How to Self-Publish Children's Books

Self publishing a children's book is exciting, but it requires careful planning. A children's book is not only judged by the story. It is judged by the illustrations, page layout, colours, paper quality, cover design and how enjoyable it is to read aloud. Parents, teachers and children all experience the book differently, so the author must think beyond the words.

Children's books can also be more expensive to produce than authors expect. Even though the word count is usually lower, illustrations and colour printing can increase the budget. A professional plan helps the author avoid costly mistakes.

Start by deciding who the book is for. A toddler book, picture book and early reader are not the same. The age group affects vocabulary, sentence length, illustration style, page count and book size. A book for children aged three to five should use simple sentences and strong visuals. A book for children aged seven to nine may include more text and a more developed storyline.

A children's book should have a clear beginning, middle and ending. It should also have a simple message that children can understand. Avoid trying to teach too many lessons in one book. A focused story is usually stronger. A story about a child learning to share should not also teach honesty, bravery, recycling, counting and road safety in the same book.

Illustrations should support the story and keep children engaged. The author should create an illustration brief for each page or spread. This helps the illustrator understand what must be shown. Characters, settings and colours should remain consistent throughout the book.

Children's book layout must balance text and images. The text should be easy to read, not hidden inside busy illustrations. Font size, spacing and page flow must suit the child's age group. Some children's books work best with full page illustrations. Others use small illustrations with more text. The layout should be planned before printing because changes can affect the whole book.

Most children's books use colour, and colour printing is more expensive than black and white printing. Authors should decide on page count, size and paper carefully. If the printing cost is high, the author may have to charge a price that parents are not willing to pay. This is why cost planning should happen before finalising the book.

South African authors who plan to sell publicly should consider applying for an ISBN through the National Library of South Africa. The NLSA states that ISBNs are free for eligible applicants. The ISBN can be placed on the copyright page and back cover barcode area.

A sample copy is very useful for children's books. It allows the author to check colour, readability, paper feel and binding. If the sample looks good, the author can proceed with confidence.

Children's books can be sold through schools, parents, online platforms, libraries, reading clubs, churches, markets and events. Authors should prepare a simple pitch that explains the age group and message of the book.