How to Publish a
Children’s Picture 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.
This article is all about how to publish a children’s picture book, including advice on how to edit and revise a children’s picture book, and then advice on how to submit your project for potential publication to literary agents and publishers.
WHAT IS A CHILDREN’S BOOk?
Before you worry about revising a children’s book, you will want to make absolutely sure you know what you’ve written. “Children’s book” is a term that a lot of writers use before they learn about the actual children’s book publishing landscape. There is no such category as “children’s book,” in fact. There are many different subcategories, in fact.
So what’s the difference between a picture book, an early reader, and a chapter book? MG vs YA? While a deep dive into each of these categories is beyond the scope of this article, you should know that most frequently, when someone is referring to a “children’s book,” they are talking about a picture book, or an illustrated 32-page book for ages zero to seven. (But there are subcategories even within the subcategory of picture book!)
How to Publish a Children’s Picture Book: Thinking About Audience
When you’re writing a picture book, remember that your readers are either not able to read independently yet, or just starting out reading. You will want to pay special attention to the words you use and the complexity of your sentences. I’m not asking you to “dumb down” your ideas, of course. But the way you express them needs to be simple and clean. Clarity is top priority when you want to learn how to publish a children’s picture book.
Consider the experience of your young readers when you think about writing for them. If you can’t easily tap into what it felt like to be four or six, you may want to reconsider targeting this audience. In picture book, the protagonist is key. Readers will relate to your main character, so you want to make sure that the story you’re telling features a child (or a childlike animal) who is going to remind readers of themselves.
What is the character’s arc? Are they learning something about a universal facet of human nature or experience? (Be careful that you’re not overtly preaching, though, even as you try to write meaningful children’s books.)
A huge part of learning about the audience is also reading what others are doing in the picture book space. Learn to read like a writer, and investigate what’s being published currently. Reading contemporary picture books will really help you bring your children’s book knowledge up to speed. (If you’re writing rhyming picture books because that’s what you think the market is doing, you are in for a shock when you see what has happened in the space in the last few decades!)
How to Publish a Children’s Picture Book: Writing and Revision
For picture book, you have about 600 words to work with for fiction, and up to 2,500 for nonfiction. You’ll want to read all of your work aloud as you write and revise, because that is how the text will be used “in the field.”
Better yet, ask someone else to read your work back to you. You’ll be shocked! The language you thought was flowing smoothly might sound suddenly clunky. Zero in on voice here, since picture book stories are often read aloud by parents or caregivers.
Look for instances of humor and heart in your voice, as that is what readers and their caregivers will relate to. Make sure that the character is able to be an active protagonist as well, rather than relying on wise adults or mentors to solve their problems for them.
Alas, there is a limit to self-editing. Try as you might, you will never see your own manuscripts with the type of clarity that an outside observer can. That’s why, in addition to getting to know the children’s book market and reading your work aloud, I recommend getting outside feedback on any project that you attempt. At some point, you’re going to have to let others in on your work if you’re wondering how to publish a children’s picture book.
One idea is to get involved with a critique group, critique partners, or beta reader. But be warned. The feedback you’ll get from peers is only as good as the level of experience represented in the group. Everyone is magnificent at having opinions. You want to make sure you’re soliciting worthwhile thoughts that you’ll be able to trust.
The second solution would be to hire a freelance editor. But be careful here as well. Not every freelance editor knows the children’s book markets, so it’s crucial to find one with deep experience in the space. Children’s books, as you’re learning, are a specialized field. If you’re wondering how to publish a children’s picture book, a true professional in the kidlit space will be able to offer relevant feedback, strategy, and even insider publishing industry experience to your project.
No matter how you end up approaching picture book space, children’s books are a lot of fun to write and share with eager young readers. This special category can be deeply satisfying, and I’m excited to see the results of your creative efforts.
For those eagle-eyed readers who are wondering just what kind of editor would write an article with the clunky phrasing of “how to publish a children’s picture book” over and over on her website, I applaud you for noticing that this reads awkwardly. Please note that I picked this keyword phrase on purpose, as part of my SEO (search engine optimization) strategy. If you’re curious about writer marketing techniques, check out Good Story Marketing.
Click here to purchase Writing Irresistible Picture Books, my book on children’s picture books. This comprehensive guide is crammed with craft advice and groundbreaking original research, including a survey of 1,000 upcoming picture book deals, a breakdown of 80 modern and marketable picture book topics, and in-depth analysis of over 150 published picture books.