writing a children's book

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How to Write a Children’s Book in 12 Steps (From an Editor)

As a children’s book editor, I’ve helped hundreds of authors write, edit and publish their children’s book.

Anyone can sit down and dash out a children’s book, and with a little help and guidance, yours can be good enough to earn the attention of thousands of children.

And nothing beats the feeling of holding your printed book in your hands and reading it to a child for the first time.  Follow these 12 steps and you’ll get there in no time.

In this article you’ll learn:

• How to generate a concept that works
• How to create a main character that children love
• How to write the right length
• How to structure the plot
• How to work with an illustrator
• How to revise
• How to publish

I also help authors with:

• Publishing their children’s book (with Bookfox Press)
• Editing their children’s book (big picture feedback, not just correcting commas)

Lastly, you can read this whole post and get a decent understanding of how to write a children’s book, but if you want the full, in-depth experience with even more information, videos, PDFs, quizzes, and exercises, you can take my 30-video course on how to write a children’s book:

Online Course: “Two Weeks To Your Best Children’s Book.”

Okay, buckle up and get ready! These are the 12 steps to writing a children’s book.

1. Find Your Best Idea

You probably have an idea already, but you should work on refining it. Here’s how:

• Google “children’s book” and a phrase that describes your book.
• Once you’ve found books that are similar, look at the summary of those books.
• Figure out how your book is different than the published ones.

This might seem commonsense to check what’s already out there before putting all your time and energy into a book, but so many authors don’t do it! This is just basic research that you can do in 2 minutes that will give you a sense of competing books.

When I lead most authors through this process, they discover that their idea has already been written about. Now, that’s not necessarily a bad thing — actually, it’s proof that children want to read about their topic!

The trick is to have one twist for your story that makes it different. If it’s a story about bullying, perhaps your book tells the story from the point of view of the bully! Or if it’s a story about a dog, make this dog a stray or blind in one eye.

Maybe your story is different because you have a surprise at the end, or maybe it’s different because it’s for an older or younger age group, or your character has a magical guide like a fairy or elf to lead them through their journey. Just add one twist that distinguishes it from other books.

2. Build the Character

I edit hundreds of children’s books every year, and the best books have unique characters. They are quirky in some way. They have a funny habit. They look strange. They talk differently than everyone else.

But when I see a book where the main character is indistinguishable from every child, that worries me. You don’t want a character who stands in for every child, you want a main character that feels REAL.

My advice would be to go through a Character Questionnaire and figure out how much you know about your character:

• What does your main character desire?
• What is their best/worst habit?
• Are they an extrovert or introvert?
• How do they speak differently than everyone else? (cute sayings, repeated phrase/word, dialect, high/low volume)
• Do they doubt themselves or do they have too much bravery?
• Do they have any pets? (or does your animal character have human owners)
• What makes your main character feel happy?
• Do they have any secrets?
• What would this character do that would be very out of character?
• What is one thing this character loves that most people dislike?

Now score yourself on how many you knew right away:

8 – 10

Congrats! Your character feels like a real person to you!

6 – 7

Pretty good! You have thought deeply about your character.

5 and below

Take a few more character questionnaires before you start writing.

If you’d like more questions, I have an expanded version of this questionnaire in my  course . 

I also have another post on the 10 steps to writing a memorable character .

3. Find the Right Length

What’s the right word count for your book?

This is probably the most common question I get asked, and it’s also the one that most writers get wrong.

Ultimately, you need to figure out what age range you’re writing for, and then write within that word count.

Most writers are writing picture books for ages 3 – 7 — that’s the most common category. If that’s you, then shoot for 750 words. That’s the sweet spot.

If you write a picture book more than 1,000 words, you’re sunk . You absolutely have to keep it under 1,000 words. It’s the most unyielding rule in the entire industry. Seriously, take out all the red pens and slash away until you’ve whittled it down.

4. Start It Quickly

Many unpublished children’s books fail to grab the child’s attention (and parent’s attention!), and that’s because they start too slow. If your story is about a child joining a circus, they should join on the first or second page. 

Don’t give backstory about this child’s life. Don’t set the scene or tell us what season it is.

Just have the circus come into town, and as soon as possible, have the child become a clown or tightrope walker or lion tamer. 

You have such a short space to tell your story that you can’t waste any time. The pacing of children’s stories generally moves lickety-split, so don’t write at a tortoise pace. 

For instance, look at the picture book “ HippoSPOTamus .” When do you think the hippo discovers the red spot on her bottom?

Yep, it’s on the first page.

And that event launches the entire story.

Start your book that quickly.

5. Create A Problem

Every character has a problem. It could be a mystery, it could be a person, it could be a crisis of confidence. That problem is what they will struggle with for the entire book.

The majority of the book will be obstacles the main character has to hurdle before they can solve their problem.

Here are the main mistakes beginning writers make with their character’s Main Problem:

• The character solves the problem too easily . Make your character really struggle and fail. Ideally, the main character should fail at least three times before solving this problem, and perhaps fail as many times as five (if you’re writing for older children). 
• There are not a series of obstacles . On the character’s way to solving the problem, the main character should run up against a whole bunch of obstacles. Don’t have him defeat a single obstacle and then voila, problem is solved. To build a rocket ship to fly to space, the main character should lose some parts, his mother should call him for dinner, his friend should tell him it won’t work, it should rain, etc. 
• The character doesn’t care enough about solving the problem . This has to be a HUGE problem for the child — they have to feel like it’s a matter of life and death, even if the actual problem is only a missing button. As long as the child feels like it’s a huge problem, the reader will feel like it’s a huge problem. 

6. Use Repetition

Children love repetition! Parents love repetition! Publishers love repetition!

Everybody loves repetition! (check out my post on  17 fantastic examples of repetition in literature).

If you’re not repeating something in your children’s book, it’s not going to be a great children’s book.

I mean, all of Dr. Seuss is basically built on repetition (and he’s pretty much the godfather of children’s books).

Here are three types of repetition that you can use:

• Repetition of a word or phrase on a page
• Repetition of a word or phrase across the entire book
• Repetition of the story structure

Any book that rhymes is using repetition of similar words, and I would argue that story structure repetition is even more important than language repetition. 

Click on the image below to learn more about my children’s book course:

7. Write for Illustrator s

One of the main jobs of the writer is to set up the illustrator for success. (and you can hire an illustrator from the SCBWI illustrator gallery )

But so many writers aren’t thinking about what kind of material they’re giving to the illustrator.

If you have a book that takes place inside a house between two characters, the illustrator is going to struggle to draw visually interesting images.

A good illustrator can radically improve your book, but they’re also working with what you give them. So give them more:

• Choose fun buildings for your setting (put it in a greenhouse rather than a school)
• Think of funny-looking main characters (a lemur is much more fun to draw than a dog)
• Get out in the open rather than being inside (wheat fields are more entertaining than a bedroom).

Inside locations like a school limit illustrators:

While illustrators have much more freedom with fun outside possibilities:

Remember, a publisher isn’t only evaluating your book on the words alone. They’re thinking about the combination between your words and an illustrator’s pictures. And if you don’t provide a solid half with the words, they’re going to say no. 

And if you’re self-publishing, good visuals are much more fun for the child!

Also, if you’re exhausted by trying to find an illustrator that you can trust, and is affordable, let Bookfox Press do all the legwork for you. We have trusted illustrators that we’ve worked with before, and who do incredible work.

8. End the Story Quickly

Once the main problem of the story is resolved (the cat is found, the bully says he’s sorry, the two girls become friends again), you only have a page or two to finish the book.

Since the story is done, there’s no longer any tension for the reader, which means they don’t have an incentive to keep reading. So do them a favor and end the book as quickly as possible. 

Basically, you want to provide a satisfying conclusion and wrap up all the storylines. 

One of my favorite tricks for an ending is a technique that stand-up comedians call a “Call Back.” This is when they reference a joke from earlier in their set to finish out their routine.

You can use this in children’s books by referencing something in the first 5 or 6 pages of the book. For instance, if the main character was so focused on a purple lollipop that they wandered away and got lost, then after she was found the final page of the book might say: “and from then on she only licked red lollipops!”

9. Choose Your Title

Now you may say: why are we figuring out the title after we do all the writing? Good question.

The truth is that many writers don’t know the essence of their story until after they write the book. So you can have a temporary title, but just know that you’ll probably revise it after you finish.

And revising is fine! Everybody revises. Don’t be afraid to change your title multiple times until you hit the exact right one.

Also, the title is the number one marketing tool of your book. Most readers decide whether or not to pick up your book from the title alone. That means choosing a title might be the most important thing you do (although it’s probably a tie with choosing an illustrator).

• Don’t Title: “Amy’s Adventure with Poppies.”
• Do Title: “The Mouse in the Meadow.”
• Don’t: “The Vast Library.” (Boring)
• Don’t: “The Library Hunt.” (This is better. “Hunt” is a good word, and the combo with library is intriguing.)
• Do: “How to Live Forever.” (This is the actual title, and it’s great. This is the name of the book the boy is searching for, and it lets the reader know there will be some deep topics discussed.)
• Don’t: “Johnny’s Wonderful Day.”
• Do: “Captain Johnny Defeats Dr. Doom.” (Captain Johnny makes it more playful, we have the active verb of “defeat” and Dr. Doom uses alliteration.)
• Don’t: “The Bird in the Window.”
• Do: “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” (What places?)
• Do: “Olivia Saves the Circus.” (How? We want to know.)
• Do: “How to Catch an Elephant.” (Tell me more!)
• Google “Children’s Book [Your Title]” .You want to see if the title is already taken (or if there is a title that is too close). Now say your perfect title is already used. Can you still use that title? Well, yes. People can’t copyright titles. But you’ll have a hard time distinguishing your book from that book, so it’s not always the best idea.
• Test Your Title with Children and Adults . It’s important to see how children react to your title. Are they excited? Do they seem bored? But remember that children aren’t the ones buying books — parents are. So make sure to bounce it off some adults as well and get their reaction. 

10. A Revision Strategy

Most unpublished picture books are far too wordy.

In fact, if you talk to publishers and agents, they will say that children’s books being too long is one of the main things that makes them reject a book.

Here is a revision technique that will fix that problem . Make every single word, every single phrase, every single sentence “Walk the Plank.”

In other words, you highlight it and hover over the delete button (this is the “walking the plank” moment) and ask yourself: if I cut this, will the story no longer make sense?

If the story will still make sense, then PUSH that phrase/sentence off the plank and delete it.

If the story will not make sense, then that word or phrase or sentence gets a reprieve (at least in this round of editing!).

In general, the shorter your children’s book, the better chance that publishers/agents will like it and the better chance you’ll have of pleasing children and parents (not to mention shorter books are cheaper to illustrate — and illustration is expensive!).

11. Find an Editor

Once you’ve written your book, you really need to get an expert’s opinion to help you improve it. An editor will be the best investment in your book. After all, I know you love what you’ve written, but there are so many tricks and techniques to writing that can improve the experience of the reader.

There are two different types of children’s book editors.

• First, there are developmental editors (also called content editors). These editors help you improve the story concept, the plot, the characters, the pacing, the dialogue, and whatever else needs to be improved. They look at the big picture and help you revise your book (this is what I do!).
• After you use a developmental editor, then you would need a copy editor . This is the editor who fixes all the formatting, grammar, spelling, verb tenses, style, and all the other small details. They make your book look professional.

Sometimes you’ll find an editor who can do both, but you can’t do both at the same time — you have to make all the big picture revisions before you start tinkering with all the small details.

Here is a handy checklist when looking for an editor.

• Your editor should be someone who has been in the industry for a while.
• Your editor should have examples of published children’s books that they’ve edited.
• Your editor should have testimonials from satisfied writers.
• Your editor should be a member of SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators).

The cost of editors vary widely, but if you’re not paying at least $400 – $600, you’re probably getting an amateur without a lot of experience in the industry. And you don’t want a beginner messing around with your book.

If you’d like to hire me as an editor, check out my children’s book editing page .

12. Find an Illustrator

This is the most important step of the post-writing process.

An illustrator will be the most expensive step of publishing a children’s book, but also the most essential for a successful book. The more you spend on this step, the better your book will look. I mentioned the SCBWI illustrator gallery above, but I also wanted to recommend Fiverr as an inexpensive place to hire an illustrator. 

If neither of those work out, check out the website Children’s Illustrators or for another option, Illustration X .

When you’re considering an illustrator, this is what you should ask for:

• To see examples of previous work (do you like their style?)
• To see a copy of the contract (do they keep the rights or do you?)
• How long it will take (look at the graphic below for average times)
• Whether they also do layout, type, and book design (otherwise you need to hire a book designer afterwards)

Make sure you’re really in love with the illustrator’s style, and that it matches your vision for what you want the book to look like.

WHAT FOLLOWS IS VERY IMPORTANT.

You can’t just throw words up on an illustration and expect them to look good. It’s essential to have a happy marriage between text and image. You want to think about:

• The font . This is incredibly important. I see a lot of self-published children’s books that selected the wrong font, and it’s glaringly obvious. You need an illustrator to help you choose exactly the right font to match the illustrations.
• The size of the font . This is important as well. It should be consistent across the whole book and should pair well with the size of objects in the illustration.
• The placement of the words . If you put the words in the wrong place on the image, you basically ruin the entire illustration. It needs to be carefully balanced and follow good composition guidelines like the rule of thirds. Ideally, the words should enhance the illustration rather than detract from it.
• Page breaks . What words should go on which pages? This is something you need to discuss with your illustrator before they begin. They need to have a say in this — don’t just tell them how you want the pages to be broken up. For instance, they might have the idea to have a two-page spread without any words at all, or to separate a single sentence across several pages, or to have one page with a few sentences on it and the next page with just a short phrase for emphasis. This is the number one mistake I see beginning writers/illustrators make: they have the same amount of text on every single page (usually a single sentence). 

So either hire the illustrator to do book design, or hire a book designer. But just don’t choose the fonts and placements and font size on your own — get a book designer to help you .

If you want to learn more about how to work with an illustrator, check out my post, “ 12 Tips on Working with a Children’s Book Illustrator .”

Common Questions

Q: should i copyright my book.

There are differing opinions on this, but in general I would say NO. You don’t have to worry about someone stealing your book. If you go the traditional publishing route, the publisher will copyright it for you. If you go the self-publishing route, you already own the material the instant you wrote it, so getting copyright only gives you added protection.

If you need more advice on this, read my post, “ Should You Copyright Your Children’s Book .”

Now if you’re going to chew your nails down to the nub worrying about this, then set your mind at ease. If you live in America, go to the U.S. Copyright Office website and you can register for under a hundred bucks. I walk you through the steps on how to do this in my children’s book course .

Q: Do I need illustrations before sending my book to editors, publishers, and agents?

This is a hard and fast NO.

Editors want to work with the language alone, so unless your book requires the illustrations to make sense, you don’t want to send the illustrations. Even then, you can easily put the illustration explanation in brackets [like so].

Publishers always always always hire their own illustrators, so save yourself the money and submit the text alone. This is because choosing an illustrator is a marketing decision (that they need to make, not you) and because a good illustrator can cost $20,000. You probably don’t have that kind of money lying around.

Now what if you’re the illustrator? Well, then you DO want to send the illustrations. But if you get a rejection, it could either be because of the story or because of your illustrations, and sometimes you won’t know what the weak link is.

In general, though, agents are looking to represent illustrator/writers much more often than they’re looking to represent writers alone. That’s because children’s book illustrators earn A LOT more money than children’s book writers (sorry, that’s just the way it is).

Q: Should I ask for a non-disclosure agreement? (NDA)

If you want to you can, but you have a better chance of a bear eating you than someone stealing your book.

Plus, if they steal it, you can easily sue them and take all the profits and more, so there isn’t much motivation for someone to steal your book.

The truth is that writers worry about this far more often than it actually happens. My advice would be to put all your energy toward creating the best children’s book you can create, and if you have a great book, the agent/publisher/editor will want to work with you, not steal from you.

Q: Will you be my literary agent?

No, I’m an editor, and the role of an editor and literary agent are very different. An editor’s job is to help you make your children’s book the best it can be. The role of a literary agent is to play matchmaker and find a publisher who wants your book.

However, if you sign up for my children’s book email list (via a pop-up on this page or at the bottom) I will send you a list of children’s book agents. Also, here’s another list of agents .

Q: Will you help me find a publisher?

That’s mainly the role of a literary agent, but I do have a list on Bookfox of 30 publishers who will accept submissions without a literary agent.

And if you hire me for editing , sometimes I’ll be able to recommend a few publishers where your book might be a fit, but it’s not like a handshake deal. Publishers get a large number of submissions and they have to take on the books they know they can sell.

Q: How many submissions will an agent or publisher get in a year?

A beginning agent might get 2,000 – 3,000 submissions in a year, while an established agent might receive 3,000 – 8,000 submissions.

Publishers who accept submissions get anywhere from between 2,000 submissions to 15,000 submissions, although almost all publishers who start getting too many submissions stop accepting submissions (because it costs too much to hire people to wade through all those submissions).

I don’t mean to discourage you, but just help you make an informed decision about whether you should self-publish or seek a traditional publisher. It’s really tough to land an agent or a publisher, and it can take a lot of time and work.

What’s wonderful about self-publishing is that within a week you can be holding your book in your hands.

Q: Should I self publish or seek a traditional publisher?

So for self-publishing, there’s lots of upsides : there’s no wait time, and you get complete control of the project (such as cover art and illustration), and there’s not that much of a cost if you do it all yourself.

But … you have to do all the marketing yourself, and you don’t have anyone to guide you through the process, and you don’t have the reputation of being published by a traditional publisher. You should do self-publishing if you’re a real go-getter and you think you can get the word out there about your book.

For traditional publishing, there are also many upsides: you would get an advance (money is nice!), they would handle all the proofreading, ISBN, illustrations, cover art, etc, and they would give you some guidance with how to do the marketing and promotion.

But … it can be very, very hard to get an acceptance from an agent or from a publisher. Sometimes you have to send the story out for a year or two, submitting to a hundred outlets or more. Go this route if you have a lot of patience and you want the book to reach a wider audience.

Read my post on “How to Self Publish a Board Book” if you want more info on that.

Did you want more advice on how to write a children’s book?

So let’s review the 12 main points:

• Find Your Best Idea
• Develop Your Main Character
• Write the Right Length
• Start the Story Quickly
• Figure out the Main Problem
• Use Repetition
• Write for Illustrations
• End the Story Quickly
• Choose Your Title
• A Revision Strategy: Walk the Plank
• How to Find an Editor
• How to Find an Illustrator

Please leave a comment below if this material was helpful and if you have any other questions.

Also, please check out my:

• Children’s book course — “Two Weeks To Your Best Children’s Book”
• Children’s book editing — let me help you with your book.
• Children’s book Publishing: Bookfox Press

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352 comments

This is a good article

Brilliant article. So much I never knew

The best article I’ve found on the internet on writing for children. Superb job!

This article is fantastic. Straight to the point and very clear. Thank you

I found the article to be full of good information, it gave me a lot of insight into writing a children’s book.

I searched Google on how to write a children’s book and this is by far the best information…Really helpful

Hello,I wrote a children’s book that will be a series. It’s a killer name and character.I need help and guidance cause I wrote a short story too and need a editor.

Thank you for the time you have taken to write this article. It is very informative and has given me some great tips for starting out.

The most profesional of all the articles i have read! Thank you!

Thank you…this helps me tremendously

This article has been very helpful.

Thank you for this article,it is very detailed and comprehensive .It gives a very structured insight on how a story becomes a book. The story behind the story.

Thank you a great article. I will try self publish Amazon, I have written this children’s book/true story and will illustrate as I’m a graphic designer… I can only try

Thank you. It was absolutely illuminating!

I am writing the first book of a series. Do you have any tips for this particular genre? Ie. Franklin the Turtle, Clifford, the Big Red Dog.

Wow! THANK YOU for writing this. I have always wanted to try writing children’s books. Now I know where to start. Thanks again, this is incredible.

This was so helpful for me. I am very interested in writing a children’s book. Thank you for the advice.

Professional advice for free. I am inspire, thank you for helping me structure my thoughts into something worth daring to start.

This article is so interesting and really helpful. I have a question though…. I’d like to write a book,my grandchildren are my inspiration for this!. Is it possible/usual etc to write a series of books for children to read at age 4 but grow with them til around age 10, so each book in the series is for the next age group, if that makes sense. thanks Clare

Great article I! Very helpful!!.. I have subscribed to your email list.

I agree. You gave me lots of things to think about from many different perspectives as I embark upon this adventure. Thank you so much!

Great article

Quite a good article for the beginners.

So incredibly helpful!! Thank you for your insight.

Great insight on the book writing process, from start to finish. Thank you.

Very helpful and well organized! Thank you for your insight on the writing process!

Amazing article! I’m in the process of editing my 4th draft; after that, I will be looking to hire an editor and illustrator. Thanks for writing this !

This was soo insightful and inspiring. Great guidance for my book writing

Oh, come on. Good article? No. It’s a GREAT article!

One of a kind that has quality and depth to it. This is advice borne from experience. I’ve written quite a few books for kids and this is the best breakdown of the picture book creation process I’ve seen in a long time.

Very generous too.

So sit down, get a cup of tea, and read this through – many times. Until it sinks in.

Then do what it says. (Essentially: Quality children’s books only get written when you, the author, have something worthwhile to say. And when you say it in a way that engages, inspires and entertains young readers.)

I agree -very generous, thank you!

Thank you. I have been hired to illustrate a book which is very challenging. I am also anxious to start my own. My ideas have been brewing and now it’s time to make them a reality. Your advice is great. I’ve been studying hundreds of children’s book illustrations. Some are incredible works of art! That’s the goal.

Thank you for this great info that makes me excited to get started. Im only at the idea stage so along way to go but I am excited!

Thanks for your good comments which was very helpful specially for anyone who is a begginer in this field.

This article is a godsend!

Yes, great article, inspirational and also a call to action…just what’s needed. Now, back to work people! 🙂

Thank you for this post. I am an author and illustrator who has published a kids book. And there is a lot of time consuming work involved. Word choice and the correct placement of illustrations is so important it’s not even funny.

I think that many people believe that children’s books are easier to write, because they’re for children but they’re not . Like you’ve shared, they should be written according to age group. And they have to be very engaging because they’re heavily illustrated and if the cover’s no good, no sale.

This is truly a great article to read and I was really hooked. Joslyn, I agree with you that if the cover and word choice are no good then it is a no sale. As a Librarian when selecting books to purchase for the library, it is compulsory to select covers which are eye catching. Additionally, children are excited when they see attractive illustrations with fantastic colour schemes, intriguing characters and unique settings. I am about to write my first children’s story book and I hope to draw from my experiences from spending 5 years living in Japan.

Thanks for sharing and best wishes.

Wonderful article! Extremely informative (I even took pen and paper notes) and it covers components I had no idea about nor would have even considered (first time writer here). Thank you for the point blank honesty and clear, detailed guidelines!

Wow! This was an amazing read. I’m so happy that I stumbled upon it because I learned so much! Thank you for being so thorough and transparent!

Great article thanks for sharing this info. Structure stuff is really interesting

Thank you so much. This article is very useful and informative. 🙂

This was very helpful. I have just written my first children’s book and found this article really insightful for what I need to do. Thank you

Goal: Have my HS kids write, edit, illustrate, publish a book in 180 days! Any further suggestions about pacing, clumping tasks, etc. would be greatly valued!

Absolutely fabulous article! Thank you!

Very helpful!!!! I’m starting with trying to self-publish a book my 10 year old granddaughter wrote, but after reading this and with your kind of help I may get inspired! Thank you!

I’m so glad I found your website! Thank you for this in depth post!

Lots of great info. Thanks! It really covers fiction well, but would love to see more info on writing (fun) non-fiction for kids.

very helpful

Great article. Although I have published 20 picture books, I still picked up many pointers. Thank you for your generosity. Beryl

Absolutely helpful, informative and I appreciate it.

Amazing Concept, Its very helpful for us.

This is amazingly beautiful, an article.

Thank you for sharing!

This is amazing information. I have thought about writing children’s books for years. Maybe it’s time I actually do something.

Hi, very good article, had a lot of information I never thought about before. I’m interested in writing my own children’s book but I’m 20 years old and probably won’t be able to afford agents, editors and publishers. Do you k ow how much these cost as most publishing websites don’t include costs. Also is there writing grants you can apply for? Thank you Clare

So agents are free up front (they only take 15% of whatever you make).

Publishers are also free — both traditional publishers (they pay you) and self publishing (it’s free on Amazon, and other companies that require money are kinda scammy).

If you want to get an agent or a publisher, though, your book has to be good, which is why you should save up for an editor.

Hi, I wondered what the format is for the video course. Is it in DVD or access to on line videos? Thanks, Ellen C.

Hi Ellen, the videos are all online. I don’t offer DVD access. Hope that works for you!

Excellent article, thank you

Thank you for the information. Much appreciated.

Very helpful indeed, almost finished my first childrens, was interesting to know how illustrations receive more money than writers, I’m doing both. Thank you. Dont have a website yet.

Excellent article. I am sure–without a doubt–your content will be helpful to a lot of writers. Thank you for being brave enough to share your wisdom.

This is a great article one that I need to be able to start writing a book intended for children. Thank you for sharing it.

I am getting ready to get the ball rolling on my first children’s book. I was amazed at all the things in this article that I hadn’t even thought about! What if your husband or son, who are fantastic artists in their own right, want to be your illustrators? Does that fall under editors wanting to promote illustrators/writers?

Sometimes they’ll take on a team of an illustrator/writer. You can always try.

Thank you for this article- very helpful. I’m wondering if it’s appropriate to attempt to self-publish while submitting to publishers and agents? Would a publisher not want to touch a project that is already being marketed in some other way?

Hi Benjamin, So once you self-publish, no publisher wants to touch it. It’s either/or — you can’t do both.

Excellent article and so generous that I just signed up for your video series which was reasonably priced. I’m a best selling author but my first time at a children’s book. I’m confident I will learn from you and may call on you for editing.

Thanks, Linda! Glad it was helpful and I know you’ll love the course, which includes so much more material beyond this little brief post. 🙂

Let me know when you’re ready for me to edit your book!

I am a big fan of your book, Solutionaries: You Are the Answer. Hence, I am reading John Fox’s article. I teach students with Autism and aspire to publish an educational book to create a positive impact in schools, at home, and in the community– one book at a time. Thank you for your beautiful mind. You’re an inspiration!

Sincerely, Flor G.

This article was so helpful. I’m based in Canada and I’ve just written my first children’s book…I’m definitely at the editing stage but I’m considering the traditional publishing option. I would love to work with a Canadian publisher. Can you recommend?

Hi Cindy, I don’t have a list of Canadian children’s book publishers specifically, but I do have a list of 30 publishers looking for unagented submissions.

I would love your opinion on writing an educational children’s book. Would all the same principles talked about in this article (which was WONDERFUL, by the way) apply? Thanks!

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! I would think almost all of them would apply, absolutely.

There are some additional considerations with an educational book — is the teaching too heavy handed, what about the balance between fun/learning, is there a moral in addition to the learning — stuff like that.

And you definitely have to nail down the age range for a book like this, and target it to exactly what they’re learning in school.

Hello John,

Do you think it is possible to get published in a traditional way in the US for someone who is not a citizen and lives elsewhere?

Thank you so much!

Yes! Definitely possible. But some of the time it’s better to look in your own country first.

Very helpful article. Thanks for sharing your wisdom. I have written four books, but never a children’s book.

Great article, I’m going to read it again and again as it covers many helpful points, thank-you!

Hi. I am an author using Amazon/Kindle. I have 11 books in different Editions. https://www.Tom-the-Atom.com is my web site and amazon.com/author/tom-the-atom.com my author’s page. Looking for a publisher on-demand to publish my book in hardcover and thicker pages. Also looking for an agency that helps to promote my books, If you offer such services please contact me. My books are copyrighted, have a Serial number registered at the Library of Congress ISSM and an ISBN number given by Amazon. The Series is Non-Fiction Science Books for Children: parents, baby to 12 years old.

Hi , I am a daughter of Holocaust survivor and my father wrote a book about it. I would like to write a children’s book based on my father’s memoirs. My father saved my cousin from a ghetto, she was only 4 years old so there is a story to tell that might appeal. I need some guidance before starting this project … can you help?

Great article, thank you! I’m at the very beginning (thinking about it!) stages of writing a children’s book and this article has given me much perspective!

Great content and well articulated. Thank you for bringing it all together.

What an awesome article! I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a children’s book for years (I’ve had a title in my head for far too long) but never had the courage to attempt it – you’ve inspired me. Can I just ask, once a book is written, approximately how long does it take to go through the editing/illustrating/publishing? I know there’s a lot of variables, I’m just wondering if you could give me a ball-park figure?

A lot longer than you would think. If you’re referring to traditional publishing, it can be a year and a half. Self publishing can be much quicker.

I was thinking around a year, so I wasn’t too far off. Thank you so much for the excellent information you’ve provided here.

This was very helpful! I plan on printing it out so I can go back over it in depth. What are your thoughts about Amazon’s e-book publishing? Also your input on using Fiver?

Fiverr can be a great source for cheap illustrators.

Amazon’s book publishing is great, but only publishes soft cover books. If you want hardcover, you need Ingram Spark.

Wow! Thank you so much for writing this article, it’s honestly helped me see writing in a different form. There are so many articles out there that only enhance the fact of beginning, middle and end, but you have literally dot pointed how it works and how each individual piece should be written, you have really done an amazing job at dissecting children’s books into a more understandable format! Now off to writing!

Extremely helpful! I’m illustrating my grand daughter’s book for children. It’s not that easy. But with your guidance I think we can make it work.

This article is an absolute godsend for my UK Year 8 Creative Writing club. There is a wealth of good advice, generously given. Thank you so much.

Thank you for this post, it’s very insightful and informative! I’m more determined to start my book after reading this.

This was very very very helpful as I am a beginner in writing children’s stories! Looking forward to enrolling for your courses! Thank you very much!

Hi Faith, Great, glad this was so helpful!

The course includes a ton of information that I didn’t have time to mention here, so I hope you enjoy it.

Wow. Thank you so much. So helpful for me. Thank you again and again and again. Now I know why I always think I’m not ready to go beyond thinking and writing the first draft. I need to know more, but honestly it’s the best article I ever read about writing. Thankssss. God bless you.

