How to Write a Children's Book
Read many children’s books., Consider which age group interests you as a writer., Decide whether your book is mostly words, mostly pictures, or a bit of each.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Read many children’s books.
As you begin thinking of ideas for your children’s book, it’s very helpful to read others’ work.
Go to your library or children’s bookstore and spend a few hours browsing.
Think about which books appeal to you most, and why.
Do you want your book to have illustrations, or will it be text-only? Do you want to write fiction or non-fiction? Non-fiction or informational books require research or knowledge of the subject matter and can be good if you're an expert about something like dinosaurs, meteors or machinery.
For good fiction inspiration, read the classics.
Don't limit yourself to recent works––go back in time and read stories that have withstood the test of time and try to find for yourself what it is about them that is so everlasting.
For example, check out such books as:
Goodnight Moon, Where the Wild Things Are, The Polar Express, and other favorites.
Check out fairy tales.
The entertainment industry is currently experiencing a greatly revived interest in fairy tales and turning them modern.
Since the majority of fairy tales are in the public domain, you're free to snaffle up characters and plots and take them to completely new places with totally new attitudes! , The term “children’s books” covers everything from board books with one word on a page to chapter books, novels and non-fiction factual books written for kids in middle school and teens (young adults).
The plot, content and themes of your book need to be age appropriate for your intended readers for them to be appealing (remember that parents are the ultimate gatekeepers who can determine whether or not a child reads your book).
Picture books are suitable for younger children.
They tend to be in full color, which makes them more expensive to print, so bear that in mind.
On the plus side, they tend to be shorter, but then your writing needs to be very good to grab interest and keep the story tight.
Chapter books and non-fiction/informational books are for older children.
Starting with easy-readers through to teen novels, there is a great deal of scope here but there is also likely to be a lot more writing and researching involved.
Don't neglect the potential for a book of poems or short stories.
If you write either, you'll find children love both too. , If your book is for younger readers, you’ll want to include a lot of artwork that complements your writing.
If you’re an artist, you may draw your own illustrations
- many children’s book authors do.
If you’re not, you may want to hire a professional illustrator to create the artwork for your book.
For older children, diagrams, drawings and occasional bright images may be sufficient; in some cases, no images at all might work too.
Before seeking an illustrator, sketch your ideas for the pictures that will go along with each page.
This will help you with the next stage of editing, and you’ll be able to give the sketches to the potential illustrator to give him or her an idea of what you want.
Illustrators have very different styles, so it’s important to conduct thorough research before making a choice.
Do an online search for illustrators and look at professional portfolios.
If hiring a professional isn’t in your budget, you might want to ask a friend or family member who is artistic to create artwork for your story.
Consider photography as another option for adding images to your book.
If you enjoy taking photos, you can use real life scenery, stills using stuffed toys and so forth.
You can also use a digital photo program to add elements that you can't photography easily. -
Step 2: Consider which age group interests you as a writer.
-
Step 3: Decide whether your book is mostly words
-
Step 4: mostly pictures
-
Step 5: or a bit of each.
Detailed Guide
As you begin thinking of ideas for your children’s book, it’s very helpful to read others’ work.
Go to your library or children’s bookstore and spend a few hours browsing.
Think about which books appeal to you most, and why.
Do you want your book to have illustrations, or will it be text-only? Do you want to write fiction or non-fiction? Non-fiction or informational books require research or knowledge of the subject matter and can be good if you're an expert about something like dinosaurs, meteors or machinery.
For good fiction inspiration, read the classics.
Don't limit yourself to recent works––go back in time and read stories that have withstood the test of time and try to find for yourself what it is about them that is so everlasting.
For example, check out such books as:
Goodnight Moon, Where the Wild Things Are, The Polar Express, and other favorites.
Check out fairy tales.
The entertainment industry is currently experiencing a greatly revived interest in fairy tales and turning them modern.
Since the majority of fairy tales are in the public domain, you're free to snaffle up characters and plots and take them to completely new places with totally new attitudes! , The term “children’s books” covers everything from board books with one word on a page to chapter books, novels and non-fiction factual books written for kids in middle school and teens (young adults).
The plot, content and themes of your book need to be age appropriate for your intended readers for them to be appealing (remember that parents are the ultimate gatekeepers who can determine whether or not a child reads your book).
Picture books are suitable for younger children.
They tend to be in full color, which makes them more expensive to print, so bear that in mind.
On the plus side, they tend to be shorter, but then your writing needs to be very good to grab interest and keep the story tight.
Chapter books and non-fiction/informational books are for older children.
Starting with easy-readers through to teen novels, there is a great deal of scope here but there is also likely to be a lot more writing and researching involved.
Don't neglect the potential for a book of poems or short stories.
If you write either, you'll find children love both too. , If your book is for younger readers, you’ll want to include a lot of artwork that complements your writing.
If you’re an artist, you may draw your own illustrations
- many children’s book authors do.
If you’re not, you may want to hire a professional illustrator to create the artwork for your book.
For older children, diagrams, drawings and occasional bright images may be sufficient; in some cases, no images at all might work too.
Before seeking an illustrator, sketch your ideas for the pictures that will go along with each page.
This will help you with the next stage of editing, and you’ll be able to give the sketches to the potential illustrator to give him or her an idea of what you want.
Illustrators have very different styles, so it’s important to conduct thorough research before making a choice.
Do an online search for illustrators and look at professional portfolios.
If hiring a professional isn’t in your budget, you might want to ask a friend or family member who is artistic to create artwork for your story.
Consider photography as another option for adding images to your book.
If you enjoy taking photos, you can use real life scenery, stills using stuffed toys and so forth.
You can also use a digital photo program to add elements that you can't photography easily.
About the Author
Patricia Chapman
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow creative arts tutorials.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: