How to Publish a Children’s Book
By Mary Kole
Mary Kole is a former literary agent, freelance editor, writing teacher, author of Writing Irresistible Kidlit, and IP developer for major publishers, with over a decade in the publishing industry.
If you’re wondering how to publish a children’s book, know that writing and submitting work for young readers is an undertaking that requires patience, creativity, and dedication (and those are just the writer’s tools you need to cultivate before you write the book itself). From creating the most robust idea possible to writing a draft to revising the project and then to pursuing potential publication, there are many steps involved in how to publish a children’s book. But for many aspiring authors, it can be worth all the effort for the chance to share your idea with generations of young readers, so let’s dig in.
How to Publish a Children’s Book: Creating Your Idea
The key to any great story is a great idea, or premise. Start by brainstorming ideas that are interesting and meaningful (though you never want to moralize when telling a story for young readers). If you have any personal stories or experiences from your own childhood, or are seeing life anew through the eyes of your children or grandchildren, these can be great starting points for inspiration. Once you have your core idea, develop it into something more concrete with characters, a setting, and plot points. Remember to also brainstorm a universal theme that makes your particular idea relatable to kid readers everywhere.
Once you have an outline of your story, it's time to start writing. Here’s where you might be in for a bit of a learning curve, however. The category of “children’s book” doesn’t actually exist in publishing. You’re either writing a picture book, early reader, chapter book, middle grade novel, or young adult novel.
Before you go any further, you need to be very clear on what kind of book you want to write, and for which audience. If you’re researching how to publish a children’s book, you need to know that this particular publishing marketplace is very regimented in terms of audience age, word count, content, and more. Your idea will ideally resonate with your chosen market, but knowing the market to begin with is a very important part of how to publish a children’s book.
How to Publish a Children’s Book: Writing and Revising the Draft
Once you have your idea, character, plot, and intended audience set, it’s time to get writing. A daily writing practice might be intimidating, but do try to write regularly, so you can stay on track toward your goal. Some children’s books, like picture books, might not be that long (aim for 600 words as an average picture book word count), but each of those words needs to count. In your pursuit of how to publish a children’s book, you’ll want to take drafting and revision seriously.
As you write your draft, take every opportunity to make sure your language is age appropriate and engaging for young readers. Also consider how the book will look visually (if you’re writing chapter book and younger). You don’t need to commission illustrations, but thinking in terms of words and pictures can really help you level up your craft.
Join a critique group that’s versed in children’s books, or hire a freelance editor who specializes in the market. The publishing landscape is more competitive than ever, and you need additional feedback to make sure you’re on the right track.
How to Publish a Children’s Book: Publishing Paths
Once your draft is complete (or even while you're still working), you should be reading other books in your category and seeing what else is out there. When you want to know how to publish a children’s book, having a sense for modern children’s books is crucial. See who is writing what, and which houses are publishing the kinds of books you like. You’ll maybe even want to reference some of these as comp titles for your own work.
There’s also the question of whether to aim for traditional publication or self-publishing. The latter, especially for creators wanting to know how to publish a children’s book, specifically, can be an expensive proposition—as you will need to finance not only the illustrations yourself, but get hard copies printed (in most cases).
Alternatively, you can find literary agents who represent your children’s book category and try to get a traditional deal from a publishing house. The house will commission illustrations and take care of production for you.
Writing a children’s book can bring immense satisfaction to both writers and readers alike. The process begins with developing a robust idea. Then comes drafting and revision. Finally, you will submit your work to appropriate literary agents and publishers who specialize in children’s literature. With dedication throughout this entire process, aspiring authors might just write their own “how to publish a children’s book” success story!
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