Getting Your Children's Book Published
Once you’ve written your first children’s book, the next step would be having it published. Just like mainstream book publishing, there is a lot of competition with publishing a children’s book so you need to be able to offer something creative and unique to publishing companies that other authors haven’t been able to bring to the table.
In getting your children’s book ready for publishing, you need to consider the following:
- Proofreading Your Manuscript
Be certain that there are no errors on your final manuscript, and have someone proofread your final work aside from yourself. In fact, having several people proofread it may be more beneficial.
- Page Layout
Make sure your pages are double spaced with a one inch margin all the way around. Each page should not only have the page number, but also the title of the book and your name.
- Print Copies
Once you have your manuscript perfected, you need to print out several copies that will ultimately be sent to publishers.
- Research Available Publishers
Spend some time researching the available publishers, and plan to contact only the ones who publish children’s books. Find a publisher willing to take a chance on a new writer. This can prove to be frustrating as the publishing market is inundated with children's book authors. The best thing is to do your homework first. Know about the publishers you are sending your work to. What do they typically look for when selecting a children's book to publish? Familiarize yourself as well with the company's submission requirements.
- Write a Cover Letter
Write a compelling cover letter as to why they should consider your book and what sets it apart from others. Remember this will be the first impression, so make it good.
- Send Out Your Manuscript
Once you have done your homework, start sending out your book to potential publishers. For first time authors, it is probably best to stick to smaller publishing houses or local companies. With each manuscript that you send, make sure you follow each publisher’s requirements to the letter. Send your manuscript to each publisher, making sure that you address the envelope according to the guidelines.
- Keeping Track
Keep a record as to which publishers you’ve written, the date, and other pertinent information. Once several months have passed since you sent the original manuscript, you can write a brief, polite letter informing them you sent a manuscript and you hope they’d received it. In order to make correspondence easier, include a self addressed stamped envelope.
Now the hardest part is the waiting. Publishers get thousands of manuscripts every day from known authors as well as unknown authors. Be patient if you don't hear anything at first. If you have a good story, you will eventually get a reply.
If it takes a while, don’t become discouraged. The publishers have many manuscripts to read, but in the meantime you can continue to send out manuscripts to other publishing companies in hopes of one of them finding interest in your book.
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http://www.bookpal.com.au is helping self publishers all around the world to successfully self publish and market their books with cost effective solutions to create bestsellers. The website offers a free book for budding self publishers, and many other free resources. To find out more about how the Bookpal team can help you get your ideas into print, click here now for your obligation f.r.e.e. self-publishing consultation.
Terence Tam is the founder of BookPal, he previously spent 6 years as an academic and was a contributing author for several academic books. Frustrated with the level of service he was getting with traditional publishers, he set up his own self publishing company to help other authors publish and market books with cost effective yet efficient solutions.