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AKA: The Good, The Bad, and the Crap that Makes You Cry.
Well, hello!!! Good Afternoon or Good “Whatever time of day you’re reading this, insert here.”
It’s been quite a while since I’ve actually sat down to write a post. I’m active over there on IG and FB, but my poor blogs have been neglected! There are a LOT of things going on lately… Instead of boring you here with the recent events of my life, I’ll save that for another blog post! ;) Except for one thing… there’s one thing that applies!
Well, actually, there are two. So let’s dive into the first!
My mom and I, Kari Elizabeth, randomly decided to write a children’s book back in May. I was connected to an amazing illustrator, DigitalMe, through friend and author, J.H. Lehr Before any of us knew it, our children’s book was bam! COMPLETE and it was time to upload.
*Cue mini panic attack.
It’s done. It’s been uploaded. Complete. Finished. It’s not yet available to purchase, but after a few formatting issues realized in the first proof, we’ve made our edits and are awaiting proofs from two companies!
But what was it like to get to this point? When you’ve ordered a proof, when you’re mere days away from fully publishing your first book? Or, really… any book?
Let me tell you: it’s not easy. And it’s especially difficult if you go into it blind and not knowing what to do or where to go next… like I did. But good things are rarely easy, right? But that’s not to say I can’t take my hard-earned knowledge and make things a little easier for you when you get to the point of publishing!
So… Let’s dive in, shall we
The Process For Publishing a Children’s Book:
1) Write Your Book — There are lots of resources on how to write a book, and there’s a plethora of tips, tricks, and know-hows on writing children’s books specifically. It’s honestly harder than you think. There’s a balance of making sure kiddos can understand and enjoy the story, without dumbing it down or making it over-the-top.
Just remember: kids are not dumb or simple. They’re smart, intelligent, and extremely insightful. Trust me… I’m surrounded by four on a daily basis! Don’t think that to write a children’s book, you have to write in an underwhelming way. On the other hand, they still are children… so don’t use language or words that are too difficult for them to know, understand, or read. A confused kid is just gonna put the book down and get back to playing with toys or, even worse, electronics. Through books, you can impact a child in sooooo many different ways. You don’t want to mess that up by using adult-level jargon (because to a kid, that’s all it is.)
HELPFUL RULE OF THUMB: If in the first five pages, a target-age child finds 5+ words, phrases, or sentences confusing, go back and revise your choice of words. Search for synonyms or rewrite with their reading comprehension level in mind. Just make sure your target-audience doesn’t get confused! A GREAT RESOURCE: I use Scrivener to write and organize my book. Text can also be formatted directly and converted into a PDF.
Edit Your Text — Don’t think that because your writing is “simple” to you that you can just skip the whole re-write/editing process. Kids might not notice a misplaced comma or inconsistent tense, but parents will. And guess what? As a children’s book author, you’re writing for the parents just as much as you’re writing for the kids. If the parents get annoyed by poor grammar, overly-ridiculous wording, or a sad story… they won’t buy your book and they’ll never read it. Keep this in mind. Rewriting and editing are just as IMPORTANT as in a novel.
TWO GREAT RESOURCES: For simple, basic grammar editing, I use Grammarly. It’s great at catching those typos or extra punctuation I missed! For more writer-techniques and particular voices, I use Hemmingway Editor. This helps identify complex sentences, instances of passive voice, and other writing-related issues. Defintely a great resource to have!
Format Your Book — And this, my friends, is where things can get complicated. You can have the most gorgeous illustrations, the most enjoyable story, and overall have a FANTASTIC book… but if you mess up the formatting, you crush all those beautiful qualities I listed above. No pressure, right? Wrong. There’s a lot of pressure. I don’t say this to make you freak out — I say this because I’m being honest. Take your formatting seriously. Don’t settle for “Good Enough,” because “Good Enough,” isn’t good enough. I watched COUNTLESS videos on this very subject. I talked to SEVERAL authors. I’ve read my company’s guidelines over and over again. Don’t think that you know enough before you start to format. You can always learn more.
HERE ARE SOME THINGS TO BE SURE OF BEFORE FORMATTING:
Trim sizes available through your POD/Print Company.
Certain File Requirements/Compatible File Types.
Bleed/Margin Amounts (and whether the entire image fits).
Page Number Requirements (Some POD/Print Companies want page numbers in multiples of 2, 4, or 8).
Cover Requirements.
Knowing ISBN Barcode Placement on Back Cover.
Whether or Not Spine Text is Available for Your Specific Spine Width.
Different File Requirements for Specific Book Formats (Hardcover, Paperback, Ebook.)
This is a lot of things to think of… and I didn’t even go over EVERY POSSIBLE THING. Just make sure you do your research!
A GREAT RESOURCE: I used Affinity Publisher to format my book. It’s worked great! I do plan on getting Adobe InDesign ASAP, and giving that a try! I’ll let y’all know how that works!
Register Your Title — If you want bookstores and online distributors to recognize and be able to find your book, you need an Internation Standard Book Number (ISBN.) This is basically the social security number of a book. Without it………. your book is unknown to the world, and there’s no way for it to be discovered. Of course, you need an ISBN if you plan on selling your book. If you’re just publishing something for yourself or a small group without planning to sell or be listed publicly, then you might not necessarily need an ISBN number. Just make sure you do your research for the type of book you’re publishing! Now, most POD/Print companies offer free ISBNs. Who doesn’t love free stuff, right? Well, like most things that seem too good to be true, there’s a catch. I’m not saying the free ISBN is wrong in any way — absolutely not. It works well for a lot of authors. But, free ISBNs generally are incompatible with any other publishing service other than the company that provided it. For instance, you get a free Amazon ISBN, and you are unable to sell your ISBN through another company but Amazon.
A GREAT RESOURCE: I used ISBN Services for my ISBNs. They’re directly through the ISBN monoply of the USA (Bowker.) After purchasing, follow the directions to register your ISBN. You’ll fill out some info about your book, upload a title, and let it get into the national ISBN database.
Just note, if you plan on publishing through Ingramspark, Lulu, etc. their “Basic” ISBN might not be compatible (because of each POD company’s different policies.) Just check the ISBN Services website for those incompatible companies just to double-check, or if you want a guarantee, you can purchase their custom ISBN, which is more expensive, but works with all companies!
Publish — There you go. You’ve chosen your company, your files are ready. The only thing you need to do is order proofs and make sure everything looks good. Now, don’t get super upset if you don’t get it on the first try, especially if this is your first book. This is when all your previous research will pay off, though. Follow the guidelines and know the requirements. They’re there for a reason. And once everything looks good? Put it on sale.
Market Your Book —
Nope, you’re not done after that. Once you publish, it’s time to get your book out there for the world to see, for readers to read, and for royalties to start rolling in. How do you do that?
MARKETING.
If you haven’t already, consider creating a brand for yourself. Maybe you’ll want a website. Maybe you’ll even want to start a blog so you can connect with your readers in between projects! There are so many things you can do to get your name and your book seen!
A GREAT RESOURCE: DHK Creations & Publications, LLC. We absolutely love creating logos, websites, and so much more for our clients. Everything is tailored directly to you and your style. Aren’t sure what you want? No big deal. We’ll help you figure it out, side by side, and help you create a brand people will remember. Click here to check out our services and schedule your free consult today! (We’re currently accepting new clients for book formatting/publication.)
And there you go. Some helpful tips on self-publishing. I hope this helps you get a little more prepared for this journey and I can’t wait to see your books on the shelves!
Keep Writing Always, - Elizabeth Mae Wolfram
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