How to Prepare Your Children’s Story for a Publisher
Take the first step to writing your children’s book story. Download the free children’s book template here to help you get started.
Congratulations on finishing your children’s book! I know how much work it took to get you to this point. But now it’s time to prepare your children’s story for a publisher. Here’s how to get started.
How to get a children’s book published with a publisher:
As a children’s book writer, you can publish your children’s story in 3 different ways:
- Traditionally with a publisher
- Yourself as a self-publisher
- A cross between the two with a hybrid publisher
The following 5 steps will help you prepare your children’s story with a publisher. (If you plan on self-publishing, get this guide instead.)
1 – Have your story reviewed. (And make sure it’s free of errors.)
Typos and grammatical errors will make your story look unprofessional, so it’s important to proofread it carefully before you submit it. You can use a grammar checker like Grammarly to help you find errors, but it’s always a good idea to have someone else review your story as well.
I recommend sending your story to a critique group before you decide that it’s truly ready for submission. If you need help finding a critique group, read this article.
2 – Create a list of publishers to submit to. (Make sure to read their submission guidelines carefully)
Every publisher has their own submission guidelines, so it’s important to read them carefully before you submit your story. This will help you make sure that your story is formatted correctly and that you’re submitting it to the right place.
When you’re reviewing potential publishers, check that:
- They’re open or accepting unsolicited manuscripts from unagented authors
- They publish and are looking for your story’s genre and category (For instance: picture books, nonfiction, etc.)
Here’s a list of 100 children’s book publishers to help you get started.
3 – Write a great query letter. (This works like a cover letter.)
Your query letter should introduce you and your story, and it should give the publisher a reason to read your story in 300 words or less. (Yes, really.) Read this article to help you write an awesome query if you need help.
Be sure to include your contact information with your email signature, too, so that the publisher can get in touch with you if they’re interested in your story.
4 – Submit your book to multiple publishers.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Instead, plan to submit your story to multiple publishers, so that you increase your chances of getting it published. Just make sure to keep track of all your submissions so you can follow up with publishers if you receive an offer. (Use our submission tracker to help you.)
5 – Be patient. (And work on something else while you’re waiting.)
It can take time to get your story published. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t hear back from publishers right away. Keep submitting your story, and eventually, you’ll find a publisher who’s interested in it.
And read this article to know when you need to rework your story after sending out your story and getting nothing but rejection letters.
If you follow these tips to prepare your children’s story for a publisher, you’ll be well on your way to getting your book published.
Plus, here are some additional tips to make sure your children’s book is truly read for publication:
- Make sure your story is complete. Don’t submit a story that’s still in the works. The publisher wants to see a finished product.
- Make sure your story is well-written. This means that your story has a strong plot, well-developed characters, and engaging dialogue.
- Make sure your story is marketable. Think about what kind of readers would be interested in your story. What genre is it? What age group is it for?
- Make sure your story is unique. There are millions of stories out there, so you need to make sure yours stands out from the crowd.
Take our FREE workshop here to make sure your children’s story is truly ready for a publisher. Sign-up here.
