I need step by step instructions on how to publish a childrens book?

Answer 1

Publishing a Children's Book?
I assume that you have done the manuscript.

You could go two ways:
1) You could seek a publisher for publication.
Please asked your library for books which list publishers or look on the Internet. Or, look in a book store for names of publishers of children's books. Contact the publishers before sending the manuscript.
Publishers pay you a royalty may be between 5-15% of the sales price of your book, per book.
Agents take some books to publishers;
subsidiary publishers have you pay for their work and the publishing costs.

2) You could publish the book yourself.
Make the title page and the back cover of the book, the Copyright page, the inner title page, the table of contents and the inner pages. Each book starts with page number one on the right side of the book. The left side pages have the uneven numbers. All pages should be ready for print.
You may want to go to a print shop or look on the Internet for a printer and negotiate a price (depends on the number of copies you want to print). Determine the type of binding with your print shop (spiral, comb, hardcover etc.).

Then comes the marketing.
You may want to deliver copies to some book stores, make Press Releases, send a sample to a publisher, offer your book on the Internet. Marketing is an art in itself, which could encompass market studies, test ads, expensive ads etc.

Wish you much success!
Cordially,
India.Magica

Answer 2

You start by querying literary agents. This is done with a one page letter describing yourself and your book. Sometimes the agent will request you include the first few pages or chapters, but that is an individual preference.

There are several websites out there that will help you find an agent, my favorite is QueryTracker.net at http://www.querytracker.net/ . It is free and has a list of literary agents and also tools to help you keep track of who you already queried and who you haven't, plus more.

They do a good job of keeping the crooks off their lists, but it is still a good idea to double check at http://www.sfwa.org/beware/twentyworst.html.

There are a lot of crooks out there. Never pay anyone to read or publish your book. A real agent will never ask for money except as a percentage of your royalties.

Keep in mind that finding an agent and getting published is not an easy process. Some people have to query hundreds of agents before they find one who will accept them (sadly, some never get accepted), but be persistent and keep trying.

You should also visit http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums one of the largest forums for writers. They can be very helpful.

Good luck.

Answer 3

The best advice I can give you is to check out a book called "Writer's Market." It's updated every year and the new edition comes out in November. It's in your local library, but it's a treasure you should own and every book store carries it. It gives you every piece of information you'll ever need on how to prepare and submit your book for publication and will tell you every publisher looking for books in your field. It will even tell you how much each publisher pays! I have used this book and as a result, have published numerous stories, because it also deals with fiction of every sort, non-fiction in books and magazines and even newspapers. Once you see this book you'll understand its value.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

Step 1: If you are a first time author and it's a fiction book, you're going to have to write the book first (on spec). When you write it, make sure it is something easily classified, i.e. picture book, chapter book. The market has clear definitions for each category, and its hard to get a first book contract on something that doesn't fit in the tiny publishing boxes. Basically think to yourself, what bookshelf would the bookstore put this on? That's your answer. If you're not sure wha the pubishing industry calls it, ask one of the booksellers. They know all the lingo. Also, you need to know which target age group you intend to write the book for, and you need to aim for that age group. Make your protagonist at the upper level of that age range. (It's a dumb rule, but as a first time writer, it's one to follow. Tolkien would never have published The Hobbit as a children's book nowadays because Bilbo is over 50.)

Step 2: Once you've written your book, you need to find either an agent or a publisher. I recommend The Writer's Market for a guide to publishers and the Writers Market Guide to Agents because both books show all publishers/agents of all genres (who aren't scams). Other books exist, and probably ones that feature only agents/publishers of children's books. Actually, the Institute for Children's Literature puts out a book called Book Markets for Children's Writers each year. You might be able to get that on Amazon. Read the listings and choose the agents you wouldl like to have represent you. Go to each agent's website and search for his or her "writer's guidlines." Once you have each of their guidelines, follow the instructions for each agent and mail out the packages. Generally, you can mail stuff simultaneously to agents, but you can only approach one publisher at a time. (Of course, no one really knows how many of each you are approaching, and the only difficulty you would have is if more than one of them offered you a contract on a book--tee hee.)

Now part of the whole querrying process (as it is called) is giving the editor/agent/publisher some help. Picture in your mind a large room full of editors, fighting to get new manuscripts that they have discovered into one or two open slots. Arm your agent/editor with numbers. How many people are in your allumi associaiton? How many people go to your church? Are you a teacher? How many students in that age group go to school in your county? How do you plan to promote the book. (Any way possible is not the correct answer here. "I plan to travel around from school to school speaking to students about writing, and I shall use my contacts developed through my association with the local PTA" is a much better answer, and it actually works when it comes to book sales.)

Step 3: Wait 3 billion years until someone decides to contact you back. Ha ha. Seriously, I've it takes agents about a month and publishers anywhere from six weeks to a 6 month to respond. (I once waited six months for a reply from DAW.) During this time, you should probably have your next publisher's packet waiting to go and your B-list of agents ready to go. You should also be working on your next story and possibly a few short stories for a couple of magazines on the side while you wait.

You will either get the "yes we want you" reply or the rejection letter. If you get the rejection letter, try to eat something with chocolatte (I prefer the mocha latte) and send out your next round of queries

Good luck!

Short Cuts: Start going to writers conferences and "pitch" editors and agents. In a pitch session, you get 5 to 15 minutes of face time with an editor/agent. That means if you send them something, they will be more apt to read it quickly, and they will remember your beautiful smile and vibrant energy. Also, I've heard that 1/3 of all first time contracts come as a result of pitch sessions. (That's how I got my first contract. I recommend 2 Starbucks Double Shots and a coffee chaser for the energy, but watch out for the shakes...)

Great resources to look at:
The Writers Market. It has this really great "how to get published" section at the beginning of the book. It's really all you need to read.

The Institute for Children's Literature. This requires an investment, but it's worth it. A two year correpondence course on writing for children. It was the best $$$ I ever spent--ever! Get on their website and see if you can suscribe to some of their newsletters. One of their newsletters is all about the children's market, and it tells you what magazines and book publishers are buying.

I have no experience in the self-publishing area, but I know a few children's writers who do. One problem you may encounter with self-publishing a book with a lot of color illustrations is this: Cost. The cost of the book will be so high that you might actually lose money selling it through bookstores because what they will need to buy it for so they can make a profit is less than what you paid for it. That being said, I have a friend who self-published a Young Adult Novel, and she does not have that problem, nor does she have any illustrations. Just a darn cool cover.

I hope that helped a little bit.

Answer 6

Check this site:
http://www.publishingcentral.com/articles/20030119-7-2805.html