How Do You Publish a Children's Book?

Study the children's book industry. Learn about publishing houses, best-seller lists, award-winning books and big-name authors. Read interviews with editors and agents online or in "Writer's Digest." Understand key industry trends and how your book may fit into the current market. Evaluate books that your manuscript could potentially compete with and books that are most comparable (whether in style, voice or theme). Read books about the industry, such as How I Got Published and The Children's Writers and Illustrators Market, and subscribe to the newsletter "Publisher's Marketplace." Talk to booksellers and learn about hot topics and popular books.

Perfect your children's book manuscript. Read hundreds of children's books in your desired genre, and take notes on their strengths and opportunities, the authors who wrote them and the editors who published them. Focus your manuscript's vision and revise, edit and polish the document. Consider attending writer's conferences and critique groups to assist in this process. Join the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) for positive networking opportunities and a wealth of industry and writing resources.

Find an appropriate children's book agent. While many authors successfully publish without an agent, most major publishing houses only accept unsolicited manuscripts from literary agents, such as Candlewick Press and Viking Books for Young Readers. Study "The Guide to Literary Agents." Learn about successful writers and who represents them. Research children's book agencies, and learn about their guidelines, restrictions, recent sales, current authors and if they are open to submissions from unpublished authors.

Submit a query to a children's book literary agent. Follow all of the agency's guidelines; For example, submit to only one agent within a literary agency (not several) and follow all requested submission materials (such as a query-only letter or providing a sample chapter). Research strong query letters and hook the agent with your intriguing introduction. Create a list of appropriate literary agents that may represent you or your manuscript well, and be prepared for lengthy response wait times and several rejections (or rewrite requests). Utilize SCBWI and "Write 4 Kids" for manuscript submission resources (such as writing a query letter or synopsis).

Consider submitting to a publishing house directly. If you experience little luck with a literary agent-- and you firmly believe your manuscript is publishable in its current condition-- research smaller children's book houses (such as Sasquatch Books and Tricycle Press). Oftentimes, these houses will allow for unsolicited manuscripts from unpublished authors. Study the house lists, read constantly and follow all submission package criteria. Be prepared for response wait times that may exceed 4-6 months.

Stay positive. Rejection is common and plentiful in the children's book industry; develop a thick skin and have confidence that a well-written, unique children's story will find a publishing house. Learn from industry rejection, and be open to feedback and manuscript revisions, should rejections become overwhelming.

Contemplate self-publication. Having difficulty breaking into the business? Some authors decide to self-publish their books through local, respected outlets. Taking this path requires ultimate editing skills and dynamite marketing and sales tactics; determine a plan of action, should you self-publish. While many authors frown upon self-publication, consider Christopher Paolini's Eldest series-- his self-published book developed a significant fan base and, ultimately, he signed a major book deal with an international publishing house.

Embrace publication. Should you sign with a literary agent or a publishing house directly, congratulate yourself for breaking into the business. However, the editing and publication process can take as long as two years. Dedicate your time and energy to constructing a high-quality manuscript, and you will feel proud of your accomplishment when your book hits the shelves.