Why Parents Should Write a Children’s Book and How to Do It

Have you ever picked up a children’s picture book, and felt that, you too, have a story that kids would like to read? Do you ever feel that your children are not able to see themselves in the characters of books out there? Maybe your culture, ideas, and appearance is not represented enough in the traditional book market.

This might seem like a small thing, but kids notice these things. They too, want to be a part of magical adventures in books, they too, want their cultural festivals to be shown in stories, because that just makes it so much easier to share it with their friends from diverse backgrounds. Your experiences as a parent, paired with your creativity can create amazing books that children all over the world would like to read. 

I am an artist that works with parents and kids to bring their stories to life and help them understand how to get their books on bookshelves.

How can you publish a children’s book?

Every book has a different journey from creation to sale. In simple words, you write a 1000 word (or less) story, get it edited and illustrated. Then you have the text layout done so that a file for printing is ready. You need to purchase an ISBN number too. You can then go for print-on-demand websites like Amazon KDP or IngramSpark , as they handle everything from printing to delivery of your book to the customer and you have access to customers from anywhere in the world Amazon delivers. Another way is to get your copies bulk printed from a book printer. You will have more options to customize how you want your book to look. It can be big, hardcover, and even have gold foiled letters and illustrations.  You can make more profit this way since Amazon takes a cut from every sale. But in this case, you will have to manage your inventory of books and ship them. Both of the ways have their pros and cons.

Should I directly approach publishers with my story?

A traditional publisher will never charge you money for your story but they normally accept submissions through agents. You will first have to submit your stories (typically 4) to agencies and get an agent interested in picking up your manuscript. They then pitch it to publishers. This whole process can take more than a year because getting an agent is not easy. Also, most of the time, you don’t get to choose the illustrator. If you are willing to invest your own money then self-publishing is ideal.

How are picture books created?

Authors send me their manuscript which I get edited by an editor, specializing in children’s books. Then we move to color palette selection for the story. A consistent color palette across the book makes everything look uniform. After that I work on the character design. After I illustrate each page I send it to the author for feedback and just like that, the whole book is illustrated within the deadline.

Why teaming up with a good illustrator matters

I have worked with authors who have written stories (both for personal and commercial use) about death, grief, parental separation, parental incarceration apart from the usual topics we typically see in traditional picture books. Many people that I have worked with are educators, lawyers, anyone who truly sees what kids today need to hear.

Why not just use AI?

Currently, the self-publishing children’s book market is being flooded with sub-standard books using obvious  AI written and illustrated stories. Also, it is difficult to market any product that doesn’t have a story behind its creation. And using it to create products for sale is always tricky because of copyright issues. Plus, why would someone want to pay for a product that they too could create on a computer at home?

What do I write about?

That advantage of self-publishing is that you don’t have to limit yourself to topics that traditional publishers are looking for. You can write about anything! A silly, fun story or a book dealing with serious issues faced by children.

How much does publishing a children’s book cost?

Good quality editing, illustrations, bulk printing combined, can start from 4000 USD. Working with experienced people in the industry can increase the pricing.

What are the benefits of becoming a children’s book author?

While it is not a get-rich-quick scheme, it can open many doors for you. School events, markets, features in publications, talks, other social events are always looking for authors, and these are excellent ways to talk about what you believe in and create a space for yourself in your community. And if you promote your book really well, you can create a series, maybe even sell the rights to have products, merchandise and movies made! The possibilities are endless!

It is always an amazing challenge to bring stories to life and an honor to see how parents trust me with their personal stories. If you are someone who has a story but never had the courage to actually put it on paper, take this as a sign and write that book!

Sumitra Lokras
My website: www.illustrationsbysumitra.com