photo of Children’s Book Self-Publishing – Top 05 Facts About Self-Publishing a Children’s Book

Children’s Book Self-Publishing – Top 05 Facts About Self-Publishing a Children’s Book

"Writing for kids is hard; kid's books are just as hard to understand as adult books, so they should be treated with the same respect." John Mark Haddon.

It's important to know that writing and releasing children's books is not at all shorter or more accessible, even though the books may seem shorter and easier to understand. Before you start the process of self-publishing your children's book, there are a few essential things you should know.

As a books publishing company, we've compiled a list of things to help you understand the publishing process completely.

Remember that the information below isn't a complete guide to book publishing platforms for children's books. The genre includes many different styles and ideas, similar to how self-help books are different.

But this list provides some good things to consider for people who want to write their first children's book.

Let's not waste any more time and get right to the facts.

Expertise of a Skilled Illustrator is Essential

The quality of a children's book's illustrations is crucial since dull or ordinary art may not engage young readers.

Working with a trained artist who knows the business is more important than finding a decent drawer. An artist with this expertise and skill can bring your story to life and make it flow effortlessly into your book.

What are the three most important things you should look for in a good artist for your kids' book?

Artistic Style Compatibility

Make sure that the illustrator's style fits with the spirit and idea of your kid's book. A good artist should be able to do many different things and make pictures that fit your story's mood and message.

Portfolio and Experience

Look at the illustrator's work and determine their experience in the field. Look for a wide range of work that shows they can handle different topics, age groups, and types of writing.

Illustration experience for children's books is a big plus because it shows you understand the business's specific needs.

Communication and Collaboration Skills

In every part of life, good conversation is essential. When looking for a trusted illustrator, you should find someone who will listen to your ideas, give you feedback that will help you improve, and work with you without problems.

A good artist should be willing to talk, listen, and work with you to bring your ideas to life while offering creative advice.

It’s Time Taking – For Sure!

Making a children's book takes a lot of time, especially drawing good pictures. You should be ready for a few weeks or even months before your chosen artist can start working on your project if they have one.

But this waiting is only the beginning. There are several essential steps in the process, such as editing (yes, even children's books can benefit from editing), designing the style of the inside and outside of the book, and finally, printing or making an eBook. All of these steps must be finished before your book is ready to be bought.

Figure this out: if you want your book to be published in time for Christmas, you must start planning a long time ago, usually a year before publication.

In addition, you should start the process even earlier if you want your book to be in physical bookstores during Christmas.

Many shops choose their holiday books as early as June or July. Therefore, it is even more important to be proactive if you want your book to be on those holiday shelves.

Many bookstores finalize their holiday selections as early as June or July, emphasizing the need for a proactive approach to ensure your book finds its place on those holiday shelves.

Your Publishing Goals Shape Your Printing Strategies

Your reason for wanting to sell a book should be central to your decisions about printing and distributing it. Distribution includes all the ways your book gets to the people you want to read it, like through standard bookstores, online stores, or a personalized sales channel that goes straight to the reader.

It's essential to ensure your book publishers online plan fits your overall goals. Are you trying to make your book stand out in real shops, or are you trying to create something more personal, like a special gift for your family?

Do you already have a loyal readership that you can direct to your website, or do you need the broader reach and distribution that big stores can provide?

The answers to these questions can significantly affect how much money your book makes. For example, if you print many books (500 or more) to sell in shops, you might get a few dollars for each one that sells.

On the other hand, you could make the same amount of money by selling directly to readers through a custom sales page without having to print many copies at first.

Immediate Savings Could Lead to Future Expenses

Buying kids' books can cost a lot of money. Publishing a children's book can quickly go over $10,000 because of things like high-quality drawings, color printing costs (more than black and white), and the need to print many copies ahead of time.

While it's natural to want to find ways to save money right now, it's essential to think about what those choices might mean in the long run. If you choose a cheaper artist, the uniqueness and appeal of your drawings might suffer, which could hurt the sales of your book.

In the same way, using print-on-demand printing to save money on printing costs might mean lower quality and higher prices, which could turn off potential buyers.

What might seem like a significant investment at first can increase your chances of success in the long run. It's normal to want to save money, but it's essential to ensure you're not sacrificing quality or taking shortcuts.

Your Marketing Audience Aren’t Children

Children's book marketing targets adults who buy books for them. With this two-tiered viewership, your task is more challenging. Your book must appeal to youngsters, parents, and other family members who will buy it.

Writing a unique children's book is crucial to this multifaceted project. Your book should be distinctive and engaging to stand out on the shelf and attract youngsters and adults to read it to them.

Include a captivating story, vibrant graphics, or a unique instructional element to attract everyone's attention.

Wrapping It Up!

Finding a balance in children's novels keeps kids and adults interested. This is part of ensuring parents and other adults value kids' stories.

Making children's books involves more than simply words and pictures. We're uniting disparate factions. Every word and image can inspire a child's creativity and create lasting memories.

Think about the significant impacts of what we make and share. These novels discuss sentiments, facts, important events, and storytelling.

Remember how these books can impact kids' lives and caregivers' hearts as we write them.

We want to give kids the best reading experiences since it's a beautiful approach to promote a love of reading, fantasy, and shared experiences that will better future generations' lives.

Good luck to all children's book writers! May you write, improve, and shine.


Read More: Common Book Publishing and Marketing Questions