How to Write Children's Books

Read as many children's books as possible. When you start thinking about ideas for your own children's book, it's best to explore the works of other authors. Visit a library or children's bookstore and spend a few hours browsing. Consider which books captivate you the most and why.

• Do you prefer illustrated books or text-only stories?
• Are you drawn to writing fiction or non-fiction? Non-fiction or informational books require research or expertise on the topic, and it’s an advantage if you’re already knowledgeable in a specific field, such as dinosaurs, astronomy, or machinery.
• For inspiration in fiction, delve into classic literature. Don’t limit yourself to contemporary works – go back in time and explore stories that have stood the test of time. Try to understand what makes these books timeless. For example, you might read books like: “Goodnight Moon,” “Where the Wild Things Are,” “The Polar Express,” and other beloved titles.
• Explore fairy tales as well. The entertainment industry is revisiting its love for fairy tales, modernizing them for today’s audience. Since most fairy tales don’t have specific authors, you’re free to take their characters and plots and reimagine them in entirely new ways!

Consider the age group you are targeting. The term 'children's books' encompasses everything from board books with one word per page to chapter books, novels, and non-fiction works aimed at middle schoolers and teenagers. The plot, content, and themes of your book must align with the age of your intended readers to captivate them (remember, parents often decide whether their children will read your book).

• Illustrated books are ideal for younger children. Kids are often drawn to colorful books, though these can be more expensive to produce. Additionally, picture books are typically short, so your writing must be exceptional to engage children while being concise.
• Chapter books and non-fiction or informational books are suited for older children. From beginner readers to young adult novels, there are many topics to explore, but they require more writing and possibly additional research.
• Don’t overlook the idea of poetry books or short stories. Writing in both formats can help you understand that children enjoy both genres.

Decide whether your book will be text-heavy, image-heavy, or a mix of both. If your target audience is young children, your work will need plenty of illustrations. If you have artistic talent, you can illustrate your book yourself – many children's authors do. If not, you may need to hire a professional illustrator. For older children, books with charts, diagrams, and occasional bright images are often appealing, though some books succeed without illustrations.

• Before hiring an illustrator, sketch out ideas for the images you want on each page. This will help during the editing phase, as you can share these sketches with the illustrator and discuss your vision.
• Each illustrator has a unique style, so research thoroughly before making a choice. Look online for potential illustrators and review their portfolios. If hiring a professional is beyond your budget, consider asking a talented friend or family member to illustrate your work.
• Consider incorporating photos into your book. If you enjoy photography, you can use real-life scenes, props, or stuffed animals. Digital photo editing tools can also help integrate images into your story if photography isn’t feasible.

Determine the main sections of your book. Jot down your ideas in a notebook. Key points to remember include:

• Whether the story is for children or adults, the best stories share common elements: a main character, supporting characters, an engaging setting, and a plot with conflict, rising action, a climax, and resolution.
• For non-fiction or informational books: The book should provide readers with historical facts, characters, events, practical details, or instructional methods.
• Picture books: These require numerous illustrations, often in color, which increases printing costs. The text is usually limited but must be high-quality and unique – as images dominate the storytelling throughout the book.

Consider embedding a message in your fictional works. Many children's books convey positive messages, from simple virtues like 'sharing with others' to more complex life lessons about topics such as coping with loss or thinking critically about environmental care and cultural respect. You don’t need to deliver the message overtly – forcing it into the story can make it feel heavy-handed and unappealing to young readers.

Be truly creative. If you're writing fiction, you have the freedom to explore the silly, the strange, the mundane, and the fantastical. What inspired you as a child? Dive into that world and explore those ideas. However, this doesn’t mean you should indulge in nonsensical elements without purpose. Immerse yourself in genuine emotions and meaningful actions for your characters. Readers can quickly lose interest in illogical writing, and that’s when they’ll put the book down. If you're writing non-fiction, you have the opportunity to share knowledge and discoveries with the next generation of chefs, engineers, and artists! The key is to be creative while ensuring accuracy – balance vibrant writing with well-researched, clear, and applicable content for young readers.

Write the first draft. Don’t worry about how it turns out – you haven’t shared it with anyone yet. Focus on getting the story or outline of the book onto paper without worrying about polishing it. Many books never reach completion due to the trap of perfectionism – save the red pen for editing only *after* all your ideas are on paper.

Identify the age group of your target readers. Vocabulary, sentence structure, and sentence length must align with the age group you’re writing for. If you’re unsure, talk to children in your target age group and test some of your preferred words to gauge their comprehension. While it’s good to help children learn through your book, avoid writing in a way that forces them to look up every new word.

• Write concise sentences that clearly convey your ideas. This is a fundamental rule for writing for any age group. It’s especially important when writing for children who are learning to understand increasingly complex concepts.
• Don’t underestimate the intelligence of your target readers. Children are incredibly smart, and if you make the mistake of “talking down” to them, they’ll quickly find your book boring.
• Stay current. Don’t shy away from topics just because they don’t interest you or seem too technical. Children want to read about current events expressed in accessible language and ideas, so even if it means diving deep into programming knowledge or modern slang, your story or information will be brilliantly conveyed and offer a chance for enthusiastic learning!

