What are the steps for publishing a children's book?

Answer 1

The odds are stacked against you. You have chosen the most difficult thing in the publishing business - getting a children's book published.

Let me describe for you the current nature of the children's book market. I just finished ghostwriting two children's books for a very major sports figure - already sold to a very major NY publisher. The first is with artist now and due out in Spring. I am currently working on another one with others to follow. This information was given to me by a Senior Editor at the publisher I write for (one of the top 5 on that list) ...

40% of children's books published today are by celebs like Madonna, Jamie Lee Curtis etc.

40% are written by existing, established children's authors like Eric Carle.

15-20% are reprints of children's classics like Curious George.

That leaves at best 5% for new authors.

And that percentage is being cut into by adult authors like Carl Hiaasen and Mary Higgins Clark entering the childrens' market recently.

To that, add the fact that most of the large publishing companies are backlogged with children's books they have under contract but havent gotten out yet.

As a result, most A list publishers aren't even reading childrens' books right now, which means agents arent either. Agents only read what they can sell.

There is very little room to break into the children's market. Only books that are extremely exceptional and have huge appeal stand a chance. Forget any holiday related books - the selling season is too short to make money.

And most publishers have huge backlogs of children's books they have purchased and are not published yet. It takes about a year for a children's book to make it out. It usually takes an artist about a month a page to illustrate. So most publishers have their production schedules for children's books filled out for the next few years.

Take a walk through any major childrens' book department and you will confirm what I am telling you. Getting a childrens' book done is almost impossible - and getting an advance for it is virtually out of the question anymore. Unless you fall into one of those categories above. I am fortunate to have the backing of a very major sports star to get me in the door with kids books. I write adult novels, but believe me I have tried with kids books before and failed for exactly the reasons I list here.

Ghostwriting has gotten me in through the back door, and now I will be able to sell some of the children's books that have my name on them. For now, someone else's name is on the cover. Someone whose name sells books - big time. Don't ask me how you can get a ghostwriting deal for a major sports star ... I really backed into this. It was a gift from Heaven really and it is a blast working with this person too!!! My mantle is now covered with sports memorabilia worth a fortune!! Presents.

That is the nature of the beast. You might get a copy of Writers Market and search for some small publishers who are reading childrens' books, but searching through the agents section, you will see that almost NO agents are reading childrens' books. Try for some small publishers that read without going through an agent. Expect a lot of rejection. Develop a really thick skin and learn to advocate for yourself.

Always remember that before you send anything to anyone, check them out. Preditors and Editors, Absolute Write Water Cooler's Bewares and Background Checks, Writers Weekly.com and Writers Wall are all great sources and totally free - although if they help you, it is nice to contribute a donation. Someone has to pay for running the sites. If you do not see information on the publisher or agent in question, write to Dave K at Preditors and Editors, Victoria Strauss or James Macdonald at Absolute Write or Angela Hoy at Writers Weekly. They are happy to pass along any info they have to help you.

As for self publishing it - it will get you nowhere. Self published books dont make it to bookstores. Childrens' books are impulse buys. What is out on the tables for kids to see is what sells. Kids don't shop at websites for things like books. They have to hold them in their hand and nag Mom to buy it. The only way to achieve that is through a good traditional publisher.

I have starred a lot of great Q and A regarding writing on my profile. You can access it and print out the pages. Start a notebook you can refer to. There s a lot of good information here and I add more as I see good ones. I am doing it to help others. Feel free to use it. Add me as a fan and get the regular updates. Keep writing. Remember you have to need to grow a hide as thick as a herd of elephants. There will be rejection letters.
Just keep writing. Be exceptional!!

Good luck. Pax

Answer 2

1) buy or check out a current Book Market for Children's Writers. Find a publisher that accepts unsolicited manuscripts in your genre and send it off.

2) Once you recieve your rejection letter, you'll realize "Hey. It's not as easy as I thought to get published" (this happens to everyone)

3) If your still serious about writing for children, keep writing and taking steps to learn the business for writing for children such as; take children's writing courses, join a local or on-line critique group, attend children's writing conferences, attend writing conferences, join writing groups like SCBWI (www.scbwi.org) and continue to rewrite and polish your manuscripts

4) Keep writing, rewriting and submitting your material to publishers. Expect rejection letters. It takes most successful writers years before their first published book.

5) Keep writing, rewriting, learning and be patient and your chances of publication increase dramatically. :0) A lot of authors are published because they didn't give up.

6) and then . . . there's always self-publishing. A good place to look for that is lulu.com

Good Luck!

Answer 3

there are various sturdy books approximately a thank you to place in writing and positioned up a e book. And there are books particularly approximately writing youngster's books. I even have participated in distinctive writing communities (and you ought to, too), and have chanced on that the largest concern human beings have is they fall in love with their own writing and don't desire to hearken to grievance. it truly is many times the grievance that hurts the main it truly is the main straightforward and strong. regrettably, it truly is the toughest to return by ability of. maximum human beings won't care as much as you do (or the writer will) approximately how nicely you're writing. pass hit upon a author's group that may not afraid to harm your thoughts--and then pay attention to what they ought to assert. Your question is truly nicely written, and because you have been penning this e book for months and are nonetheless on the 1st draft, I actually have a tendency to take you greater heavily than i'd some others who're "thinking approximately writing a e book, yet do no longer understand what to place in writing approximately". Books approximately writing are very powerful, fairly those that get into the nuts-and-bolts of storytelling, grammer, and prose. i attempt to stay faraway from the "author's existence" books that ramble on with anecdotes approximately writers--they do exactly no longer help me with my own writing. Getting back on your question--you ought to to study brokers and locate one that makes a speciality of youngster's books. examine 'author's industry' as a beginning factor. there is likewise a sturdy e book suggested as 'your first novel' that's written by ability of an experienced agent, and has an wonderful financial ruin on the ability of finding the recommendations-blowing agent. One observe of warning--do no longer deliver your artwork to an agent or writer till this is complete and polished. Too a lot of human beings try this and it leads to instantaneous rejection. pay attention of propose (which comprise mine). If somebody shows you self-positioned up, in no way ask for that guy or woman's propose back. the comparable is going for those that propose you place up on a internet internet site. i'd desire to slap the subsequent one that comes up with that concept. whilst they say issues like that, they are truly asserting, "you won't be in a position to probably write a e book that has a huge gamble of having printed." you do no longer ought to hearken to them. have self belief on your skill. sturdy good fortune and perfect desires.