launch basics

Before you launch your book, it’s vital to consider how you plan to market your book. this is where the word platform comes in.

A writer’s platform is simply the number of people the writer can influence, whether online or in person. If you’re a successful professional, expert, or entrepreneur in your field, chances are you have some sort of platform.

Maybe you’re a professor of literature at a university. students from your program could be part of your platform.

Suppose you are a mother and you have a business from home, marketing through your instagram or facebook profile. your followers are part of your platform.

or maybe you love to cook and have a lot of followers on pinterest. you can still relate it to your children’s book. your followers follow you because they are interested in what you are doing. mention the release of your next children’s book, or even write a children’s book about cooking with mom.

This will reach your built-in audience and will likely expand your audience as you expand your topics.

So, pre-launch basics for publishing your children’s book:

  1. start talking about your children’s book in person and online
  2. share your process
  3. support other writers
  4. build a team book launches
  5. organize giveaways to help promote your book

In a nutshell: create rumours.

This may seem intimidating at first, but if you’re passionate enough about your book to go through the process of coming up with your idea, writing it, editing it, creating illustrations, and investing in publishing, you’ll be passionate enough to share your excitement. with those who watch.

Invite your friends to be part of your pitch team, make a small investment in paid ads by inviting people to apply to your pitch team, and have fun. launch kits are a fantastic way to get pre-sales, and pre-sales are a great way to hit best-seller lists. you got this!

6. children’s book release day

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take a deep breath. you’re almost there.

You had the idea. you took that idea from dream to draft, from draft to edited manuscript, from manuscript to published book, and now the world has access.

don’t stop now.

This is not the time to sit back and see what happens. think of publication day as your book’s graduation day.

participates 100%. Promote your book on your social networks. encourage your launch team to leave reviews and share your book online.

post those special quotes from your favorite pages.

let that buzzing happen.

this is your book after all.

this is also the day to do interviews. In your pre-launch basics, you should have planned how to market your book, and this includes launch day.

You don’t want to spam your followers, so be careful not to be too salesy, but have a list of interviews booked in advance. This can be on social media with other writers, or with your local TV station, or if you’re doing big interviews in New York.

Before the interview, consider the possible questions you may be asked. Think about the best way to respond (without sounding too rehearsed) so that you can present your book in a way that is concise but beneficial to listeners.

what’s next?

Okay, through the previous sections you’ve learned how to publish a children’s book. But now is a good time to reflect and consider how to market your new book. if this book was a success, loyal readers will want more. But first, celebrate. look how far you’ve come.

and then…

If your readers loved the character in this children’s book, consider creating a series of children’s books.

You may be surprised at the characters readers connect with. If the talking dog gets all the love from reviews and fan mail, consider creating a spin-off story with the dog as the main character. you never know where a book can take you.

many people dream of writing a book.

some people even talk about writing a book.

Few people manage to write a book.

but you just did. you even went that extra step and introduced it to the world. well done.

Before you start your next children’s book, take a few days to take notes:

  • Would you work with your illustrator again?
  • What worked on your launch team?
  • Did you feel rushed in any part of the process? should you change your timeline?
  • how was the editing? Could you benefit from enrolling in a course or taking a class at a community college?
  • Did you use beta readers? did they help you?
  • what interviews went well and would you like to come back when you publish another book?

Once you assess your process, you’ll be much more prepared for the next book you write, and the next… and the next.

Being a writer is a journey, and you’re on the right track.

writer, well done!

need help? Check out this great training created just for children’s book authors!

Disclosure: Some of the links above may contain affiliate associations, which means that, at no additional cost to you, Desktop Publishing School may earn a commission if you click through to make a purchase.

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