How would I go about getting a childrens book published?

Question

I have written a childrens book and my kids love it. I am wondering if I decide to get it published how would I do it? What steps should I take and how do I get started?
Thank you!

Answer 1

There are two types of publishing: Tradition and Self-Publishing. You will first need to decide which of these methods you want to pursue. Each has advantages and disadvantages that need to be researched. For instance, traditional publishing can be a very long road, littered with MANY rejections. Self-publishing will guarantee you a printed copy of your book, however you will not see it in a brick-and-mortar bookstore.

http://www.lulu.com is, in my opinion, the best self-publisher around. You can set up your book on their website, for free, and they will print copies as they are purchased. They do not edit your book, so you will need to take care of that on your own. This will also NOT get your book in a traditional bookstore, although you can purchase a very affordable package that would allow sale of your book through online bookstores like Amazon.

If you are just looking to get copies for friends and family, then Lulu is an excellent choice. You do not have to make it publically available and can use it as a printer (this would keep your first publication rights, which could become a big deal later if you want to traditionally publish).

"Writer's Market", along with "The Guide to Literary Agents" are my two suggestions for diving into the traditional publishing market. I suggest looking for an agent first because they are the best step through the publishing door. You will create a submission package that matches the agents preferences (some, for instance, just want a query letter and summary in your first contact with them while others want more). Once you find an agent that is willing to represent you, they will market your book to publishers. Remember, in traditional publishing you should not be paying for anything! They get paid when you get paid!

Happy writing!

Answer 2

Getting published when you are unknown, is a very daunting task. A very few people get lucky with major publishers, but for most writers, it is a long hard road.

If you have time and patience, you should start by looking for companies that publish the type of book you have written. Make a list and then contact them via email or surface mail and find out what their submission guidelines are. The unfortunate thing is that most major publishing houses will not accept anything not submitted by an agent. But there *are* smaller houses that might work even harder to promote your work, so it's worth a shot. The difficulty most new writers face, is having patience. If you get an invitation to submit a cover letter, synopsis, and sample chapters, it can be 3-6 months before you hear back from them. And the vast majority will not accept multiple submissions, which means you can only send it to one publisher at a time, each of whom could take six months to get around to reading it and rejecting it.

Lulu.com is an option, but only if you have some very competent friends to edit and proofread the book for you, as well as creating cover copy and a design, not to mention formatting it. Lulu.com only takes what you submit and gives it to the printer. So what comes out, reflects on you as a writer, even if the sloppiness is in other aspects of the book.

The alternatives are subsidy publishers, who underwrite some of the costs of publishing, while you pay the rest. Depending on the size of the book and other things like illustrations, this can cost a few hundred dollars.

Then there are what is called Print on Demand publishers. These companies will take a formatted and edited book and list it with a number of places, as well as having it handled by a distributor who lists it among their books to order. Most also place the book on Amazon and other online companies. POD publishing can range in cost from $200-$800, depending on how much time and effort the company has to put in, all of which you will pay for. However, they do also usually offer some decent qulaity editing and illustration services. Once the book is all set up, it can be ordered through online stores, the publisher's store, or from any book store by the ISBN. Another advantage is that as the author, you can buy copies at a minimal price, for local distribution. That way you can do your own self-promotion, and if you are inclined, provide copies to groups for fund-raising, with you making appearances for autographing.

Answer 3

Candy, You'll ought to get a duplicate of Writer's Market 2009 and seem up sellers that constitute kid's books. I'll provide you somewhat perception on that. It's no longer effortless to get them released except you are a star of a few type. It's unhappy however real. If you discover an agent within the publication, you can ought to write him/her a question letter explaining what you've gotten with somewhat synopsis integrated. Make definite your letter is freed from any mistakes in spelling or grammar. You can get samples of question letters on the web. Good success! PJ M

Answer 4

You can set up an interview with a publishing company. Our somtimes they have places where you can mail it in and see where that gets you.
Well i wish you the best of luck!

Answer 5

If you can spare a little more than $5, upload to lulu.com - they'll make it look professional & can sell it from their site.