How to Publish a Children's Book

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Pin ItArticle EditDiscussIf you've written a children's book, you're probably eager to get it published. Read on to learn about the steps you'll need to take to successfully publish your children's book.

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Sample Letters to Publishers

Sample Letter to Publisher

Sample Letter Asking for Writing Guidelines

Sample Letter About Revised Manuscript

Self-Publishing1Understand the risks. Although some forms of self-publishing are cheap, successfully self-publishing a children's book isn't. This is because to reach your audience, you're almost invariably going to have to publish actual paper books – most kids don't rely on e-readers for their daily dose of Richard Scarry and Roald Dahl. Furthermore, the children's book market is extremely competitive, and profit margins tend to be small even for successful books.2Choose a service. A traditional small vanity press is usually the best choice to self-publish your children's book, since it's important to have physical copies on hand for promotion. Vanity presses charge you money to print a set number of copies of your book, typically between 50 and a few hundred, and then print and ship them directly to you. Alternatively, you can choose a print-on-demand service, which will print one copy every time a copy is ordered, and charge you for each one. These are easily found online. Shop around and compare prices and feature packages to find one you like.Color is expensive. Expect to pay a lot more for a picture book than you would for a chapter book without pictures, or with black-and-white pictures.3Gather funds. Now that you have a printing service lined up, you'll need to find some way to pay them to print copies of your book. (Even if you choose a print-on-demand service, you should print at least 20 copies of the book for yourself to show to stores and other customers.) Start by asking your friends and family to donate a small amount, and plan to match the total with some of your savings. Offer them a copy of the book once it's printed, in return for their generosity.Other popular options include starting a Kickstarter fund or taking a second job one or two days a week.There's a decent rundown of other fundraising methods in this wikiHow.4Print and promote. Once you've paid the press to print and send you some books, it's time to beat the pavement. Start with local independent bookstores. Show the owner your book and ask if you can sell it on his or her shelf space for a commission. Ask larger bookstores as well, but don't expect to always get a positive response. Offer to do book readings at stores that carry your book. This is a good way to drum up business for both you and the owner, so most who've agreed to carry your book should agree to a reading as well.Once bookstores have been covered, talk to libraries. Donate a copy of your book to each branch, and ask the head librarian if there's any way you could stage a reading at your local branch.Consider schools. Elementary schools are a good way to get your book into the hands of local children, but it's unlikely you'll be able to simply waltz in and read to a class. Instead, speak with the librarian about donating a copy, and then speak to school administrators about possibly staging a reading event. If they say no, don't press the issue.Sell online. Be sure to set up at least a small website or Facebook page to promote your book. People who are interested in it should be able to easily order a copy from there. It also provides a neat way for parents to get more information about you and your book before buying.

Traditional Publishing1Decide whether to hire an agent. You already have a manuscript, so the logical next step is to submit it to publishers. Unfortunately, many publishing houses won't look twice at your book without the solicitation of a literary agent. In exchange for a commission on your earnings (usually 15%), an agent will critique your manuscript, promote it to publishers, and negotiate a contract for payment.

It can take time to find a good agent who'll work with you if you haven't been published yet, and there are plenty of bad agents and scammers in the game. Be careful, and only work with agents who are recommended by trustworthy sources. Some of the best places to find agents worth your time include:Guide to Literary Agents, a book published every year by Writer's Digest BooksLiterary Marketplace, a yearly book available in the research section of most librariesThe Association of Author's Representatives (AAR).2Find publishers. If you decide not to hire an agent, you'll need to scour sources for publishers who accept unsolicited manuscripts for children's books. Thoroughly review the latest edition of the Children's Writers and Illustrators Market, and note every publisher who seems to fall into the appropriate category.

Pay special attention to published guidelines and tips for submissions. Many publishers won't even bother reading a manuscript that doesn't conform to its submission guidelines. If you can't find the details you need, send an e-mail or a self-addressed stamped envelope to the publisher and request submission guidelines.Find children's books that are similar to yours in content and audience and make note of the companies that published those books. They may be more likely to look at your manuscript favorably.3Submit your manuscript. Submit to each agent or publisher according to their specific guidelines. Follow the formatting requirements exactly as described. Expect to hear back from the agencies and publishers you submit to within three months of submission. If you haven't heard from the by then, chances are you never will.

Unless you are a professional illustrator, do not send illustrations. Publishers typically choose their own to avoid potential copyright issues. If you're dead set on including your own illustrations in the book, it's best to go through an agent, who'll be able to make a stronger argument to publishers than you can.4Be persistent. Keep copying manuscripts and sending them out. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Many authors got rejected upwards of 50 times before their first books were published. Rejection isn't a wake-up call; it's a normal part of the submission process. Eventually, either someone will offer you a contract, or you'll run out of people to submit to. Don't stop until that point.When you get offered a contract, do research to be sure it's a fair one. If you have an agent, he or she will take care of this step for you; otherwise, consider hiring an expert to consult with you for an hour or two about the contract and whether or not it's worth entering.If you've been rejected hundreds of times and agents aren't showing any interest, it may be time to up your game. Join a community writing workshop, or read a book about how to write a great children's story. You might find that one or two simple style mistakes have been preventing your book from getting the attention it deserves.

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Learn a step-by-step approach of how to publish a children's book, as well as any other type of book.

Edit TipsWrite from the heart. Don't just write a children's book to make money – most children's books don't make much, and it'll show in the finished product, besides. Make your book a labor of love, be willing to revise and rewrite it, and it'll eventually get published.If an editor asks you to revise your manuscript, put your ego aside and follow their advice. Then send it back, with a reminder that they've read it already.

Edit WarningsWhen you self-publish, do your homework. Be very conscious of hidden or extra fees, especially when they're written as percentages. Don't buy in if you can't get a clear idea of what the final cost will be.No good agent will ever charge you a “reading fee” or any other fees. They make their money when they sell your book, and not before. Members of the Association of Author's Representatives (AAR) can generally be trusted; outside the AAR, use caution and get terms in writing.

Edit Related wikiHowsHow to Write a Children's BookHow to Self Publish a BookHow to Work with EditorsHow to Market a BookHow to Edit a BookHow to Choose Children's Books About BullyingHow to Create a Children's Book

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