Answering The Question Of How Do I Get A Childrens Book Published

By Carmella Watts


Writing through to a complete manuscript is an awesome task. But, it is not the end of the line. You may ask, "How do I get a childrens book published?" There are a number of reasons you will want to see your work in print. One reason is to get a monetary reward. The greatest reward, however, may well be seeing you work in bound form. Sharing your message with the audience you wrote it for is also very important.

You can get published by a couple of different avenues. One way is the traditional publisher where you submit your manuscript and they pay and advance and publish and promote it for you. You can submit it yourself, or maybe obtain an agent to submit for you. If you do use an agent, be prepared to pay a percentage of your earnings. You may prefer this, however, to get the extra plus of having someone do it all for you. In addition, the agent may be able to negotiate a better deal.

You can also publish by doing it yourself. There is more than one way to do this. One is to pay a vanity press to complete the printing. You will then have to promote for yourself. Print-on-demand (POD) is a publisher that accepts your manuscript for free, then you pay when you, or someone else, orders a copy. They are printed as needed. It is a good idea to keep a few copies on hand, however. You might do the entire printing and binding yourself, but that is a skill not everyone has.

Before even thinking about submitting a manuscript, whether to an agent, a publisher, or a self-publishing company, make sure it is in as perfect condition as you can possibly get it. If not, your readers will be very quick to point out errors, to your embarrassment, if it even gets that far.

It is not always easy to find potential publishers. Being part of a network can help you stay on top of things. This can be a writers group, either one that has similar interests or just a general critique group. Both you and they can share any contact information available. A plus with the critique group is the fact that you have a convenient source for critiquing your manuscript.

Joining a professional group like the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators gives you added credibility. It shows an editor or agent that you are very serious about your work. Including the notation on your cover letter can help open doors for you.

Another way to further your career and make contacts is to attend writer's conferences. You get a lot of good instruction and practice in writing there. In addition, you also stay aware of what is going on in the industry. At most conferences you are able to schedule an appointment with an editor to present your work. Take advantage of these opportunities.

Writing is only part of the equation. In order for your message to be read by your intended audience, you will need it to be printed. You will want to have the answers to the question, "How do I get a childrens book published?" You will get a small amount of compensation and will have the pleasure of seeing your work in bound form.




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