How to Copyright and Publish a Children's Book

By Genevieve Van Wyden

  • Overview

    Writing a children's book can be challenging. But the true challenge may not lie with the actual story idea or writing; instead, it's what the writer does with the completed manuscript once she's finished the final chapter and has written those two magical little words: "The End." What comes next? Is the manuscript tossed in a shoebox and stuffed in a closet? Is it stored forever on a flash drive, never to see the light of day? Why doesn't the writer research traditional publishing companies or self-publishing houses and take her book to the next step?

    • Step 1

      Apply with the U.S. Copyright Office to register your children's book. The office website answers common questions and details the ways in which you can register your book for copyright. (Three ways of registering your book are detailed in this article.) Authors are no longer required to formally copyright their books, although it is a good idea to do so to protect against infringement of the written material. Copyright is normally automatically secured upon creation of a fixed copy, such as a book, for the first time. Make sure the copyright symbol--a C enclosed in a circle--is printed on the title page.

    • Step 2

      Research the different publishing companies. Decide between traditional publishing--in which the publisher bears all of the financial responsibility and does all of the design work--and self-publishing, in which the writer makes a financial commitment before selling the first book. This article covers the traditional publishing method.

    • Step 3

      Contact the Association of Authors' Representatives at P.O. Box 237201, Ansonia Station, New York, NY 10003, to find an agent to represent your book if you wish to work through an agent. Agents handle the myriad details of making your book ready for publication, saving you many steps.

    • Step 4

      If you wish to contact a publisher directly, write to: Random House Books, Children's Publishing, 1745 Broadway, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10019; or Harper Collins Children's Books, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019. Read The Writer's Market, which contains current contact information for agents and publishers. You will also find information about the genre(s) of books each publisher accepts; do not send a children's book to a publisher that primarily trades in westerns or romance stories.

    • Step 5

      Write a solid query letter and send it to an agent. While writing the query, follow business-letter format; use plain, white, 20-pound paper and a 12-point black font like Times New Roman. Do not send the manuscript with the query letter. Expect rejections, and do not take them personally.

    • Step 6

      Communicate with the publisher regarding contract details, publication date, revisions and marketing. Be patient, as most publishers work with several authors at the same time. Negotiate on a marketing plan for the book; most authors are expected to participate in the publicity and marketing of their work.
    • Skill: Challenging
    • Ingredients:
    • Book outline or completed manuscript
    • Tip: Research as many writing and publishing books as possible. Look for resources like Publisher's Weekly, Illustrator's Market, Children's Writers, Children's Writers and Illustrators Market and Children's Writers and Artists Yearbook.
    • Warning:
    • Do not enclose anything other than the letter in the query envelope. Publishers don't have the time to sift through "thoughtful" gifts as they look for the letter they want to read. In the same vein, do not include anything with the manuscript, such as Styrofoam bits. Package the manuscript exactly as specified, either in a manila envelope or a Tyvek envelope, which is much more durable.

    © Demand Media 2011