A goal for writing will help you stay on track. You’ll need to set some goals and stick to them every day, too. This will help you stay on track and make real progress as you write.
It’s time to write that book!
So, what’s the big question? How long should your kids’ picture book?
Most children’s picture books are 32 pages long, but the age range your picture book is aimed at may make it shorter or longer.
A good word count is 500-600 words. This will depend on what you’re writing about. For picture books for kids to let the pictures tell most of the story.
If you’re having trouble writing your book, look into the market. See how the best authors put together the best picture books for kids. It will help if you read picture books that have already been written.
If you read this, you’ll get a better sense of how to write your own children’s book. As always, use your ideas to write your story. Only you can do that! Only you can tell it the way you want to.
Here are some steps to write a Children’s Picture Book:
Choose a Title.
What a children’s book title says draws a person’s attention who might want to read it.
Make your title short and interesting! Use easy literary methods or wordplay, but don’t create a title to confuse the reader.
Then, make a list of possible titles. Then, take a poll with both kids and adults to see which titles they like best. When it comes to which one to use, this can help. But you still have the final say!
You can even get ideas from other children’s book titles if you do online research.
Make a ‘Mock-Up’ of Your Child’s Book.
As soon as you have your story text typed the way you want it, another graphic organizer used by authors is a “Picture Book Dummy,” which is a mock-up of your kids’ book made with thumbnails.
Cut and tape paper to see how your book layout will feel and look in real life.
A dummy can help you avoid making a costly and frustrating mistake.
It’s then time to put your book together with real text and images from an artist, using the computer publisher format you’ve chosen to self-publish your kids’ picture book.
Make Revisions and Edits to Your Book
Yes, you must edit your picture book for children.
Even if you’re an expert writer who understands all there is to know about grammar, syntax, punctuation, and style, you’ll still need an editor.
You’d be amazed how many mistakes or improvements a competent editor can spot in your content.
Look for children’s book editors in your neighborhood, or use online job boards like Thumbtack, Problogger, or Upwork.
Locate a Graphic Designer
You’ve written and polished your story, and now it’s time to pair your clever words with captivating graphics. It is, after all, a picture book!
Who will create the artwork for your children’s picture book? Are you an illustration who works for a living? Are you prepared to pay a skilled artist for 16 vivid and adorable illustrations?
Most publishing houses do not want you to send illustrations with your picture book text if you pick the conventional publication path. They usually assign one of their in-house artists to each of the few book manuscripts they select to publish each year. This means you may or may not have involvement with the book’s artwork.
If you self-publish your children’s picture book, you are in full control of the illustrator search and have complete creative control. You may collaborate with illustrators in your local region or online.
When it comes to your illustrations, don’t save on quality. Hire a skilled artist from any ghost writers for hire provider.
Begin Publishing
Glad you’ve finished learning how to write a children’s picture book. Your book is written and illustrated. So now? It’s time to publish!
You may either seek a conventional publisher or self-publish your book. This extensive research on self-publishing vs. traditional publishing will help you decide.
Traditional publication is very competitive and time-intensive. Send your work to agencies. This is when your manuscript is submitted to publishers.
If a publisher accepts your work, you will be given a book contract, and the publishing firm will handle the production process. But you’ll probably have to advertise your book.
However, you may self-publish your children’s picture book, leaving everything up to you. You decide when your book will be published and oversee the whole production process.
So you have to employ specialists to perform things like editing and illustration that you can’t do yourself. You must also understand how to sell your book and which self-publishing businesses to use.