How To Find A Publisher For A Children’s Book

Many authors often think that publishing a children’s book is easier than publishing other books. Do you also think that? Well, it’s actually a myth. Yes, the writing phase is indeed a bit easy. However, the publishing process is not only complex but also highly competitive.

Also, to save some money, they opt for self-publishing. Yes, it’s true that a penny saved is a penny earned. However, while saving this penny, these authors often sacrifice their book quality. Besides that, their self-published children’s books fail to perform well in the market.

Let’s understand how you can find a reliable children’s book publisher.

Why Should You Hire a Children’s Book Publisher?

Before we begin our guide, let’s discuss why hiring a children’s book publisher might be a good decision.

You should hire a traditional children’s book publisher because it saves you thousands in upfront costs and takes the stress out of creating a book.

On top of that, these publishers pay not only for editing and illustration but also for printing. Also, they handle getting your book into major bookstores and libraries.

These are the reasons why you should definitely hire a reputable children’s book publisher:

• No Upfront Costs

First and foremost, one of the key reasons why authors often hire children’s book publishers is due to zero upfront costs. Yes, you read that right!

You don’t have to pay thousands of dollars out of your pocket for any other services. Instead, these professionals handle not only editing and illustrations but also printing and distribution.

This means that hiring just a highly reputable publisher can unload your worries. Sounds great, right?

• Professional Quality

No matter whether you’re publishing a children’s book or any other book, quality matters a lot! Yes, people first look at the book cover. But even with an aesthetically pleasing cover, your book might underperform in the industry if it lacks professional quality.

However, hiring a professional publisher helps you maintain the quality of your book. They provide expert editors and designers who make sure that your book looks perfect and matches the target age group.

• Credibility

You may not know this, but most bookstores and libraries hesitate to stock self-published books. Well, this is primarily due to a lack of traditional distribution networks, the stigma of lower quality, and strict business policies like returnability.

And overcoming these barriers requires offering standard trade discounts and using major wholesale distributors to get into catalogues.

But this doesn’t happen when you hire a renowned and prestigious publisher.

• Built-in Marketing

One of the most common reasons why most books often fail in the market is not that they’re bad. Instead, they fail because people don’t know about them.

However, these publishers market your book by pitching it to major stores and libraries. Not only that, but they also secure editorial reviews and create promotional materials like catalogues and press kits.

On top of that, they also handle trade distribution to ensure copies are stocked on shelves. However, authors are still expected to build their own social media following and drive direct consumer sales.

• Royalties and Advances

Finally, by working with a children’s book publisher, you do more than just cut costs; you actually make money as well. Most publishers provide an advance payment along with royalties on the number of books sold.

How Can You Find a Reputable Children’s Book Publisher?

But the main question is, how can you actually find a reputable children’s book publisher?

To find a children’s book publisher, you must begin by searching for one on the internet. However, you should first decide whether you want to seek assistance from a freelance publisher or from a publishing agency.

You will get a list of top publishers. You can shortlist some of them by comparing their ratings, reviews, and rates.

In addition to this, you must also take a look at their samples to ensure that they have expertise in publishing children’s books. Also, ensure that they provide editing, printing, distribution, and kids book illustration services without any extra charges.

You should also try to connect with their previous customers and ask about their experience. This will help you ensure that they are actually reliable and worth hiring.

FAQS

Is hiring a children’s book publisher worth it?

Yes, hiring a children’s book publisher is worth it because they handle professional editing, high-end colour illustrations, printing, and store distribution for free.

How can you actually find a reliable children’s book publisher?

To find a reliable children’s book publisher, you must start by searching online. Compare the ratings and reviews of top publishers and shortlist some of them. And then take a look at their samples and discuss important things such as genre, charges, and turnaround time.

What are the benefits of hiring a children’s book publisher?

The following are the benefits of hiring a children’s book publisher:

• No upfront costs
• Professional quality
• Built-in marketing
• Credibility
• Industry expertise

Can you publish a book without hiring a publisher?

Yes, you can definitely publish a book without hiring a traditional publisher. This is called self-publishing and is pretty common and easy to start. You can upload your formatted manuscript and cover to a self-publishing platform like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing or IngramSpark in just a few hours.

Final Thoughts

Many children’s book authors opt for self-publishing without considering the challenges involved. Hence, their books often fail to perform well in the market.

However, to avoid this, you must go with traditional publishing. This is because these children’s book publishers take care of not only professional editing and visually appealing colour illustrations, but also printing and distribution for free.

To find a highly renowned and reliable children’s book publisher, you can look for one online. But before hiring them, you must take a look at their samples and ensure that they’re actually the right fit for your book.