Great information, thank you. But you do assume that every children’s book is going to be a fictional story. What about if it’s an educational book in some way? No need to answer, just something to think on. All the same, there was a lot I could still take from this.

Who says educational books have to be nonfiction? Fiction can teach quite a lot. And if they are nonfiction, you still need a structure for them, even if it’s not a narrative structure.

Great article, thank you!

Extremely helpful information! As a self published author who also started a publishing company, I can attest to the time, talent and treasure required to be successful in this arena. Thank You!

Wow this information was so helpful! I’ve been wanting to write a book geared towards medically fragile children. This article gave me the reassurance I needed to stop doubting myself and just get started! Thank you

It’s very informative and useful. Thank you for sharing! I’m on my way to the first children book with self-publishing. Been trying to offer it to publisher some last few months, but still no news yet. So, I’ll try self-publish this time. Thank you!

Thank you for all your hard work to keep us informed. I’m a French author for children and would like to sell my books in US. My publisher thought we could work with Amazon but they do not print landscape books. Any tips? You can see my work at https://marinaanca.wixsite.com/ancamarina

Try Ingramspark.

Hi, I’ve just read your great post and I have a question. You have stressed how important an illustrator is and while I am not a professional illustrator I am an artist and really want to illustrate the book myself with a unique multi media technique. What are your thoughts on this. Thanks, Wendy

Well, you can give it a shot. Worst the publisher can say is no.

Could I be my own illustrator or do I have to hire an illustrator? I have many ideas for the art in my book and I have a specific style I want.

If you’re good enough, yes, you can be your own illustrator.

Thank you very much 🙂

Thank you for a thorough article. I am an English learner and my dream is to publish an educational book. I am sure you can help me achieve that dream. As per the article, I would need an editor/quality illustrator/publisher, but I am financially incapable to do so. Which one should I invest the most in? Any technical strategy on this? Also: – how many times can I resubmit my work to a publisher or self-publish the same book (after multiple no’s)? – If I submit my book to a publisher and not hear from them for over 2 years, can I self-publish instead or it will be revoked? – Say I received the manuscript from you with your corrections, is there any additional charge for resubmitting the revision?

You’re welcome for the article! Publishers don’t cost anything — you can self publish for free. Split your money between an editor and an illustrator. Find a cheap illustrator on Fiverr .

You can only submit to a publisher once. After they have passed, don’t send it again. (not answering means they don’t want it).

If you haven’t heard from them in 3 months, consider it a NO.

So when I edit, I give you a lot to revise and a lot to think about. But if you did want to revise and resubmit, I’d charge a discounted rate for another round.

Great Information there. I am from Kenya. I love children’s books and my 7 year old son loves to read. I have been having so many ideas about children’s books. Your article has really enlightened me. Thanks for sharing

This is the best information on writing children’s books that I’ve come across thus far. I am researching tips/ideas and am at the very start of my journey. Thank you so much, I really appreciate these awesome nuggets!

Hi LaTanya, great, glad you liked it! If you want a lot more information like this, my course doesn’t overlap with the information here and you get a lot more.

I’ve written a chapter book about 11-year-old characters. It’s almost 70,000 words. Is this too long?

Hi Lori, 11-year-old characters are MG (middle grade), while this length is more appropriate for YA (Young Adult), ages 13 – 18.

Ideally, a book for this age would be more like 40k to 50k.

I really appreciate this article.

Amazing article! So informative, helpful and easy to understand for first time writers. Thank you for taking time to write, this article and for providing comprehensive information without charge. I will definitely look to use your editing services and course when ready. Thanks again. 🙂

Great guidance and more than enough information to start a successful children’s book! Love you for this!

I have an idea for a children’s book series. Do you indicate that a series is the intent when you submit your work to potential publishers?

Thank you for all the great information!

Yes, I’d recommend that you include that information up front and if possible tell them you have the next two books written (if these are short picture books).

I am based in the UK – I am assuming I can still sign up for the course as the content will be transferable to those writing outside the USA? Thanks

Hi Kirstin, Yes, the content will work worldwide. There are only one or two videos that have US specific elements, but you can easily find the agents/agencies that are appropriate in the UK.

This is a fantastic post! Thank you so much!

Great article. Very informative and answers a lot of my questions. One element I’m still confused on is exactly who types the manuscript into the book? I have an illustrator who has done a lovely job of illustrating my idea. I’ve also hired a book designer who will create the fixed layout book for me to upload to distributors. I thought I was ready to send the book to them at this time but now I’m confused again. Should I ask the illustrator to insert the manuscript or does the book designer do this? I’ve written and published novels without illustrations in the past but a children’s picture book is an entirely new experience. Let’s get technical, please. (re the website – its a work in progress)

It depends on the agreement you have with illustrator or book designer. Most of the time illustrators will do it; it’s more rare for book designers to do it.

I was wondering, in general, what tense works best for a children’s picture book, Past or Present?

When in doubt, always use past tense.

You need a very good justification for using present tense.

This is such a helpful and realistic step-by-step article. I really learned a lot when reading it, so I know your course would be amazing. Looks like the next step after reading this is to take the course! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Yes, I hope you enjoy it! I made sure the course doesn’t just repeat this article — it provides a lot of info and techniques that I didn’t mention at all here.

This is absolutely an amazing article . It gave me a lot to think about . I love the step by step explanation, especially since I have never written a book before.

¡Bravo! Thank you for writing this organized, to the point, article. I learned a lot about working with my creative side and how to make a dream a reality. ¡Gracias!

Wow! Very insightful article and information provided. Thank you

The article is very, very helpful! I”m writing my first children’s book so i really needed this to help me get started.

For the 3-7 category (750 words), how many words should go on a page?

That’s a conversation you have with your illustrator. There’s no hard and fast rule. Sometimes no words at all. Sometimes a paragraph. Sometimes one word or a phrase.

It all depends on the vision your illustrator has for the pacing and images of the book.

This is absolutely a wonderful article . Thanks for sharing.

This is brilliant! The way you support your points by specific examples is eye-opening! Thank you so much! Love from Sarajevo!

I want to write a true story about my daughters dog and how the dog helped her with depression. However the dog’s name is Polly but we call her Popo. So is my title of “Popo saves the day” or “Better call Popo” going to be a huge red flag because Popo can mean police officer. Some site say it is derogatory but others say not. Its a catchy name.

I took notes for every paragraph I read. This article was very helpful to me and I can’t wait to finally begin my journey.

Great article. Very informative. I am an artist and I just completed my first children’s book. I am editing and doing the illustration work now, in watercolor. I don’t have the funds to go the expensive route, so I will probably self publish. Are there better methods or sources for self publishing.

Put it in a PDF and upload to Amazon. It’s free.

And let me know if I can help with editing before that point.

Excellent article. I appreciate it so much. I’m so glad I found it.

After reading valuable advice from this article, I wrote my first book https://amzn.to/2zovXxJ , the book is in a scientific version for children, but considering the beginning of my adventure, I am happy. It’s great that you share your knowledge.Thank you

Hi and thank you for this information! I hope this isn’t a repeat question but can you tell me if it’s best to have my book edited and then sent to a literary agent or can you go straight to a literary agent? I’m noticing all the publishers I’m looking at won’t accept unrepresented work, so it seems I have to use an agent. Would that be right?

The reason why authors get editing is because it’s extremely challenging to get a literary agent. You’re competing against hundreds of other writers for a single slot, and you want to make sure that your book is the best it can be.

Most big publishers only accept books from agents; small publishers accept work directly. Both are extremely competitive.

This is a very good and timely article. It will go a long way in helping me do my semester project work in the University.

My friends and I are all kids, and we’re in a club together writing books. I shared one of the images in your article with them (the main plot guide) and it’s been very beneficial to all of our novels. Thank you so much for writing this!

Excellent article! I was wondering if there is any sort of common understanding of the publishing industry regarding the particularities of the book for each age group. I’m finding it rather difficult to define an age group the book aim to reach. How precise should I be, and how should the language adapt? Should I try to use words and expressions already knew by the children, or can I catch their attention by using a few new words?

Most of the time authors use language the children know, but some authors want to stretch their vocabulary by pushing it. Either is acceptable, though it’s probably harder to pull off the high diction level vocabulary.

It’s not just about language, though. It’s about length, about the intensity of conflict, about the type of problem, and the complexity of the plot. So it’s more like art than science to figure out your age range.

Hi, great article, I just have a question I’m writing children’s book for my school project and it must be completely done by august, printing, writing, everything and I’m on the writing stage. Since its a school project, do I need to publish it and have an editor and everything, from what I know, I can just make my book by myself completely and print it out because its nothing fancy and I don’t plan on having it sold on markets and things. How long do you think this whole process will take? and how long does it take to get a book printed, I don’t need a lot of copies, just around 1-5 maybe. This article was a great read but I don’t which of these tips apply in my case because Im writing a simple children’s book for a school project.

Hi Miya, for a project like this that you don’t intend to sell widely, you probably don’t need to hire an editor. You can make your book yourself, and if you put it into a PDF and upload it to Amazon, then you can buy a few print copies from them.

Great help and advice I’m a grandma writing my first book, or trying to, so i found this information very helpful. Wish me luck, thinking going to need it!! … thanks again for all the info

I am also a grandma attempting to write my first book. Thank you for this information. It is helping me greatly. Please be in prayer for me as I follow God’s lead in His wisdom and guidance as I write this book. Thanks!!

Super helpful information – thanks for your generosity!

Loved this article. Well written and inspiring

Thank you so much! This was very helpful and informative.

Very helpful article. Thanks for sharing your wisdom. I wrote my first book on kids

This is great advice for beginners like me. It’s the first link I clicked on when I googled ‘how to write and illustrate a children’s picture book 2020’ so you must be doing something right! Thank you so much 🙂

Hey, thanks a ton for sharing this amazing guide on the ways to write the books for the children. One of my friends has just started writing children’s books and I believe this post will be of great help to him.

This has proven extremely useful. The content is well-written and easy to follow. Thank you !

This article was awesome, very informative, I loved it. I’m ready to get started writing my book right now. Thank you so much.

Thanks, this is very well-written! Writing for children involves a lot of considerations: consider what children like; what they would feel; how they would read your book; and more.

Thanks for the great article, it really helped me focus on my idea

Excellent advice, and great that you are sharing it!

really a good article for beginners. Looking forward to finishing my first book and then will start the struggle to find a publisher. Thanks

Hi there, I’m wondering what the best format is to submit a childrens book to an editor is? How should it be laid out? In word? In powerpoint? Would love to get your input! Thanks 🙂

Word would be best. Keep it simple.

i love this. I’m a kid and i want to be a writer. i have written my first book and i need an editor so it can be published. I love this article so so so so so much

Hi, great article. Can you please provide advice/ tips on bilingual books?

Thanks for the article. It was really helpful. Is it possible to self publish first and then publish again with other publishers? I wanted to write a book based on a personal story and give as a gift, but I thought the story also has potential. I would like to do own illustration and design, and it sounded like self publishing will give more flexibility.

No, once you self publish you can’t publish with a publisher, unless you sell a gazillion copies and they come knocking.

Thank you for this comprehensive discussions. I learned a lot from it.

Great article.

One of my friends was recently seeking a new genre for writing and considered writing books for children, I am sure this article will surely help him in writing the best book fore children will surely share it with him.

Great article, very interesting and useful.

Just starting to write a children’s book. This was great article! Since this is my first time writing a children’s book I am trying to establish a timeline checklist. Please let me know if you have any advice or suggestions.

I just finished writing a children’s book and am now going through the process of assisted self-publishing, and wow I really wish that I read all of this beforehand. This information was so spot on and extremely helpful. I will be using this as a starting point/guide for my next children’s book. Thank you! #Mr.MoneyAdventures

Informative and insightful. Thanks.

Very helpful and valuable tips. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

Grateful for the tips! Absolutely helpful for this African writer!

Thanks to the developer of this amazing guide. I’ve got just what I need to get started in my writing.

Very good material and most enlightening. Thank you for this journey to writing a great and exciting children’s book.

Thank you! really helpful!

Excellent post! Everyone can write a book, but not everyone can produce an amazing one. Whether fiction or non-fiction, it always takes knowledge, experience, passion, and attitude to create praiseworthy literature.

To the point. Relevant information and lots of it! I found it very helpful, thanks.

I have been writing children’s stories I call them bed time stories but I am in a country where they don’t take children’s stories as much important and I have never published any though I have written a number of them, I have no editor, no publisher so am just sitting with my stories though they may be good for children to read them and I would love to be part in children’s happiness all over the world, what should I do

Great info! Thank you so much!

Hi my daughter wrote a book 2 years ago, she is 12 years old now, she want to publish but she doesn’t know how to do? Please tell me what we do next?

I would recommend hiring an illustrator and then with the PDF they give you with the text included, uploading that to Amazon and self publishing. Self publishing is the best option for children who write children’s books.

Thanks so much for the information . I shall work do my best.

Plenty of info thanks a lot.

Great article with practical solutions that might otherwise be unclear even after an assessment. I was able to adjust my story and bring new ideas to it. Thank you

Thank you for putting your dedicated time into writing this article. I have written many books in the past but struggle to finish them because the starting is so long, but now I know to shorten things up a bit. Thanks!!!

The best interesting website I’ve visited in decade. Liked all the interactive content and ideas. Hopefully can make it for my son and daughter with all the share and knowledge you gave John. My best wishes to you and your family. Kind regards from Bali.

Such an insightful article. Thankyou 🙂

Great article, it’s very helpful. Thank you so much.

Amazing article! So helpful. Thankyou!

I found this information really helpful

when was this published?

Hello, I’m seeking an editor in Atlanta for my book. Do you have any recommendations? Your article gives a lot of insight.

I enjoyed reading the article above (Children books ), which explains everything in detail; the writing is fascinating and convincing. Thank you, and good luck with the upcoming items. Thanks, and Keep it up!

I found this site very informative and I have to say there seems to be a lot of work to getting your children’s book accepted and published. I find the tips on this site very helpful to the bigger picture of have a children’s book published and being successful. Before finding this site I thought long and hard about illustration as my book is based on a true story about a pet and his loving owner. I believe the the steps pointed out sound very good and if followed throughly I think anyone’s children’s could be very successful.

Hello, Let me start of by saying I’ve never written a book in my life, My inspiration for this children’s book is my granddaughter her name is Melanie Milagros, she is a true miracle, she was born at 15.9 oz and wasn’t expected to survive. But like a miracle she is now 5 yrs. old and going to school. My fiction book is about her and how she helped animals like rabbits, birds etc. with fairy, magic glitter, from helping a baby bird fly with its family, a bunny rabbit find friends, stuff like that. So the Story about Little Mighty Milagros and a sidekick a Lady Bug. Hmm? Still haven’t finalized that part. Again, I’ve never done anything like this. I don’t know how to find someone to make a cartoon of Melanie for the book.

Good article

FANTASTIC article! Thank you so much for this. I’m a filmmaker writing my first children’s book but I know nil about children’s publishing, so your article is amazing for me. Your generosity is MUCH appreciated.

great article & very useful

I loved all the tips you have shared, you are right when you said How to Write a Children’s Book in 12 Steps . This article was informative that I can’t wait for your next blog.

This is an awesome informative site! thank you so much!

Great article !!

My husband and I really appreciated this article. It has been such an overwhelming experience trying to navigate certain topics and we found ourselves all over the place with what to do first and last. This article has put us on the right track of what we want to accomplish with our children’s books. Wish us luck. Maybe we will update our success or lack thereof, in about 1-2 years.

I appreciate your spelling out the major steps necessary and the payment chart for illustrators. Very concise and direct. Thank you!

Your post is very interesting. Books pick their writers; the demonstration of creation isn’t a totally rational and conscious one. Thank you for sharing your blog.

Hi, Now that I know you are an editor, I would like your assistance. Please contact me by email. Thank you

Thank you for taking the time to write this article for so many aspiring writers! I thought your 12 steps were great and to the point. Hopefully I will be able to put them to use!

It’s great to learn that you should use energy when naming a children’s book. My wife is wanting to write a children’s book and she was wondering how she could effectively name the book once she’s finished. I’ll be sure to tell her to add energy to the title.

I came across your blog and thanks for being spot on. I am a publisher and also a children’s book author/illustrator. I decided to go against the norm and keep my books as picture books even though they were meant to be Chapter Books. They are all around 3k words but I opted for keeping them as PB because I was highlighting the differences between all the characters and I thought visuals were essential. Many agents and publishers didn’t like this. You are 100% correct when it comes to word count and structure. I didn’t start out wanting to be a children’s book author nor illustrator, I was just trying to fill a void in children’s lit. Children need to see themselves in the characters they read about! Anyhow, good advice! And, may the muse be with all your readers!

I recently retired from my teaching positions and I have a lot of experiences I can use in my stories. I want my stories to help students with disabilities accept their uniqueness as a strength and not something to be ashamed of. I have always been interested in writing children’s books and after reading this blog, it has given me more insight on steps to take to master this writing process. Thanks goes to you J. Fox!

Great advice, thank you! I’m writing and illustrating my first children’s book and have minimal knowledge on any of it. I assumed it was the editor that did the word placement and font, (not the illustrator?) and now I feel very nervous and overwhelmed lol. So, let me back up a little and begin by asking… What’s the best way to scan my illustrations? Or is it better to hire a professional photographer?

I’m not sure. Most illustrators work on computers, and so already have a PDF file.

I think a scan would be better than a photograph.

Ok, Thanks for replying!

I’m really glad that I came across this article. I recently decided that I want to write a children’s book about children who may have a parent, sibling or family member with a chronic pain condition. I was inspired by my own chronic pain condition, connective tissue disorder and possibly arthritis as well. I found this article very helpful, thank you.

Have acquired a lot of knowledge and advice from the article. I have a long way to go and still mulling it all over.

Thank you for sharing all this. I am seriously considering the course.

Hi Bridget, Glad you liked the blog post! I’ve gotten a ton of great feedback about the course and am sure it would help you tremendously.

Very helpful…straightforward and informative

Helpful and informative.

Thank you it was very helpful to start writing a book.

Thank you for this really interesting and informative guide. I have made a start on an idea and will definitely follow your 12 steps and then take the next steps for editor and hopefully publisher!

Thank you for such an excellent article! I’ve always dreamed of writing a children’s book, but never thought I could actually do it. I’ve set a goal for myself to write my first book this year; so far, all I have is a very general idea. However, I know what my main character looks like. I don’t want to waste words describing her appearance in the story since the book will be illustrated. When hiring an illustrator, would I have any say-so in the illustrations? Specifically, would an illustrator honor my wishes in how my main character looks?

It depends on the illustrator, but most illustrators want some basic info from you about what the character might look like. Illustrators that you hire tend to want explicit direction from you, while illustrators that the publisher hires tend to want independence and autonomy.

Interesting, but I would have liked more info on writing middle grade.

Thanks! I will be looking to rewrite classics for preteen kids. Like O Henry or Poe stories.

This was exactly what I was looking for! Thank you…this has been something I have wanted to do….time to get to it and DO IT!

hello I would Like info on how to write a children book

See above. Also, click the link at the bottom to get on my email list.

Incredibly informative – my thanks for sharing so many of the steps to success. Its a detailed road for potential success. My thanks.

Wow! What are you supposed to say when you get for free an excellent article (like this) that you know you wouldn’t mind paying for? Two words: Thank you! My only regret is not reading this article before I purchased some ‘how-to-write-a-children’s-book’ books on Amazon. All the same, I got some great ideas on how to market a children’s book. Still, I just realized that I have got work to do on my three books, which I plan to self-publish all at once this summer. I have decided to hit the pause button and take your course first. I will contact you to edit my books after I’m done with your course. Again, thank you!!

This was so to-the-point and practical advice. I am a visual arts teacher and I will use this guide in my classroom for my budding artists and writers. I also have a community arts space, and I will use this there as well.

Every aspiring author will venture out writing children’s books first since they believe that this is the easiest to write among other genres. Writing children’s books enables you to enter a different world, one that is filled with joy, excitement, and splendor. Children’s books are the pathway into other cultures, ideas, and imagination for young readers. These books enable them to be at the feet of other people and travel places unimaginable.

Hmm. One thing that is incorrect is picture book length. The vast majority of publishers now want nothing longer than 500 words (unless it’s nonfiction) – and preferably even shorter than that. Many won’t even look at anything longer anymore.

Great Advice! structure is SO important!

Thank you for the EXCELLENT overview, extensive information and helpful hints. Here is my question: I’m interested in writing a series of “educational” books that focus on African American leaders and heroes for children to read as inspiration. I’ve done my homework in terms of discovering black children read 39% less than white children and that is due in part to not connecting with the content/subject matter. I have a PhD in Education and would like to create a series of motivational/inspirational books – if he/she can do it, I can to! Any suggestions? Feedback is welcome! Thanks~

Sounds great! Go for it.

Thank you so much for your helpful “push!” I have been struggling in getting started and remaining committed to my dream of writing for children 0-5 in age. I’m an assistant Early Headstart Teacher, and reaching the minds of our little ones early with reading, is a journey that I truly wish to be a part of! Is there any way I can print out this article? I like to examine things more closely and I use a lot of highlighters!! Thank you again for giving me a starting point, but more importantly, a new vision!

Start and end your children’s picture book story quickly — and make every word, phrase and sentence “walk the plank”. That’s excellent advice on its own. Thank you. Is it acceptable to submit the same manuscript to several mainstream publishers simultaneously and should you declare this? Is “spreading the net” likely to hinder your chances?

It is acceptable to do simultaneous submissions.

But most mainstream publishers only accept manuscripts from agents.

Also, beware that you don’t submit simultaneously to multiple agents at the same agency — only one agent per agency at a time.

This is so awesome and helpful. Thanks The John Fox!

This was a great article, lots of things I would not have thought of. Thank you

Hi, I am not sure if my story is right for kids? And I don’t know what age group it is?

Thank you so much for the information. Now I have ideas on how to go about writing children’s books. I am new in this and I believe the information will go along way in building my competencies in creating readers for Children.

I respect everything that you have written in this blog. Please continue to provide wisdom to more people like me.

Thank you so much everything you talked about is very helpful. I have someone that can help me with getting my book out there, but one question is what if you write a children’s book and you can make it into a few books to continue the story, even if the main character is not in the rest of the story. Do you just keep going with the story or Do you just start the next book as if it were a new book not of the continuation

Some series can be thematic or located in a certain place, and yet feature different characters. So I would recommend you still call it a series.

I would love to do your course to get insight into my children’s book. I want it to be perfect.

Thank you so much for this invaluable information! I’m considering my first children’s book and I am an artist so I’ll do that part but I’m just starting out and I’m excited now to begin.

Amazing Amazing article! I literally jot down points and learned so much from this article. I wish to buy the children’s book course too. He is so talented and talks right on the point.

any ideas on how to write a childs forever home

An amazing post with great tips as always. Anyone will find your post useful. Keep up the good work.

Hello, I would like to know where your company is located. I am interested in taking one of your courses.

Hi Cynthia, I’m located in California. But you can take courses from wherever you are in the world — I’ve had students from nearly a hundred countries.

Thank you so much John for sharing your knowledge and insight! This is great information and extremely helpful. I do have a question. I’m working with an illustrator on Fiverr. Is it still necessary to ask if they keep the rights or do I? I would assume yes, but not sure if you recommend that based on the structure and operations of Fiverr. Thank you again!

Yes, that’s a good question to ask them. Most of the people on Fiverr would agree to giving you the rights, I believe, while the higher end illustrators hired by a publishing company generally keep the rights.

this article is gold!

This post was truly worthwhile to read. I wanted to say thank you for the key points you have pointed out as they are enlightening.

Great BOOKFOX informative and useful. Thanks.

Both the quality and quantity of the words you speak to your child matter when it comes to early literacy and language abilities. Books are a fantastic way to start chatting, telling tales, and interacting with your child. Thank you so much.

This was the exact information I was looking for as I begin my career as a writer. I appreciate all the time you have put into this amazing article regarding how to write a children’s book.

Hi! I’m curious about your course. How long are each of the videos? Or how long is all of the content put together?

Hi Andrea, most of the videos in my children’s book course are about 6 – 7 minutes. And there are 30 videos. I’ve worked hard to compress all the information you need into compact form — I don’t want to waste people’s time.

Wow! This is a great article. Do you have an article on how to write dialogue? I’m just starting my first book and I have written (and deleted) small stories for fun, but there was more action than words so the conversations were kind of boring. The main character in my book is 12 years old, so I was wondering if I should add words like, ‘literally’ or ‘like’ a lot, because the main part of my story is dialogue (my character is telling a story to her siblings.) Also, I’m a younger writer and closer to the age of my character, and I say those kinds of words frequently, but it honestly might be overkill to write them that many times in a book *if there was a laughing face emoji available I would put it here*. Your response would be greatly appreciated, Holland J

Thank you very much for sharing your wisdom and experience, John! This is excellent information that will be really useful. Anyone can sit down and scribble a children’s book, and with a little help and direction, yours could be good enough to capture the attention of thousands of kids.

Thank you so much. Based here in Ireland and I have a book idea the last 2 years and I really need to get it ready and started as I think it could be huge

Great article! I do have a question. You are speaking to picture books – where the pictures carry the story of the book and not the words. But what about if the writing carries the story and the pictures help to illustrate it? The majority of what you state would stay true but the word count would not be the same?

It’s really nice and educational for a beginner writer.

Books can encourage children to explore what they truly want to do in life. Your book could be a tool for self-discovery.

I loved reading through this. I’m working on my first children’s book series and this article brought up so many good points for my to consider when writing and publishing. Thank you for sharing!

This was exactly what I needed to come across today, very helpful and gives much food for thought. Very appreciative of your outline of the process thank you kindly

Hi. What a wonderful article and very informative too. Thank you. Lots to think about. Cheers

The high level steps, the bullet points, and the tips ar3 incredibly helpful. Thank you.

Excellent article. Very informative. Now at least I have a direction.

I’m a novice story teller with a story about adoption geared for ages 3-7. I have the basic story, photos to inspire an illustrator, but I really just want to tell the story for all of my family and friends who have experienced the JOY OF ADOPTION! I would feel so blessed if it would inspire other to adopt! We’ll see…

Extremely well-written and insightful advice. Thank you for sharing.

Great article! Thanks for the advice. Just reading this page has helped inspire me to keep moving forward with my ideas. The love I see in my daughters eyes when I read to her is my motivation to write a kids book to share that love.

Thanks for helping me “walk the plank”

I appreciate your informative article. After my son passing onto heaven he has repeatedly told me in my dreams to write a children’s book. Give little souls a chance to laugh and look more to simple tasks in a day to better one another because we are not promised tomorrow. May God bless you, Hillary D

Thanks for the honest words and great guide! Much appreciated.

Hi, I am thinking about becoming a children’s book writer, I have no experience.

Lots of great info THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Thanks for all of help on today 5/15/2022 a lot of information was discovered for me in this article I will be following your steps.

A very informative and well-elaborated article. Thank you so much. Has provided me with key points to consider as we write children’s books in local languages with some Ugandan primary teachers.

This is the best article that I have ever found on the internet. Very clear and helpful. Thank you!

Excellent article- so thrilled I came across it

I am glad to have come across this article. Very informativ and encouraging. Thank you!

Very good advice!

I plan to release a children’s book later this year, and I’m considering self-publishing with the help of hardcover book printing services. I appreciate the advice about how it would be best to make the character struggle and fail first before solving the problem to gain the interest of the readers. I’ll be sure to remember this while I look for hardcover book printing services to work with.

Read and then reread. Thanks!

The article is a good gist of all what children’s writer must know. Thanks a lot for this article.

Thank you, thank you! Invaluable advise for novice children’s book authors. I devoured every word in my attempt to write my first children’s book.

This has been a very helpful nicely structured review. It focused on practical points, gave useful examples.

Hello I am interested in writing a children’s book i just reviewed your notes on how and what to do my question is, if i wanted to hire you to help me with my book, do I have to take your course first? And also what is the over head view of funds i would need to publish a children’s book? Thank you very much.

Great article!!! It provided much helpful insight on heels of my self-publishing a “bucket list” children’s book recently. What John provided here is much-need food for thought for a 2nd effort.

Very good article. Well thought out, with relevant, professional information and resources. Thank you!

Not only is this a very well put together article, it even explains and demonstrates some of the elements with which a new writer might not yet be familiar. I will be reading this several times, and then some more Thanks!

A very brilliant and interesting article

I want to say a huge thank you for sharing this post. It has really been so valuable and helpful. Thanks again for sharing.

This is so helpful. Genuine guidance and because of this I am 100% interested in your services when it’s time. Too often these posts are one long advertisement but you hit the right balance between great free info and offering your services as a resource!

Very glad to hear that! Yes, I’ll be ready when you need editing.

Thanks for the article. Very informative

Hi, I’m a pensioner from NSW Australia. I have 22 cartoon Australian animals in my children’s book. All with descriptions and their personalities and where they live in the village around a pond in the Australian Outback. My illustrations have still to be coloured which I thought to do in water coloured paint. Being a pensioner, I cannot afford much and if so, would have to just print my book onto paper and keep it in the family for my grandchildren.

Great article, thank you

its a great article and nice advice

It was all very helpful. Now I can re-evaluate my children’s book. Thank you

Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom. This is the best article on helping new writers. I am so excited to get started now.

Thank you for taking the time to share your wisdom. It is so helpful and answers many of the questions I had.

Great info – Thanks. I stumbled on it at the perfect time to write a story for my grandaughter for Christmas.

This was extremely informative and beyond helpful. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

Thanks so much for sharing this valuable knowledge!

Thank you so much for this article. We have to write a book for an assignment in my class and read it to the younger kids in my school. I needed a lot of help to get started. My group has an idea and this really helps with adding on to it and making it better.

Your article was very enlightening, I wrote a children’s story many years ago, you have given me the inspiration to publish.

This article was SO helpful and easy to follow. It all makes perfect sense now!

Very informative, great read!

I’ve published four children’s books (with Putnam and S&S) and this is one of the better tutorials on the subject I’ve read, similar to what we learn directly from editors at SCBWI conferences. This article served as an excellent reminder of all the important points I needed to hear as I start on a new book. Kudos!

Very glad to have this helpful and informative article straight to the point thanks

Hi very useful information, I’m doing my first book, that was sitting for years.

