So you have a story/manuscript for a children’s book. You are wondering what is your first next step.
You ask yourself…who can I get to publish my book?
Let’s get real. Unless you’ve got a super-duper story the likelihood of a publisher picking up your book can be slim. You may wait months or years and receive 100s of rejection letters if you are persistent to make that many submissions.
If your book is not well-written, edited and you've got super illustrations, FORGET IT. Most of the stuff I see that cross my desk goes in the garbage...and I'm a small publisher who believes in giving new authors an opportunity. So when you write book, get into it for the right reasons. Do your research. Does it stand up to what's on the shelves at your bookstore?
I published my first children's book three years ago. I finished the book in a few weeks, printed it in one week and was promoting it the next. While it was at the printer I was promoting it on social media. I also uploaded the book as an eBook on Amazon. That's what it takes to become a published author. There are so many children's books out there that are both poorly written and illustrated. BUT PLEASE MAKE SURE YOURS IS QUALITY...Quality writing and quality illustration.
Please check out these six (6) articles as they will also help — http://www.pamricedesign.com/KidsShelf/July18.html
Most publishers will publish your book, but when it comes to actually marketing and promoting your book, it may only be for 30-60 days if that….then it’s all on YOU!
Take the next best step to becoming and INDIE (Independent) author…publish YOUR OWN BOOK. Why wait forever praying for someone to accept you?
Over the next three weeks, I’ll take you through steps on producing your own book…from polishing up your script; finding a printer; laying out your book; printing and proofing and promoting, etc.
* You need to get a good editor, someone to proof and make any necessary suggestions.
* Decide whether you want a HARD cover OR SOFT cover book.
* Find a Print-On-Demand Printer (P.O.D.) With a P.O.D. printer you can get any quantity from one(1) copy on up. Once you determine how many pages you want, you can ask the printer for an estimate.
We will come back to this.
* Make a decision on what size you want your book to be. Keep in mind, most book printers will use a standard size. Pick one of their standard sizes, you’ll save money.
* You will need to find an illustrator. Find a good professional one. You can go to my Facebook page and scroll back in time to see a few illustrators' styles. (https://www.facebook.com/kidsShelf/) Check with the local colleges who have an art department. Place a WANT AD on the job board. Many art students would love to illustrate a children’s book for their portfolio! Check out at least three. Send each one a part of your script you want to see illustrated. This way you’ll get a sampling of different styles.
* The length of your story will determine the length of your book and the numbers of pages. For a picture book consider using 4 - 5 lines per page.
Next week I’ll follow through to the next steps of preparing your INDIE book.
If you find yourself with questions, feel free to email me at kidsshelfbooks@gmail.com
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