Advice on Writing Your First Children’s book
There are many challenges when it comes to writing a worthy children’s book: having it effectively published and printed can be overwhelming, and it is a long journey to reach a point where the book is profitable.
Target your Audience
The reading levels for children vary based on age group. For picture books with few words, typically the target age group is younger children under the age of five. PRC book printing would advise creating a board bound book for this age group. The thickness of the pages prevents tearing of the papers, making it easier for little toddlers to turn.
The age groups for children’s books range from young children (Ages 2 – 6), middle grades (Ages 8 – 11) and young adults (12+). Once the audience is determined this will help you write for the specific group, and it can influence printing decisions.
Select the Right Theme
A theme is a story’s underlying message. Example of children’s themes include “honesty wins the day” and “good guys finish first”. The Berenstain Bears and The Truth has a theme of honesty, making it a great book to teach truthfulness and morality to children. Target your age group and figure out what appeals to children that age. A child needs to identify with the character and the purpose of the story line, and many great children’s books teach a lesson through theme.
Tell Your Story Effectively
Using a healthy balance of words and pictures throughout the story can help build a superior children’s book. Children’s stories are short, so authors must convey their story in a shorter number of words and pages. Children’s picture books wording is between 50 to 1,000 words. Stay on point with the theme while story writing.
Illustrations
Once the story is written you will need to seek out an illustrator. Some self-publishing authors may create their own illustrations, but may need the assistance of a layout designer to produce a print-ready file. Many professional freelance illustrators charge roughly $1,200 to $3,500 for a children’s picture book with an interior 32 page count.
Decide on how you want the layout of your book to appear: square, vertical, horizontal? Choose if you want full page illustrations or half page. The illustrator and author work together to composite the interior page count and cover design.
Cost
You will need to consider all costs: the illustrator, printing, marketing and distribution. PRC Book Printing offers affordable children’s book printing and will share our knowledge to ease the process of publishing and printing your children’s book.
If you’re an author looking for economical savings to print your children’s book, please contact PRC Book Printing (email: info@prcbookprinting. Phone: 888-659-8320) or visit our website PRC Book Printing sales representatives will assist you with book sizes, paper weights, and many other details needed for a durable children’s book.