Your brilliant, and extremely helpful. I love your charismatic truth on everything.I feel so much more knowledgeable,than before I came here.

Hi! I’m writing a children’s book! I most likely won’t publish it, but I wanted to thank you for this article. It’s really helpful and informative! Wish me luck!

Really really helpful. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. Lots of things to think about now.

I found your information quite insightful. I am already writing several children’s golf books and your piece has reinforced what I am already doing. This is a great reference tool. JM

Wow!! After being overwhelmed by TOO much googling, this guide has finally set a course! Thank you for such an easy run down on how to kick off!! Let the email attack begin!!

You’re welcome! Happy writing. And if you need more help, take my course on children’s books or hire me as an editor!

i loved it👌❤❤❤

I LIKE THIS ARTICLE

Hello, my name is Lori Fajardo. I have wrote a children’s story I would like to make into a childrens book. Age group 3-7 but I do not know the next step. I have many ideas for more stories. If you could help me with the next step that would be so wonderful. Thank you so much, appreciate it.

Thanks it was helpful

Your write up has helped a lot.Rather it’s going to be a reference to go back to.

thank you, this was very helpful!

Interesting, highly educative and informative.

Very helpful. Thank you

VERY HELPFUL.THANK YOU SO MUCH

This has been an amazing article. I have learned so much! Thank you for putting this out there!

I’m at the very beginning of the process and this was so informative and easy to understand! thank you

I hope I’m in the right place. I have a unique cat, she’s a tabbico Polydactyl Tripod, raised along with little children. She’s had many fun adventures coping the way they play. as well as adjusting to her unique circumstances as a special needs cat. I’ve been told numerous times I should write about the things she has done and her life. example.. knocking down hotwheels in the bathtub and playing with them. I have no idea where to start. I’ve had her since she was a baby. I mentioned she’s a Tripod, her one back leg has a bad knee and deformed foot. We’ve had quite the adventure so far.

sounds like it would be a good book

Very informative. Thank you.

I have started to write my first children’s book recently. I would like some assistance on how to proceed. I have a story, plot, characters all figured out (as best that I can, some professional guidance would be appreciated at this stage.

Such an informative article . Thank you

this really helped, thumbs up.

Wow, what a great and informative starting point. I wanted to write a children’s book or series of books But didn’t really know where to start. Thank you for your honest and informative information.

Nice advice, great to know this. This is best article i’ve read so far for children!

thank you for sharing this kind of blog

The article “How to Write a Children’s Book” is an outstanding resource for aspiring authors. It provides a comprehensive guide that covers every aspect of writing a children’s book, from generating ideas to crafting engaging stories and understanding the nuances of children’s literature. The practical tips and clear instructions make the process approachable and inspiring. It’s evident that the author has a deep understanding of the genre and a genuine desire to help others succeed. Kudos for creating such an insightful and supportive guide that will surely motivate many to bring their stories to life!

You want kids to read your children’s book again and again, right?

I’ve helped hundreds of writers create their first book. This course offers:

• A guide to writing, editing and publishing your book
• Tips on how to find an editor and illustrator
• Ideas on structure, characters, and endings

Need help publishing your children’s book?

Bookfox Press makes it easy. We provide illustrators, formatting, editing, and publishing, so your book reaches your audience.

How to Write a Children’s Book: The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Successful Book for Young Readers

by Marianne Richmond | 1 comment

Have you wondered how to write a children’s book? A lot of people do! The idea of crafting a sweet or silly tale that delights young minds and hearts is a compelling invitation.

Maybe you already have an idea about subject matter or a memorable character in mind. Perhaps you are inspired by favorite books from long ago ( Judy Blume , anyone?). Frequent guidelines suggest just 500 to 1000 words in the average picture book—and many people who are not children's book writers wonder how difficult this could be.

Harder than you think.

Children's author Margaret Meacham sums it up well:

“Well-written picture books are works of art that demand an intuitive sense of child appeal, and like poetry, a firm command of language.”

In this article, you'll learn all about how to write a children's book with writing tips that will help you craft your writing for the littlest reader.

How I Became a Children’s Book Author

I never dreamt of being a picture book author. I became one unexpectedly.

How this started was I wrote, illustrated, and self-published my first children’s book, The Gift of an Angel , in 1997—long before self-publishing was a thing.

I was recovering from brain surgery in my twenties with a lot of down time. Inspired by my large circle of support—earth angels, I called them—I wrote a book about the belief in a guardian angel for every child, printed a few thousand copies of my book at a local shop (I was optimistic!), and began peddling them to gift shops and book stores around town.

Emails came to my inbox telling me how my feelings were their feelings—a huge “Ah-ha!” moment for me. In one year, I sold 10,000 copies, which quickly lit the fire in me to create more books that honored life’s emotions and relationships.

One book became two. And two became seventy-plus with millions sold.

For sixteen years, I co-ran my own publishing company with my husband before selling my book line in 2010 to Sourcebooks, Inc., the largest independent, women-owned publisher in North America.

With them, I still create and learn daily how writing children’s books performs in the business. I also understand how a children's book, in the business of publishing, needs to sell to a target market with a benefit to the buyer and reader.

And that distribution–how and where you’re going to sell it—is everything.

If you want to become a children's book author, you can't separate the writing from the business.

The Making of a Children's Book

There’s a lot of thought, preparation and nuance that goes into creating a successful, sellable children’s book that engages all types of children and, equally important, connects with parents, teachers, or caring adults who will it read over and over (sometimes at 9:00pm, when they are done reading ).

This separates the books that publishing houses, book editors , and readers choose for a child’s bookshelf versus the ones buried and abandoned in the bottom of a toy trunk, or not bought at all. Or not published.

I want to help you write a successful children's book. I want to share what I’ve learned about writing for children—from where to get ideas and illustrations to how to publish and market—from my twenty-plus years as a bestselling book author.

Throughout my journey, my personal mission as a writer hasn’t wavered: To create books that help you share your heart and connect with those you love.

This knowing what you want the experience of your books to be can help focus your creating and help you build a clear brand as a writer.

3 Key Factors to Consider Before You Write a Children's Book

Before beginning your dive into children’s book writing, there are three key factors you need to know and consider.

1. Book Category

When you walk into the children’s section at a bookstore or large retailer, you will see several categories of books that comprise this department, shelved in different areas.

The target age ranges are rough guides to a child’s age category, maturity and reading proficiency that will dictate a buying decision:

• Board book (newborn – 3)
• Illustrated picture book (ages 2-8)
• Easy reader and chapter book (ages 6-12)
• Middle grade book (ages 8-12)
• Young adult book (span the younger and older adolescent years of 12-25, depending on content)

I suggest you wander into a bookstore or retail book department and familiarize yourself with the different types of children’s books, their page and/or word count , complexity and use of graphics. You will get to see, too, the great variety of book design and book format within each broader book category.

2. Target Audience

One of the more challenging aspects of writing for children is to meet your audience where they are in terms of topic, word choice, writing style, and comprehension.

Specifically, are you painting a picture through words and illustration that makes sense to your reader? Does it have some harder words but not too hard as to be frustrating? What topics do the child reader's parent, caregiver, or teacher have on their list?

Often we get close to an idea because it is personal to us. We need to ask ourselves, “Who else will care?”

Know why you're writing your children's book, and you'll probably have more success writing it.

Instead, writers who want to write a children's book should ask themselves: “Who else will care?” Tweet this

2. Choose a Universal Theme or Niche Message

What your book idea is about will directly inform who wants to buy it. One of my go-to lines about my own work is:

“I write for the unique everybody. Our stories are different and our feelings a lot the same.”

When you set out to write your book, ask yourself what topic is timely and holds universal appeal (i.e., love, diversity, empathy, anxiety, life skills, grief) or which theme captures a niche topic like divorce, adoption, immigration, climate, or blended families.

To help you clarify the universal theme or niche message in your picture book story idea, you might consider using the X as told through Y approach.

Memoir coach Marion Roach offers an excellent formula that can be applied to kids books as well:

“It's about X as told through Y.”

The X is the universal, the Y is the story. Using Lisa Katzenberg's picture book, IT WILL BE OKAY, for example, her story is “about empathy and kindness as told through a zebra helping his worried giraffe friend.”

The story structure and character development will follow that specific character helping his friend.

3. Choose a book title and cover image with high salability

Imagine yourself standing in a bookstore surrounded by thousands of competing titles. Think of your perfect title and cover image as your way of jumping up and down saying, “Pick me! Pick me!”

A good book cover design is your clear promise to the reader.

In a fraction of a second, you need to tell your potential reader what your book is about and the tone they can expect (sentimental or funny, for example).

Your best title isn't always the most creative title. Clarity is queen. WHEN ANIMALS KISS GOODNIGHT. BE BRAVE LITTLE ONE. HAIR LOVE. Your choice of book illustration goes a long way to communicate this promise, too!

A silly monster or dancing elephant conveys humor while a child tucked in bed hugging a teddy bear communicates a sweet bedtime tale. Similarly, are you choosing to depict your book characters with people or animals — or nothing at all? (Check out the unique bestseller THE BOOK WITH NO PICTURES.)

The use of bright images is key, too, to draw your reader in. Each choice you make contributes to your clear promise.

Some book titles can be enhanced with a descriptive, powerful subtitle. For example, Dan Santat's picture book, AFTER THE FALL featuring a cute egg has the subtitle How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again.

This additional book description quickly tells you it's a story of resilience. A recent title from Sourcebooks is called OUR WORLD IS A FAMILY with children of all nationalities on the cover. Its subtitle—Our Community Can Change the World— quickly communicates a story of inclusivity, connection and kindness.

In the book industry, this holistic impact of your book concept is referred to as the book “package.” Does the package connect with the intended reader? And often traditional publishers will test a few options with virtual focus groups before committing to a final choice.

Regardless of how you choose to publish, I suggest a quick exercise you can do when pondering your book idea: Brainstorm a potential title and subtitle for your picture book, referring back to your Story Intention to focus your thoughts.

Using Canva, freepick.com, Google images or even sketching it yourself, you can gather some inspiration imagery. Now, share these few tidbits with a trusted friend or two and ask them what they believe your book is about.

Do you hear an answer that circles around your intention? You're on the right track!

4. Write for Your Target Reader

As a picture book author, your are giving a child and caring adult (your target audience) a “pleasant reading experience.” (In the words of my publisher!) But think of your book, too, as a conduit for connection, learning, and growth.

So many parents, teachers and grown ups use children's books as gateways to bigger conversations, for example, family values, a recent hardship, or an aspirational behavior.

To give your book its best chance at “being so much more,” you'll want to pay special attention to word choice, cadence, and complexity to ensure it as “enjoyable and easy to ingest” as possible.

Think succinct text. Descriptive language. Compelling story.

Early childhood educators reiterate, too, how using rhyme and repetition of words and ideas helps children develop early literacy skills and boost brain development.

As you can see, children's books have a big, important job to do! A single sentence can be so rich with meaning and teaching in a quality book.

5. Create your Story Arc

I love the concept of the six word memoir: say a lot with few words. That's the heart of a good children's book, too. The story arc is the journey you'll take the reader on. 

You're dealing with the short attention span of a child and often the adult reader, too. (“It's time for bed!”) This means you need to:

• Engage, and
• Wrap up in 500-ish words spread over thirty-two pages

Don't spend a lot of time setting the stage for your story. Start in the action . If writing a board book where the pages will be cardboard, you reduce page count to twenty-four pages.

A good way to start is to brainstorm a book outline and the main takeaways of your story (again, your Story Intention).

Next draw an semi-circle on a piece of paper (think upside down ‘u') and jot down thoughts on your beginning, middle and end. If your picture book is the expected thirty-two pages, aim to use one to two spreads (a full spread is the left and right page together) to begin your story and another one to two to bring it to a close.

This leaves you a nice, long middle to tell your story and/or create and resolve conflict. Creating your own book layout or “book dummy”—even if rough—is a great way to help you visualize your story.

Using a real life example from my USA Today bestselling I LOVE YOU ALL WAYS, a board book to convey love, the first page is this:

“In case you ever wonder in the busy of our days, exactly how you're loved by me, I think you'll be amazed.”

Spreads two through nine tell all the ways while two spreads wrap it up:

“Top to bottom, inside through, you're the certain of my days. No need to ever wonder more … I love you all ways.”

6. Find a Professional Illustrator

Yes, more decisions! Artwork is key for children's books, as illustrations from a professional illustrator help tell your story, boost a child's comprehension and enhance literacy.

Is your message best supported by people or animals? The children's book market loves animals for their ability to appeal to diverse families.

Believe it or not, some animals sell better than others! “Bears are evergreen,” says Art Director Jordan Kost. “With brown/grizzly being the most popular.”

You'll want to choose what art style conveys the emotion of your story, whether soft watercolor, bright pastels, contemporary collage or simple line art. So much art is created digitally, which is easier for revisions but one thing doesn't change: good illustrations can make or break a picture book.

If you don't illustrate yourself, you will learn that traditional publishers will choose a professional illustrator for your manuscript. If, however, you are self-publishing, you will need to find your own through various resources like online groups, local colleges, trade associations and/or a talented friend.

Be sure, however, that your illustrator is very good . Nothing screams amateur like poor illustration. As for cost, you'll find some illustrators charge per page, per project or want an split of the sales revenue. This is all negotiable.

7. Choose a Publishing Path

As you're writing, you'll need to decide which publishing path you with to pursue. There are two main paths: traditional publishing and self-publishing.

Many authors aspire to be published by the “big five,” but this is a challenging road for first-time authors. And one that can take several years pitching, editing, printing to marketing and selling.

If you sold your manuscript today, you might see it in stores three years from now. Plus, most large publishers will only look at agented submissions and even then, they want to know your sales potential in the marketplace. In other words, do you have built-in ways you can start getting traction for your book?

This is commonly called “your platform.” Are you already known in any particular industries? Are you aligned with a certain cause? Do you have a large social media following? Are you an educator already connecting with students and families? Are you a psychologist who writes and speaks on social emotional issues?

And even if your answer is no, no and no—you can still pitch what you WILL do should a publisher choose to invest in your work.

For example, you will speak to local classrooms, host local events and exhibit your work at festivals and farmer's markets.

If traditional publishing is your dream, however, you'll want to first research finding a literary agent . Or perhaps set your sights on a smaller publishing house who accepts un-agented manuscripts and is more willing to grow together.

Gaining popularity with authors is self-publishing, which allows you to get your book for children into the marketplace sooner, but comes with the learning curve of navigating the most popular self-publishing platforms: Ingram Spark and Amazon's KDP which both offer numerous tutorials to get you on the path to self-publishing.

In addition, this path will also require you to hire your own professional editor to ensure you are moving forward with a tight manuscript as well as a book designer to lay it out. A developmental editor can speak to your big picture idea and theme versus a copy editor who critiques line by line.

8. Sell, Sell, Sell

No matter how you publish your book— traditional or self-published — you will quickly learn that authors need to be marketers as well.

I advise aspiring authors to create an “expertise” around their writing, if possible. Something you are known for that will help you focus your selling efforts. Are you the kindness expert? Do you play a musical instrument? Can you connect with an organization that shares a cause or passion?

For me, this is the Epilepsy Foundation as I grew up with a seizure disorder. I also do workshops at education and literacy conferences, giving ideas about art projects around my books. Author Susan Verde teaches yoga and mindfulness to little ones to showcase her books about peace, love and kindness.

Writer and restaurateur Mary Nihn created a super-successful (self-published) Ninja Life Hacks book series. And schoolteacher Shannon Olson self-publishes books with messages to her students that she couldn't find in the marketplace.

These eight steps summarize much of the thought that goes into crafting a successful children's book. The good news is there is guidance waiting for you in many places starting right here at The Write Practice as well as my suggestions in the ‘Supporters' section above.

One final thought is to prepare yourself for the long game. Success is built over time as more people become aware of you and your books. I'm twenty-plus years into this industry and still a beginner in so many ways. The industry and marketplace are ever changing.

Want to Learn More? Check Out These Children's Book Articles

I've shared a lot in this article on how to write a children's book—and still have a lot more to share! Below is a list of topics that I plan to cover in a special blog series on writing children's books.

Through them, I hope to take away the mystique of writing and publishing children’s picture books.

I also will provide practical tools that will help you go from idea to book whether your plan is to share it with your own family, your local community or with the world.

Where to Get Ideas for a Children’s Book

The title of one of my bestselling books, If I Could Keep You Little , is an exact phrase I said to my then six-year-old during a bedtime conversation.

While many writers do find ideas close to home, you can discover inspiration everywhere when you exist in “receiving mode”—approaching life with a curious, open, and playful mind. Find inspiration for your book in this article .

Defining Your Target Market

Writing to sell is a business and like marketing any successful product, you need to know your target buyer which, for picture books, is the grown up.

Compare this to chapter books, for example, where the potential readers are likely a parent/child combo. Having a clear sense of your reader dictates everything from topic to word choice to page count. Use the tips to find your market in this article .

How Do I Start Writing my Children’s Book?

By starting. In all seriousness, I understand how paralyzing the blank page can be.

Over time, I've developed some tricks and tips for jumpstarting my creativity and moving my mind into that right brain space where words and ideas flow more easily, and I share them here .

To Rhyme or Not to Rhyme

We've heard it said that publishers don't like rhyming picture books. Not true. What's more accurate is that publishers don't want a bad rhyming book which happens when rhyming is forced or the poetic meter is off (emphasizing the same syllable in each line).

A book in rhyme has many benefits. Rhyming helps babies and children learn about words, sounds and language formation. But writing rhyme that is “joyfully readable” is an art unto itself. Plus, are you telling a story that should rhyme? Find out in this article and when and why to rhyme here .

Also check out this list of my favorite rhyming books !

How to Illustrate a Children's Book (or Find One)

Illustrations are central to a successful picture book, offering readers a “yes and” element that helps boost their ability to understand a storyline and increase their comprehension. Illustration style is another key decision.

Cute little bears in pastel watercolors conveys a different emotion than a diverse cast of children in bold collage. Book illustration is a unique skill.

Depending on your budget, you can find book illustrators in several ways from local colleges to licensing agencies. You'll need to decide, too, if you will purchase the artwork from the book illustrator outright or arrange a royalty deal based on sales.

Read more about illustrations here .

Is Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing Better for my Children’s Book?

Before you start writing, you may already be thinking about publishing. Do you go it alone or query a publisher? Recent years have seen a proliferation of options for the independent writer (Ingram Spark and Amazon's KDP, for example), and so many choices can be overwhelming.

Like with any decision, you learn about the pros and cons based on what's important to you as a creator.

You can learn more about the differences between traditional and self-publishing in this article .

Finding a Children's Book Literary Agent (or Not)

If you choose to pursue a traditional path of publishing, you will often need to find an agent to represent your work to a publisher. Think of an agent as a personal advocate but most important, they are a salesperson for the product of you and your writing.

When you put the relationship into business terms, you'll quickly understand why you need to show yourself as a worthy investment of an agent's time and commitment.

I answer the most asked questions about agents here .

How to Market a Children's Book

Think of being a children's book author as twenty percent creating and eighty percent marketing. While my year is punctuated with starting new projects, I spend the bulk of my time looking for opportunities to promote and sell my books.

This need to market yourself is the same no matter how you publish your book. I've tried lots of things through the years as well as watched other authors do the same.

You can learn more about this in my article 12 Tips for Marketing Your Children's Book here .

Brand-Building for Children’s Book Authors

“Brand” is one of those buzz words you hear a lot about. Nike is a brand. And Apple. But an author? Yes! Think of an author brand as the multi-faceted “experience of you.”

Your books are the obvious embodiment of your brand, and so are these ancillary things — logo, tagline, website design, social media content, in-person events, personal interactions, and licensed merchandise.

Some strong children's book author brands include the late Eric Carle and Amy K. Rosenthal, Adam Wallace, and Sandra Boyton to name a few. In the self-publishing arena, Mary Nihn has created a rock-solid brand story for herself and her books.

You can learn more about this in my article about how I built my brand here .

How to Make Money as a Children's Book Author

“Are you rich?” asked the kindergartner. Seems I get this question once at every school event. While we know the definition of “rich,” varies, I do think people want to know if one can make money being a kids book author. My elusive answer is: it depends.

A traditionally published picture book will receive an advance anywhere between $5000 to $15,000 and more, depending on the author's longevity and the book's salability. Whether one sees additional royalties depends on the ability to “earn out the advance.”

Does your book sell in the mass market? The volume here can help things, too. If you are self-publishing, there is no advance, naturally, but you do keep a higher portion of each sale.

Many authors look for additional ways to supplement their author income through other employment, school visits, workshops, etc.

You can learn more about this in my article about income streams here .

Best Advice for Aspiring Authors Writing a Book for Kids

One of my favorite quotes is this: “You can only be alive in experience.” Which means you can only know by knowing. You can only gain wisdom by doing.

That said, we can all learn from others. I wanted to know what some of the folks I know in the industry — fellow authors, editors, art directors, and publishers—would tell offer you as far as advice.

You can check out all the industry insider advice here .

Writing a Children's Book Isn't Easy, But It Can Be Done

If writing and/or publishing a children's picture book is on your wish list, it can be done. Recently I received a note from an aspiring author. She shared a few paragraphs with me that needed revision:

“Is there any hope for me?” she asked.

“Of course,” I replied. “Writing takes learning and practicing like tackling any new endeavor.”

Even the most accomplished writers need guidance and editing.

My hope is that with my insights, shared on The Write Practice blog, you can create a happy ending of learning how to write a children's book—and put that learning into the makings of your future book.

When you do, you will bring your best book ideas for children into the world.

Have you tried to write a children's book? How did it go? Let us know in the comments .

It's your turn! Share your idea for a children’s book that you want to write with a brief description of the message it conveys.

For example, I have a book called Be Brave Little One . Before writing this story, my intention was to write a book about courage that conveyed to children that bravery is a choice that shows up in all different ways.

Don't overthink this. Spend fifteen minutes jotting down an idea, and then try to pitch that idea in one to three sentences. When you're done, share your thoughts in the Pro Practice Workshop here .

And after you share your idea, be sure to share feedback on other writers' ideas, too!

Marianne Richmond

I'm Marianne Richmond—writer, artist and inspirationalist. My words have touched millions over the past two decades through my children's books and gift products. Basically I put love into words and help you connect with the people + moments that matter. You can find me on my website , Facebook , and Twitter (@M_Richmond21).

Incredible insights from first idea through illustration and marketing.

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Home / Book Writing / How to Write a Children’s Book in 9 Easy Steps [2024]

How to Write a Children’s Book in 9 Easy Steps [2024]

How do you write children's books and get them published? You write a children’s book by choosing a target audience, incorporating captivating elements, and beautifully illustrating it. Children’s books may either be self-published or submitted to traditional publishers .

And this article can give you the other tools you need to write the next great children’s book that you may have been thinking about for years, but never thought you'd be able to write and share it with little ones.

What’s your reason for writing children’s books? For me, it’s that smile.

Many authors or aspiring writers dream of publishing a children’s book. Maybe you have an incredible idea that you can’t stop thinking about. Or perhaps you want to put to paper your little one’s favorite bedtime short story — the one you made up while snuggling together.

Whatever the reason, now is the time to check this dream off your bucket list.

And I'm here to help you do that.

I'm a multi-award winning & bestselling children’s book author and ghostwriter of more than 50 children’s books. And I founded a little thing called Children’s Book University®, which helps other authors create books like I have.

What follows is as much information as I could condense into a single article on how to write a children's book. Enjoy!

Writing and publishing your own children’s book is no longer super challenging to achieve, nor does it take all your life savings (like it might have 20 years ago).

Unless you’re a celebrity or have a large following already, self-publishing your children’s book is a great way to get your foot in the door, even if your ultimate goal is to eventually explore traditional publishing.

If you present a well-performing book and an established author platform, your chances of landing a publishing deal are much higher than if you simply submit a query or manuscript.

How much money can be made from writing a children's book? The answer to this question greatly depends on the subject of the children's book. That's why doing our research is so important, even before we start writing our children's book.

Even for children’s books, we need to validate our book idea .

• How to Get to Know Your Audience
• How to Choose the Right Format for Your Children's Book
• How to Narrow Down Your Book Category
• How to Name a Children's Book
• How to Choose a Writing Style
• The Most Important Elements of a Children's Book
• How to Edit Your Children's Book
• How to Illustrate Your Children's Book
• How to Create a Book Dummy
• How to Sell Your Children's Book
• FAQs on Writing a Children's Book

Table of contents

• Will parents want to buy this book?
• Do you know the [basic] structure of a children’s book?
• Can you explain your book concept before writing?
• Writing a Children’s Book: Things to Avoid
• How to Write a Children’s Book in 9 Steps
• STEP 1. Choose the Format
• Board Books
• Picture Books
• Chapter Books
• Middle Grade
• Young Adult
• STEP 3. Choose a Title
• STEP 4. Find a Writing Style
• STEP 5. Incorporate Important Elements
• STEP 6. Use Solid Characters
• STEP 7. Make the Story Engaging
• STEP 8. Proofread & Edit
• 1. Choose Your Orientation
• 2. Plan Your Image Sizing
• 3. Create a Storyboard/Book Dummy
• Text as Part of the Image
• Text and Image Separate
• 5. Choose an Illustrator
• 6. Pay for Illustrations
• 7. Obtain the Illustrations
• 1. Should I copyright my children’s book?
• 2. What should I not do when writing a children’s book?
• 3. How do I convert my children’s book into an ebook?
• 4. Should my children’s book have a subtitle?
• 5. How do I write a children’s book description?
• 6. What category should my children's book be in?
• 7. What is the best cover design for my children's book?

Additionally, book series are generally doing very well with kids. Once little ones come to love a character, they often can't get enough of them and their parents continue buying the books. The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne and The Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle are wonderful examples.

The roadmap below outlines what steps we’ll take to write and publish a children’s book:

Questions to Consider Before Writing a Children’s Book

For books marketed to younger audiences, you need to know that parents will want to buy this book. Children usually don’t spend the money to buy your story. Yes, make something entertaining for kids — but you need parents to buy your book first.

The primary purchaser of children’s books is between 30 and 44 years old. Females make up more than 70% of these buyers.

A few ways you could really get to better know your audience are:

• Spend time with age groups you’re targeting and their parents/guardians (whether in real life or on social media)
• Talk to parents and teachers
• Give a survey to women within the target age range from your own social circles

Market research is also a huge tool to see what books parents are looking to buy their children. You'd be surprised at how much interest some themes get when compared to others. Take a look at this example here, showing the search volume for common children's book themes on Amazon:

Data provided by  Publisher Rocket

Right away, you should see that some topics get way more interest than others- and depending on your personal goals, you might want to avoid writing a book about a topic with low searches.

Side Note: We recently reviewed another great course on publishing children's books, read our review here .

When writing a children’s storybook, it’s really important to know the basic structure of a children’s book. There are lots of templates for writing a children’s book!

To learn more about children’s books and how to structure your writing for a younger audience, you could:

• Study books that fall into your targeted age group. What is the general layout? What vocabulary is used?
• Visit a bookstore or library and browse through the kids’ section to get a feel for this genre.
• Search for age group trends and consumer trends in general via sites like Slideshare
• Talk to experts in child psychology and learning to understand the unique needs of children at each age level.

Is there a template for writing a children’s book? Yes, there are many templates for writing a children’s book. Here are some of my favorites:

• My own How to Write a Children’s Book Template (it’s free with lots of added resources)
• Template.net’s Illustrated Children’s Book Template (not all are free, but very professionally done with lots of different choices)
• Write Kids’ Books Free Microsoft Word children’s book template (for chapter books for slightly older kids )
• Claire O’Brien’s Free Picture Book Scrivener Template (for everyone’s favorite book-writing software, Scrivener )
• Used to Tech’s Free Editable Book Templates in Word (for Microsoft Word)

You should be able to explain your book concept to anyone in a single sentence and in fewer than 30 seconds.

To best explain your book concept to potential readers or traditional publishers, you should develop a logline that encapsulates the plot and the hook.

If you’re not concisely explaining your book’s concept, you might lose potential readers and publishers because it’s too confusing.

These 7 writing tips may help you avoid common issues when writing a children’s book:

• Don’t confuse age categories. I will talk more about the different age ranges shortly, but in essence, board Books for 0- to 2-year-olds should not have long words or long sentences. Middle Grade books should not feature profanities, and Young Adult fiction should not contain many illustrations (if at all).
• Avoid too many words in younger children’s literature. Picture books should never contain more than 800 words, including the front matter and back matter .
• Don’t make the moral of your story too obvious . Kids can smell a lesson being taught, and they don’t like it. Instead, subtly weave lessons into the story and characters.
• Avoid a bland title . Your title should interest potential buyers, clearly show what your story is about, and be easily searchable on Google and Amazon. Also, always use a subtitle to up your marketing game . Subtitles mean more keywords associated with your book.
• Don’t write bland characters . Your main character should take an active role in the plot, making bold decisions that move the story forward. Also, colorful personalities play well with younger kids.
• Avoid a slow start . Start your children’s book off with something exciting and suspenseful. Kids can lose interest if your story is slow, so be sure to hook your little reader from the very beginning.
• Don’t skimp on an illustrator . This is where many aspiring children’s authors struggle a bit. You don’t have to spend a fortune, but because illustrations play such a big part in children’s books, it’s important to use high-quality work. l While Young Adult books won’t need illustrations any longer, they are a must for books up until Middle Grade books. Especially those for younger kids will need vibrant illustrations on nearly every page. Picture Books should emphasize images just as much as the text.

Best Book Marketing Software

Over 47,000+ authors, NYT bestsellers, and publishing companies use Publisher Rocket to gain key insight to the market.  Help your book now

You want to make a children’s book. Below is every resource you’re going to need.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to write a children’s book:

• Choose the format
• Know your target category
• Choose a title
• Find a writing style
• Incorporate important elements
• Use solid characters
• Make the story engaging
• Proofread and edit
• Illustrate your book

STEP 1 . Choose the Format

Should you publish an ebook or paperback? You should consider publishing your children’s book in both ebook format and paperback format.

Paperback is still the most popular format for children’s books. If you’re looking to sell your children’s book on Amazon or in brick-and-mortar stores , you should invest in a high-quality paperback format.

