Self publishing children’s picture books: a step-by-step guide
As author and publisher of upcoming children’s picture book You Two, You Two, I couldn’t recommend self-publishing highly enough. I have loved every moment of the experience.
The perks of self-publishing? You get full creative control and you are 100% in the driver’s seat. You get to learn hands-on all about the world of publishing. It’s an awesome learning curve. And - if your book sells well - you get the opportunity to make a much higher profit than if your book was published by a traditional publisher.
But self-publishing children’s picture books isn’t for the faint hearted. It’s a wonderful, challenging, rollercoaster of an experience.
It’s something that I couldn’t have done without an incredible team behind me. But knowing exactly who to turn to for help, and when, isn’t easy. There was a lot of searching and trial and error. So in this guide, in no particular order, I’m identifying the key people who helped me along the way - so that you can take a short-cut.
Heads up: there is far too much information to distill into one blog. I’ll be covering some of the topics below in further detail in my blog - so sign up to my email list to be notified when new blogs drop.
1. Find an editor for your children’s picture book
My journey started with finding an editor. I knew I had written a great story, but I also knew that it needed some nuancing. I also wanted to get a sense of whether it was a story that worth pursuing and self-publishing.
I googled like mad and came across Lucinda and Emma of Flying Pants Editing. And they were brilliant. Their feedback was invaluable - they gave me detailed guidance, and tips on what to do next.
I reached out to Lucinda and Emma several times throughout the journey. The first was about broader feedback about story structure. The second time was to help me resolve a few details in the prose. The last time was to give the book a thorough proofread.
Each time I was very specific about exactly what I needed from them. It’s important to be really clear on exactly what you want, depending on the stage of the journey that you’re at. Lucinda and Emma gave me a clear quote before doing each stage of the work, and each time their feedback was invaluable.
2. Find a children’s picture book illustrator
Finding the perfect illustrator for your story is make-or-break. Children’s picture books rely on captivating illustrations; no matter how good the story is, it will flop if the illustrations aren’t up to scratch.
For my children’s picture book, I worked with the supremely talented Elin Matilda. Elin works with brands big and small, from Google and Facebook to T2 and Mood Goods. I adored her work and I knew she’d be an absolute pro. You can find out more about our journey, from finding one another, to brief and final artwork, here.
3. Make a plan for distribution
This is by far the area that is the most challenging to navigate as a self-publisher. Here are two things I’ve discovered.
1. If you want to sell self-published children’s picture books through bookstores, it’s nigh impossible to do so and make any sort of profit.
The problem is that because your printing costs are high (due to needing to print full colour illustrations in a larger book format), and your RRP is relatively low, by the time the bookstores take their cut, you’re practically paying them to sell it for you. Which is fine if you view the bookstores as a great brand alignment or promotional opportunity. After all, there’s nothing quite like seeing your book on a bookstore shelf, and it’s great PR to share that you’re stocked in a high-profile bookstore. But keep in mind that specifically for children’s picture books (other book types may be different, as the printing cost may be lower and RRP may be higher), your profit margin will be very low, if at all.
2. Your alternative to traditional bookstores is Ingram Spark. They can sell your book through all the major online retailers like Amazon and Booktopia. As it’s a print-on-demand service, you don’t have as much choice when it comes to stocks and finishes. I highly recommend using their online calculators to work out the book size and format that is going to be the most commercially viable, and determining this BEFORE you brief your illustrator and designer.
To navigate the world of distribution, I worked with Linda Diggle of Book Boffin. She has self-published her own children’s picture books, and helped many other writers and entrepreneurs publish their own books. If not for Linda, I’d still be bumbling around in the dark. Her advice and guidance has been invaluable.
4. Find your printer
Ah, printing. If you’re like me, you love ooohing and ahhhing over paper stocks. But if you decide to print your own children’s picture books (that is, pay upfront for a bulk print run, as opposed to print-on-demand through Ingram Spark), finding the right printer can be tricky. There is so much variation in cost and quality out there.
