April 15, 2026
Do you want to become a book author for children? You can make that a wish a reality, even if you’ve faced repeated rejections from publishers. The answer is to publish your book yourself. With a little work and a strong belief in your story, you can see your dreams to be a book author for children come to life.
Some self-published children’s books have become best-selling classics. Beatrix Potter faced many rejections from publishers before she decided to publish Peter Rabbit herself. By the time a commercial publisher offered her a contract, she had already sold 8,000 copies.
Christopher Paolini wrote the fantasy children’s book Eragon when he was still a teenager. His parents published it through the small publishing company they owned, and they traveled around the country trying to promote it. In 2002, writer Carl Hiassen, whose son bought the book and loved it, brought Eragon to the attention of his publishing house. It was published in 2003 by Alfred A. Knopf and made into a movie in 2006.
Your book may not become a best-seller like these did, but you can still have the satisfaction of seeing your book in print and knowing that you gave living, breathing life to your story to become a book author for children.
If you have an idea for a children’s book, you can turn that idea into reality. Start by defining your target reader, find a good illustrator, and follow a step-by-step plan to print, market, and sell your book. Following is your 9-step guide to getting your book onto paper and into print as a book author for children.
The first step is to decide what age range you want to reach as a book author for children. This determines not just the level of writing and the number of words. It also determines what type of binding and printing style you can use as a book author for children.
Use short sentences, concrete nouns, and active verbs for younger readers. Introduce slightly longer sentences and richer vocabulary for older kids. Keep rhythm and repetition for toddlers. Focus on plot and character arcs for older children.
While younger readers prefer cheerful stories with happy conclusions, this doesn’t mean you should steer away from potentially difficult topics. Young children often use books to help them cope with difficult emotions associated with death and family changes. When writing for this audience, always end your story on a positive, upbeat note.
Once you’ve written and self-edited text, use your final draft to build a picture-book dummy. As a book author for children, you can do this online, but many writers use plain paper spread across a table. Go through your book page by page, deciding what text goes where. For young readers and board books, stick to two to three words per page. Note where an illustration is going on each page.
Work on your dummy until it matches what you want your finished book to look like. Make copies of the dummy. You’ll need one to work with an illustrator. It will also help you in the print planning stage.
Illustrations are the major selling point of a children’s book. If you want to be a successful book author for children, your book must have professional artwork.
Look for an illustrator whose style matches your book’s style and themes. Focus on artists whose work mirrors your personal preferences. If you like old-fashioned, lavishly colored illustrations, don’t choose an artist who works in a modern, minimalist style—or vice versa. Look for artists who have experience working with a book author for children.
When you find artists you’d like to work with, evaluate their experience with children’s books, portfolio consistency, and ability to deliver layered files and page layouts. Ask for full spread samples and references before hiring someone.
Set a realistic budget and contract. Agree on scope, milestones, payment, and rights, for instance, will this be a work-for-hire contract or a licensing deal? Insist on final files in editable formats and a clause for revisions and delivery timelines.
Before you go to the final version of your book, start by reading the drafts aloud to kids in your target age range. Read drafts aloud to kids in your target age. Observe comprehension and attention. If you have a pre-print dummy that includes your artist’s draft illustrations, share them. Ask them how they like the pictures. If necessary, adjust the vocabulary, humor, and pacing based on real reactions.
If you have kids, you can use their reactions, but remember, they won’t be unbiased judges. It’s best to read your drafts to kids who don’t know you. You can ask local schoolteachers, children’s librarians, or others to find kids who might be interested in hearing a new story and sharing their honest opinions to you as a book author for children.
You want to reach as many readers as possible, so format your book for both print and direct-to-print (e-book) formatting. Prepare print files in CMYK, 300 DPI, with bleeds. For e-books, use RGB and fixed layouts for picture books. Plan for standard picture book page counts (often 24–32 pages). Don’t forget the front matter, back matter, ISBN, and copyright information.
Your book deserves the best possible printing to look its best. Find a printer who’s used to working with first-time, self-published writers. They’ll help you choose the right binding, papers, and other elements of your finished book. You’ll be thrilled when you finally hold your printed book in your hand.
Congratulations. You’re now a published book author for children.
Once your book is finished, you must choose a distribution platform. The most popular options are the following.
Prepare your marketing materials. Be sure your book cover looks its best. Write a brief author biography and promotional material, including book blurbs. Draft a press release announcing the release of your book. Let the world know that you’re a new book author for children with a wonderful new story to share.
If you’ve always wanted to be a book author for children, you can do it by choosing the self-publishing route. Start drafting your book today. Line up an illustrator, choose a binding style, and work with a professional printer. At Publishing Xpress, we turn writers’ dreams into reality every day with affordable rates, fast service, and a customer-focused approach.
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