Ebooks are not a very popular medium for children’s books. However, children’s ebook usage is continuously increasing.

Most parents still prefer their kids to read print books, but the number of parents who prefer ebooks or who have no preference is growing.

Ebooks also come in handy during promotions and review requests. Giving away an ebook for review is a lot easier and more cost-effective.

With a little research, you can determine how well books are selling in your desired format. Here's an example of five competing paperback books on Amazon showing for the keyword “Children's Books About Puppies”, which should give you an idea of how well that format is performing. You can even see how many pages these books are, so you can calculate your estimated costs!

Price, Earnings, and Pages Data provided by  Publisher Rocket

It’s worth noting that a study out of the University of Michigan found that storytime with ebooks is not as effective . Compared with physical book storytime, parents spent more time talking about the technology, instead of the book’s content, during ebook storytime.

So physical children’s books won’t go away anytime soon.

STEP 2 . Know Your Target Category

To write a children’s book, you need to know your target category — that is, the age of your target audience.

When publishing on Amazon, you will be asked to list what ages your book is for. So it’s important to add the most appropriate age range. Otherwise you may receive lots of negative reviews from parents and other caregivers that thought your book to be unsuitable for their little ones.

Depending on the kids’ age reading your book, you will want to adjust the number of illustrations, word count , writing style, and more.

Most children’s books fall into one of these 5 categories:

• Board books
• Picture books
• Chapter books
• Middle grade chapter books
• Young Adult books

Below is a table to show average statistics for the most common types of children’s books:

Children's Book Categories

Short words and short sentences are critical for the youngest children, so readers don’t feel overwhelmed. Colorful illustrations and fun characters are more necessary in children’s books than in adult fiction. Where adults can mentally grapple with ambiguity, kids prefer resolved stories and answered questions.

Each stage of development in a child’s life requires a different story structure and book setup. Adapting to each stage and its cognitive ability is essential if we want our book to be meaningful, educational, and fun.

Board Books are considered the youngest category — including on Amazon’s marketplace. They are for kids aged 0 to 2.

A Board Book is printed on thick paperboard. Often, it contains all pictures or fewer than 100 words.

In most of these categories, but especially these Board Books, marketing to parents is probably more important than appealing to kids. Of course, you want your book to be fun and intriguing to children. But make sure you give parents what they’re looking for: a good message and subtle, effective education.

Picture Books are the next category of children’s books. They are for 3- to 5-year-olds.

Children’s picture books contain up to 400 words, but there should still be vibrant illustrations on every page.

Also called the “Early Readers” category, Chapter Books are just what they sound like — the first books that children will read with the story split up into chapters.

Though some children will be excited to start reading chapter books, others will be reluctant. The broad age range for basic Chapter Books is 6 to 10.

Middle Grade books are for children 8 to 12 — a step up from Chapter Books.

These books typically feature a protagonist aged 10 to 13, slightly older than the reader. They should contain no profane language, no violence, and no romance outside of a first kiss or an innocent crush.

Common themes include friendship, acceptance, good conquering evil, and the importance of family.

A Middle Grade book is longer than a Chapter Book but shorter than a YA book. It usually contains between 30,000 and 45,000 words.

Young Adult books are targeted towards readers aged 13 to 18. Abbreviated as YA, Young Adult is meant to appeal to teenagers, although it’s important to note that more than half of YA books sold are read by adults older than 18.

Some people also use “Young Adult” to mean a genre where the protagonist doesn’t fit in, the parents are absent, they live in a post-apocalyptic world, and a coming-of-age story takes center stage. These are tropes and don’t necessarily apply to every YA story, but you get the picture.

YA books won’t always be considered children’s books. But some traditional publishers may classify “Young Adult” as a children’s book category.

STEP 3 . Choose a Title

You need to choose a winning title for your children’s book. You could do this after it’s written, but having a title in mind may guide you in your writing. You can always improve and change the title after the story is written.

A creative title lets your story’s personality shine through. But you also want readers to actually find your book. This could be difficult if you don’t name your children’s book correctly.

Fortunately, Dave at Kindlepreneur wrote excellent articles on How to Title a Book and Book Title Generators . They will definitely help you craft that perfect title.

To title a children’s book, you need:

• To grab a reader’s attention (or a parent’s attention)
• To clearly tell what the story is about
• An easily searchable title, hard to confuse for something else
• Keywords that match what your audience is searching for

The book The Color Monster : A Story About Emotions is a great example:

• It grabs your attention because kids usually don’t associate monsters with different moods.
• It tells parents and kids that this story is about different monsters with different emotions.
• It is one of the first results when you search “monster book for kids.”
• It has the word “monster,” a very common search term for boy’s books.
• The subtitle reads “A Story About Emotions,” and includes “emotions,” which is another common keyword parents look for in their children’s books.

Speaking of subtitles: It’s important to include a subtitle underneath your title. This helps the marketing of your book by including additional keywords that parents can search for.

As you can see, some kids book genres have decent money coming into them, with less competition. So, make sure you do your research beforehand and see what possible types of kids books you can create. One way you can quickly see the competition of a genre is checking out your book's Amazon categories, and seeing how many sales it takes per day to become a bestseller. That should give you a good idea of the competition in that genre.

For example, take a look at the competition difference here for several children's categories about specific animals. Many young children have a favorite, and making a high quality book in a lower competition category can help your book be discovered by readers.

By writing a quality book for a category with low competition, but significant interest, your children's book will stand out from the crowd. If you decide to target a high competition category, just know there are publishers and authors with high experience already in that space, and you will have to work harder to capture a customer's attention.

STEP 4 . Find a Writing Style

You need to find a writing style that fits the age group you are writing for, the associated word count, the story you’re telling, and your own preferences.

You may be an excellent writer, an engaging blogger, maybe even an already accomplished author of adult fiction or nonfiction. But when it comes to writing style for children, you have to adopt a new mindset and an appropriate writing style.

Here are some writing styles you should consider:

• Rhyme: If you decide to write your book in rhyme, you need to make the rhyme very, very good. Make sure lines have the same syllable counts and rhythms. Don’t force bad rhymes or skip rhyming. Be consistent. (The Little Blue Truck and Llama Llama books are excellent examples.)
• Past or Present Tense: Kids prefer books in the present tense, actively engaging them in the story. They’re experiencing it as it happens, rather than being removed from something that happened in the past. (Maisy books are a great present-tense example.).
• First or Third Person: A third-person narrator’s voice may give you more freedom and flexibility. Children tend to prefer it to the first person. However, if it works with your theme to tell the story through a first-person narrator’s eyes, then make that choice.

There is no right or wrong approach; it’s merely a question of style. Once you have chosen your style, you will need to stick to it throughout the book.

STEP 5 . Incorporate Important Elements

When you write a children’s book, there are important elements that you need to incorporate, such as an appropriate theme, memorable characters , and relatable dialogue .

Your inspired story idea is only as strong as how you tell it. There’s a beginning, a middle, and an end. There are actions, scenes, and emotions. Be sure to be clear about your core message.

The 5 most important elements in a good children’s book:

• Unforgettable characters: The best characters have strong personalities, make bold moves, and go after their dreams against all odds. Children fall in love with them and want to be like them. Children want to relate to the main character in some way. They also relate to kids that are just a bit older than them. Characters who remind kids of themselves are the most unforgettable.
• Suspenseful action/hook: Beginning a children’s book with a suspenseful action or hook is an effective way to draw in young readers. Consistent action throughout your story is vital, as it will hold the reader’s attention. Chapter books, for example, usually end each chapter with a cliffhanger to ensure the reader keeps turning the pages.
• Realistic dialogue: Children like to read stories that sound like they talk. Listen to conversations you hear around you; none of them will sound like the nicely flowing, full sentences you learned to write in school. Make sure you’re using age-appropriate language that kids will understand and relate to.
• Good storyline: A good storyline means there are always obstacles and challenges for your characters, ever-escalating the action. Note that little ones like happy endings and answered questions. If your storyline lacks a happy ending, you risk upsetting the reader or leaving them dissatisfied.
• The instant recall factor: You want your book’s character to remain in the minds of your little readers long after they’ve read your book. If kids ask to read it over and over again, you can consider your story a success.

While the sequence and rhythm of events are significant, keep in mind that not all stories have the same structure. There is no one formula because following a formula would rob stories of their true potential.

Yes, it’s crucial to have an intentional structure. But if it doesn’t fit perfectly, don’t force it.

STEP 6 . Use Solid Characters

You have to use solid characters in your children’s book. Interesting, unforgettable characters are a must, especially when helping kids recall your story and core message.

The best characters in children’s books…

• are around the age of the child, if not a few years older
• have colorful personalities
• make bold choices that move the story along
• speak as the readers speak (dialogue style)
• have relatable wants and dreams

It's also important to research a character's surface level attributes before starting to write your book. Children will often ask their parents for a specific type of character such as a train, or a pig, or any other current interest they may have. For example, take a look at how much bestselling books earn for these character types, as well as the level of competition become a bestseller:

STEP 7 . Make the Story Engaging

You need to make the story engaging in your children’s book.

First, you need a good ending. Younger kids need a happy ending that satisfies them. You don’t want to make a kid cry because your story ended sadly. That doesn’t mean slightly more realistic conclusions are pointless, but your audience may struggle to understand complex topics.

Next, make sure your main character is making deliberate choices to move the story forward. If they aren’t making any decisions, they probably shouldn’t be the main character.

Any good story needs suspense, no matter your age category. Cliffhangers are a great way to engage your reader. In a younger book, a cliffhanger may be as simple as writing “Peek-a-” on one page, then “BOO!” on the next.

Here are some examples of suspenseful questions that different age ranges should ask throughout the story:

• In your picture book , is the caterpillar going to achieve its dream of becoming a butterfly? Is the mama cow going to find its baby calf?
• In middle grade books , is the girl going to get her first kiss? Is the boy going to convince his parents to let him get the big Nerf water gun?
• In YA books , is the protagonist going to realize she’s beautiful and save the world?

STEP 8 . Proofread & Edit

When you finish your first draft, you need to proofread and edit your children’s books.

Check out Kindlepreneur’s useful article on the Best Proofreading Services You'll Ever Find .

You should wait to hire a professional editor until you have self-edited your book. But you need a pro to look at your work before publishing.

Editing is a valuable and necessary investment, particularly for anything longer than 600 words. A professional proofreader or a line editor can help with spelling and grammar. For chapter books and beyond, you may want to hire a developmental editor to look at the big picture.

A good editor is instrumental in making your book a success because poor spelling, grammar, and book structure will reflect poorly on you as a children’s book writer, leading to negative reviews and fewer sales.

Your book and its message might be fantastic, but too many errors will be noticed by your readers. They may voice their opinion in a review like this, which ultimately lowers your overall rating.

So if your book is more than 600-800 words long, you should send it off to a professional editor for proofing.

Yes, you can go over it yourself and let your significant other read through it. But letting an unbiased, independent professional look over it will make your manuscript as good as it can be.

To find a great editor, read Kindlepreneur’s handy article Selecting The Best Book Editor .

STEP 9 . Illustrate Your Book

When it comes to adding illustrations to your children’s book, there are three options you can choose from:

• Do it yourself
• Hire someone
• Combination of both

The best option for you will depend on your budget, time, skill level, and trust you’re willing to put into someone else's interpretation of your story. Illustrating your book may take almost as much time as — if not more time than — actually writing the words of your children’s book. I’ve broken up the illustration process into 7 steps:

• Choose your orientation
• Plan your image sizing
• Create a storyboard/book dummy
• Combine text & illustration
• Choose an illustrator
• Pay for illustrations
• Obtain your illustrations

When it comes to picture books, there are 3 orientations to choose from:

(This doesn’t apply to chapter books or books for older children. Those usually feature the classic 5½” x 8” format.)

You should choose your book’s orientation early on since it will inform virtually every decision about illustrations down the road.

This is not a hard and fast rule, but here are general reasons to choose each:

• Vertical images are great for character-based books
• Horizontal images are best for a journey-like story
• Square images are excellent for instructional books

Whether you hire an illustrator or create the illustrations yourself, you’ll want to make sure you plan your image sizing correctly. This way, once you upload your artwork, everything runs smoothly.

Below are the most common sizes for children’s book images:

• 5.5” x 8.5”
• 6.14 x 9.21”
• 8.5” x 8.5”

If you plan on having your images cover the entire page, make sure to add 0.125” to the top and bottom, as well as one side. This accounts for trimming (sections to be removed in printing).

Amazon offers handy templates to plan your image sizing. But remember that you’ll still have to add the bleed allowance yourself.

Here are great inches-to-pixels and pixels-to-inches converters. These help you know how large your image should be, depending on your selected trim size. Be sure to choose a DPI (dots per inch) of 300 when using the mentioned converter.

A storyboard or book dummy helps you decide what to include in each illustration and how the text will match up with the images.

This is meant to help you determine which illustrations you want to include, better informing your quest to find and hire an illustrator. This step is extra helpful if you are planning to create your illustrations yourself.

The storyboard creation process doesn’t have to be perfect. Be expressive, and have fun. In the end, you’ll probably create a few different versions, each being an improvement over the previous one. How to create a storyboard or book dummy:

• Fold enough blank sheets of paper and staple the stack down the middle.
• Print out your manuscript on a separate paper.
• Cut and paste each block of text into the book dummy (folded paper).
• Flip through each page, read your pasted text, and think of an illustration that would go nicely with that particular text.
• Start sketching on the page of pasted text — or on the opposite page if that’s more helpful. Then you can visualize everything before you give your work to an illustrator.

4. Combine Text & Illustration

How you combine your text and illustrations is entirely up to you.

However, it's a crucial element on how to write a children's book. Whatever you choose, be consistent throughout.

There are two ways of combining text and illustrations:

• Text as part of the image
• Text and image separate

Having the text as part of the image makes your book format much more straightforward,, and looks consistent across all devices.

However, you decide to include the text in the image itself, this will have to be done by your illustrator. This method makes editing the text a bit harder — any changes or corrections have to be made within the image itself.

Below (left) is a page from my book The Garbage Trucks Are Here , and on the right is a page from my book A Gemstone Adventure .

The other option is to have the text and image separate. The text sits below or above the illustration or on a separate page.

Below is a double-page spread from my chapter book series, The Amulet Of Amser. It has an image on the left-hand page and the text on the right-hand page.

You can arrange this layout by yourself. You don't have to involve your illustrator.

I've started gathering individual authors and agencies into one big list to help with your search. Check them and their sites out below. Keep in mind that I haven't used these services myself.

Here’s a list of outsourcing sites and social media sites where you can choose an illustrator for your children’s book:

• LinkedIn — artist and illustrator groups
• Facebook — artist and illustrator groups
• Goodreads groups
• Children's Illustrators

These outsourcing sites provide you with reviews from the artist’s previous clients and may even include information about previous completion rates . Most importantly, these sites are cost-effective .

On most outsourcing sites, you’ll post your project (similar to a job offering), and children’s book illustrators will bid on it.

To get an idea of how much you should be offering, browse some of the platform’s current projects. Know that your bid sets a baseline only, as each illustrator will bid individually on your project if he or she is interested in working with you.

After the initial bidding process (usually a couple of days), you will have to go through each illustrator’s profile and portfolio to decide who would — or wouldn’t — be a great fit.

• Here’s a helpful vetting process to see if an illustrator is a good fit:
• Look at their profile and read through previous reviews.
• View their portfolio to get a feel for their style.
• Request a sample of their work to see how effectively they can turn your writing into illustrations and how well they follow instructions. View an example of such a request with this link .

You’ll need to pay for illustrations. An illustrator is more critical than an editor for picture books — the illustrations are what the reader will be most focused on.

To get a feel for acceptable prices for a project, browse websites to find postings for similar projects. Actual prices differ significantly from service provider to service provider and change drastically over time.

Payments are generally released based on milestones that you set, such as the completion of the storyboard. The milestone setup will depend on the scope of your project and the platform you are using to hire your illustrator.

The cost of your illustrator depends on multiple things:

• Number of illustrations
• Complexity of the artwork
• Illustrator’s skill level and experience
• Location of the illustrator
• Delivery speed

Once you choose the best-fitting illustrator for your project and they’ve completed their work, you need to obtain the illustrations.

You want high-resolution images (300 dpi) with the proper sizing and the raw files of all images. This will enable you to make changes directly to your illustrations if need be.

A signed art release form is relevant if you decide to hire an illustrator directly . Any art attained via outsourcing sites should automatically make the illustrations your intellectual property.

Need Help with Your Keywords?

Take my full featured video course on how to select the best keywords and categories for your book.

FAQs for Writing a Children’s Book

The answer to whether or not you should copyright your children’s book is entirely up to you. Just know that under U.S. copyright law, you already own your work the instant you write it down. However, you can protect your copyright by registering it with the US Copyright Office .

Read Kindlepreneur’s handy article written by a lawyer: How to Copyright a Book in the US

What should I not do when writing a children’s book?

You should try not to sound too preachy or instructional about your themes and morals. Kids are very perceptive. They smell an agenda miles away.

You should not leave a story unresolved or a question unanswered. Depending on the age group you’re writing your children’s book for, you need to provide a satisfying ending — particularly for smaller kids.

You should not break patterns. Children love a routine. The key to routines or patterns is to not break them. In your children's book, once we’ve established a pattern (rhyme, repeating phrase, character behavior, etc.), try your best to stick to it.

One of the easiest ways to convert your children’s book into an ebook is Amazon’s Kindle Kids’ Book Creator .

While I use other methods, I love working with and recommending this simple yet powerful tool. It’s FREE and helps you create an ebook version for your illustrated children’s book. You can import artwork, add text, and create Kindle Text Pop-Ups.

And the best part is that there’s no HTML/CSS knowledge required!

Yes, your children’s book should have a subtitle , mainly for marketing purposes.

As I share in my book How To Self-Publish A Children’s Book , making use of a subtitle can be very beneficial for connecting with potential readers.

Giving your children’s book a subtitle provides you with an additional opportunity to use keywords, key phrases, or synonyms that potential readers might be using when searching for a children’s book like yours.

Using a subtitle also allows for more creative freedom than with your actual title. So if your title itself doesn't fully communicate the topic of the book, you’ll have the subtitle as a backup.

Figure out what is trending in children's books using Publisher Rocket . Use this info to develop an effective subtitle.

Just type in a children's book idea , and you can quickly see how many people are searching for those books on Amazon, the average amount of money made by the top books, and even the competition:

As you can see, some kids’ book genres have decent money coming into them with less competition. Make sure you do your research beforehand and title/subtitle your children’s book accordingly.

You write a children’s book description (blurb) by looking at similar books’ descriptions. Pay special attention to length, word choice, and the style they are written in. That’s usually a great way to see what your audience expects and is used to.

Like books of other genres, your book description is fundamental to your children’s book’s success.

While your book cover and title help with your book’s discoverability and grabbing a potential buyer’s attention, your description is often the reason a reader decides to buy (or not to buy) your book.

To help you with your blurb format, be sure to check out Dave’s amazing Book Description Generator that takes care of all the text formatting for you.

Amazon has over 450 paperback and 260 eBook categories for children’s books. Your children’s book should be in the category that best describes your audience:

• Board Book — 0-3 years old
• Picture Book — 2-5 years old
• Early Reader/Chapter Book — 6-10 years old
• Middle Grade Chapter Book — 8-12 years old
• Young Adult (Teen) Chapter Book — 12-18 years old

(These categories are how Amazon’s marketplace categorizes children’s books.)

During your children’s book setup, you may have noticed that not all children’s book categories are offered as an option. That’s because some of Amazon’s categories need to be unlocked before being selected.

However, if you set up your children’s book correctly by adding age ranges, you will be able to add your book quickly and easily to any of these hidden categories by following Dave’s steps in his article How To Choose the Best Book Categories . This is a game-changer for you and your children's book.

The best book cover design for your children’s book is one that entices potential readers, looks professional to parents, looks fun to kids, and communicates what your book is about.

To get the best cover design you can for your children’s book, follow this guide for making standout book covers . Then create a book mock-up for your book marketing efforts.

Now you know how to write a children’s book!

Follow this guide, and you’ll craft a beautiful story tailored toward your audience. And you’ll have the illustrations to make your children’s book eye-catching, and intriguing.

Children value creativity and individuality. There is no one way to draw. No one way to paint. No one way to write. It’s about being uniquely you, lending your unique voice to your unique story.

That’s why you shouldn’t be afraid of the way you write, and you draw because that’s what sets you apart. Diversity is important. Tell your story.

Check out my book, How To Self-Publish A Children’s Book – Everything You Need To Know To Write, Illustrate, Publish, And Market Your Paperback And Ebook .

It will teach you how to:

• Format Your Paper & Ebook Versions of Your Book Step-by-Step
• Publish Your Paperback and Ebook
• Market Your Freshly Published Children’s Book

Writing a children’s book is one thing; writing a children’s book that sells is another. Check out Kindlepreneur’s video on How to Write a Children's Book: 8 EASY STEPS!

Want more videos like this? Then click HERE to subscribe to Kindlepreneur’s YouTube channel.

When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.

• STEP 8. Proofread & Edit

Related Posts

Author vs writer: what’s the difference, how to write an adventure story, parts of a book [from cover to cover], sell more books on amazon, how to title a book checklist.

Titling your book can be hard…really hard. As you go through choosing your book title, use this checklist as your guide and make sure you have a title that will sell!

182 thoughts on “ How to Write a Children’s Book in 9 Easy Steps [2024] ”

Wonderful post Eevi ???? Thanks for sharing this article.

Animal Characters in Children’s Literature comprises various bodies of work made especially for children. This consists of picture books and easy-to-read stories for the entertainment and development of children. Children love books not only…

Please read my blog: Animal Characters in Children’s Literature

Have a wonderful day!

Thanks so much for your kind words and for sharing, Caroleann!

Thank you for all of this great information. Does your article or website include how to reach out to publishers once you have your ‘prototype’ book?

Forever grateful,

Thanks so much for reaching out and for your question, Habiba! I mainly share information about publishing your children’s book independently. If you would like to try to reach out to traditional publisher, I would recommend the book “Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market ( https://www.amazon.com/Childrens-Writers-Illustrators-Market-2020/dp/1440301239 ). They have a updated edition out about every year, so this would be a great way to start, as it includes publishing houses, agents, as well as a short section on how to write your query letter. As for any publishers that are not listed in this book, please be sure to do your due diligence when it comes to deciding whether or not to approach them. Hopefully, my quick article on how to find out whether or not a publisher is trustworthy right here is helpful as well: http://www.eevijones.com/vanity-vs-hybrid-vs-traditional-publishing/ . I hope this helps, Habiba!

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How to Write a Children’s Book: 14 Tips and Steps for Authors

Krystal N. Craiker

Just because children’s books are shorter than adult fiction, doesn’t mean they’re easier to write!

There are many things to consider when writing children’s books, from your target age group to readability, plot, characters, illustrations, and more.

In this article, we will focus on how to write a children’s book. We’ve got eleven steps to write a great children’s book, plus three top tips and a template to get you started.

I Want to Write a Children’s Book—Where Do I Start?

What makes a good children’s book, 11 steps on how to write a children’s book, 3 tips to help you write children’s books, template to help you plan your children’s book, conclusion on how to write a children’s book.

The key to creating a story that sells is coming up with an original idea. People will not buy a book that sounds like five other stories they’ve already read. If your idea is similar to something that’s been done before, think about how you can put your own unique spin on it.

This is true even for kids’ books. Your story and illustrations should stand out and provide a fresh experience for readers.

Many great ideas are born out of providing solutions to problems. What problem or problems are near and dear to you or people you know (especially children)? Could you write a book about that problem and how it was solved?

It’s important to choose a topic that interests you. You’ll be working on your children’s book for however long it takes to polish it. If you choose something you are interested in, you’ll be more likely to see it through to the end.

So, go ahead and brainstorm. The more ideas you come up with, the greater the chance you will find one you love. And that means the kids you are writing for will really love it too!

Great children’s books appeal to both young readers and adult readers. But how do you write a children’s book that does this?

First, a great children’s book will teach children something, even if it’s a fiction book. It may teach a moral lesson, like being kind to others. Or it may teach social-emotional skills like doing scary things or dealing with bullies.

But it should balance informing and explaining with entertaining. Kids (and their adults!) want to enjoy the book they’re reading.

Entertaining children’s books use humor, rhyme, alliteration, onomatopoeia, or any other number of literary devices. They also have engaging illustrations that match the tone of the book.

Decide Who Your Target Reader Is

The first step in writing your children’s book is to choose your reader. Children’s books encompass a wide variety, from board books all the way to young adult books. If you know what type of book you’d like to write, then it’s important to make sure you’re aware of the ages of the children you’re writing for.

Each type of children’s book is geared toward kids of a certain age. Here’s a quick summary of the types of children’s books and the ages they’re appropriate for. We’ve also listed the word count expected for each of these children’s book genres.

Notice there is a bit of wiggle room. For example, if you’ve chosen a five-year-old protagonist for your story, you could write an early picture book, a chapter book, or anything in between.

Writing for a specific age group involves more than just the right word count, however. You must consider the reading level.

Age Ranges and Word Counts for Children’s Books

The content should also be appropriate for the age group. A children’s book about shapes and colors won’t make a great middle grade book. A story about starting middle school won’t appeal to toddlers.

The lines between middle grade books, young adult novels, and new adult fiction can get blurry. A 13-year-old may enjoy middle grade content contained within longer, harder books.

Many adult readers love young adult books, and many young adults prefer to read adult or new adult fiction. New adult is similar to young adult in format, tone, and pacing, but features characters over age 18 and often has explicit content.

Be specific in your marketing or when querying an agent about the age of your ideal reader. If you’re writing a young adult novel for older teens, you still need to consider reading level scores and appropriateness (kissing and fade-to-black can be okay, but explicit sex is not). However, you’ll use more traditional novel-writing advice to craft YA novels.

Once you’ve decided on your age group, it’s time to write. Here are eleven steps you can follow to help you learn how to write a children’s book.

1) Decide What You Want Young Readers to Learn

When writing children’s books, it’s a good idea to begin with the end in mind. Before you flesh out details like your characters and plot events, think about what you want readers to take away from your story.

Start with the main purpose of your story. Are you trying to inform? Inspire? Entertain? What feeling do you want your readers to come away with?

Then decide the primary lesson of your story. Don’t cram too many lessons into a children’s book. Pick the one takeaway you want kids to get, and keep it concise.

For a non-fiction book, your lesson might be something like, “Lions are big cats that live in Africa” or “Your lungs help you breathe.”

A fiction book might teach, “You are perfect the way you are,” or “Talk to a grownup when you’re scared.”

The takeaway will guide the characters you create and the story structure of your children’s book.

2) Pick Your Protagonist

Like any book, your children’s book needs a main character. There are a few things to keep in mind when selecting a protagonist for your story.

First, the protagonist should be relatable to your target age group. If you choose a human or human-esque character, they should be close to the age of your ideal reader.

Similarly, the protagonist needs to fit into the type of book you’re writing. Protagonists in picture books don’t need to be developed as much as ones in chapter books. A picture book will have one plot line, while chapter books will often have a couple of minor subplots.

If your protagonist’s age is vague, make them relatable in another way. Have them experience a common emotion: every kid knows what it feels like to be angry and sad. Or they could have relatable interests. In the book Rosa Loves Cars by Jessica Spanyol, we see Rosa playing with cars, which many kids love.

Consider diversity, as well. You can make a character that children of various ethnicities, races, genders, and family backgrounds can relate to.

When you write children’s books, you may need to expand your concept of what a character is. They can be animals or mythical creatures.

This is especially true for non-fiction books. The Baby University board books by Chris Ferrie and others do a great job of treating a concept like a protagonist. In Statistical Physics for Babies , the protagonist is a ball. We see the ball in different places, then we see more balls in different colors.

Children love balls, so using a ball to explain a concept like statistical physics and entropy is very effective.

Most importantly, have fun creating a protagonist. Embrace your inner child.

3) Decide on a Conflict

Once you have a protagonist, and you know the message or lesson of your story, you need a conflict.

The conflict is what your protagonist must experience to learn the story’s lesson. It’s the source of the plot for your story.

The plot is how your character deals with the primary conflict, so before you set up the events in the story, you need to have a solid grasp of the problem. Once you understand the story’s central conflict, writing the book becomes much easier.

4) Create Other Characters

Having other characters isn’t a necessity in books for very early readers, but for most picture books and chapter books, other characters flesh out the story.

An antagonist is a character that keeps your protagonist from achieving their goal. You may or may not have a true antagonist like you would in a young adult or adult novel. But you can include friends, sidekicks, parents, or interesting characters your protagonist meets along the way.

When you create characters, they should serve a purpose to the story. They might illustrate an idea, create conflict, or advance the plot. They can also highlight your protagonist’s character development.

For example, in Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees, most of the other characters are antagonists of Gerald the Giraffe. They tease him for dancing badly. But a cricket is the one who delivers the story’s lesson: anyone can dance, but you may need a different song.

However, in The Big Adventures of a Little Tree: Tree Finds Friendship by Nadja Springer and Tilia Rand-Bell, there are no antagonists. All the side characters are children who teach Tree what it means to have friends.

5) Determine Your Point-of-View

It’s important that your point-of-view fits the story.

For early readers, third-person limited or omniscient is often the best choice, especially if your protagonist isn’t human. This helps support babies’ and toddlers’ understanding of correct pronoun usage. Before age 2, most kids only use “I” and “it,” so first-person POV can be confusing.

If your story focuses heavily on emotions, first-person or third-person limited will help older children relate to the story.

Unlike most adult or young adult novels, some children’s books can use second-person POV. A great example is You Are My “I Love You” by Maryann K. Cusimano. The narrator is the parent and uses “you” frequently to refer to the bear main character and, by proxy, the child reader.

Think about what POV is best for your children’s book. You can also rewrite in a new POV if you decide it doesn’t work during editing.

6) Start In Medias Res

A children’s book still has the key story elements: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. But when you’re limited on word count and young readers don’t have much attention span, it’s important to get straight to the point.

This means that starting in medias res , or “in the middle of things,” is a great tool for children’s book writers.

Spend little time on setting the scene or backstory before you introduce the protagonist and their problem. For most picture books, this should happen on the first page. Aim for the first three pages in middle grade chapter books.

7) Consider Reading Skills

While all ages may love your story, writing children’s books requires a solid understanding of reading skills and readability scores .

