How to Self-Publish a Children’s Book
While children’s books may seem simpler to produce, they take just as much dedication as a full-length novel or nonfiction book. To create a great children’s book, you need to write a great story, add amazing illustrations that jump off the page, and get your book into the right hands.
Let’s look at some things to consider if you want to self-publish a children’s book.
Timing the writing, editing, and illustrating of a children’s book
While children’s books may have far less words, you still need to create a compelling story that engages both the children in your target audience and the adults in their lives. Most children’s book authors expect to spend at least six months to a year working on their book.
In addition to writing the story and the editing and design work to prepare it for publication, you’ll also spend some time identifying your target audience(s), researching topics, developing characters and themes, and hiring and working with an illustrator. The illustration process can often take weeks or months, depending on your illustrator’s credentials and capacity, so plan accordingly.
Children’s book illustrations
Good illustrations are essential for creating books children and adults will love. Your illustrator should understand the industry and what it takes to breathe life into your story. If you’re new to self-publishing children’s books, you may need to work extensively with your illustrator to make sure the design suits your targeted age group, complements your story, and works well with the overall book layout.
Cost to Self-Publish a children’s book
Children’s books may be shorter, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re cheaper to make. The cost to produce a good children’s book averages $3,000 to $5,000 but could be even higher, depending on which illustrator you hire, how much editing or formatting you need, and how you’re printing or distributing your book.
That’s why we offer our book production cost estimator tool to help you get a better idea of your expected publishing costs.
Publishing and distribution
If you’re new to self-publishing, enrolling in Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) Select Program may help jump-start your career, providing access to Amazon’s global distribution channel and publishing tools, including the Kindle Kids’ Book Creator, which gives you information and templates to create illustrated books that can be easily viewed on Kindle devices and apps. However, enrolling in KDP means you can only sell your book digitally on Amazon for 90 days, and there is no personal assistance offered in editing, design, or layout.
More experienced self-publishers who have already developed a loyal fan base often opt for a more inclusive approach, where they can leverage social media, their website, podcasts, blogs, and other channels to attract readers and sell their book.
Let’s get to work!
As an independent author, it can be hard to know who’s got your back. Publish Pros can help you achieve your publishing dreams. Our experienced team of professionals will work with you every step of the way to turn your story into an awesome children’s book. Contact us today to learn more about our services and our approach to help you successfully navigate the world of self-publishing.
