How to Publish a Children’s Book: A Guide for New Authors

Children’s books are books for children and young adults. The subject matter and difficulty of these books change as the reader grows older. There are several genres within children’s literature, including fantasy, biography, nonfiction, poetry, and science fiction.

Children’s books can be beneficial to young readers, helping them to see different perspectives, improve their vocabulary, and build their comprehension skills.

Becoming a children's book author can come with challenges. There are many factors to consider, including your target age group and audience. While there are many paths to publishing children’s literature, it is important to first understand some of the different categories of children's books:

1. 1. Picture book: A children’s picture book weaves together verbal and visual narratives. A great example of this is board books where each page features sequential illustrations important to the narrative. This type of book is generally aimed at toddlers and young children, but there are versions that cater to older children and adults as well.
2. 2. Chapter book: Chapter books are longer storybooks generally created for intermediate readers, ages 7–10. These books can be fiction or nonfiction and mainly focus on prose over pictures, though they often offer illustrations. The stories come in short chapters that cater to the shorter attention spans of children, though longer, complex chapter books may cater to teens and young adults.
3. 3. Middle grade fiction: Middle grade fiction refers to books written for readers between the age range of 8 and 12.
4. 4. Young adult novels: Young adult fiction refers to books written for readers roughly between the ages of 12 and 18.

The above terms are an age-based categorization that can apply to science fiction, mystery, coming-of-age, and other types of fiction.

There are a few publishing pathways, but the right choice will depend on a writer and their goals. Here’s what you should know about traditional and self-publishing routes:

• Traditional publishing: Choosing to go the traditional route requires you to secure a literary agent who then sells your book to a large publishing house. An agent and larger publishing house can result in a high-quality book, as well as an advance against royalties on your work prior to publishing. The publishing house that purchases the book also absorbs all upfront production costs and financial risk. Many children's book publishers only accept books from literary agents; others only accept submissions at certain time blocks throughout the year.
• Self-publishing: This route allows authors to maintain complete editorial control over all aspects of their book and the publishing process. Since retailers generally like to partner with known distributors, getting your book into a big box store as an “indie” publisher can be a struggle. If your book isn't getting the marketing it needs to succeed, self-publishing can be financially risky as well.
• Hybrid publishing: This model approaches publishing with a different revenue model than traditional publishers, but incorporates the same practices. Hybrid publishers may include vanity presses, which will allow an author to publish their book with a pay-to-play revenue model. The author essentially retains all creative control over their work, while receiving the support of a smaller traditional publisher. Authors do not receive an advance but do have the support of the publishing team.

A literary agent represents an author, serving as an intermediary between them and the publisher for selling and distributing their work. First-time authors may struggle to find a literary agent, although there are many ways to secure one. As a first-time author, you should do your research, scour agent listings, and send out query letters to see if your work is what literary agents are looking for.

Keep in mind that literary agents generally charge a fee of between 10–20 percent of sales that they help negotiate on behalf of the writer they represent. A literary agent may have connections to major publishing houses and submit to publishers that don’t otherwise accept unsolicited manuscripts. Literary agents can protect your best interests and help you negotiate a contract.

No matter which path you take to publishing, it’s important to make plans around marketing. Publishing houses will not necessarily handle all of your marketing—though there are exceptions, such as having a major following or brand. Discuss marketing with your literary agent; they may help you devise a plan for marketing and selling your book.

Writing is an art, and getting a book published is no small feat. Here’s a step-by-step list of what you need to do to get your manuscript ready for submission:

• Complete manuscript: Writing is one of the most important steps. Make sure your copy is a children’s story and that it’s well written. Your work should have an opening action, rising action/plot, and a conclusion. The story should have a memorable setting, main character(s), and potentially a lesson the child can understand.
• Edit: Edit, rewrite, and revise your manuscript, getting feedback from peers and trusted colleagues. This is also an opportunity to ensure your story is coherent and that there are no typos or major grammatical errors.
• Decide on a publishing route: With the manuscript of your first book, it’s time to pick a publishing route. This will depend on your own goals and the kind of support you hope to have.
• Format manuscript: If you are self-publishing or hybrid publishing, you may only have to format your manuscript according to the submission guidelines of a computer software. This includes thinking about page count, word count, book cover illustrations, and more. Traditional publishers will have their own manuscript formatting guidelines, so read everything before submitting your work.
• Illustrate your work: You can choose to illustrate your own book or hire a professional book illustrator.
• Send out queries: A query, or a cover letter for your book, includes a synopsis and your target audience. A proper query letter can help you secure an agent and get steps closer to a book deal. Network and give yourself a reasonable timeline for building authentic professional relationships.
• Complete your book: Even after you’ve secured an agent, your manuscript may need additional work. Trust your agent to sell your manuscript to the publishers.

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