As a first-time writer of a children’s book, there are several things that you should know to make the writing process easier. Before you jump into the creative process, you will want to get a clear idea of the goal of your book.
Establish the purpose of your children’s book. Answer the question of what you want to achieve with the children’s book. Once you know the answer to this, you will find it easier actually to write your story.
1. What is the Goal?
When it comes to the goal of your children’s book, there are all sorts of goals out there. For instance, it could be entertainment where you would want the book to entertain children simply. If you want the little readers to laugh, then your goal is to entertain the young readers.
Your goal might as well be to educate. You might be a teacher or a parent, and your story could be about a little rabbit. Throughout the story, the rabbit might learn about the different types of weather. To illustrate the weather, you could also write a picture book. Don’t forget to hire a professional picture book editor, as this will be your first attempt at writing a children’s book. The editor will ensure that everything is in perfect order before you send your book out for publication.
You might as well write a children’s book to share your values with your kids. Your story might be about kindness or saying please and thank you.
Before you start to write your story, you will want to ask yourself what you are trying to achieve with the children’s book. Clarity is important because once you know your goal, you will find the writing process much easier, as you will be very clear on what you are trying to achieve with your book.
2. Determine the Age Group
While you set the goal for your children’s book, you will also want to determine the age group that your story is for. You will want to be super clear about the age because a four-year-old kid isn’t going to enjoy a story that a ten-year-old might find interesting.
Kids grow up fast, and they develop rapidly at any age, which impacts their interests. You can see the developing interest and its impact on the various things that the kids like and do, such as their interest in toys and the things they like to watch.
They also have their respective interest in books, which is why you, the author, have to be clear on what age group your book is intended for. By being clear on the age group, you will be tailoring the length of your age group. The word count of your book also depends on the age group.
As a general rule, the younger the little reader is, the shorter the text should be. Also, the younger the age group is, the more illustrations your book should have. Your selected age group will also help you tailor the level of vocabulary.
So, have a clear expectation and understanding of the age group you are looking to reach. The reason is that the answer to this question will impact the scope of your story and the way you will narrate the story.
3. Have A Final Picture in Mind
Another aspect of the book that you will want to be clear about before you start writing is the potential picture of the final version of your book. When we speak of the final picture of the book, we mean the layout, the size, and other aspects that make your book what it is.
What do you want your book to look like? Do you want it to be square or horizontal, or do you want it to be a picture book with the illustrations spread on the right side? Do you want the illustrations to be only little spot illustrations, or should they cover the entire page?
Also, decide on the color and style that you want your book to be like. Do you want the book to be in black, white, or color? If you are writing for a very young audience, you will want to have more drawings and very little text.
Speaking of the drawings, you will want to decide whether you want hand illustrations or digital illustrations. These illustrations will have a massive impact on the way your book looks and feels. Also, by knowing these things in advance, you will have an easier time choosing and hiring an illustrator.
4. Gauge Your Publishing Options
There have been many changes in the publishing industry that have allowed writers to access a number of options. So, getting your children’s book published the traditional way is no longer the only way and also not the most desirable way for newbie or aspiring writers any longer.
That said, if you don’t want to wait in the queue for a literary agent to respond to your query letter, your best option is to opt for self-publishing. With self-publishing, you also have the print-on-demand option, which means that you don’t have to buy thousands of copies with your money.
When it comes to using the feature POD (print-on-demand), your book will only get printed when someone has ordered it. This aspect indicates that you don’t have to endure any upfront costs. Also, you don’t have to keep an inventory, and you don’t have to deal with shipping responsibilities.
You can also avail of off site printing, where you buy bulk copies upfront and then try to sell them. Now you know your publishing options, and you can choose the one that suits your needs and helps you meet your goals.
Nonetheless, whatever you decide, the point is that you will want to ask yourself this question beforehand, as it will greatly impact the way you move through your book creation process. After you have addressed all of the mentioned questions before you initiate the book-writing process, you will find that everything becomes so much easier.
