Children’s books are a booming industry, providing authors with the opportunity to connect with young readers in a way that is different from other types of writing. As a children’s book author, you can give children the magical experience of learning through imagination. Whether you’re writing from a child’s perspective or telling a story that kids will read, the primary goal is to get children thinking creatively and critically while keeping them entertained and actively engaged from one page to another.
If you’ve been looking to publish your own children’s book, you’ve come to the right place. Here are Lucid Books’ 10 steps to writing and publishing a successful children’s book.
Create your story
Step One: Begin brainstorming ideas that have meaning to you. This might include topics from family experiences or events happening in society today. Try not to censor your creativity; build out all possible storylines for each concept. Determine whether your book will fall into the fiction or non-fiction category or if you’re looking to write for specific age ranges or readers.
Find inspiration
Step Two: Look for inspiration all around you, especially at your local bookstores or online. Check out other successful children’s books and identify what characteristics make those books unique–particularly those with similar storylines like yours. Keep an eye out for how their book description is written and what they use for cover art.
Structure your story
Step Three: Develop a list of characters, settings, and events for your book. Make sure to include all of the elements necessary for an engaging read. Younger children’s books typically consist of more pictures with fewer words than a chapter or middle-grade novel. You’ll want to brainstorm types of illustrations, captions, or dialogue bubbles–all essential components in telling your visual story for younger readers.
Outline your book
Step Four: Once you have your book’s theme and characters laid out, it’s time to break down the outline. This is where you should plan the page layout, length, and structural theme. Are you going to include chapters in your children’s book, or will you have one long story? Think about how many scenes or chapters will make the most sense for your book and storyline.
Get writing
Step Five: Put pen to paper and begin writing your children’s book. Set aside time each day to write and let your creativity flow. Consider changing up your environment as you compose, as well as reading other children’s books, to keep your creativity at its peak. Set mini writing goals, too, such as writing three pages a day or a chapter at a time to keep yourself on a timeline.
Research marketing strategies
Step Six: Consider the specific type of market you’re looking to reach and how to sell your book to your ideal audience. Look at top sellers in your genre and determine how they have been marketed for maximum readership.
Publishing and Design
Step Seven: Once you have finished writing and researching the best marketing strategy, it’s time to land on the look of your book. This will include the design, interior layout, and barcode/labeling needs. You’ll need to have a plan for your illustration, whether that’s going to be something you’ll cover on your end or if you’re going to hire an illustrator.
Land on your manuscript
Step Eight: It’s time to finalize your manuscript. Here at Lucid Books, as your partner in publishing, we have specific guidelines to help our authors improve and complete their manuscripts before the final production begins.
Find distribution outlets
Step Nine: Discover what your options are for where to sell your book, whether that’s online, in physical bookstores, or both. When you choose Lucid Books as your partner in publishing, we help you navigate the entire distribution process and connect you with top distributors like Amazon and Barnes & Noble to stock your books.
Market your book
Step 10: Start building up excitement by creating buzz through social media posts, blog posts, email blasts, and more. You’ll also want to be sure to start requesting reviews and feedback, reach out to influencers in your genre for shoutouts, and scheduling book signing tours once your book is released. The more you can help spread the word about your book launch, the better! Don’t forget to include a few giveaway contests – they’ll help build anticipation about your book while gaining new readers along the way.
Writing and publishing a children’s book is an exciting endeavor. We hope this guide helps get you started or, at least, provides you with some inspiration for your own creative writing process. If you’re looking for more information on how to publish your children’s book or where to get help with editing, design, or distribution, reach out to our team here at Lucid Books to see if partnership publishing is right for you!
