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Step 1
Research your market. Browse your local bookstore to see what types of children's books are selling well. Find books that are comparable to the story you want to write, and note their style, length and content. Flip to the copyright information at the beginning of those books and take note of who published them. These are people who may be interested in publishing your completed story.
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Step 2
Get the story out of your head and onto paper. It sounds obvious, but this is where most people fail to follow through. Write a little bit every day, even if it's only for 15 minutes during your lunch break. Set writing goals, and find friends to keep you accountable. Congratulate yourself when you finish your rough draft; you're already miles ahead of most aspiring authors.
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Step 3
Whip out your red pen and give your manuscript a thorough edit. Are there typos? Grammatical errors? Places where your prose is just plain boring? When you've done everything possible to spruce up your children's book, hand it off to an eagle-eyed friend and have them look it over for mistakes and any glaring problems. Make your final changes.
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Step 4
Research agents, editors and publishing houses that specialize in children's books, and make a list of the ones that seem like a good fit for your story. Writersmarket.com and agentquery.com are good places to begin your search.
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Step 5
Craft a compelling query letter. Query letters are an author's sales pitch. It should feature your very best writing and get your prospective agent or editor excited about your children's book. Keep it short: A paragraph or two about your story, a paragraph about yourself and a paragraph about why you feel the agent or editor you're writing to would be an excellent match for your story.
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Step 6
Begin submitting your query letters, following the agent's or editor's submission guidelines exactly. Print your materials in 12-point Times New Roman or Courier font on plain white paper. Single space the query letter, but double space everything else. Make sure to include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) to make it easy for them to mail you their response.
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Step 7
Consider self-publishing if agents and editors aren't showing interest in your children's book. Many bestsellers started off as so-called "vanity books," only drawing the publishing industry's attention after the readers and dollars started rolling in. At worst, you'll have the satisfaction of holding your children's book in your hands. At best, you may have a new career.
