From developing your story and planning illustrations to professional book design, publishing, distribution, and marketing, learn the steps that can turn your children's book idea into a professionally published book.
Children's books combine storytelling, visual presentation, professional production, and a clear understanding of the readers you hope to reach. Breaking the process into manageable stages can make publishing your book much easier.
Define your audience, message, characters, and the experience you want to create for young readers.
Complete your manuscript, revise your story, and gather helpful feedback before publication.
Bring words and visuals together with illustrations, cover design, and professional interior layout.
Prepare your book for publication, distribution, and the marketing that helps readers discover it.
Before focusing on publishing, take time to clarify what you're creating and who you're creating it for.
Think about the purpose of your book and the central message you want to share. Consider your characters, setting, story, educational purpose, and what you want young readers to remember when they finish the book.
Children's literature spans many ages and reading levels. Identifying whether you're writing a picture book, early reader, chapter book, juvenile nonfiction title, or middle-grade book can help guide your writing, design, and illustration decisions.
Illustrations are an important part of many children's books. As you write, think about where artwork may help tell the story, establish the setting, introduce characters, or communicate something that doesn't need to be repeated in the text.
You may provide your own artwork or work with a professional illustrator. If you need illustration help, Outskirts Press offers custom children's book illustration services in a wide variety of artistic styles.
Explore Children's Book Illustration StylesGetting started can be one of the hardest parts. Focus first on telling the story. Choose a consistent point of view and keep the intended age and reading level of your audience in mind as your manuscript develops.
Set aside regular writing time or establish manageable writing goals. A consistent routine can help turn an unfinished idea into a completed manuscript.
Your first draft doesn't need to be your final draft. Revisit the pacing, language, characters, clarity, and age appropriateness of your manuscript and revise until the story says what you want it to say.
Ask trusted readers to share the story with children in your intended age group when possible. Their reactions can help you identify sections that are especially engaging or areas that may benefit from another revision.
Once the manuscript is ready, professional production brings the individual pieces together into a book designed for young readers.
Children's book interiors require careful coordination between text, illustrations, page size, margins, typography, and page flow. Professional layout helps those elements work together as a cohesive reading experience.
Look for a publishing company that understands children's books and can support the services your project needs, including design, illustrations, multiple book formats, distribution, and marketing.
Consider how you'll introduce your book to parents, educators, librarians, booksellers, and other readers. Your strategy can include online promotion, events, publicity, author outreach, and other book marketing opportunities.
Bloggers, educators, parent communities, reviewers, organizations, and other people connected to your book's subject or intended readers can help introduce your book to relevant audiences.
The cost of publishing a children's book depends on the needs of the manuscript and the professional services you choose. Illustration-heavy books can require a different investment than text-focused children's books or chapter books.
Receive helpful children's book publishing information and resources to help you plan the next steps for your book.
Hear from children's book authors who worked with Outskirts Press to turn their stories into professionally published books.
“Outskirts Press assisted me in turning my career dream into a reality. I'm Very Ferris became a real, tangible book for children to fall in love with as a beautifully illustrated story that only Outskirts Press could produce.”
Tess Kossow
“I published two children's books with Outskirts Press and it was a great experience. I really love my books. The illustrator was wonderful and the book designer took a great deal of care to provide the look I wanted!”
Tanja Nayak
Get professional guidance for your manuscript, illustrations, book design, publishing options, distribution, and marketing.