Writing for a particular age range means you’re writing for the majority of readers in that group, not exceptional students who are developmentally above or below. The best way to ensure kids understand your book is to use a readability score.

Most readability scores are based on the U.S. public education system. The scores usually correspond to a grade level.

ProWritingAid can help ensure your writing is age appropriate. We primarily use the Flesch Reading Ease formula, which determines readability based on factors like sentence length and syllables per word. The higher the number, the easier it is to read.

Aim for a 90 to 100 on the Flesch Reading Ease for early readers, and aim for 80 to 90 for older children.

Other factors affect readability, too. Higher-level vocabulary, jargon, and complicated syntax also make your writing more difficult. ProWritingAid can offer you detailed suggestions to improve the readability of your work.

8) Use Literary Devices

Using literary devices like rhyme or alliteration isn’t just fun: it actually helps early readers learn!

Rhymes, alliteration, and assonance (repeated vowel sounds) help kids with phonemic awareness. This is the linguistic skill of understanding basic sounds in a language.

They also contribute to teaching rhythm in a language. The way we speak and write impacts tone and meaning. Rhythmic prose in a children’s book helps kids learn this feature of language.

You can also use other literary devices. Onomatopoeia (words that sound like their meanings) keeps young readers engaged.

Repetition also helps with reading comprehension. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin, and all its sequels, use repetitive onomatopoeia to help early readers understand the story.

You can also use imagery, especially in middle grade picture books and chapter books. This helps children learn description and draws them into the story.

9) End on a Positive Note

This one might be obvious, but when you’re writing a children’s book, the ending should be happy or uplifting.

Some stories naturally lend themselves to a happy ending. But if you’re writing about a sensitive topic, you might wonder how to write a children’s book that is happy.

Let’s say you’re writing about how to handle the death of a grandparent. This is a sad topic, but you don’t want to end with saying goodbye at the funeral.

Instead, you can show your protagonist remembering happy memories of their grandparent. The book can talk about ways to honor the grandparent’s memory, or how the character will always have their loved one in their heart.

10) Decide Your Publishing Route

Deciding whether to do independent publishing or traditional publishing for your children’s book will determine your next steps in the writing process.

If you decide to publish traditionally, you’ll need to query agents with your story. Publishing houses usually pick your illustrator for you. It will probably be someone in-house, so you won’t need to hire a professional illustrator. Of course, you can pitch your own illustrations, but the publisher may go a different route.

But if you’re publishing independently, every decision from book size to illustrator is up to you. We recommend talking with several professional illustrators to find out their experience. Also, look at their portfolios to see if they can match your vision.

While you have the possibility of making a lot more money with self-publishing, it’s a lot more work. You must do all marketing and sales yourself. Some children’s book reviewers will also not review self-published books.

You stand a greater chance of getting into libraries and bookstores if you’re traditionally published, and you can often get an advance on your royalties. But you will get lower rates on your sales and may lose some creative control of your story.

There’s no right or wrong option, but research both in greater detail to find out what the best choice is for you.

11) Edit Mercilessly

Editing a children’s book doesn’t just mean proofreading and improving your readability score. It means your story should undergo several rounds of revisions to be the best it can be.

Get feedback from other writers or professional editors. Pay attention to the flow of your story. Are the events in the story in a logical order? Is there extraneous detail you could omit?

Ask yourself if it will hold a young reader’s attention. Pay close attention to word counts and how many words are on each page.

1) Read Lots of Children’s Books

Good writers are good readers. The best way to learn how to write a children’s book is to read lots of them!

Reading stories meant for children will help you understand the best way to simplify concepts in ways that make sense to young readers. Don’t just read stories that are similar to your idea or fit your target audience. You’ll learn about different styles of writing if you broaden your horizons.

Read a variety of children’s books. Don’t just focus on classic children’s literature—pay special attention to reading a diverse range of authors.

Don’t worry that you’re stealing ideas. All art comes from inspiration, and writing a children’s book is no different. You’ll still be able to put a fresh spin on your unique idea.

2) Make Friends with a Librarian

You can just visit the children’s section of a library or bookstore to get a better understanding of kids’ books in general, and this is a great place to start.

But you will also want to see what books are like your idea. Maybe you want to see books that deal with similar topics or themes. You might want to look at a certain type of narrative structure.

Librarians can help you better than just about anyone. Tell the librarian about your story and ask for recommendations. This will save you time from doing market research by yourself. Librarians read hundreds of children’s books a year, and they know which books are popular with kids.

Many libraries have dedicated children’s librarians, and they have a wealth of knowledge about child development, age appropriate literature, and readability.

Librarians can also help you with research if you’re writing about a non-fiction topic, historical fiction, or anything else you may need to know.

3) Ask Kids What They Think

The best people to ask about your children’s book are kids. When you’ve finished a draft, find some kids to read your book to. If you aren’t a parent of your target age group, reach out to friends and family. You can also talk to teachers, librarians, or parents in your community.

Pictures help kids pay attention, so even if you aren’t an illustrator, you can use clip art or stock photos to make temporary illustrations.

Children are brutally honest, so be prepared for your harshest critics. If you are writing for an age that doesn’t talk much yet, see if your story holds their attention.

There’s no one right way to write a children’s book, and there’s a big difference between writing a board book and writing a chapter book.

This template is a starting point for your planning. It’s guided brainstorming, and you’ll develop your story as you write and edit.

A great way to plan your overall story is using this formula:

Somebody wanted but so then.

We can sum most stories up using this formula, so why not use it to plan a story?

Let’s break it down. Somebody is your protagonist. They want something. This is your character’s goal.

But something stands in their way. This is the main conflict of your children’s book.

So your protagonist must do something to deal with the conflict. Then something will happen based on their actions. This is the resolution of your story.

Now, let’s look at a more detailed template to flesh out this story. You may have more or fewer events in your story than this template has.

• Introduction: Who is your protagonist and what do they want?
• Conflict: Why can’t they get what they want?
• Climax: How does your protagonist get what they want?
• Resolution: What have your characters learned?

You can spend however much time you need on each step. If you write a basic board book using this template, you will have a minimum of seven pages.

In summary, if you want to know how to write a children’s book, you need to read lots of books, know your target audience, have a relatable main character, and have an uplifting lesson or message.

Writing a children’s book should be fun. Embrace the silly side of the writing process. Give yourself permission to make mistakes.

You were once a child who loved stories, so it’s time to reconnect with your younger self.

(This is an update to an earlier article by Michelle Cornish.)

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Krystal N. Craiker is the Writing Pirate, an indie romance author and blog manager at ProWritingAid. She sails the seven internet seas, breaking tropes and bending genres. She has a background in anthropology and education, which brings fresh perspectives to her romance novels. When she’s not daydreaming about her next book or article, you can find her cooking gourmet gluten-free cuisine, laughing at memes, and playing board games. Krystal lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, child, and basset hound.

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How to Write a Children’s Book

Tirzah Price

Most of Tirzah Price's life decisions have been motivated by a desire to read as many books as humanly possible. Tirzah holds an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and has worked as an independent bookseller and librarian. She’s also the author of the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries, published by HarperTeen, and Bibliologist at TBR: Tailored Book Recommendations . Follow her on Twitter @TirzahPrice .

View All posts by Tirzah Price

If books are magic, then children’s books are an extra special brand of magic. The books we read as kids don’t just stick with us, they form who we are and what we believe and how we see the world. Writing a children’s book is a calling, but learning how to write a children’s book is also a very long process with nitty-gritty, non-magical details—and it’s full of variables. That’s even before you get to the published books, and all the magical and non-magical details for getting there. Consider this your guide for how to write a children’s book, especially for first-timers and those just getting started.

How to write a children’s book: 10 steps 

No two journeys are exactly the same, but if you’re an aspiring children’s book writer, here is a rough outline of how to write a children’s book — from your initial idea to working with publishers!

Let’s look at each of these in (lots) more detail.

Step 1. Read a LOT.

In order to learn how to write a children’s book, you have to know what a good children’s book looks like. Don’t just read, though—read critically. Identify the moving parts of the story and try to pinpoint the moments that make you laugh, make you cry, make you roll your eyes; analyze how the author does it. All writers learn by example at first, and these published books will be your best teachers.

You should also make a point of seeking out good books for children. Good is a subjective term, and we could debate what qualifies a good book until we’re dead, but what I mean here is find books that move kids and move you because they get it right. You may learn something about craft from a mediocre book (i.e. what not to do), but you will learn more from quality books. Check awards lists, but don’t limit yourself to them. Seek out a children’s librarian or plunder the Book Riot archives for recommendations.

Step 2. Crack open that notebook and get to work.

Writers’ processes vary, but at a certain point you have to stop thinking about your story and start putting your words on the page. The leap can be a little scary because no matter how much you think about your story, I absolutely guarantee that what you write on the page will not be as shimmery as what’s in your head. Don’t panic. No published book is a first draft.

I find brainstorming, outlining, and first drafting longhand a great place to start. Writing in a notebook gives you permission to get messy, cross things out, and experiment. As you figure out what works for you, you can switch over to your preferred writing medium—Word document, Scrivener app, typewriter, whatever—and write away!

Step 3. Be persistent.

Eventually, your energy will dwindle. Distractions will pop up. You might hit a wall or write yourself into a corner or become convinced that what you’re writing is absolute crap and no one will ever want to read it. This is completely normal, and not insurmountable. I promise.

Step 4. Celebrate! Then revise.

YAY YOU DID IT YOU WROTE A DRAFT! Take a moment and celebrate the fact that you wrote a novel. Take the night off, take a nap, take a drink—whatever. But don’t get too carried away, because you are not done, my friend. Far from it. Now it’s time to revise.

Revision is a key part of the process, so embrace it. Remember all that reading from Step 1? Now is your time to be firm with yourself, and read your work like a reader. Take a critical look at what doesn’t work—and what does. Oftentimes new writers tend to be really harsh on themselves, but I believe it’s just as important to give yourself credit for the things you do well in your drafts. What you do well will give you energy to get through the arduous process of re-evaluating and revising, and make the inevitable cutting, deleting, and re-writing a little less painful.

Step 5. Bring in other eyes.

Sharing your work is scary, but absolutely necessary. Even the best, most experienced writers have blind spots when it comes to their own work, and first readers are absolutely essential in helping point those out. They can be close friends or family members, but I generally advise against this, unless your close friends or family members are also readers and writers who can be very honest with you.

Finding quality readers of your work is one of the biggest hurdles for new writers. You need someone who is going to challenge you and your writing, who sees what you’re trying to do on the page, who is actually able to offer you strategies and advice that will work. You can find this in critique groups, both in person and online, and by attending workshops and classes. Some writers even decide to pursue degrees in writing, such as an MFA.

No matter which avenue you pursue, do not skip this step. Receiving and applying feedback to your book can be difficult, but is absolutely essential if you wish to publish. It doesn’t stop being scary, but it does become easier with time.

Step 6. Do your research!

You’ve written a novel! You’ve revised it, gotten feedback from a trusted band of readers, revised it some more, revised it again, and polished it ‘til it shines. Everyone agrees it’s time for you to send it out into the world.

Now it’s research time.

While there are many valid reasons to pursue independent publishing, for the sake of brevity, I’m focusing on traditional publishing. In order to become traditionally published, you need an agent. A literary agent is necessary because they know the business intimately and will be the best advocate for you and your work. They negotiate with publishing houses on your behalf and help you strategize your career. In return, they take fifteen percent of your earnings. This is a bargain , friends. They do not get paid until you get paid, and they do a heck of a lot of work.

Finding agents of children’s literature is not difficult. Finding the right one for you takes time and work. I recommend starting by identifying a kid’s book you admire, or books that you think resemble yours in genre or tone or style. Look in the acknowledgements of those books, and find out who the author’s agent is. Look those people up, find names on Manuscript Wishlist , join QueryTracker , utilize resources available from SCBWI. If these agents have Twitter feeds or blogs, read them. (Don’t pitch agents via these channels! Seriously, don’t do it.) Think of this as reconnaissance, so that you can decide if an agent is someone you would like to work with. There are many amazing agents out there, but some might not be for you. That’s okay! You’ll find ones you’ll click with.

Step 7. Craft a Killer Query.

Once you’ve picked a list of agents you’re interested in, make sure that your work falls within the age group, categories, and genres they represent, and follow their submission guidelines precisely. Some will vary, but all of them require one essential ingredient: the query letter.

Instructions on how to write a query letter are easy to find online—it’s a one page letter of introduction that describes your work. Like your novel, your query letter should be carefully written and revised and you should get feedback on it before it goes out. Let your voice shine through, but be professional. Talk warmly about who your main character is and what they want.

Your job in this query is demonstrate the marketable qualities of your book, but don’t make any grand claims about how much your kid/spouse/critique group loves it, and don’t promise it’ll be the next bestseller—no one can guarantee that.

And finally, make sure to personalize each query!

Step 8. Cultivate patience.

Once you’ve hit send on that query letter, my best advice is to go do something else. Read, write, cook, take your dog for a walk. Basically, do anything but refresh your email one hundred times a day. You’ll hear it said that publishing is a long game, and you’ll truly understand this once you hit this step. Most agents will respond within eight weeks. Some agents won’t respond at all. It’s nothing personal—the volume of mail they receive each day makes it impossible for them to respond to every query. Some agents may request that you send them the full manuscript, and you’ll begin the waiting process all over. Be patient.

After an agent has read your book, you may receive notes from an agent and an offer to re-submit after revisions have been made. This is a good sign! Agents don’t take the time to offer personalized feedback unless they see potential in the work. However, you are not obligated to undertake these revisions if they don’t ring true with you. Finding an agent is a little like dating—if you get an ick vibe, bail. There are other fish in the sea.

You will likely receive rejections. You’re allowed to mourn, but not dwell. Keep being patient, go back, repeat Steps 1-6 as many times as necessary. Keep writing. This a process that you absolutely should not rush. Any professional writer will tell you that a bad agent is worse than no agent at all.

If you receive an offer, YAY! Weigh your options, talk to the offering agent, ask all your burning questions. When you accept an offer of representation, it needs to be from someone who gets you and your work, who is excited to work with you past your current novel, and who has ideas about how to proceed with your career.

Step 9. Cultivate some more patience, but also keep writing.

Agents work differently, so how you proceed will depend on your agent, their strategy for your book, and even the current market. Some agents are very editorial and may ask you to revise (again, I know) before sending the book to editors. When it’s ready to go on submission, an agent generally crafts a pitch and sends your book to a select list of editors. Then comes more waiting.

This is a very good time to start a new project, and to do all that is humanly possible to forget that your book is currently on submission. Easier said than done, I know. But like agents, editors work very slowly due to the high volume of work on their desks. Any story you might hear about books selling in a matter of weeks should be treated as an exception, not the rule. Remember what I said about publishing being a long game? Yeah, looooooooooong.

Some editors might come back with what’s called a Revise and Resubmit offer, or an R&R. They’ll give feedback on certain aspects of the novel, and will offer to read it again if you revise. You should discuss this with your agent, but again, you’re not obligated to take this offer if it doesn’t sit right with you. It’s not a guarantee of a book deal, but definitely a sign that you are on the right track.

It’s a hard truth that your first book might not sell. You can write an amazing book for children, revise it, snag an agent who loves it and your writing, and yet have your book flounder on submission for a variety of reasons. The market might not be ready for your book. An editor might not connect with it, the timing might be bad. It will seem unfair, because you don’t have any control over these variables, but know that it happens much more frequently than you might think. I’ve been through it myself and the only thing that makes it better is writing the next book.

But if you don’t give up, you will eventually write a book that an editor will fall in love with and make an offer on. And when that happens, celebrate!

Step 10. Work with Your editor! And more patience!

Once you’ve received an offer and your agent has negotiated the terms and the contract has been signed, you’ll go through the editing process with your editor. What this looks like depends on the practices of the publishing house, the editor, and your book, but can take another year or two. Publishing moves slowly in part because there are lots of eyes on your work during this step. Revision with editors, copyediting, formatting and design, first pass pages, final pass pages…and if you have written a picture book, you have to factor in time for the illustrator to illustrate your story and go through his or her own process with the art director.

But finally, you’ll be close. Advanced reading copies are printed, marketing and publicity plans are made, and the book goes to press until finally…

Step 11. YOU HAVE A BOOK!

Congratulations! Your shiny book is in the hands of kids and teachers and librarians and booksellers everywhere!

Are you a children’s book writer or aspiring writer? Do you write middle grade or young adult books? Share your advice that helped you learn how to write a children’s book in the comments! Look for even more inspiration in our big ol’ list of 100 books on writing and the writing life here .

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Last updated on Apr 10, 2024

How to Publish a Children’s Book [+ Submission Kit]

There’s nothing quite like the thrill of writing a story that can captivate, educate, and entertain children. But before you can become the next Julia Donaldson or Dr. Seuss, you’ll need to get your story into the hands of young readers.

In this guide, we’ll take you through the process of publishing a children’s book — whether that’s by landing a traditional book deal or taking the initiative to self-publish. 

How to publish a children’s book in 7 steps:

1. Research your target market

2. edit your book to perfection, 3. choose a publishing path, 4. find an agent or publisher [traditional], 5. seek out your perfect illustrator [self-publishing], 6. set up your book with retailers, 7. get ready for publishing day.

Knowing your audience is essential when writing your book and crucial when you’re selling it. The first things a publisher will want to know are a) “Who is this book for?” and b) "How old are they?"

If you’re self-publishing, you’ll have to figure out your book’s target market and where you’re going to sell it. For context, children’s fiction is divided into five categories:

• Picture Books: under 6 years old
• Early Readers: 6+ years old
• Chapter Books: 7-9 years old
• Middle Grade (MG): 9-12 years old
• Young Adult (YA): 12-18 years old

Your book may have massive appeal, but nobody wants to hear that it is for "all children of all ages."

By identifying your book's specific readership, you'll also be better placed to edit your manuscript in line with industry and reader expectations.

Visit some bookshops

The simplest way to know what’s trending in children’s publishing is to head into a physical bookstore. Brick-and-mortar sales still make up a large chunk of the children’s market, as most parents (and kids!) prefer to choose those kinds of books in person.

So put on your detective cap and go on an intelligence-gathering mission to the children’s section of a large bookstore. See which authors are popular right now and what topics are trending. Are dinosaur books making a comeback? What about whimsical rhyming stories? Which art styles are the most prevalent? And so on.

In publishing, we often talk about “writing to market,” which naysayers interpret as “cynically imitating successful books.” But really, it’s about understanding the tastes of readers and publishers. You want to come away with a deep knowledge of what your young audience has read before , so you can either play to certain tropes or subvert them.

📚Tip: Sign up for the Children’s Bookshelf Newsletter at Publisher’s Weekly to stay on top of the market (including the latest titles).

Stay within your category’s word count range

Publishers take word count seriously. They rarely have time to edit the books they acquire thoroughly, so if you’ve written a 5,000-word picture book manuscript, most editors will think, “Who needs the stress?” and give it a hard pass.

If you do choose to self-publish that jumbo-sized board book, parents will shudder at the thought of having to read it over and over and over if it becomes their child’s favorite.

Here is the average word count for the most popular children’s book categories:

• Picture Books: under 1,000 words
• Early Readers: 2,000 to 5,000 words
• Chapter Books: 5,000 to 10,000 words
• Middle Grade (MG): 30,000 to 50,000 words
• Young Adult (YA): 50,000 to 100,00 words

If you want to learn more about writing for each category in children's publishing, sign up for this  free online course on Reedsy Learning.

Let’s skip ahead a bit and assume that you’ve now written a fabulous manuscript that’s tailor-made for your target audience. Before you send it to the printers or mail it to agents, let’s make sure that it’s absolutely as good as it can be.

Get honest feedback

The great thing about having children as your beta readers is that they are brutal. Whether you’re sharing it with your niblings (nieces and nephews) or the child of a friend, kids simply won’t be able to lie to you if they don’t like your book.

Once you’ve exhausted the patience of your friends and their kids, there are some other, more structured places you can turn to for feedback as well:

• Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (Paid membership)
• Children's Literature Association (Paid membership)
• Children’s Book Authors (Facebook group)
• Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (Facebook group)

Work with a professional editor

Whether you’re self-publishing or sending your manuscript out for consideration, you can always benefit from the help of a professional children’s book editor. Not only can they provide you with a fresh perspective, but they also understand the ins and outs of writing for kids — which is far from intuitive.

Children’s authors who work with editors have the added benefit of a lower word count, which makes the editing process a lot more affordable (and often relatively swift). On Reedsy, collaborations with world-class picture book editors start at no more than a few hundred dollars.

Perfect your picture book with top editors.

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Learn how Reedsy can help you craft a beautiful book.

To get a better sense of average editing rates for middle grade, young adult, and other genres, check out the calculator in  our editing cost guide .

At this point in your journey, you’ll reach a fork in the road. Before you, there are two options for your children’s book: self-publishing or traditional publishing. You may have already decided which way you’re going, but just in case, here are the quick pros and cons of both.

Traditionally publishing a children’s book

This refers to the long-standing model of an established publisher working with an author to produce, illustrate, and distribute their book. This process often involves securing the services of a literary agent.

• You won’t have to pay for production
• You’ll get an advance on royalties
• Marketing teams who can place your book in major stores
• Mainstream prize and award consideration
• Less creative control (you might not pick your illustrator)
• Slower publication timeline
• Lower royalties per copy (5-20%)
• Very hard for first-time non-celebrity authors to land a deal.

Self-publishing a children’s book

With the advent of digital publishing, print-on-demand services , and easy access to top-class editors and designers, authors can now self-publish books with greater cost efficiency and quality than ever before.

• Full creative control
• You can guarantee your book will be published
• Much higher royalties per copy sold (50%-70%)
• You have to fund and manage the project yourself
• It’s harder to get your book widely distributed

If you’re still not sure which of these paths is right for you, take a look at our deep dive into the pros and cons of self-publishing .

If you’re going to try to land a book deal, check out the next step in our how-to. But if you’re already set on self-publishing, feel free to skip to step 5.

The most straightforward way to sell to a publisher is to first secure a literary agent , a professional whose job is to sell your book to a publisher and negotiate the best deal on your behalf. 

“Publishers who accept unagented submissions are pretty rare nowadays,” says Anna Bowles , a former commissioning editor at Hachette. If you want to be considered by most major and even medium-sized publishers, querying agents should be at the top of your priority list.

Here at Reedsy, you can find plenty of resources to help you find and query children’s agents , but here are some key points:

Only submit to agents who already handle children’s books

Too many authors don’t do their research before they query an agent. Don’t waste your time contacting agents who only handle adult titles or books that are way out of your category. 

Top tip: Use Reedsy’s directory of experienced children's book agents to track down your dream representative.

Know where your book fits into their list 

If the agent already has a couple of unicorn-based picture books on their list, mention how your unicorn picture book will sit nicely alongside them. If they don’t have any unicorn books, say how your book can add depth to their list. Indeed, the children’s market is fairly saturated these days — so it’s often the case that the more your book stands out, the better!

Are you ready for a literary agent?

Find out here! Takes one minute.

Smaller publishers sometimes accept direct submissions

• Reedsy’s Children’s Publishers Directory
• Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market (book)
• Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook (book, UK-centric)
• Picturebook Planet (blog)
• Authors Publish (newsletter)

The golden rule for contacting publishers is the same as it is for querying agents: always follow their submission guidelines. If they say, ‘don’t send a full manuscript,’ then don’t send a full manuscript — yes, even if it’s a short children’s book! If they want a book proposal that outlines the marketability of your book, find out what that means and deliver it in your submission. 

Don’t send a fully-illustrated book

Unless you’re already a professional illustrator like Raymond Briggs ( The Snowman ) or Jon Klassen ( I Want My Hat Back ), don’t worry about illustrations. Don’t do it yourself, and don’t get your spouse, child, or college roommate to do it. Don’t even provide guidelines. 

Publishers will already have a long list of illustrators at their disposal, and they’ll want a hand in choosing yours. Again, unless you are a pro illustrator who can do the job , submitting sketches or guidelines will only work to your disadvantage.

At this point in your publishing journey, there may be a lot of waiting involved. If you land an agent or a publishing deal, congratulations! Skip to step 6. But if you’re tired of waiting and you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and self-publish your children’s book, continue reading.

If you’re publishing a picture book, early reader, or chapter book, your readers will expect pictures to go with your text. In some cases, the artwork is going to be the main event — so make sure your illustrations aren’t an afterthought.

If you’re illustrating the book yourself, you can download our storyboard template to help you organize your pages. But if you want someone else to work on your book, you can check out our guide to finding children’s illustrators . It’ll show you how to use online designer marketplaces, then:

• Pinpoint the art style you want,
• Make a shortlist of illustrators, and
• Negotiate and collaborate with that illustrator.

Need someone to lend their artistic talent to your book? Check out the work of some of  our favorite children’s book illustrators on Reedsy.

Take care of the book cover and interior design

Depending on your illustrator’s experience, they may also format your book for you, combining your text with their artwork. If not, you have the option of formatting it yourself with the software mentioned above or by hiring a specialist typesetter .

In addition, you may even have a separate cover designer who can help you create a jacket that will draw your readers’ eyes. This will typically involve adapting an interior illustration and arranging the text on the front cover — not as easy as it sounds, which is why it’s ideal to get a specialist if your illustrator doesn’t have cover design experience.

By the end of this part of the process, your book will be ready to publish. So what happens next?

Once you have your final files ready, you’re finally going to publish your book — by which we mean that your book will be available to buy through retailers. Your own role in this will vary depending on your publishing path.

Traditional: Your publishers will take care of this

Publishers release a catalog of new titles available to booksellers every month or quarter. If you’re lucky, your publisher will also have a sales team that pitches to retailers (bookshops, supermarkets, etc.) and gets them to stock your book. As part of their negotiation, they may even convince those retailers to give your book a prominent placement during launch week.

Your publisher will also be responsible for listing your book on Amazon, Google Play, and every other retailer where they think your target buyer will discover your work.

Self-Publishing: Choose your printer and retailer

Most self-publishing authors prioritize digital formats. After all, ebooks cost nothing to set up, are priced more attractively for readers, and provide authors the greatest royalty split. This, however, is not the case with books for younger readers.

Print-on-demand technology has transformed publishing, allowing indie authors to print only as many copies as they sell. The main players in the game are IngramSpark and KDP (Amazon’s self-publishing wing). Both of these companies will print books to a decent standard. The cost of printing a 32-page full-color book is $4.20 with KDP, and roughly the same on Ingram, depending on how you customize it.

Blurb is another service that offers greater customization and a higher-quality product — but with a base cost twice what you would pay KDP. The upside is that they offer generous discounts once you start ordering in bulk.

For simplicity’s sake, many first-time authors in the US and UK choose to publish with Amazon’s KDP. That’s where the majority of their sales revenue will likely come from, and they can manage their physical and digital sales through just one platform. 

Self-Publishing: Set up your book’s product page

Once you’ve chosen your printer and retailer, you’ll also have to set up your product page. We’d encourage you to look through this guide to writing book descriptions on Amazon and remember that your target audience will be parents and friends of the family — so make it obvious what sort of kid is going to be delighted by your book! 

If it’s packed full of fun animal facts, mention that! There will be plenty of buyers specifically searching for animal picture books, so make sure they know your book is perfect for them. Or if you’re publishing a book for older children, you can use comp titles to appeal to its target audience — for example, “The Magic Tree House series meets Diary of a Wimpy Kid .”

One of the biggest publishing myths is that if you’ve landed a book deal, your publisher will pull out all the stops to market your book. The truth is that most authors will be expected to do their own marketing and publicity — and that authors who take this role seriously tend to be more successful. 

Most of the time, marketing a children’s book is the same as marketing any other type of book. There are dozens of great book marketing ideas for you to mine, from creating a mailing list to running promotions with other authors. However, there are also a few marketing tactics that can prove especially effective for children’s book authors:

Reach out to specialty shops

Gift shops are an especially fruitful selling opportunity for children’s authors. If your book is about a real-life place, idea, or historical period, look for museums and tourist attractions related to that topic. For example, a writer who’s published a picture book about Betsy Ross should contact the hundreds of Revolutionary history sites across the US and try to get their book stocked in their gift shops.

Work the libraries

Of course, most parents don’t just buy every book under the sun — the majority still head to their local library.

Every book of yours that’s in a library is effectively free advertising. If a parent sees a picture book at the library that’s vaguely suitable for their child, they’ll probably borrow it. If they like it, they might seek out other books the author has written and buy those. Then they’ll tell their friends, who will also borrow it for their kids, buy other titles published by the same author, and recommend it to their friends. Thus, the virtuous cycle is complete.

To get a better idea of how to get your book into the library system, check out this free Reedsy course on the topic . But if you’re too impatient to take the course, we can reveal that to get your books into a library, you’ll need a lot of good reviews — which brings us to our final crucial topic of review hustling.

Look to online communities for influencers and street teamers

Blogs, Instagram, Reddit, TikTok. These days, most parents of young kids are millennials or, gasp, zoomers (Gen Z). As a result, they will rely on the internet for almost any kind of recommendation (another generalization, admittedly).

Share pictures of your book on Instagram using relevant hashtags — ones that either deal with your book’s topic (#unicorns #firetrucks) or tap directly into your audience (#mommylifestyle #picturebooksaremyjam).

Consider starting a TikTok channel where you cover topics related to your book — or just talk about other children’s books! BookTok, as it’s called, is no joke and has helped countless new authors blow up .

Visit some schools

Most schools will welcome visits from authors — in fact, some schools even set aside an annual budget for it. So why not get in touch with an administrator or a librarian and ask what you can do for them? And if you’re doing the school visit for free, children’s author Eevi Jones suggests taking the opportunity to sell some copies.

“Follow up your first email with a phone call to let them know that you visit local schools for free. In return, the school can send slips home offering the chance to buy signed copies of the book.”

Of course, there are plenty of other marketing avenues to pursue — many of which you can learn about on Reedsy’s free children’s book marketing course .

Finally, have fun! Writing a children’s book is supposed to be a joyous act of creativity, and publishing it is simply the culmination of that process — an opportunity to share your ideas, characters, and stories with a hungry audience of readers. We look forward to seeing your book on our shelves!