I was lucky enough to be put in touch with Jacquelyn Jones of Brandscene. She helps luxury brands get branded merchandise and printed materials printed to a high standard. She is the person that sits between a printer and an author or brand. She’ll get the best quotes, and make sure the quality standards are met from brief to delivery.
In my opinion, everyone needs a Jac (often known as a print broker, although that’s not all Jac does). So much time is saved, and so many headaches. Kind of like how a designer speaks illustrator language (see below), a print broker speaks printer language. And believe me, printing is a whole other language!
5. Work with a Creative Director/Designer
It’s easy to think that an illustrator produces the images and that is the book completed. But the illustrations are just that: illustrations. They need to be laid out in the book, with the text set around them. Things like end papers (the page which has all the copyright and publishing information) need to be designed. If you have a hard cover book, it needs a spine. Loads of little details that you probably wouldn’t think about upfront.
In some cases, your illustrator can be your designer. But in many cases, a designer is a separate person and you’ll need to factor that into your planning and budget.
With You Two, You Two, I went one step further. My dear friend Belinda Hubball is a creative director AND designer. So she took a guiding role in shaping the vision for the book from the very start. It was Belinda who wrote the brief for the illustrator. Belinda who gave guidance in terms of colour, style and overall feel.
Much like doctors have their own language, so too do creators. Belinda spoke the same creative language as Elin, so she was able to translate what was in my head into something that Elin could work with. She could also see things in the creation of the book that I couldn’t, and was able to suggest solutions that I never would have thought of.
After the illustrations were complete, Belinda designed the book. And keep in mind that there are often multiple versions (one for the bulk print, one for print-on-demand, and one for e-book). It’s a big job, and one that I am forever grateful to Belinda for.
6. Get your marketing in place
It’s so easy to get so focused on the production of your book and forget that it actually has to be marketed. But you need a marketing plan. One that could involve anything from social media and influencer engagement, to paid social advertising, public relations, an email strategy and more. There is so much to think about.
If there are any gaps where you’re unsure, it’s well worth reaching out to the professionals for help. I’m working with Julia Ferracane of Righteous PR, who specialises in working with authors, creatives, small businesses and not-for-profits. She will bring a wonderful energy and momentum.
7. Surround yourself with a circle of support (and be specific about what kind of support you need)
This goes without saying, but my book literally could not have been published without the incredible support of my husband, family and friends. Each person has played a different role. Whether it’s being my constant cheerleader (my husband) or someone to read countless versions of the book and give feedback, I am so grateful for all the support that surrounds me.
The biggest piece of advice that I can give here, is be very specific with the kind of support that you need from each person. For example, I’ve sought out specific people’s advice on specific topics that they have expertise in. And I’ve kept that request for advice very specific too. For example, my dear friend Suzy is an avid book reader and very talented writer herself, with young kids who also love to read. So I would ask her for feedback, but I would only ask her for specific feedback on certain sentences that I needed help with. I didn’t ask for broad feedback, because I know that my ego is fragile and if she had given even slightly negative feedback on something that I was very happy with, I would have gone into a tailspin. I also asked her to share potential book covers with her children, to find out which ones they liked the most. But I didn’t send them the whole book to review. The feedback would have been too muddled. I needed to make a specific decision, and they helped me make that decision. They were enormously supportive and helpful - and I avoided the emotional rollercoaster that usually comes with receiving feedback.
I’ve also leaned on my writer friends, like Siobhan Fitzgerald who very kindly drafted the blurb for my book. I used to be very bad at asking for help, but I’ve become much better at it now that there is something I’m so passionate about.
Of course, I’m not arrogant enough to say that I’ve done everything perfectly, or even right. Time (and sales) will be the judge of that. But I have absolutely loved every minute of the process, and I am absolutely confident that I have the very best team behind me.
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