| After reading many, many books to my | | | | have gone over this a few times, then it's time to |
| daughter, I decided to start writing my own | | | | put your story to a test. Give copies to people |
| children's book. How hard can it be? You write a | | | | that you trust and ask them for their opinion. Go |
| cute story about some animals having a picnic, | | | | to a children's school and read the story to the |
| get published and have the money roll in. Yeah, no | | | | kids so that you can see their reactions. |
| that's not how it really works. Writing and | | | | Once you decide that you are completely satisfied |
| publishing children's book is not as easy as it | | | | with your story, find a digital printing company. |
| sounds. You have to remember that you're | | | | Make sure that you get a digital printing company |
| writing for little kids who have a understandably | | | | because you want your wording and your |
| limited vocabulary and very precise taste. Based | | | | pictures to be sharp, clean and precise. Digital |
| on my own experience and a bit of research that | | | | printing is the best way to go about getting this |
| I did, I came up with some advice on how to go | | | | done. Be sure to let the book printer know if you |
| about writing and publishing children's books. | | | | want to print a hard or soft cover book, how |
| Start by deciding who you're writing for and what | | | | you want your margins set, and that they should |
| you want to write about. Remember that children | | | | put your name and telephone number on each |
| of different ages and genders are into different | | | | corner of each page of the book. This is a very |
| things. Three year boys generally like Thomas the | | | | important step so be sure to be clear about what |
| Train and Cars while the girls like princesses and | | | | you want. How many books you decide to prints |
| tea parties. Of course at some point they all like | | | | depends on how many publishers you want to |
| things animals, boats and birthday parties, but it's | | | | send your book to. If your strapped for cash, |
| up to you to decide what to write about and for | | | | instead of printing a book, you can print loose |
| whom. Try not to follow trends because by the | | | | pages. I recommend printing a few extra books |
| time you write your book and get it published, | | | | because the first twenty publishers may very well |
| there's a good chance that the trend may be | | | | turn you down. |
| going down or is over. Once you've decided on a | | | | When you get your books from the publishing |
| plot, characters and who you want to reach, | | | | company, do some research on publishing |
| remember to respect your readers. Just because | | | | companies. Find out where to send your books |
| they're little doesn't mean that they need to be | | | | and to whom. When you're ready to send your |
| lectured by your morals or spoken to like they're | | | | book to the publishers, have a short cover letter |
| dumb. Children are very smart and have very | | | | saying why your book is different from anything |
| strong opinions. | | | | else on the market. Don't compare yourself with |
| Once you've written your first draft and added | | | | another author. That author is already out there |
| the pictures, go back to the drawing board and | | | | so you should be unique. Once you send your |
| think about how to improve it. Is there something | | | | book out, all there is left to do is to wait. The |
| or someone that you can add to the story to | | | | publishers get thousands of books a day so it will |
| make it more memorable? Will your audience | | | | take some time for them to get to yours. Most |
| want to come back for more? Is the story and | | | | importantly, don't lose patience. If it doesn't work |
| the pictures of the right maturity level for your | | | | out with the first book, write another one and |
| audience and will they connect with it? When you | | | | see how that goes. Good luck! |