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Home » Blog » How to Write a Children’s Book in 9 Steps [+Free Template]

How to Write a Children’s Book in 9 Steps [+Free Template]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Writing a children’s book can be pretty easy and simple these days. It does take one with a credible idea to write a book that will intrigue children who have a very short attention span.

So, the onus is always on the writer to write a spell-binding book, a fascinating one that will keep the children sharp and interested to make sure they want to keep reading the book through to the end.

This is why authors need to know how to write a children’s book. Children’s books have a unique set of features and authors need to keep these in mind when attempting to write one.

These steps will help you through the process:

• Understand the key features
• Know your category
• Emphasize the character
• Make the story engaging
• Use illustrations
• Create a title
• Consider some essential factors
• Know what to avoid

If you have been struggling with how to write a children’s book that will succeed, then worry not because here you will be getting detailed information on how to write a children’s book with no more extended stress or struggle.

Children’s Book Template

Writing a children’s book isn’t as easy as some tend to think. It requires lots of planning and a special skill set.

Using a template can help you keep everything straight and make sure you include all of the necessary elements:

Fill in the template with your desired details as you go through these steps.

How to Write a Children’s Book in 9 Steps

Here are the steps to write a children’s book:

1: Know the Format

When you think about how to write a children’s book, some characteristics are unique. Some children’s books are like a permanent fixture, a staple to all childhoods.

Dr. Seuss and Robert Munsch have written many of these. It may be a good idea to keep some of these on hand as you write yours.

Some things to keep in mind about children’s books:

• Be familiar with the category and age you are writing for, and how saturated the market is.
• Create characters that are easy to understand.
• Make the story simple but engaging.
• Use age-appropriate language.
• Use an illustrator.
• Create a quality and catchy title for your book.
• Edit your book thoroughly.

Use Squibler to work on a ready-made book-writing template. The document comes with built-in formatting and organization of chapters for you to seamlessly work on it. 

2. Know Your Category

The first thing that you need to determine is the age group you want to write for and then choose a relevant category to target that age group specifically.

When children are young, their interests and levels of attention change rapidly. A 2-year-old and a 4-year-old will be reading very different books.

Do the necessary research and make sure you write something appropriate for your chosen age group. Consider these factors to determine if your book is age-appropriate:

• Think of an appropriate style.
• Brainstorm appropriate topics and themes.
• The length and plot complexity. Remember that each age range will have different levels of comprehension and understanding when it comes to following a storyline.

Children’s Book Categories

The children’s book market is vast and versatile. There are many different types and categories of children’s books that authors can choose from.

Picture Books

This is a kind of book that should be written mostly for children from 0-7 years. These are books that have lots of illustrations to complement the storyline.

These books are also meant to teach kids how to read so they should have more pictures and fewer words. It should also have lots of rhyming and easy flow so that young children can follow easily.

Young Readers

These are books mostly for children ages 6-10. These will be transitional books . These are books that fall in between picture books and middle grades.

These books should be able to help children grow away from the picture book, so they should contain simple words. They should start to get longer – perhaps around 2000 words or so, and contain some illustrations but not too much.

Middle Grade

These are books written for the ages of 8-12. This level of book should help a child become an independent reader . It should be more of a fiction book . Length should start reaching around 10,000 words, and pictures should be very minimal.

Young Adult

These are books that can be read by children above 12. The children are nearing young adults now so the book should be slightly more advanced. Illustrations can be eliminated while the word counts increase tremendously – to 20,000 words or more.

3. Use Characters for Easy Understanding

Children are not like adults in that they cannot easily comprehend abstract things. If you know how to write a novel , it doesn’t necessarily mean you will be able to write a book for children.

It is by nature that they will become fascinated by the characters you build. So, if you want to go far as a children’s book author, then you need to write a book that focuses heavily on the characters.

You can use a memorable character of their age to help them relate to what your book is about. Use easily relatable characters and insert them into easily relatable situations and storylines.

4. Write an Engaging Story

Write a story that your chosen age group can relate to. Let the theme of your book make a significant impact on the children.

They will appreciate storylines that drive actions, allow them to make decisions about what’s happening, and challenge their thinking in an age-appropriate way.

Keep these points in mind when developing the theme of your book:

• Be relevant to your readers.
• Your subject should be simple.
• Fully explore the theme of the book.
• Use age-appropriate vocabulary.

There should be a focus on appropriate vocabulary. Be careful not to use words your intended readers will not understand or relate to. Each category of children will respond to different styles, so write in a way that your chosen age group will like.

The picture book ages will like books with simple and easy-to-understand words with pictures to help them. They are in a learning stage right now and should be introduced to new words slowly.

Always remember three things when thinking about the right vocabulary for each category: your target audience, the use of rhyme, and age.

5. Use Illustrations

This is one area that brings distinction in children’s books.

So, when you are thinking about how to write a children’s book, consider if you need an illustration or illustrations throughout the book depending on the children’s category.

The picture book age, for example, should be heavily saturated with bright images. Their books should be glossary and colorful. It helps attract them and keep them focused.

Use Squibler to add illustrations to your book on your own. Explain the context of the illustration to the AI illustrator and it will automatically generate a visual for you based on the provided details.

You can do as many revisions to the illustrations as you want with Squibler however this might not be possible in case of hiring an external designer. This way you not only save time and money, but the work process becomes much more interesting. Here’s an example of how Squibler works:

6. How to Write a Children’s Book Title

Once you are done drafting the manuscript, it is time to give the book a befitting title .

A children’s book needs you to give it a unique and creative title. Children are almost fickle-minded and different things attract them. Getting a winning and attractive title will be your best bet.

So let your title be outstanding in a jovial or playful way without being overwhelming.

To create a great title always think of something with an entertainment factor. It should be eye-catching and relevant. This is to say make the title work in consonance with the book, a book shouldn’t show toys as a title but have gadgets as content.

Let your title be informative too, reveal some information about your book in the title. Consider these tips when crafting the perfect title for your children’s book:

Brainstorm alone: Think about it yourself and come up with a title that you like.

Use title generators: If you still can’t think of a great title after brainstorming then help yourself with a title generator . This will help narrow your thinking and at the very least, jump-start your creativity and imagination.

Test your title: This is a way of finding how acceptable your title will be with your targeted readers. Seek out opinions and feedback from others.

7. Edit and Proofread

This is one of the most significant steps when you consider how to write a children’s book.

Editing is unavoidable when preparing your children’s book for publishing . Your children’s book and the message therein might be excellent, but if grammatical mistakes are running rampant, your sales will be affected.

If you can send the book out for editing and correction by a professional editor. Don’t do all the work alone: writing, proofreading, and making corrections. Let another pair of eyes go over it before publishing.

Your editor will find mistakes that you missed and offer a different perspective. They will give professional advice and suggestions. You should try to follow most of their instructions as it will likely help in the sales of your book.

You can also use editing tools like Grammarly and the Hemingway app .

8. Follow these Guidelines on How to Write Children’s Book

There are some additional factors you need to consider when learning how to write a children’s book:

• Write in the present tense. Children enjoy books written in the present tense, they are experiencing as it is happening rather than reading it as if it is in the past. It helps to engage them in the story.
• If a sentence doesn’t contribute to the plot or character, it won’t make sense to use it.
• Let each character in your book be different from one another.
• Use the first-person narrative if you need the children to see the story or event through your eyes. If not, use the third-person narrative to give you the freedom and flexibility you need.
• Choose your writing style and stick to it.
• You can make your book suspense-filled and action-packed to draw the children to it. Children wouldn’t give a second look at a boring book.
• Use realistic dialogue. Children like to read the way they talk for their age. So, try to listen to the real conversation of your targeted readers and write according to their vocal style. Make an effort to be around that age range more often to get your writing right.
• Be careful with your tenses; try to maintain your initial tense. If you had used the present tense, then stick to that. Just be consistent.
• If you are bored with your book, then your readers will be too.

9. Avoid these when Writing a Childen’s Book

Writing a children’s book has unique guidelines that should be followed. This does include some things that should not be done:

• Avoid the excessive use of adjectives and adverbs
• Don’t talk down on children with your book; children are no fools even at their tender ages, they can discern that from the book.
• Don’t be too preachy with your book. Don’t write it as a lecture.
• Don’t write something fake. Be authentic and realistic.
• Avoid the use of inappropriate art for a book, let the artwork depict the story, and don’t oversaturate the book with text.
• Use minimal characters and avoid side plots.
• Avoid creating a main character that faces challenges that they can’t solve themselves.
• Don’t just tell a story but give a narration.

You’ve Learned How to Write a Children’s Book

Now you know how to write children’s books, you are all set to start writing your first-ever book .

Writing a children’s book is like building a formidable military force. You will need a lot of patience and understanding to pull through. Let the foundation of your book be excellent, to get this right ask yourself why you are writing the book.

Think about what you want your book to teach the children. Answer these questions sincerely so that you will write a book that is real and honest.

Follow all the guidelines given here and you will be able to write a great children’s book in whichever category or age range you choose. Children naturally love books that have a little creativity and individuality, so go ahead and write your book that way.

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How to Write a Children's Book – The Ultimate Guide [With Template]

The ultimate secret for how to write a children’s book is the same as the secret for how to write a book for adults .

‍ Understand your reader. Really understand them. So many aspiring children’s authors fall short because they assume they can charm young readers by plugging in a few ingredients.

A silly monster. A girl who loves horses. Teen angst.

But writing for kids is just as complex and tough as writing for adults. It’s also a deeply rewarding process that can lead to a deeply rewarding career. You just need a little guidance to get started.

I’ll walk you through everything you need to know, including:

• The different types of children’s book
• Potential pitfalls
• How to write a children’s book
• How to publish a children’s book

You can even put these ideas into action using our Children’s Book Template, which you can download right here:

‍ Download Children's Book Template

‍ Let’s dive in.

What are the Different Types of Kids Books You Can Write?

Conveniently enough, children’s books are divided into neat-and-tidy categories based on age. These categories come with standards to help you craft an age-appropriate kids’ book.

Let’s take a look at each one.

What are Picture Books?

A picture book uses illustrations to help communicate a story. Kids usually experience a picture book for the first time through parents or teachers reading it aloud to them.

However, as the child grows, they often use picture books to practice new reading skills. This is worth keeping in mind as you write.

‍ Picture Books in a Nutshell:

• 300-800 words
• Illustrations on every page

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

W hat are Early Reader Books?

An early reader book is a book that an early-elementary-aged child can work towards reading independently. In other words: simple sentences and easy-peasy vocabulary. That doesn’t mean your early reader book has to be all “See spot run.” You can still engage kids using creativity, humor, and unforgettable characters. Check out the examples below for inspiration.

‍ Early Reader Books in a Nutshell:

• Ages 5-7 (Grades K-2)
• Repetition and simple sentences
• 1,000-5,000 words

The Elephant and Piggie series by Mo Willems

The Dog Man series by Dav Pilkey

The Bink and Gollie series by Katie DiCamillo and Alison McGhee

What are Chapter Books?

If you’re writing a chapter book, your reader is officially reading on their own. This is exciting, especially if you know how to write a children’s book that turns a curious kid into a lifelong reader.A great chapter book offers an engaging story, a relatable character , and vocabulary that is just challenging enough to help readers advance their skills to the next level.

‍ Chapter Books in a Nutshell:

• Ages 6-9 (Grades 1-4)
• Up to 10,000 words
• Illustrations on most pages, but not all pages

The Alvin Ho series by Lenore Look

The Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park

The Zoey and Sassafras series by Asia Citro

What are Middle Grade Books?

If your reader is around middle school age, you’re writing a middle grade book.

This is when children’s books begin to more closely resemble adult novels. You follow the same basic story structure as you would if you were writing a book for grown-ups. You also pay closer attention to genre expectations. (Mystery, fantasy, and realistic fiction are especially popular among this age group.)

‍ Middle Grade Books in a Nutshell:

• 60,000+ words
• 12+ illustrations

Middle Grade Examples:

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

What are Young Adult Books?

The readers of young adult (YA) books are teenagers. Also young adults. Also retirees.

Okay, so a lot of people love YA, but you’re writing for teens. In terms of vocabulary and story complexity, this audience can handle the same approach you’d use for adult readers. You also want to follow genre standards closely.

Just make sure your story centers on teenage characters and issues relevant to teen readers.

‍ Young Adult in a Nutshell

• Up to 100,000 words
• Few to no illustrations

Young Adult Examples:

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

Now that you have a broad overview of how to write a children’s book that’s age-appropriate, let’s talk rookie mistakes.

Things to Avoid When Writing Kids Books

Here’s how not to write a children’s book:

Don’t Get Sloppy with Your Age Categories

A lot changes between the ages of five and seven. Know the expectations, interests, and reading level of your specific audience. In addition to reading a ton of books within your chosen age category, consider consulting an educator or child psychologist. They can help you modify ideas and storytelling techniques to better fit your readers.

Also note that kids gravitate towards protagonists who are a couple years older than themselves.

Avoid Long Sentences

Keep your writing clear, simple, and accessible. The younger the reader, the shorter the sentences.

Note: this doesn’t mean duller sentences. “Chloe screeched” is just as kid-friendly as “Chloe yelled loudly.”

Don’t Get Hung Up on the Moral of the Story

You don’t need a moral to create a great story for kids. But if there is an important message you wish to convey, don’t preach. Let the story do the work. My favorite example of a kids’ book that delivers a powerful message with a light touch is The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld.

Be Relatable… But Not Bland

Understand your readers. What’s important to them? What do they wish for, fear, love, and hate? How do they think and speak? What answers are they searching for?

Give those emotional characteristics to an interesting character who makes bold choices under remarkable circumstances. Create obstacles that are recognizable to your reader... but bigger.

Don’t Fuss Over Illustrations… Unless You Must

If you plan to publish your children’s book traditionally, you don’t need to think about illustrations at all. Your publisher figures that out. But if you’re going to self-publish, then you will need to add illustrations, whether you create them or you hire an artist. In that case, note how frequently illustrations arise in books within your category.

How to Start Writing Your Children’s Book

Here’s how to write a children’s book, step by step.

1. Research books in your category.

Read the books that are succeeding now. What children’s book ideas are succeeding? How do parents review them? What do your children, nieces, nephews, and that really chatty kid in the Target checkout line have to say about their favorite reads?

2. Research your audience.

How can you get to know your readers better?

Is there a volunteer program that gives you an opportunity to read to kids? Can you ask your friend’s twelve-year-old what they love and hate about being twelve? Are there books you can read to better understand your target age group?

3. Come up with an idea.

Some things to keep in mind as you brainstorm children’s book ideas:

First, young people take the lead in children’s literature, from baby books on up to YA. Sometimes the protagonist is an animal or a crayon or Amelia Bedelia . But even then, the main character reflects a child’s perspective.

Second, kids want to see themselves as complex heroes who face challenges, discover inner strength, and save the day. While an adult character can help , keep your young protagonist in the driver’s seat.

4. Establish voice and style.

Grover’s hysterical pleas in The Monster at the End of this Book . Holden Caulfield’s 1950s slang. That iconic first line: “Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.”

‍ A strong narrative voice demonstrates that the reader is about to be entertained. Even understood .

A few considerations:

• Picture book and early reader audiences tend to prefer present tense, third person narration .
• Rhyming well is hard. Do write in verse if you’ve got it in you. But workshop it a lot.
• Don’t condescend to your reader, no matter how young. They know when it’s happening and they don’t like it.

5. Leap Into the Story Right Away.

Take a note from Mo Willems’ Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus . Guess who’s already trying to creep behind the wheel by page two? BAM. Immediate conflict.

6. Follow standard plot structure

...and keep character arc in mind as you execute your children’s book ideas.

You have a protagonist.

The protagonist has a goal. They face an obstacle in trying to achieve that goal. In facing down the obstacle, they discover something about themselves.

By the end of the story, they have changed in some way.

7. End the story to satisfy your reader.

For picture books, early reader books, and chapter books, you want a clear resolution and a happy ending.

For middle grade or YA, defer to the standards of your genre.

8. Self-Edit

Before you ask for anyone else’s input, do some self-editing . Is your book the best it can be? Does it keep in line with the expectations of your age category?

Try reading it out loud. Rework any sections that feel wordy or clunky.

9. Get Feedback

Share your manuscript with people who can help make it better. Consult a wide range of beta-readers and editors, including:

• Educators or psychologists familiar with your target age group
• Other children’s book authors

The great thing about writing a children’s book is that your target audience also makes for super honest beta-readers. There is no feedback clearer than a three-year-old going full-on ragdoll and sliding off your lap out of boredom.

10. Revise it until it shines.

Self-explanatory.

Publish Your Children’s Book

Woo! You learned how to write a children’s book and you made it happen!

Now, how do you publish a children’s book?

That depends.

Traditional Publishing

To publish traditionally, you’ll want to find an agent. Search agent databases and query the representatives who seem like a good fit for your book.

Pay close attention to each agent’s submission guidelines. They may want to see a full manuscript, a book synopsis only, the first five pages… whatever they request, make it happen.

Once you find an agent to represent your book, your agent works on finding a publisher. It is possible to just shop your book to publishers yourself. However, you are more likely to get a better deal or a bigger publisher through an agent.

Self-Publishing

In self-publishing, you do everything yourself.

You hire an illustrator, hire an editor, format your book, design a launch plan, and handle marketing. Essentially, you’re running your own business.

It’s thrilling, liberating, and puts you in control. It’s also a challenging journey with a steep learning curve. You really have to be as excited about the journey as you are about the outcome if you’re going to go this route.

Remember the Power of Your Product

The final piece of advice I’ll offer you on how to make a book for kids is this:

‍ Remember your reader.

‍ Not just when you’re coming up with children’s book ideas. Think of them when you feel burned out, discouraged, or lost.

All writers know the struggle of discouragement. In these moments, it helps to recall why we do what we do. We write to entertain, to bring joy, to inspire empathy… to connect. When you do those things as a children’s author, you help kids develop a lifelong love of literature.

How powerful is that?

So hang in there. And start writing .

And if you want to make the process a little easier, consider writing your book with Dabble . Dabble has great features to help you plan, write, and edit your story. Click here to try it for free for 14 days.

Abi Wurdeman is the author of Cross-Section of a Human Heart: A Memoir of Early Adulthood, as well as the novella, Holiday Gifts for Insufferable People. She also writes for film and television with her brother and writing partner, Phil Wurdeman. On occasion, Abi pretends to be a poet. One of her poems is (legally) stamped into a sidewalk in Santa Clarita, California. When she’s not writing, Abi is most likely hiking, reading, or texting her mother pictures of her houseplants to ask why they look like that.

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How to Write a Children’s Book (10 Stress-Free Steps)

POSTED ON Sep 15, 2021

Written by Marcy Pusey

If you’re wondering how to write a children’s book that readers will love, you’re not alone. One of the questions I get most from children’s writers is: “How do I know if my book is good ?” 

You can be given all of the logistical steps, from A to Z, on how to publish a children’s book, but it doesn’t mean your final product is high quality. 

Maybe you follow the steps: write a story that’s 700 words or less, get it to fit on 28 pages, have a child-hero, decent illustrations, and you finally hit publish.

Then crickets .  Crickets, in this case, can represent two major problems:

• You didn’t have a strong launch or market your book well.
• It’s just not that great of a book. 

So how can you be sure that your book is the kind that readers will love?  

In this article, we’ll take a look at the steps to get started writing a high-quality children’s book that readers will love, no matter if you self-publish or traditionally publish .

Here are the steps on how to write a children’s book successfully:

Step 1: read children’s books, step 2: be around children (your ideal reader).

• Step 3: Brainstorm a unique story to write

Step 4: Write with children in mind

Step 5: develop your writing craft.

• Step 6: Develop your children's book characters  
• Step 7 : Hire a children’s book editor
• Step 8: Invest in good children’s artwork  
• Step 9: Get an attractive children’s book cover & title
• Step 10: Infuse a “ read it again!” quality into your book

What makes a children’s book good?

If you're learning how to write a children's book, you need to start by defining the qualities of a good children's book.

According to the Caldecott Medal , the much esteemed award for the most “distinguished American picture book for children,” a quality picture book is:

“…one that essentially provides the child with a visual experience. A picture book has a collective unity of story-line, theme, or concept, developed through the series of pictures of which the book is comprised… The book displays respect for children’s understandings, abilities, and appreciations.” 

I would add that “quality” children’s books also have the following elements: 

• They provide an emotional or thought-provoking experience for the reader
• They include multiple layers of meaning 
• They don’t patronize children or “dumb-down” the content
• They provide new insights , allow for a variety of responses, and challenge the reader’s thinking and feelings 
• They appeal to children and the “child” within their adults
• They have a great “Read it Again!” quality
• They display a perfect symbiosis of storytelling with the art and text

How do I start to write a children's book?

Now that we have an idea of what makes a children’s book “good,” it’s time to learn how to write a children’s book that incorporates the essential elements we identified above. 

By starting with these basics, you'll start creating a solid foundation that builds up to a quality book for kids that will be enjoyed for years to come.

Are you ready to get started? 

Learning how to write a children’s book begins with reading many children’s books, through the eyes of an aspiring author.

Related: How to Become an Author

One of my favorite quotes on the craft of writing for children is from Stephen King. I know, right? Actually, Stephen King has also written a book for children! 

He says, “If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write.”

You have to read every children’s book you can get your hands on in order to know what’s selling, identify the qualities of great storytelling, and engaging with content you want to master. 

You can develop the art of storytelling for children for free just by spending time at your local library reading.

Here's why you should read children’s books if you want to be a children’s book author:

• Familiarize yourself with what’s selling
• Understand how great stories handle storytelling, pacing, use of illustration in storytelling, character development, and all the rest
• Learn hands-on by personally engaging the content you hope to master. 

Kids are the best. If you don’t think so, you probably shouldn’t be writing for them. 

I love sitting in a room with my son and his friends while they play Apples to Apples. I secretly text their hilarious conversation to their moms and I quietly laugh-cry and try not to pee my pants. 

Kids say the best things, which is great for your research as an aspiring children’s book author. They’re often brutally honest, in good ways and challenging ways. And when they’re obviously not being honest, we have to stifle our laughter to discipline them. 

Hang out with a group of kids long enough and you’ll not only have a long list of new book ideas, but a really great sense of what tickles their humor, what gets them excited, and even how they respond to everyday obstacles. 

This will inform and strengthen any book you write.

Step 3: Come up with a good idea to write about

What makes a children’s book idea good ? Children’s books can be silly, deep, inspiring, hilarious, zany, serious, and straight up weird. They can make you laugh, cry, gasp, squeal, giggle and guffaw. 

But just being silly, zany, deep, or inspiring is not enough to make a book great, let alone good. 

Drive your story with an unforgettable, relatable character or an emotionally-charged plot that keeps kids on the edge of their seat, and you’ll have an above-par book that kids love to read over and over. 

Where do these good ideas come from? 

Be an observer and you’ll find ideas everywhere! Record them so you don’t forget them. I have a list of hundreds of book ideas. Most of them are rubbish. At least four of them have become best-selling books that kids and their adults read regularly. You never know what gems will pop up when idea-spiration hits. 

Here are some places to find ideas for a children’s book:

• Fractured fairy tales : Take a commonly known myth or legend and retell it in a new and creative way. Think “ The True Story of the Three Little Pigs ” (as told by the wolf), Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs , or my very own book, Tercules . I took the legend of Hercules, combined him with a wild turkey chick, and voila. 
• Unlikely characters and settings: Speaking of Tercules, another great place to get ideas is by throwing together two very unlikely characters and dropping them in an unlikely setting. Shark versus Train is a great example of this. 
• Putting characters in child-like settings and circumstances: Some book ideas are life skills we want to teach our kids in creative ways. The Princess and the Potty worked magic with my daughter. Or Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? , illustrated by my acquaintance, Daniel. Taking a unique character and putting them in the position of a child will help kids catch all sorts of great life skills. Or on a more serious note, my own Speranza’s Sweater: A Child’s Journey Through Foster Care and Adoption , gives children permission to experience the many conflicting feelings of adoption through the lens of Speranza. Jed Jurchenko also does this with his recent release, The Stormy Secret , helping kids navigate the safe places to share secrets imposed on them. 

Everything about your book: your story idea, book layout, page count, number of illustrations, and depth of the plot depend on who you are writing for.

If you’re learning how to write a children’s book, then your target audience is…well, children, right?

While this is true, if you target your book at every child, you’re actually writing for no child. 

Kids won’t see themselves represented in a book that’s for everyone . A book that focuses on a particular group of kids will not only strike a chord with that group, but you’ll find other kids love it as well. 

Having a focus actually expands your book’s influence! This is true for any literature you write. Additionally, a picture book is most often read aloud by an adult, so they as the adult-reader and purchaser are part of your target audience as well. 

So how do you determine your target audience? Go back to the reason you’re writing for children. Is it to communicate a particular value? Is it to make your grandchildren proud of you? Is it to teach kids their colors or letters? Is it to make money as an author? Know your deep, heart-reason for why you want to write for kids. 

When you understand why you’re writing, think about who you are most likely to impact with your passion.

For example, much of my writing (for adults or for children) is about removing shame, restoring dignity, helping people to feel seen and valued. My target audience, then, are children who are internally questioning if they’re as “good” or “worthy” as the other kids around them. They feel insecure and inadequate. They feel different and small. They feel “too much” or “not enough.” They’re the precious under-dog. They are me when I was a kid.

Use these questions to help you write for your target audience: 

• Who are you writing for? Write your book for them, and don’t try to write for everyone. 
• Who is this book for? Spend time with those kids. Spend time with those adults. Get to know them. 
• Who are they on a deeper level? What are their hopes? Their fears? Their longings? Their questions? Their dreams? 

Write your book for your target readers. While other kids will read it and love it too, don’t miss this opportunity to know why you’re writing and to whom your writing. This is what writers of quality books do.

Writing for children is a form of art. It’s not something we should be flippant or careless about. 

We want to be good stewards of the influence we have with children through literature. They are our future! It’s our responsibility to be the best we can be as we encourage them to be people who work toward a better world. This means we need to learn how to write well.  

Quality picture book authors spend time learning. They attend conferences, workshops, participate in critique groups, read a ton, and take writing classes. They are sponges for strategies, tools, and personal feedback. They want to grow and improve. 

Here are specific examples of developing your craft to write a children’s book:

• If you choose to write a book in rhyme, take the time to master meter, rhythm, and actual rhyming words or spare children of poorly written poetry and write in prose. 
• If you’re working with a suspenseful plot, commit to a book outline to make it well-structured, logical, with important values, and a timeless quality. Dedicate yourself to the best use of language and storytelling. 
• If you’re driving the story with an unforgettable character, be devoted to consistency, believability, voice, and the transformation of their character. 

All quality children’s book writers work to improve their craft. You should, too! Opportunities to grow as a children’s writer exist on Udemy, Self Publishing School, Master Class, local colleges / universities, and organizations like the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. 

If you’re interested in taking some online courses to learn how to write a children’s book or learn about kid-lit topics, check out these resources: 

• Self-Publishing School
• Taralazar.com  
• Children’s Book Academy with Mira Reisburg 
• or any of these 100 options provided by KidLit441

Related: Self-Publishing Courses

Step 6: Develop your children's book characters 

Speaking of characters who hold a story together, quality writers often employ a memorable main character. 

When you’re learning how to write a children’s book, it’s important to focus on developing unforgettable characters. 

Related: Character Bio Template

Think Fancy Nancy or Olivia or Ferdinand or the Gruffalo or Peter Rabbit. If you’ve been around kid-lit long enough, these names immediately bring a personality, a distinction, and a story to mind. 

Develop unforgettable characters…

Well-developed characters bring the quality of a book to the next level. The central character should be unforgettable, like the hungry, hungry caterpillar. 

Tips for developing children’s book characters:

• Your readers should care about your central character by the end of the book, like we care for Piggy and Gerald by the end of any Elephant and Piggy book by Mo Willems. 
• Characters should become your reader’s special friends, like Winnie the Pooh, Wilbur, or Ramona probably were for you. 
• Characters should have distinct personalities that set them apart from other characters. They should be believable as they encounter obstacles in your story. They are flawed (aren’t we all?) and yet overcome a great many challenges (just like we do!). Think of each distinct character in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory , the Chronicles of Narnia , or Charlotte’s Web . 
• Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten by Audrey Vernick, Marathon Mouse by Amy Dixon, the Berenstain Bears books, and the “How Do Dinosaurs” series by Jane Yolen all utilize the personification of animals as central characters. The use of animals can help children generalize behavior and values without getting hung up on whether or not the main character shares their ethnicity or abilities. 
• Cora Cooks Pancit by Dorina Lazo Gilmore and my own Weirdo and Willy are good examples of books that use a child as a central character. 
• Thomas the Tank Engine by Reverend W. Awdry, The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers , and The Bad Seed by Jory John and Pete Oswald all exemplify the use of objects with relatable qualities.
• A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. and Erin E. Stead and The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda D. Williams are wonderful examples of a book using older people to represent a child-like trait or ability. This approach is shied away from the traditional industry, so you won’t find many of them. But when they’re done well, they’re incredible.

All of these books and characters immediately elicit a memory and a smile. Books that readers love have good, strong, memorable lead characters.

Step 7: Hire a children’s book editor

Your children’s book only has 1-1000 ( max ) words, so why do you need an editor? 

Believe it or not, a children’s book professional will give you feedback on the marketability of your book, the content of your book, and address any grammatical issues.

No matter how well you think you can manage perfection with so few words and pages, or understand a child’s brain, your set of eyes alone will never be sufficient for a perfect manuscript. I’m a seasoned writer and editor and I still don’t trust myself to catch every grammatical issue or plot hole. 

You definitely don’t want just any editor. Avoid editors who have no connection to the children’s industry. While they’re probably really great editors for adult books, the nuances of editing children's books are significant. 

As a children’s editor, there are specific elements I pay attention to, that differ from editing books for adults. 

Here are some examples of what professional children’s book editors look for when editing:

• Finds ways to condense the story to make each of the 1000 or fewer words as powerful and necessary as possible. Any word or scene that doesn’t move the immediate story forward is out of there. 
• Dig for the use of story elements , such as hooks, tension and setting. These should be used in a much shorter space with fewer words and must  be perfect .
• Considers the artwork in the children’s book. A t least half of the storytelling belongs to the artwork. Is the author stepping on the artwork’s toes by being too descriptive? Too lengthy? Too… controlling?
• Incorporates industry standards.   Is the central character (the child-figure) the hero of the story? Is the language active? Are the words showing versus telling ? 

