Do you love children’s literature and have decided that you’d like to instill a lifetime love of reading in little ones with some silly and fun titles or informative and engaging topics? Have you already written up a manuscript geared toward young readers, are impressed with the results, and have decided that you would like to share it with the world? Whatever the case may be, if you’d like to contribute texts that children can add to their libraries, you’re going to need to publish your work.
While working with a publishing house is the traditional route, doing so can be tough. Children’s literature is a large, highly competitive niche, which means that catching the attention and getting a contracting with a publishing house can be tough – no matter how incredible your book may be. Rather than go through the stress and hassle – and potential heartache (there’s no guarantee that a publishing house will accept your manuscript) – forego the conventional route and self-publish your children’s book instead!
One of the biggest benefits of self-publishing your children’s book is that you’re guaranteed to have your book published. Plus, it can be a lot less stressful; that is, if you know what you’re doing. So, how do you go about self-publishing a children’s book? Here are some suggestions that you might want to consider using.
Use an Online Printing Service
Perhaps the easiest ways to self-publish a children’s book is with an online printing service. Not only is this method very accessible, but it’s also pretty self-explanatory. Examples of some highly respected online printing services that you can use to self-publish a children’s book are Blurb, Book Baby, and Art Bookbindery. All three offer complete publishing services, such as pay layout, book design, printed proofs, promotional posters, and even shipment of the finished product.
If you choose this option, consider getting price quotes for your children’s book from several online printing services, then compare those prices to determine which one best suits your needs. Do note that some options may cost an additional fee, such as cover design and page layout.
Online-Only Publishing
Another option to consider if you want to self-publish a children’s book is online-only publishing. The upside is that the results are pretty rapid, but the downside is that, as the name suggests, the book will only be accessible online. With that said, however, given the increased use of e-readers – even with children – online-only publishing may be a great way to share your story with readers. Amazon and other online book sellers offer online-only self-publishing options. You’d pay a fee to the seller, and they will then sell your book online, in an eBook format, for you. The seller will pay you a set amount for each eBook sale.
If you aren’t interested in distributing hard copies of your children’s book, online-only publishing may be a great way for you to self-publish your title.
Print-On-Demand
This self-publishing option involves advertising the book for sale on the internet and a copy is printed and sent to the buyer only when a book has been ordered. Amazon is one of many companies that offer print-on-demand publishing services. With Amazon, you’d upload your children’s book via a third-party publisher, the book would be sold through a third-party publisher, and it would be sold through Amazon.com. When a consumer places an order, a copy of the book will be printed and sent out.
If you want to avoid having to pay publishing fees out of your own pocket up-front so that you can have a collection of hard copies printed, print-on-demand publishing may be the right choice for you.