How to Get Started on Self-Publishing Your Children’s Book

Hello! I’m in the process of self-publishing my second children’s book and thought this would be valuable information for folks thinking about the process of creating a children’s book. This isn’t for people who want to make it BIG IN THE INDUSTRY, or already have connections to a publishing house. This is for people who have an idea and don’t know where to start!

I’m going to try and make this as straightforward as possible. There’s a lot of info — and I’m sure this only scratches the surface. You are going to learn from my mistakes and my successes!

The Basics

First things first, most standard children’s picture books have 32 pages. This includes a dedication page, inside cover pages, etc. This is important to note because in picture books, mapping out each page before you get started is important so you know broadly what it will look like. If you’re self-publishing, there is wiggle room here — but most places won’t print anything less than 25 pages.

Sizing is all over the place frankly, so it entirely depends on what you want and what is available — but the hardcovers I’ve done are 8.5 by 11 inches, landscape. I’ve seen 7x10's as well.

Most picture books are 250–1000 words tops and would include language geared towards the age group…