Invite a professional with strong experience in the children’s writing industry and credibility to back up their work to partner with you and your goal of making this book its best possible self. 

Consider the editor’s feedback and make any necessary changes. Stay true to your voice and your story while honoring the tradition of literature and writing quality books.

Step 8: Don’t skimp on the artwork 

I’m going to be really honest here. And while honesty isn’t a challenge for me, being brave to say what’s true when it might hurt someone’s feelings, is. But I’m going to say it anyway.

Just because you can draw or paint does not mean you should do the artwork for your book. It’s very likely not good enough . 

Don’t ask your friends who are too nice to tell you the truth. Ask a librarian or a children’s book store or the internet… show them your artwork and ask if it’s professional, publishing-quality illustration. If it’s not, and your goal is to sell the book, then…

Hire an illustrator. You can spend this time growing in your own illustration abilities for a future book. Being an artist is not the same as being an illustrator. 

Whew, I said it. Here’s the reality… learning how to write a children’s book means understanding that the book requires a perfect symbiosis of text and illustration in the storytelling . 

An effective children’s book illustrator knows: 

• To be not only a good artist, but also a good marketer and book designer
• What images attract children
• Where the gutter of the book is and how to avoid it
• The importance of white space for the text
• How to tell a story with images, both to compliment your words and to develop the story even further
• How to be your book’s life partner 

Just as you wouldn’t (hopefully) marry someone without careful thought and purpose, you shouldn’t marry your book off to any ‘ol artist, even if it’s you. Your book deserves the very best and this is what makes it a quality book. 

People will pick up a book because they love the artwork. They will also not pick up a book if they don’t. 

Parting words: About 1% of the authors I’ve seen illustrate their own books have done an incredible job. An author-illustrator I coached, Pam Fries, is one of them. Her book, Something’s Eating the Garden , is gorgeous. Most of her 80+ five-star average reviews talk about the quality of her hand-painted illustrations. I probably tried to talk her out of it. Or felt skeptical when she told me she was going to do it anyway (I hadn’t seen her artwork). And I’m so glad she did. If this is you , then by all means, illustrate your own book. I only ask that you make that decision with professional feedback.

Step 9: Get a catchy title and children’s book cover

Sometimes coming up with the title of your book is harder than writing the book. And that’s partly because the importance of a good title for your book’s success. 

After your potential buyer stops because the cover is so amazing it caught their eye, they’re going to read the title. If the title is lame, they’re going to keep walking. You have about three seconds to keep them engaged. (If they read the title and like it, they’re going to flip to the back to read the book description . Make sure it’s good!) 

Tips for crafting a children’s book title: 

• Make your title catchy and short. Definitely don’t give away the whole story with your title. Playful but slightly elusive. Clear but with a curiosity. 
• Make it memorable . 
• Make it specific to your book. It shouldn’t be so general that any number of other books could carry it without distinction. 
• Make it a title that only works with your book. 
• Read lots of children’s book titles and note the ones that stand out to you as clever or memorable. Use those as a model for your own title creation. 

Once you have a quality title, it’s time for a quality cover. Refer to my previous comments about illustration. Do not do your own unless you’ve been trained in marketing, design, and children’s books.

Hire someone to create a beautiful cover. They’re going to be thinking about what catches the eye of children and the interest of their adult with the wallet. Many illustrators are able to create quality covers but don’t assume.

That old saying, “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover?” Well, people do anyway, so let them judge yours as high-quality, professional, and exactly what they’re looking to put on their bookshelf. 

Step 10: Infuse a “Read it again!” quality

Finally, what makes readers love your book? It has that “Read it again!” feature. You know the one. It’s bedtime, you’re tired, they’re tired, and still they beg you to read it again. And honestly, you love it so much, you read it again. 

Not only does it feel good to be their read-again book of choice, but when you write a book at this level, you’re actually supporting their brain development! 

Studies have shown that repetition promotes healthy cognitive skill development. Writing a book they want to read over and over not only infuses them with the values you’ve encoded into the story, but supports their language development, memory, critical thinking, ability to analyze information, and social skill development. What we do is powerful. So let’s do it well.

Writing for children isn’t just about entertainment. We influence lives today for a healthier, more peaceful, more compassionate tomorrow. Think of the books that influenced you growing up. How they might still influence you. The books that carried you through hard times. The stories you just couldn’t put down or let go. 

When you write for children, you are changing the world today and tomorrow. Thank you for not taking that responsibility lightly by doing your research on how to write a children’s book that kids (and their adults) will love. 

If you want to follow a proven self-publishing framework with one-on-one coaching by a bestselling author , consider a self-publishing course !

What questions do you still have about learning how to write a children’s book? 

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How to Write a Children’s Book: The Dos and Don’ts and Everything in Between

• on Sep 08, 2022
• in Writing Tips
• Last update: September 26th, 2022

If you’ve ever wondered how to write a children’s book, then you might have thought it would be an easy task—after all, we were all children ourselves once, right? But the trouble with adults is we often forget what it’s like to be a child.

J. M. Barrie, author of the famous children’s novel Peter and Wendy , demonstrates the difference between children and adults: children believe, and adults learn to doubt. In order to write a book for children, a writer must try to remember what it’s like to believe. That’s the first step. Afterward, we’re here to help!

In this article, we offer insight into the different types of children’s books, tips on how to approach writing for children, a detailed step-by-step guide on how to turn your idea into a published work, and a list of mistakes to avoid during that process.  

So you want to know how to write and publish a children’s book? Let’s get to it!

Types of Children’s Books

Children’s literature covers everything from ages 0 to 18. The children’s book industry typically divides this wide age range into smaller ones, and offers six main types of children’s books, each one catering to a specific age group. In order to give you an overview of the market and what’s out there, let’s start with a breakdown of the different categories.

1. Board Books 

Board books are small books for small hands, which makes them the perfect gift for infants. They are designed to be suitable for babies by having rounded corners, thick cardboard pages to resist wear and tear, and are usually of a 6 x 6 inch format. 

• Reader Age Group : 0 to 3 years
• Topics : Board books tend to be educational , with very simple plots (if any) and basic vocabulary . They can be used to introduce children to colors, numbers, animals, shapes, etc.
• Length : Standard board books are usually a maximum of 20 pages or about 300 words. 
• Design : Illustrations outweigh the text in board books. They rely on bright and colorful pictures to attract the attention of the youngest readers in the children’s book market. 
• Counting on the Earth , illustrated by Ekaterina Trukhan
• Forever My Baby , written by Kate Lockwood; illustrated by Jacqueline East

2. Picture Books 

Think of picture books as the next step up from board books; they still rely heavily on illustrations, but they have more text and their inside pages are not restricted to paperboard but can be made of paper instead.  Moreover, they usually have a storyline rather than just abstract topics or random facts.

• Reader Age Group : 3 to 6 years
• Topics : The plot in picture books is still very basic, so topics can vary as long as they are easy to grasp. There is also usually the main character for readers to follow (often a child or an animal). 
• Length : The number of pages can range from 8 to 48 pages, but the standard length is 32 pages , with a maximum word count of 900 words .
• Design : Illustrations are still vital for picture books, and it’s standard to have one for each page. The format is slightly larger than board books: typically 8 x 10 or 8 x 8 inches. Picture books also come in different orientations: vertical (like typical books), horizontal, or square (like board books). 
• Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons , by James Dean; illustrated by Eric Litwin
• Stella: The Shark Who Loves Treasure , by Sarah Cullen and Carmen Ellis; illustrated by Zuzana Svobodova 

3. Early Readers

Also known as Easy Readers, these books are for children who can read basic text, but who can’t read well enough to jump into longer books. Publishers tend to categorize their easy readers into series and levels of difficulty, making it easier for parents to know where to start.

• Reader Age Group : 6 to 8 years.
• Topics : Early readers cover topics that are relevant to budding readers. They tend to be about friends, family members, and/or pets, and employ simple sentence structure to convey the story.
• Length : Depending on the level, the word count ranges from 1,000 to 3,000 words.
• Design : Still heavily illustrated, but with far more text than picture books. Their format tends to be that of a standard adult paperback: 6 x 9 inches. 
• A Pig, a Fox, and Stinky Socks by Jonathan Fenske
• The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto by Natalie Standiford; illustrated by Donald Cook

4. Chapter Books 

Chapter books are geared towards children who are classified as independent readers. With chapter books, young readers are exposed to slightly more complicated plots and more advanced vocabulary.

Most importantly, however, they experience the traditional way in which adult books are divided. Readers are also introduced to cliffhangers when the end of one chapter makes them curious about the next. 

• Reader Age Group : 8 to 10 years
• Topics : Since plots are more complicated in chapter books, there is room to explore an even wider variety of topics as long as they are appropriate for children. In other words, the content should be engaging and relatable, while also remaining suitable for a young age group. 
• Length : The word count for chapter books ranges from 4,000 to 12,000 words , with 4,000 being considered shorter than average, and anything above 10,000 being longer. 
• Design : Chapter books have some illustrations spread throughout the book (rather than being on every page) and tend to be black and white sketches rather than color illustrations. The format tends to be a standard 6 x 9, but the chapters are short (some can be as short as 2 or 3 pages long) and paragraphs also range from 2 to 4 lines each. 
• Zoey and Sassafras: Dragons and Marshmallows by Asia Citro; illustrated by Marion Lindsay
• Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl; illustrated by Quentin Blake 

5. Middle-Grade Novels 

Also known as pre-teen novels, middle-grade  novels are a young reader’s final stepping stone to young adult novels. Unlike chapter books, middle-grade books start to look more like adult novels: chapters are longer and more complicated, paragraphs contain more descriptive text, and there is room for subplots and more complex themes. 

• Reader Age Group : 9 to 12 years (pre-teen years)
• Topics : As mentioned earlier, starting from chapter books, topics can range widely. Just take a look at the titles of chapter books and middle-grade novels and you’ll see how utterly silly or strictly serious they can be! However, with middle-grade novels, themes can be a bit darker and/or more complex than those of chapter books. Genres can range from historical fiction and fantasy, to simple biographies and other nonfiction works.  
• Length : The word count for middle-grade novels can range from 20,000 to 40,000 words.
• Design : Middle-grade novels contain little to no illustrations. Paragraphs and chapters are longer than those of chapter books. They tend to have a standard format of 6 x 9 inches but are of course much thicker than chapter books due to the jump in the word count.
• Wonder by R. J. Palacio 
• The My sterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Steward; illustrated by Carson Ellis

6. Young Adults Novels

We have now reached the last and most advanced type of children’s book out there: the young adult novel (or YA for short). YA novels cater to an older age group of children, and although they cover similar themes as do middle-grade novels, these themes are fleshed out in much more depth. The content is also more geared towards teens and the everyday problems they face. 

• Reader Age Group : 12 to 18 years
• Topics : Just like middle-grade novels, YA novels cover a wide range of topics and genres; however, they typically do so from the perspective of teenagers. Therefore, they tend to discuss topics such as sexuality, bullying, dating, and coming of age.  
• Length : YA novels can range between 40,000 to 120,000 words , depending on the genre and the level of complexity of the plot. 
• Design : YA novels don’t contain any illustrations (unless these are pertinent to the story, such as with graphic novels). They can be as long as “adult” novels and if successful, they tend to be published as both paperback and hardback editions. They tend to follow a standard format of 6 x 9 inches. 
• Looking for Alaska by John Green 
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky 

A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Children’s Book

Have you settled on the type of children’s book that you want to write? It’s now time to delve into a detailed guide on how to go about writing and publishing your new masterpiece.

Step 1: Choose Your Target Readers

As a children’s author, you are addressing young readers whose interests vary greatly depending on what age group they’re in. A six-year-old and a sixteen-year-old would definitely not pick up the same book. In fact, everything about your book will depend on who your target reader is: the content, structure, format, design—even the type of paper you will be using!

Step 2: Find Your Idea

With your reader in mind, think about whether your idea is marketable. The Ideas for writing a children’s book are limitless, but of course the more unique it is, the higher your chances of standing out. However, even if your idea has been explored many times before in other books, a fresh way of communicating it on the page will certainly make all the difference. 

Step 3: Do Your Research—and Read!

Now that you know your target readers and have a golden idea locked down, it’s time to do some detective work. What other books in your category and genre are out there? How do they market themselves to children? How would your book stand out from the crowd? 

By asking such questions, you’re conducting your own market research, thereby giving your book a higher chance of succeeding. When you’ve explored what’s out there, start reading! The more books you read in your category, the more confident you’ll be in the way you structure yours and deliver the right content.

Step 4: Create Your Main Character

When writing a story for children, one of the most important things to consider is who your main character is. You want to create a character that’s relatable but that’s also different enough from your readers to get them excited. Here are some questions to consider that will help bring your character to life:

• What is a unique physical feature they have?
• What are their strengths and weaknesses?
• What are five things they hate?
• What’s their favorite hobby? 
• Why have you chosen them to lead your story?

Step 5: Choose Your Conflict 

Every plot, no matter how simple, requires there to be some sort of conflict. It’s what drives the story forward and what moves your characters. Choosing a conflict for your children’s book depends on the kind of book you’re writing and who you’re writing it for. 

For instance, the conflict in a picture book marketed for five-year-olds could be a cat getting stuck in a tree, whereas a conflict in a young adult novel could be a girl who constantly gets bullied at school. 

Step 6: Dive Right into the Story

With most children’s books, especially those for the younger age groups, you don’t have a lot of space to work with. Texts tend to be concise, and chapters are brief. That’s why in a good children’s book, there is a sense of momentum: the story flows and readers are carried right into the main events. 

This means you don’t have much time to provide a whole bunch of background information or too much descriptive text. You want to keep your readers interested, and you want to make sure that you’ll hold their attention from start to finish. So if you’re writing a picture book about a boy who loses (and hopefully then finds!) his dog, make sure he loses it from the very beginning. 

Step 7: Don’t Drag Out the Ending

The ending of a story usually happens after the resolution of the story’s conflict. Endings, especially in children’s books, normally shouldn’t be more than a couple of pages long. Why? Because your reader has already experienced all the excitement your book has to offer.

Imagine a story about a girl, May, and her cat. Here’s its basic plot structure:

Introduction : May loves her cat, Mr. Whiskerton, but he is very naughty.

Conflict : May loses Mr. Whiskerton, only to quickly find him stuck in a tree. 

Climax : Mr. Whiskerton is clinging to a tree branch that’s about to crack!

Falling Action : May calls the fire brigade and they arrive to rescue Mr. Whiskerton.

Resolution : May takes Mr. Whiskerton home. He has learnt his lesson.

What a rollercoaster of events! But notice that after the fire brigade arrives and saves Mr. Whiskerton, there’s nothing more to hold your young reader’s attention. All that’s left to do is tie up the story neatly; for example, by dedicating a page to show May cuddling with her cat, happy and safe at last. 

Step 8: Write a Draft, and then Rewrite it 

Sometimes the scariest part about writing a book is that blank page that’s staring at you. But time and again, authors have described the perfect antidote for the problem: just start. It won’t be perfect the first time, but at least you’ll have something to work with. 

So use steps 1 to 5 to build your confidence in the work you’re about to write and just put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard!). Once you have a complete first draft, then you can start your self-editing . Trim the unnecessary details; change any vocabulary that might be either too advanced or too patronizing; adjust the tone of voice to suit your subject and target reader. Keep editing and editing until you’re satisfied.

Step 9: Choose Your Title

The title is your book’s ultimate marketing tool and the way your book will make a first impression not just on readers but on publishers as well. Imagine you’re pitching your work to an agent or publisher: “I’m writing a book about dragons who attend dance school,” you might say. Immediately, the response will be: “What’s it called?”

Titles are vital for children’s books because, along with the cover, they are your book’s first impression. Not only do they dictate what the cover will look like, but also if they’re catchy or weird or even downright silly, they’ll be a hit with kids! 

For example, you can use alliteration ( The Wind in the Willows ; Horrible Histories ), rhyme ( The Cat in the Hat ; It’s Time to Wake, Jake ! ), exaggeration ( Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day )—or any other creative techniques you can think of. 

So, if titles are that important, how come choosing them is Step 8? Well, the truth is, often you won’t have the perfect title until you’ve actually written the story. You might have an initial title and then realize it just doesn’t work now that you’ve actually arrived at the end of your book. So get the writing done first, and the right title will follow.

Step 10: Gather Your Beta Readers 

An important step before publishing your manuscript is sending it out to beta readers. And since yours is a children’s book, you want to be specific about the type of readers you seek out. Of course, feedback from other children’s authors is great; however, the truly valuable input will come from parents and their children. After all, they are your book’s market, so who better to let you know what works and what doesn’t? 

If you have children of your own, you’re in luck! Simply give them the manuscript and ask what they think (just like J. R. R. Tolkien did with his two sons when writing The Lord of the Rings trilogy). Or if you’re writing for a very young age group, test out your work by reading it aloud to them. For more detailed guidance on how to make the most out of your beta readers, check out this article on our blog.

Step 11: Hire a Professional Editor 

So you’ve written and self-edited your book then implemented the feedback from your beta readers. Take a moment to congratulate yourself—you’re nearly there! Hiring a professional editor is the natural next step, especially if you’re new to writing children’s books. 

But you’re not just looking for any editor; you need a professional children’s editor who specializes in books for your target age group and genre. Finally, if you’re not sure where to look for an editor, the Editorial Freelancers Association is a great place to get started. 

Step 12: Get to Publishing

We have finally arrived at the last destination of the long but rewarding process of writing a children’s book: getting it published! You have two main routes to choose from: 

• Self-publishing: If you’ve decided to self-publish your book, you might need to hire an illustrator, depending on the category your work falls under.  If you’re not an illustrator yourself and you’re writing a picture book or an early reader, you will definitely need to hire an artist. 

But don’t panic—unless your book heavily depends on illustrations, you won’t have to do so until your text is complete. Here’s a great article on how to go about hunting for the perfect illustrator for your book. 

• Traditional publishing: If you’re going down the traditional publishing route, you probably won’t get to choose the illustrator you work with. Instead, most publishers will want to pair you with an illustrator of their choice. Later in this article, we provide you with a list of top children’s publishers. 

You can read more about self-publishing vs traditional publishing on our blog.

Dos and Don’ts When Writing Children’s Books: A Checklist

If you’ve made it this far, that means you now have all the necessary information to write a great children’s book—hooray! In this section, we’ve put together a checklist of five golden tips for children’s book authors, as well as a list of five mistakes to avoid. When writing your book, keep the first one handy and see how many items you can tick off before moving on to the list of Don’ts.

The Dos Checklist:

• Your book has the right tone of voice that demonstrates authorial confidence without “babying” the reader or patronizing them. 
• Your book includes vocabulary that is suitable for your target readers. Remember, if it’s too easy, they’ll feel talked down to, and if it’s too difficult they won’t have the confidence or will to read on.
• Your book is of an appropriate length compared to other books in the same category.
• Your book has character(s) with flaws as well as strengths. This is a sign of great characterization. In doing so, you make your characters feel real (even if they’re wizards or half-elves). When your characters feel real, your readers will believe in them. 
• Your book is entertaining for young readers but can entertain their parents, too . This is not a must, but it’s definitely a plus. 

The Don’ts List:

• Don’t include too much text in picture books: your readers are at a more visual age, and the text mainly serves to complement the illustrations. 
• Don’t model your book on other children’s books from your childhood. Although some books are classics that stand the test of time, it’s always better to get inspiration from current bestsellers.
• Don’t choose a cover simply because you like its aesthetic; a cover makes a book’s first impression, and they are extremely important, especially for young children. Choose a cover that helps tell your story. 
• Don’t make your book sound preachy. If there’s anything kids have enough of, it’s instructions on how to behave. Even if your book aims to teach children something, make sure the message is subtle and not too direct.
• And finally, don’t go into children’s writing thinking it’s the easy way out because of shorter lengths and word counts. Writing books for children is an art and it takes talent and perseverance to get it right. After all, children can be the most honest of critics! 

Where to Publish Your Children’s Book

There are many ways you can get your book published: self-publishing , hybrid publishing , or traditional publishing. If you decided, however, that you prefer to self-publish your book and gain full control over the creative process, then here is an article that will help you do just that: Best Free Digital Publishing Platforms for Aspiring Authors . 

You can also learn how to use Kotobee Author to create some outstanding interactive books for children . As for those who are interested in getting published through a publishing house, here is a list of some of the wonderful children’s book publishing houses and presses we love: 

Random House Children’s Books

• Children Categories: Babies and toddlers, beginning readers, intermediate readers, and young adults.
• Examples of Bestsellers: Hattie Harmony: Worry Detective and Goodnight Racism  
• Submissions: Manuscripts can only be submitted through literary agents.

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

• Children Categories: Picture books, middle grade, young adult, and graphic novels.
• Examples of Bestsellers: Think Big, Little One and The Wild Robot

HarperCollins Children’s Books

• Children Categories: Board books, picture books, early readers, middle-grade readers, and teen/young adults.
• Examples of Bestsellers: Stacey’s Extraordinary Words and Who Are Your People?
• Submissions: All manuscripts must be submitted through a literary agent, except when submitting to the children’s native-focused imprint Heartdrum .

Macmillan Children’s Book Publishing Group

• Children’s Categories: Baby and toddler, young readers, children’s classics, children’s poetry, and young adult.
• Examples of Bestsellers: The Gruffalo and Children of Blood and Bone
• Submissions: All manuscripts must be submitted through literary agents.

Flying Eye Books

• Children’s Categories: Picture books and children’s books for up to 14 years (including fiction and nonfiction).
• Examples of Bestsellers: Professor Astro Cat’s Frontiers of Space and I Ate Sunshine for Breakfast
• Submissions: Author submissions accepted for picture books and illustrated non-fiction books

Thames and Hudson

• Children’s Categories: Activity books, picture books. pop-up books, non-fiction children’s books.
• Examples of Bestsellers: Out to Sea and If I Had a Dinosaur  
• Submissions: Authors can send their proposals .

Laurence King Publishing

• Children’s Categories: Picture books, activity books, and non-fiction books for young adults.
• Examples of Bestsellers: Little Guides to Great Lives: Anne Frank and A Book of Monkeys (and Other Primates)
• Submissions: Author can submit their work directly through email.  

Firefly Press

• Children’s Categories: Younger readers, middle grade, and young adults.
• Examples of Bestsellers: Crater Lake and Lori and Max
• Submissions: Author and illustrator submissions accepted (but only occasionally for works of fiction).

If you decided, however, that you prefer to self-publish your book and gain full control over the creative process, then here is an article that will help you do just that: Best Free Digital Publishing Platforms for Aspiring Authors . 

Or you can find a middle ground and go with a hybrid publisher instead, who will assist you in the creative process while still giving you authority over your work.

And if you want to go the digital route and publish your ebook as an electronic book then you can use Kotobee Author to create some outstanding interactive ebooks for children .

Final Thoughts

It’s clear that writing a children’s book is A LOT of work. But oh sweet the joy of touching the lives of young readers! And now that you know the steps to follow, what’s to stop you from writing the next bestseller? 

Just remember to always keep your target age group in mind, and to leave the adult doubts at the door. After all, children’s writing is where the magic of childhood comes alive. 

Creating Outstanding Interactive Children’s Books: Best Practices, Tools, and Examples

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Your emphasis on understanding your audience, crafting relatable characters, and maintaining a sense of wonder and simplicity is foundational advice. It’s evident that you’re not just sharing tips but also imparting a philosophy of storytelling that is rooted in a deep understanding of the world of young readers.

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What is the 'best' children's book? Kids, parents and authors on why some rise to the top

What was your favorite book as a kid?

That question makes for a surprisingly effective icebreaker. You can tell a lot about someone from the books they read as a child. Case in point: I’m a journalist, a talker, a storyteller. Many of my childhood favorites had equally yappy and imaginative characters – “Junie B. Jones” by Barbara Park, “Olivia” by Ian Falconer, “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse” by Kevin Henkes.

The stories we read at bedtime seldom stay there . Here’s what parents, booksellers, authors and – most importantly – kids told me about what makes the best children’s book.

What makes the best children’s book?

Reading is subjective, of course. But in the quest for the “best” children’s books, parents should look out for a story that’s as entertaining to them as it is to their kids. 

Check out: USA TODAY's weekly Best-selling Booklist

“The secret to a really successful picture book is a picture book that both the parent and child can each enjoy on their own level,” says Peter Glassman, the owner of children’s bookstore “Books of Wonder” in New York City.

At a minimum, you have to make sure it’s a book you’re willing to read over and over.

“Sometimes I view children’s book authors as parenting partners where they’re like ‘This book is for the kid, but I’m going to make sure there’s a joke in here for you,'" said Tocarra Mallard , a TV writer from New York and a mother of two who makes TikToks about children’s books.

A good children’s book may teach kids about colors or numbers, but the best children's books can give them a voice to process and experience emotions.

In “The Pout-Pout Fish” by Deborah Diesen, a favorite in Mallard’s house, an act of acceptance helps turn a frown upside down. It has a silly, catchy rhyme that makes her 2-year-old laugh , but also a lesson for her 5-year-old that it's OK to feel blue sometimes. Kids aren't just kids – they're small people who live in a world that can foster anxiety, depression and other complicated feelings," Mallard says.

“For us to pretend that children (exist in) light and love and goodness at all times is denying them their humanity,” she says.

In their words: Kids tell us what makes a good book

Sometimes, finding the “best” book for your kid is just about knowing your kid. Some children want a picture-heavy book while others, like Mallard's son, who is autistic and hyperlexic, need a strong story with lots of words.

I spent the day at “Books of Wonder” earlier this spring to ask kids what makes the best children’s book.

Iago and Nico Akerman, both 11, told me the books they liked reading in school were about human history, how money works and agriculture in Latin America. Reading is a tool for the brothers to help decode the world around them.

Eight-year-old Valerie Song also loves to learn through reading. It “helps your brain grow,” she told me. 

She’s drawn to series because she’s a speed reader – and they help her feel connected to characters. Valerie was reading the last "Harry Potter" book when we spoke. Fantasy books can help you “go anywhere you want,” she said. As for everyday adventures, “I get enough of that in real life,” she reported. 

Frog and Toad are everywhere: How 50-year-old children's characters became Gen Z icons

What makes an award-winning children’s book?

A captivating story is the foundation for an award-winning book, says Shannon DeVito, the senior director of books at Barnes & Noble, which hosts an annual “Children’s and YA Book Awards.” Witty characters and dynamic illustrations aren’t powerful if there isn’t a story that inspires young readers to keep reading, she says.

But beyond that, a book should have characters or lessons that young readers can identify with. Last year’s overall winner was “ The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels ” by Beth Lincoln, a chapter book with a vibrant cast of characters. This year’s winner, “ A Royal Conundrum (The Misfits ) ” by Lisa Yee, is described by Barnes & Noble as a book for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider.

One pair of young sisters I spoke to at Books of Wonder, 3-year-old Azadeh and 5-year-old Arya Hashemi-Sohi, love “Saffron Ice Cream” by Rashin Kheiriyeh because one of the characters is named Azadeh. The sisters are half Persian, so their mom, Jeunelle Cunningham, told me they keep an eye out for books with Persian characters.

Glassman has been a bookseller for decades and says it excites him to see different childhood experiences represented in books.

“ Max and The House of Spies” by Adam Gidwitz , for example, is a story he wished he had growing up. It follows a Jewish boy living in London after leaving Germany during World War II. Max has red hair and freckles, just as Glassman did when he was growing up. 

Children’s books have gotten more diverse, both in the authors and the characters they write. A 2022 breakdown from the Cooperative Children’s Book Center noted 40% of books published in 2022 and received by the CCBC were by authors of color. On the other hand, an analysis of award-winning children’s books showed white characters are overrepresented .

“A good book that talks about modern culture, (and has a) diverse cast of characters is better than something that doesn’t,” DeVito says.

How to write a children’s book

Author Dan Gutman knows a thing or two about writing successful children’s books. His “My Weird School” books have sold over 35 million copies and he published the series’ 100th book earlier this year.

His secret sauce? Target the kids who don’t like to read. He focuses on short chapters and paragraphs, a linear, easy-to-follow storyline and, his personal favorite, “grown-ups doing dumb things.”

“I wasn’t a big reader myself, I relate really well to kids, especially boys, who don’t like to read,” Gutman says. “My goal is that that kid will open up one of my books and an hour later look up and think ‘Wow, that didn’t even feel like I was reading. I felt like I was watching a movie in my head.’”

That feeling is what Glassman looks for in a book as well. “I go to a book not to be impressed with someone’s writing – which sometimes I am – but I go to a book for the story. I love story, that is my great love,” he says.

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Why Do So Many Celebs Write Children’s Books?

Why do so many celebrities write children’s books? It can’t be that they think to themselves, Gee, I’d like to write a book, and kids’ books seem short, simple, and easy. I’ll crank one out before dinnertime! The answer must be that since they have already attained global success in the realms of singing or acting or morning-show hosting or playing professional sports, they now feel ready to take on the biggest challenge known to mankind . Because writing a great children’s book is really, really hard, and no one knows this better than parents, who are forced to read aloud, over and over again, books both cosmically perfect ( Goodnight Moon ) and execrable ( Dragons Love Tacos ).

Good children’s books have to satisfy at least four out of these six requirements. Anything less than three is failure.

• Can it be read aloud without tripping over clunky forced rhymes, incoherent meter, or awkward syntax?
• Is there the right ratio of text to illustration per page, so that kids don’t get bored and tune out?
• Is there something resembling a plot? (“A bunny goes to sleep by saying good night to the things in their room” is a plot. “You are strong and brave and can do anything you set your mind to!” is not.)
• Is it funny in a way that both kids and parents can appreciate?
• Do the illustrations make sense with the text, add something to the text, or — best of all — include captivating visual detail that reveals itself more on every rereading?
• Is there an absurd, surreal, or dreamlike element that speaks to the unique logic of kid-mind while also transporting parents nostalgically back to this time in their own mental development, à la In the Night Kitchen or, really, anything by Maurice Sendak? (Add two points.)

With these rules in mind, I collected 15 books by famous people and reviewed them, with occasional help from my easily bored 5-year-old, Ilya. Here they are, in order from worst to best.