Provide a resolution or realistic outcome at the end of your fictional book. The ending doesn’t always have to be happy – while it may have a real impact on a young reader, life isn’t always about happy endings. The conclusion should be as compelling as the rest of the story, without feeling abrupt or disjointed. Sometimes you need to take a break and return to the book later, or for others, the ending might be foreshadowed even before the book is published!

• For non-fiction books, always include some form of conclusion to wrap up the book succinctly. This could be an observation on how the topic might evolve in the future, a summary of key takeaways, or an unusual remark on what readers might want to explore further. Whatever your goal, keep it brief – young readers don’t want to read more than half a page of conclusion in a non-fiction book.

Revisit your draft. This step should be repeated until your manuscript is fully polished. You might find that entire sections of your story are unnecessary or that you need to write from a new character’s perspective. If you’re collaborating with an illustrator, you may discover that adding illustrations changes the entire rhythm of the story. Read through it multiple times before finalizing a version ready to share with others.

• Letting go of work you’ve spent hours refining, only to realize it doesn’t fit or is irrelevant, can be tough, but it’s part of the writing process. Knowing when to abandon something is a crucial skill in writing. To gain objectivity, set your work aside for a while and return to it with a fresh perspective.

Share your draft with others. Start with family and friends. While it’s hard to get honest feedback from those close to you, who may want to protect your feelings, consider joining a writing workshop or forming a writers’ group to receive genuine critiques of your manuscript.

• Always share your draft with your primary audience: children. Read it to them and observe whether they’re engaged, which parts lose their interest, and so on.
• Consider whether the book will appeal to parents, teachers, and librarians. They are the ones who will purchase your book, so they need to find it interesting as well.
• Once you’ve gathered feedback from various sources, revise your draft again.

Self-publish. This is a viable and respected option in today’s publishing industry. Search online for companies that can help you self-publish your book. You might consider creating an ebook or printing physical copies. Depending on your budget, self-publishing can be cost-effective, and it allows you to bypass the lengthy process of traditional publishing.

• Some self-publishing companies offer higher-quality services than others. Before choosing one, examine the type of paper they use and request samples of books they’ve previously published.
• Self-publishing can still give you insight into the traditional publishing process. In fact, you’ll receive a finished sample of your book from the publisher. If the sample meets your expectations, it’s a great advantage.

Find a literary agent. If you aim to publish through traditional publishers, it’s best to seek a literary agent to handle the process. Research agencies specializing in children’s books in the U.S. at www.writersmarket.com (if you’re based in the U.S.). Similar organizations exist in other countries.

• Send the agent a query letter and a synopsis of your book. If interested, they’ll respond with a request for the manuscript. Be prepared to wait weeks or months for a reply.
• If your book isn’t picked up by an agent, you can submit your query and synopsis directly to publishers, though this risks exposing your manuscript. Research companies that have published similar books before reaching out.
• If an agent selects your book, they may ask for revisions to make it more appealing to potential publishers. Once ready, the agent will pitch it to suitable publishers. This process can take months, and there’s no guarantee your book will be published.

Publish locally. Writing a children’s book is already a significant accomplishment. Wide publication isn’t necessary if you don’t desire it. Sometimes, sharing your work with a smaller, interested audience feels more personal. Consider printing your manuscript at a local print shop and distributing copies to friends or family. Many shops offer services that allow you to create vibrant, professional-looking promotional materials.

• Play with language. Children aren’t afraid of creativity and humor, so use funny words and phrases to keep them engaged in the story.
• Incorporate what children love into your book. If you have kids, ask them what kind of stories they enjoy and, if you like, base your work on their preferences. This can be a lot of fun.
• Think carefully about anthropomorphism (assigning human traits to non-human objects). Editors receive countless stories about turnips, salmon, and mineral collections, so this approach can make your book hard to sell unless done exceptionally well.
• Children’s books are often collaborative efforts. If you hire an illustrator, be prepared to share profits.
• Poetry, especially rhyming poetry, can have a wonderful effect. But it’s often challenging. If you can’t tell the story another way, rhyming poetry might be the right choice. If you want to rhyme, consider free verse. For structured rhymes, use a rhyming dictionary (see “The Complete Rhyming Dictionary” by Clement Wood).
• Know the age group you’re writing for, whether it’s young children or older kids.
• Always write age-appropriate content. For example, avoid using profanity in children’s books or overly simplistic language in adult novels.

• Very few people can make a living solely from writing children’s books. It’s a challenging industry to rely on for income, so if possible, don’t quit your day job. It’s a delightful hobby or pastime, and if you manage to grow your readership and earn a decent amount, you might consider pursuing it more seriously in the future.