Book Publishing

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Hi All,

My 4yr old authored a young childrens book about a Dragon that faced his fears and became brave. I ghost wrote the in-betweens and make the narration made sense. Anyone know how to get it published? Not looking for them to be the next Rowling but it would be a great project and they are having lots of fun.

So far it has been writen and edited, can go online to 3rd party the art-work from sites like Fiverr/Upwork or work with a local artist.

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  1. Write a manuscript: Write a manuscript for your children’s book. Ensure that it is polished and has been edited several times.
  2. Research publishers: Look for publishers that specialize in children’s books. You can use online resources such as Children’s Book Council or SCBWI to find publishers that accept unsolicited submissions.
  3. Submit your manuscript: Follow the submission guidelines provided by the publisher. Some publishers may require you to submit a query letter first, while others may ask for the complete manuscript. Make sure you follow their guidelines to the letter.
  4. Wait for a response: Publishers receive many submissions and it may take several weeks or months to hear back from them. If you haven’t heard back after a few months, you can follow up with a polite email.
  5. Negotiate a contract: If a publisher is interested in your manuscript, they will send you a contract. Review it carefully and, if you have any concerns, consider hiring an agent or an attorney to review it with you.
  6. Work with an editor: Once you have signed a contract, you will work with an editor to prepare your manuscript for publication. Be open to feedback and suggestions.
  7. Publish and promote: Once your book is published, promote it to your target audience. This can include book signings, readings, and social media marketing.

Here are a few publishers that specialize in children’s books along with their contact information:

  1. Scholastic: Scholastic is one of the largest publishers of children’s books. They accept unsolicited submissions through their online portal: https://www.scholastic.com/aboutscholastic/submissions.html

  2. Candlewick Press: Candlewick Press is an independent children’s book publisher that accepts unsolicited submissions through their online submission form: Submissions | Chronicle Books

  3. Albert Whitman & Company: Albert Whitman & Company is a publisher of children’s books that accepts unsolicited submissions through email: editorial@albertwhitman.com

  4. Chronicle Books: Chronicle Books is an independent publisher that specializes in illustrated books, including children’s books. They accept unsolicited submissions through their online submission form: https://www.chroniclebooks.com/pages/submission-guidelines

  5. Lee & Low Books: Lee & Low Books is a multicultural children’s book publisher that accepts unsolicited submissions through their online submission form: https://www.leeandlow.com/about-us/submissions

  6. Peachtree Publishing Company: Peachtree Publishing Company is a publisher of children’s books, young adult fiction, and nonfiction. They accept unsolicited submissions through email: submissions@peachtreeonline.com

  7. Sleeping Bear Press: Sleeping Bear Press is a publisher of children’s books that accept unsolicited submissions through email: info@sleepingbearpress.com

  8. Sterling Children’s Books: Sterling Children’s Books is a publisher of children’s books that accept unsolicited submissions through email: editorial@sterlingpublishing.com

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Thank you very much. This is all.

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I work adjacent to this world (attorney representing authors & writers) and Harry’s post is a great start.

I’ll add that, like in most industries, networking can both increase your chances of success and help you meet likeminded folks along the way.

This may be overkill for the level of investment you want to give this, but if you decide you want to try a crack at the “big leagues” I’d recommend looking into:

There are also a number of online courses, e.g. UCLA extension school has a children’s book writing course that I know a number of published authors have gone through.

And if/when you do get to the publisher’s agreement stage, please seek out legal guidance! Intellectual property is one of the most challenging concepts for a non-lawyer to tackle and not understanding what you’re signing can turn what would have been a windfall into a whimper. Legal advice doesn’t need to be expensive, either – your local law school probably has a free business law clinic where you can find a student (and their faculty advisor) to help you out for free.

Good luck!

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Thank you for the guidance and advice. Legal rep is a must especially for contract review, if we can get to that stage. If we get to that stage, I would like to encourage all fees waived (or free book) on the distribution level for non-profits, food banks etc…

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There was no legal guidance or advice in that post, or the following :slight_smile:

One thing I forgot to mention, if you do end up using an outside illustrator, make sure you own 100% of the rights to whatever they produce, or it could get sticky down the line. (Some people will incorrectly refer to obtaining a “work for hire agreement”, it is not what you want in this particular case.)

The charitable component is an excellent idea — whether you’re successful in getting someone else to pay for it (vs. coming out of your cut) probably comes down to taxes/accounting requirements, unless this book is really in demand in which case you get what you want! Pretty rare for a first book with no other strings, though. But always good to ask for things like this and see where they fall!

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Look on youtube. I saw a video a couple weeks ago about an easy way to self publish, including how to get images. I think it had something to do with ChatGPT maybe, but it seemed like an affordable way to publish. Once you have a PDF file, you can send it to a company and have them crank out a few copies. I’ll look for the video and post here if I can find it.

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