15. Natalie Portman’s Fables , by Natalie Portman, illustrated by Janna Mattia

Finally, it’s here, the book everyone has been clamoring for: woke retellings of Aesop’s fables (“The Tortoise and the Hare,” “The Three Little Pigs,” “The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse”), by Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman! In Portman’s version of “The Three Little Pigs,” the first two pigs unwisely build their houses out of fast-food leftovers and plastic drinking straws. The wolf blows their houses down to warn them that only sustainable, environmentally friendly building practices are acceptable. Imagine reading this out loud to a child: “Planning and thinking about how to build cleanly / Makes your house sturdy / And keeps our earth looking greenly.” Plot notwithstanding, I award it negative points for forcing me to explain the concept of “offsetting carbon emissions” at bedtime.

14. The Bench , by Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, illustrated by Christian Robinson

“This is your bench / Where life will begin / For you and our son / Our baby, our kin,” this book begins, illustrated by a Harry and Archie–esque infant-dad duo sitting on a bench. Other dads and other benches (a diverse panoply of dads and benches) are accompanied by similarly tortured rhymed couplets. It concludes, “Right there on your bench / The place you’ll call home / With daddy and son … / You’ll never be ’lone.” Lone. LONE? Reading “you’ll never be ’lone” out loud with a straight face is very challenging. It’s weird for Meghan Markle, whose biggest problem historically has been her estranged dad selling her out to the tabloids, to write a book about the unbreakable bond of fatherhood. It’s not like her husband has such a great relationship with his dad, either: See Spare , which is a fun book by a very talented ghostwriter. The lesson here is hire a ghostwriter. Also, no plot. Zero points.

13. Hope Is a Rainbow  , by Hoda Kotb, illustrated by Chloe Dominique

This book is, as you’d expect, about the concept of “hope,” which is also the name of one of Kotb’s daughters, aww. Its Netflix-kids’-show-quality illustrations feature a strenuously multiethnic group of kids whose job is to enact HomeGoods wall-art-type sentiments like “Hope is a rainbow … after rain spoiled your fun. Clouds ALWAYS pass, making way for the sun.” Ilya, when quizzed, said this book is about “finding good friends,” which is charitable and also a stretch. The final couplet is the nonsense sentence “Always and forever, my wish for you / With hope in your heart, all your dreams will come true.” The author bio conveys the sobering information that Today show co-host Kotb is the author of seven books. This one unfortunately gets zero points .

12. The World Needs Who You Were Made to Be , by Joanna Gaines, illustrated by Julianna Swaney

I guess my main issue with this book by home-redecoration guru and Target-line-haver Joanna Gaines is that it’s about a team of kids assembling hot-air balloons, which seems extremely dangerous. They each build a balloon in their own particular style, then fly around in them. Typically, hot-air balloons are propelled by gas-heated air, but these balloons are lifted into the air by … individuality? I’m not asking for kids’ books to make literal sense — in fact, the less of that, the better — but the whimsical illustrations in this book are a weird mismatch for the text, which is from a New Age HR manual. “Some of us work alone. And some of us work side by side. Some of us are quiet and like to think things through. And others prefer to chitchat about all we have to do!” It takes all kinds to make a healthy workplace, by which I mean a children’s hot-air-balloon factory.

The thing I enjoyed most about this book was its soothing coordinated color palette of subtle greens and blues enlivened by splashes of coppery red, which is the same thing I, despite myself, enjoy about the rest of Gaines’s oeuvre. You can’t deny that the lady has an eye for color. For this, I award the book .5 of a point in total.

11. Why Not You?  , by Ciara and Russell Wilson with JaNay Brown-Wood, illustrated by Jessica Gibson

Kudos to the singer-quarterback couple for crediting their co-writer (i.e., ghostwriter). Unfortunately, the prose still leaves something to be desired. “Is there something that you dream of? / Something that you’d be or do? / Something that would make you happy / And make all your dreams come true?” the book begins, as two kids stare out the window at a butterfly. Okay, so, stay with me here. Is there a … dream … that would make all your … dreams … come true? I got a headache just typing that.

This is a book about how you can become anything you want to be, because why not you? “You are perfect and important.” A kid in a wheelchair juggles. A boy wears fairy wings. The only concession to any less-than-optimistic outcome is a page about how “disappointing situations / May make triumph hard for you,” which is deep, if you think about it. Triumph can feel as overwhelming as failure at times. I don’t think that’s what the authors meant, though. Anyway, this book doesn’t have a plot. The illustrations are perfectly charming and would be at home in almost any contemporary kids’ book. The Wilsons get 1 point for read-aloud-ability.

10. C Is for Country  , by Lil Nas X, illustrated by Theodore Taylor III

There was so much potential for this book to be good if it had captured any of the chaotic magic of Lil Nas X’s playful tweets or stage persona. Sadly, it is simply a relic of the weird era — summer 2019 — when “Old Town Road”’s Billy Ray Cyrus remix was peaking in popularity and was widely perceived to be a song for children. I would wager that Lil Nas X’s people thought he ought to release a children’s book. A meeting was held, and this anodyne book was produced. A miniaturized Lil Nas X leads us through the alphabet and his day, dressing up in a spangly cowboy suit and riding a pony named Panini. “Q is for quality time — I love my fam.” Sigh. No mention of “bull ridin’ and boobies” here. 1 point for having a semblance of plot (the course of a day).

9. River Rose and the Magical Lullaby  , by Kelly Clarkson, illustrated by Laura Hughes

The book is structured around a lullaby that Clarkson sings to her children, which is sweet. The mom in the story uses it to sing her daughter River Rose to sleep the evening before an exciting trip to the zoo, and during the night, River Rose dreams that she and her dog are magically transported to the zoo. “Soon she was flying and swooshing through the sky / On the adventure of a lifetime, with Joplin by her side.” That kind of uninspired near-rhyme and arrhythmic meter is characteristic of the whole book, but I still think a pro wrote it because it’s so personality-free. 1 point for plot.

8. Bella the Brave  , by Rebel Wilson, illustrated by Annabel Tempest

This is the story of a girl who gets over her shyness by joining a girls’ choir, eventually winning the lead in her school play. “Bella was shy, to the point where she’d cry / When invited to a party, she’d often lie / Other kids would raise their hands, eager to be heard / But Bella sat silent / She never said a word.” Nope, sorry, try again. It’s really not that hard to convey a simple idea in lines that scan! “Other kids raised their hands, to speak and be heard / But Bella sat silent, not saying a word.” See how freaking easy that was?! Other lines in this book only rhyme if you say them in an Australian accent: “Deep down, Bella knew something was missing / There were many things inside her that she just wasn’t expressing.”

On the plus side, it has a plot. The illustrations are inoffensive, even cute. Also, Ilya said, “This girl Bella is like this girl X in my class,” and pronounced it “good,” probably because he was feeling generous and this was toward the top of the pile and he hadn’t gotten bored yet. Bella the Brave gets two points .

7. Shady Baby , by Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwyane Wade, illustrated by Tara Nicole Whitaker

The illustrations of a baby who arches a brow and gets her way are cute. The meter is inconsistent, making it a tough read-aloud, but “Shady Baby” is fun to say over and over. Shady Baby sometimes has speech bubbles that say things like, “Hold on to your floaties, y’all! D.J. B.I.G. Boss is in the house,” prompting Ilya to point out that babies can’t talk. Also, the whole point was that Shady Baby’s facial expressions always let you know exactly how she’s feeling, but whatever. There is something of a plot, albeit a late-breaking one. A girl on the playground snatches Shady Baby’s elephant toy, and her posse defends her, lecturing the girl about sharing. Then the thief is repentant and wants to play with Shady Baby and her friends. “Okay,” Shady Baby smiles. “You can join our crew / Only if you learn to play / The way that real friends do.” Two points : one point for having a plot and another point because Shady Baby is an impressively nuanced character, especially considering that she is a baby.

6. Peanut Goes for the Gold , by Jonathan Van Ness, illustrated by Gillian Reid

Queer Eye grooming expert and prolific podcaster Van Ness spins a tale of a nonbinary guinea pig with a passion for rhythmic gymnastics. I would put this book in the category of “things that are about four or five times better than they actually need to be.” The illustrations are charming, and Peanut’s journey contains narrative tension. Will Peanut’s failure to tie their shoes dash their dreams of winning the rhythmic-gymnastics competition, or will they spin it into a new move? Well, you can probably guess, but one point for plot, another for correct text-to-pictures ratio, and yet another star for excellent read-aloud-ability. A sturdy ranking of three is not too shabby.

5. The One and Only Sparkella  , by Channing Tatum, illustrated by Kim Barnes

I was worried about this one, because Channing Tatum is known for his dance skills, muscle definition, and unexpected acting range but not, perhaps, his erudition. Luckily, he delivers with Sparkella , the first in a series of books inspired by his relationship with his daughter.

Ella, also known as Sparkella, is nervous for her first day at a new school, but she dresses in her sparkly best. Her extremely down-for-whatever dad follows suit, throwing on an insouciant shimmering boa. Unfortunately, no one at school seems to be picking up what she’s putting down. The next day, she tones down the sparkle, which leaves her feeling defeated. So on day three, she dresses in her sparkliest outfit ever. Her dad puts on a tutu. At school and at work (not pictured), they have the best day ever, culminating in a dad-daughter dance party. Maybe it’s not the most original story of all time, but it’s a story, there are no rhymes, and it can be read aloud. Thank you for coming through for me, Magic Mike. Three well-earned points for you.

4. My Little Brave Girl  , by Hilary Duff, illustrated by Kelsey Garrity-Riley

I found this book … nice? Ilya is a big fan of The Lizzie McGuire Movie and its soundtrack, so he was pretty excited about My Little Brave Girl , despite its being directly addressed to a daughter: “The world is big, my little brave girl / It’s all here for you.” So you can tell it’s another one of those “dream big, you’re special” plot-free books, but this time I’m okay with it for some reason. The illustrations help a lot; a team of multiethnic little girls adventure through nature, bake, dance in puddles, chase butterflies, and have a slumber party, all painted in dreamy pastel-watercolor shades. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that the text doesn’t rhyme or attempt to rhyme. “Oceans run deep / And you will learn to swim.” Like, that’s kind of beautiful? Duff’s bio mentions that she is the “chief brand officer” of some brands and also that she is “dedicated to providing consumers with high-quality, natural, environmentally friendly products,” which is such a weird thing to include in your bio that I can only assume she was contractually obligated to for some reason. Still, this book receives a surprising four points .

3. Remember to Dream, Ebere  , by Cynthia Erivo, illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow

Cynthia Erivo is an Oscar short of an EGOT and also has written an earnest and sweet children’s book. Ebere has trouble sleeping, and every time she wakes up, her mother encourages her to dream a little bit more of her dream of a fire-engine-red rocket ship. Each time Ebere goes back to sleep, her dream is illustrated with more vivid detail, with watercolor drawings that show a cute bespectacled child and a loving, infinitely patient mother.

Personally, if my kid woke up and told me about his dream multiple times, I might be more likely to threaten to take away the next day’s screen time than I would be to sweetly encourage him to keep dreaming, but books are meant to transport us to a fantastical world where anything is possible. This is a solid four-pointer.

2. The Secret Society of Aunts and Uncles  , by Jake Gyllenhaal and Greta Caruso, illustrated by Dan Santat

I asked for plot, and boy, this book delivers! It may even deliver too much. Leo, a shy kid with glasses, is disappointed to be picked up from dance class by his un-fun Uncle Mo, who’s in town for a rubber-band convention. Once they get in the car, though, they’re spirited away to a magical Secret Society of Aunts and Uncles. Here, Mo will learn how to be a fun uncle, quizzed game-show-style on the SAT (Stellar Aunt-Uncle Test), which has questions like “What time is bedtime?” (Correct answer: “Three minutes before Mom and Dad get home!”) Mo fails more than a few tests, but finally finds success when he fixes Leo’s glasses, which always slip off when he dances, via rubber band. Victory achieved, they’re transported back to the real world, where they share a tender moment before bedtime. Phew!

My only real issue with this book is that it’s tricky to read aloud — there’s a lot of text on every page, some of it in the form of captions or signage. It almost seems better suited to be read by a kid who’s old enough to read to himself, but the picture-book format signals that it’s for younger kids. Still, I’m happy that Gyllenhaal got to have this lark with his best friend Caruso and that the outcome is quirky and unexpected. Four points for plot, illustration, funniness, and absurdity. You may not have been a good boyfriend to Taylor Swift, Jake, but you did (co-)write a B+ kids’ book.

1. The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit  , by Emma Thompson, illustrated by Eleanor Taylor

It’s not fair to compare Emma Thompson to any of the other authors on this list — Thompson is a writer . She won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Sense and Sensibility , and we real Thompson heads know that the screenplay in question was published alongside her shooting diary, an effortlessly charming account of sheep, rain, bad digestion, and little clues that she’s developing a crush on co-star and future husband Greg Wise. Emma Thompson is a golden god who can do no wrong, and her continuation of the beloved Beatrix Potter series is as wonderful as I expected it to be. In the first installment (of three), Peter falls asleep in a picnic basket and winds up in Scotland, where some Scottish rabbits are having a contest to see who can throw giant vegetables farthest. Go off, Emma Thompson! This is a great book to read to babies and little children for the sheer pleasure of reading it yourself. For older kids, it might be too quiet and slow-moving. It’s also pretty long, so you could spread it over a night or two of bedtimes. This book gets six out of six available points , but again, the deck is overwhelmingly stacked in Thompson’s favor. She’s Alice Munro compared to the rest of these people.

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Children’s Book Teaches an Integrative Approach to Mental Health Basics

By Casey Hersch, MSW, LCSW

May 24, 2024

Stress is at an all-time high. Increasingly, the general public and healthcare system are acknowledging ACEs (adverse childhood experiences), and the negative effects early-life traumas have on health.

Sadly, children’s exposure to ACEs are compounded by unavoidable universal traumas. The negative effects of universal traumas such as the pandemic, war, climate change and school/community shootings break all boundaries.  None of us are immune from trauma.

Now more than ever we need to teach kids how to build their mental immunity to help buffer them from their stressful environment.

The solution is multi-layered. It starts with prioritizing professional resources for children that teach them about feelings, inner and outer resources, body signals, thoughts, and how to feel empowered even in the most difficult social and personal challenges. The solution also rests with adults to join children and heal the gaps in their own mental health foundation.

Mind-Body Balance: The Importance of Healthy Outlets

These signals often present with mood changes such as feeling anxious , overwhelmed or depressed — accompanied by physical symptoms ranging from intermittent headaches and nausea to chronic disease.

When children spend too much time in front of screens, consequently, they spend less time pausing, reflecting and processing information in their own language. Children need to move their bodies and use their imaginations through play in order to learn, process conflict, and make sense of their feelings and environment.

These natural ways kids release stress and find relief are essential to their long-term growth, yet over time these resources have been given less priority. We must shift our focus toward offering kids playful resources with guided treatment frameworks to help them gain confidence and feel in control of a world that often feels out of their control.

A Therapist’s Discovery and Intervention

As a mental health therapist, I immerse myself in thoughts, feelings and behaviors. However, also an adult, I find myself overwhelmed in our stressful world and often forgetting my own mental health self-care and basic foundation.

When I sat down to write my mental health–focused children’s book, I Am Pawso , about a cat who teaches kids ways to turn around difficult situations, I quickly recognized that I wasn’t just writing a book for kids.

I had a lot to learn from Pawso, the cat. I needed refreshers and more practice on my own resources to help me shake off bad feelings and situations and turn them around into something positive and manageable. Like so many adults, I was spinning in a circle of stress, illness (Crohn’s disease) and disconnection.

I had forgotten how to play, discover, and imagine! Immersing myself back into the world of kids reminded me of fundamentals that we all need. Without targeted interventions, adults will continue to consume a diet of stress, which feeds a cycle of inflammation. Meanwhile, adults unintentionally continue modeling to kids that there aren’t any healthy alternatives to this vicious cycle.

Early interventions are key to teaching kids coping skills and building resilience. However, it’s not enough to solely focus on kids. We should not assume that adults already know how to identify and regulate their feelings.

Many adults did not receive healthy modeling in their childhoods for how to express feelings, notice thoughts, self-advocate, and prioritize self-care. Instead, like many other adults, I learned how to overreact, stress out, and hide my pain and low self-esteem in my work and other avoidant strategies.

It wasn’t until I had a raging disease process, complicated by my childhood trauma, that I started to get a picture of the importance of laying a foundation early in childhood. Now, middle aged, I focus on how to nurture that child in me who missed crucial social emotional learning. I have a lot to gain from mental health resources that break down concepts into child friendly basics. After all, adults and children have very similar needs in order to thrive.

Play: Our Natural Re-Calibrator

Adults, like children, need ways to escape from their day-to-day lives and recharge their overworked bodies and nervous systems. Play ignites our imaginations and curiosities — and naturally reconnects us to ourselves and others.

Guided by this important information, I focused on how Pawso, the cat, identifies numerous outlets that help him build resilience, thereby opening the door to helping adults play and interact with their kids through discussion, imagination, exploration, and discovery of their own “shake and turn” tools!

When was the last time you played an instrument, listened to music, danced, used art to create, climbed a tree? When was the last time you sat down and read a story to a child and tried something new together?

An Introduction to Feelings and Thoughts

It is common to feel at the mercy of our feelings rather than in charge of them. When kids and adults don’t have the resources to recognize their feelings or body cues, they cannot access healthy ways to express themselves.

The crucial role our brain plays in our whole-body processes is at the forefront of wellness. Our thoughts and perceptions have a direct effect on our feelings and behaviors. How we perceive situations and other’s intentions and the meaning we make of our own experiences dramatically affects our thoughts, feelings, reactions, and behaviors.

Too often, these brain-body mental health essentials are missing in our children’s education. Too often, adults, responsible for modeling to kids, also lack an understanding of their own self-talk, triggers or how to calm down.   

How a Children’s Book Is for Adults, Too

When I wrote I Am Pawso , numerous incidents flashed through my mind of times I felt worthless or upset because of something someone said to me or because I thought someone was intentionally being mean to me. Some of my interpretations were true, but often I overreacted and didn’t realize I was in charge of how things made me feel.

Our feelings and thoughts belong to us! That makes us in charge!

If I react so strongly, then kids must experience the same tenfold. Daily kids face bullying, conflict, confusion and peer pressure.  Similarly, when Pawso goes to school, he deals with situations that anger him and cause him to question his self-worth.

Through lessons and activities, he realizes he can react with anger and strike his claws, or he can take charge of this thoughts and shift his perspective. I considered the profound effect this kid friendly I Am Pawso philosophy could have on children throughout their lifetime.

For many years, I did not realize my thoughts affected my mood and symptoms. I focused on trying to “will” myself to think positively without using my body to help me. As I Am Pawso culminated into an integrative treatment approach, I tossed aside my old mantras and began using a new holistic I Am Pawso mantra.

This mantra was born out of my realization that in order to affect my thoughts, I need to move my body. To affect my body symptoms, I need an awareness of my thoughts. My health improved when I identified my inner powers that could help me shake off and turnaround situations to help me feel better.

But for a moment my mind starts to churn. I can change my thoughts with a shake and a turn!

Today, me and Pawso are on a quest to teach kids and their adults how to identify and use their own “shake and turn” tools. It requires learning, but when we commit to building new habits through practice, we build healthy brain pathways for coping. There’s nothing more empowering than being able to calm down and feel better from the inside out!

Casey Hersch, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker, animal rescuer, and health journalist. She uses holistic and resilience-based models to help children and families cope with trauma, stress, and illness. Her mental health children’s book, I Am Pawso: A Cat Teaches Kids Ways to Turn Around Difficult Situations is available on Amazon (2023) and garnering 5 star reviews. She developed a comprehensive I Am Pawso companion treatment guide for parents, teachers and clinicians, available for free download with purchase of the book.

For more information visit: www.caseyhersch.com

At DrAxe.com, Casey has also written about the high costs of healthcare , integrative healing and using integrative approaches for living with chronic illness .

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Why do books have chapters? How writing changed from antiquity to children's books and streaming

Nicholas Dames remembers the first time he really got thinking about a very obvious but largely invisible writing device.

It was around two decades ago, when he was completing a PhD in English and American literature.

"A friend of mine, who was not an academic, over drinks one night, just blurted out to me, 'why do novels have chapters?'," the Columbia University humanities professor tells ABC RN's Late Night Live .

"I realised I hadn't the faintest clue how to answer that question. It was one of those, 'why is the sky blue' questions."

In the years that followed, Professor Dames returned to this question again and again, so he decided to explore the history of the chapter.

The topic may sound deeply academic, but it's not all laborious details about medieval tomes.

At the heart of this history is how we tell stories.

And from a child's development to an evening on the couch watching Netflix, the chapter affects our lives in many unnoticed ways.

Chapter 1: A long history

For much of human history, texts were not divided into sections. They were words upon words upon words.

The earliest chaptered text that Professor Dames found was a Roman legal tablet from Urbino, dating back to the second century BCE.

The tablet was announcing a new law, explains Professor Dames, who's written the book The Chapter: A Segmented History from Antiquity to the 21st Century.

"It was a continuous law, but the law was segmented and those segments had brief titles," he says.

This is how early chapters were used — to organise informational texts on topics like law, medicine or language, to "tell readers where to look for the information they were seeking".

For much of antiquity, the most common type of text was the scroll. And these sometimes came with a chapter list, in an accompanying, smaller scroll.

Chapter 2: Different ways of writing

Professor Dames' research considered two millennia of Western literary history, which meant he also saw how the written word has evolved.

Today's reader would likely find ancient texts totally unrecognisable.

For example, up until the ninth century, written lines were continuous chains of letters with no breaks between the words.

"To try to get one's mind around how one read without the separation of words, it's a truly tricky task, but they seem to have done it without much difficulty," Professor Dames says.

His research shows that "the history of text is a history of ways in which we segment text".

"We currently live in a regime where text is very elaborately segmented, but that wouldn't have been the case 2,000 years ago," he says.

Chapter 3: Making a living by making chapters

Over much of its history, chaptering was not the responsibility of writers, but of editors.

This was called "capitulation".

"It was an ancient technique, and that extends well into medieval Europe, for taking a text that you have not written, a text that pre-exists you and …. dividing it in a way that makes sense," Professor Dames explains.

"It was an intellectual labour that was performed by scholars, particularly within the Roman Empire [and also] by medieval monks. It was a very, very long-lasting form of intellectual labour."

Depending on the individual editor, a book could be divided up in countless different ways.

Chapter 4: Dividing the Bible

Professor Dames says perhaps the "most visceral" chapter in the history of chapters is the Christian Gospels.

The Gospels were originally written without chapters, he explains.

But over the years, mainly between the fourth century and the 13th century, they were divided up in innumerable ways.

Some scholars chopped up the Gospels into extremely tiny chapters, others into larger ones.

It got confusing. For example, chapter 12 in the Gospel of John could mean one thing in one version and a very different thing in another. 

This changed in the early 13th century.

Although unconfirmed, it's thought that Stephen Langton, a theologian at the University of Paris, who later became the Archbishop of Canterbury, came up with today's Gospel chapters around 1210-1220.

Another theory is that this chaptering system came from a series of religious institutions in England at this time.

The idea was to create chapters that were roughly of equivalent size, but that also made sense in the narrative.

But this form of chapters was "greeted with a bit of scepticism at the time … and continued to be greeted with scepticism well into the 18th century", Professor Dames says.

Chapter 5: Anti-chapters

Not everyone was thrilled that chapters were standard parts of texts.

In the 17th century, English philosopher John Locke was a critic of Bible chapters. In fact, he thought it shouldn't have been done at all, Professor Dames says.

"He thought that the chapter break disturbs the progression of thought as you read.

"[Locke believed] one should read in an uninterrupted fashion, following what he called a chain of argument from start to finish, and chapters were a disastrous way to address the text."

Chapter 6: Marking time

Next up is a big shift: The use of chapters moved into the realm of the writers themselves.

Chapters became part of the author's writing process, and stories were written with chapters in mind.

As the modern novel emerged in 17th and 18th century Europe, chapters served as timing devices, part of a story's rhythm.

"Authors made the decisions — to cut chapters short, or to sculpt them in certain ways," Professor Dames says.

Chapters became "a really wonderful place for authors, or one could say narrators, to directly address the reader".

"To remind the reader of their ability to leave or to take a break. To solicit the reader's attention. To apologise for taking too much of the reader's time. To establish a kind of communicative relation with the reader."

Chapter 7: Chapters in children's development

Professor Dames says that today, one marker of a child's development is the transition from picture books to "chapter books".

Chapter books are "a big developmental step in the experience of children with narrative … [they are] what children read when they are first really maturing into literacy".

This transition is analogous with "what psychologists call 'object permanence' — the moment in infancy when a child realises that just because you've hidden an object, it still exists".

"A chapter works that way, in terms of time, for children," he says.

"It says that just because the story has paused, you can resume it … It tells children that they are allowed to leave and re-enter narratives."

Chapter 8: Streaming

Technological developments over recent decades have seen the idea of chapters cross over into other ways of storytelling.

Chapters have become part of long-form TV or streaming shows, with episodes carefully curated into various segments, often using reintroductions and cliffhangers.

"It means that these narratives can sort of filter into our lives … when we aren't consuming fiction, we can let the experience diffuse into our day," he says.

For example, this year's FX series Shōgun started each episode with a written title, and then the drama unfolded in a fairly self-contained way.

Chapters are "so common and so flexible, and so unformalised that they can always be reinvented," Professor Dames says.

"So I think that in some sense, [chapters] are always going to be with us." 

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18 Great Children’s Geography Books for Kids

This post may contain affiliate links.

It’s so important to read good children’s geography books so that our children understand concepts such as communities and a global perspective . Read the picture books aloud with your growing readers and share the nonfiction titles with your middle grade readers.

Children will learn about maps, travel, and more with these books and atlases. The Geography Standards from the Common Core are so important to know for a citizen and growing child.

Common Core 6 Essential Elements of Geographic Knowledge

• The World in Spatial Terms
• Places and Regions
• Physical Systems
• Human Systems
• Environment and Society
• The Uses of Geography

Beneath these six elements there are 18 specific geographic standards that include using maps, characteristics of places, regions of the Earth, and more.

As a 5th grade teacher, I was so committed to making sure my kids knew geography that the first big test that they had to retake until 100% was the continents and oceans of the world. (To me, it was inexcusable NOT to know this by 5th grade.) We got that out of the way and build the foundation for lots of other history and geographic curriculum. Kids must know that their city, state, and country is not the only one in the world!

Geography Books for Kids

Geography books, picture books ages 4 to 8.

Walk This Underground World   by Sam Brewster Take a walk in different parts of the world, starting with a busy Canadian city and continuing to Egypt and Poland’s salt-rock mines.  With over 80 flaps, you’ll lift flaps to see what’s under the ground and read more about it.  Under the Flaming Cliffs, for example, discover the dinosaur fossils that paleontologists carefully dig out. Kids will spend hours pouring over this little book. Seemingly random, I like that the back map ties it all together by plotting each location.

Barefoot Books Amazing Places  by Miralda Colombo, Beatrice Cerocchi Discover 15 impressive places in the world. Each place gets four pages. The first two-page spread introduces the landmark. The next 2-page spread gives you facts and information about the landmark. If your kids want to learn more about the world, they’ll love this geography resource.

Tiny Travelers France Treasure Quest   by Steven Wolfe Pereira and Susie Jaramillo Welcome to France. Learn all about Paris, French food, festivals, famous places, activities, animals, and more. After you read each two-page spread’s information, search for the hidden treasures and read the “Did you know” facts. You might learn that The Louvre is home to the Mona Lisa and get to search for the Louvre Pyramids. Fun!

Tiny Travelers Haiti Treasure Quest  by Steven Wolfe Pereira and Susie Jaramillo Not meant for babies even though it’s a board book, this is a sturdy board book introduces preschool children to the country of Haiti’s culture, language, food, and more. Read about Port-au-Prince and find the Neg Mawon statue. Learn about Independence Day and Soup Jaoumou — see if you can find the soup on the page, too. Each page gives children information about Haiti and a colorful illustration they can use to find the hidden treasures.

Primary Geography Books, Ages 6 – 9

Middle Grade Geography Books for Ages 9 – 12

Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for The World’s Most Adventurous Kid  by Dylan Thuras and Rosemary Mosco, illustrated by Joy Ang Beautifully illustrated and written, this guide is filled with interesting and unique spots all over the world.  Some are things “Hidden in Plain Sight” like the Eiffel Tower Apartment in France or the Dinosaur of Ta Prohm in Cambodia or “DIY Transportation” like the Homemade Zip Lines in Columbia. Explore weird weather, sweet and salty treats, catacombs, caves, and more — this will be one book that your adventurous kids will enjoy reading cover to cover multiple times.

Africa, Amazing Africa Country by Country  by Atinuke, illustrated by Mouni Dddag Filled with colorful illustrations and interesting information, this is an essential guide to the geography, culture, and language of Africa.  Atinuke highlights the important things for each country then gives some footnotes for more context. It’s one of the geography books that belong on classroom and school library shelves; kids will pour over the pages of digestible information and appealing illustrations.

National Geographic Kids Ultimate U.S. Road Trip Atlas Another great, eye-catching atlas from the beloved National Geographic! Each state includes a map, slogan, roadside attractions and lots of impressive attractions and facts. This could inspire your family’s next road trip and teach your kids about geography.

Manhattan: Mapping the Story of an Island by Jennifer Therme Read about  history of the island of Manhattan , starting with the Lenape people and continuing to the present day with subways and bridges and 1.6 million people. This book is packed with information about the city including the ecosystem, fires, and slavery. Gorgeous illustrations and readable informative writing, this oversized picture book will interest all readers, especially those who like American history or live in the New York area. Highly recommended.

KEEP READING:

Japan Picture Books

Children’s Historical Fiction

Read Aloud Books for Kids

Kindle for Kids

Best Geography and History YouTube Channels for Kids U.S. Geography Games and Puzzles for Kids

Melissa Taylor, MA, is the creator of Imagination Soup. She's a mother, former teacher & literacy trainer, and freelance education writer. She writes Imagination Soup and freelances for publications online and in print, including Penguin Random House's Brightly website, USA Today Health, Adobe Education, Colorado Parent, and Parenting. She is passionate about matching kids with books that they'll love.

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