You’ve Written a Children’s Book. Now What?
A First-Time Author’s Roadmap
First of all, congratulations!
You’ve written a children’s book.
Maybe it’s a story that has been sitting in the back of your mind for years. Maybe you wrote it for your own children or grandchildren, or perhaps becoming an author has simply always been one of those dreams you hoped you would get around to one day.
Well, you did it. And that deserves to be celebrated.
But once the excitement settles a little, there is usually another thought that follows:
Now what?
The good news is that you don't need to have the whole journey figured out. You just need to know your next step.
1. Start with your story
Before thinking about illustrations, printing or publishing, make sure your story is as strong as it can be.
When we've been very close to a project for a long time, it can be difficult to see it objectively. So this is the moment to invite a few other people in.
Share your manuscript with trusted family and friends.
Know your reader. Have a clear idea of the age group you're writing for.
Read it to real children if you can. Notice where they laugh, become curious or start losing interest.
Consider a professional children's book editor. They can help with language, pacing, readability and age appropriateness.
Most importantly, envision the real child who might one day hold your book.
What will make them smile? What will spark their imagination? What will make their little brain tick?
2. Choose your publishing path
Next comes one big decision:
Traditional publishing or self-publishing?
They're two very different roads, and both have their advantages.
Traditional publishing
The +
The publisher finances the production of your book.
You have an experienced professional team behind you.
Distribution and much of the technical side are handled for you.
Your book has greater access to established publishing and bookselling channels.
The −
Getting a manuscript accepted can be difficult and take a long time.
You have much less creative control.
You generally won't choose your illustrator.
Self-publishing
The +
You can start now.You don't need to wait for an agent or publisher to say yes.
You have creative control over your book.
You choose your illustrator and creative team.
You decide how and when your book comes into the world.
The −
You finance the project yourself.
You are responsible for managing the production.
You also have to market and sell the book yourself.
There isn't one better route. There is simply the route that works best for you.
Research both carefully and be realistic about what each journey involves before deciding which road to take.
3. Research how your book will be printed
If you've decided to self-publish, start researching your printing and publishing options early.
But don't only compare specifications and prices online.
Order some books!
Find children's books produced through the providers you're considering and experience them as your future customer would.
Look at:
Paper and print quality
Colour reproduction
Cover and binding
Packaging and delivery
The overall quality and feel
I'd also recommend spending an afternoon in a library or bookshop simply holding children's books.
Which dimensions do you love? Which formats immediately appeal to you? Which books feel beautifully made?
Once you've chosen your printer or self-publishing provider, look at the formats they offer and start making those physical decisions.
Try to settle on your book dimensions before illustration begins. Changing the format once an entire book is being illustrated can create a lot of unnecessary extra work.
4. Prepare to invest in your book
If you want to create a professionally produced children's book, be prepared to invest in it.
Your budget might need to cover:
Editing
Illustration
Design and formatting
Proofs and printing
Publishing costs
Marketing
My biggest advice here is simple:
Put your money where quality matters.
Imagine a parent picking up your book in a bookshop alongside beautifully produced traditionally published books.
You want yours to feel as though it belongs there.
Self-published doesn't have to mean poorly made. There are some absolutely beautiful independently published books.
If you're going to do it, commit to creating something you're genuinely proud to put into the world.
5. Find the right professionals
And this is probably one of the most important things I can tell a first-time author:
You don't have to know how to do everything yourself.
You're an author. You don't suddenly need to become an expert in editing, illustration, typography, printing and publishing.
Instead, build a good team around your book.
You may need:
An editor to polish and strengthen your manuscript.
An illustrator to develop your characters and visually bring the story to life.
A book designer or formatter to bring the words and pictures together and prepare the book for print. Some illustrators also provide this service.
A good printer or self-publishing provider who can produce the finished book to the quality you want.
Don't choose people simply because they're the cheapest.
Look at their previous work. Talk to them. Ask about their process. Make sure they communicate well and that you understand their contract, payment terms and timeline.
And particularly with your illustrator, look for someone whose work already feels like your story.
If your book is wonderfully silly and chaotic, find an illustrator whose work makes you laugh.
If it's nostalgic, gentle and traditional, find someone whose work makes you feel that.
You shouldn't have to mould an illustrator into the artist your book needs. Their portfolio should already make you think:
Yes. I can imagine my story living there.
And don't worry if you haven't figured out all the technical details before you contact them.
A good professional should be willing to guide you.
The best people aren't simply service providers. They become creative partners in bringing your book to life.
6. Let your book take shape
Now comes the really exciting part.
Every illustrator works differently, but in my own process I begin with the manuscript, the book formatting and character development.
At this stage, you might:
Share inspiration and visual references.
Talk about your characters and their personalities.
Develop character sketches.
Begin laying out the manuscript.
Review the first sketches.
Give feedback and make changes.
You don't need to know exactly what every illustration should look like. That's part of why you've hired an illustrator.
If something doesn't feel right, say so.
Communication is important, but so is trust.
If you've chosen an illustrator because you genuinely love their work, give them enough creative freedom to bring some of their own imagination to your story too.
7. Don't rush the sketch stage
Once your entire book has been sketched, do something wonderfully simple:
Print it out.
It doesn't need to look beautiful. A basic black-and-white home print is enough.
Put the pages together and physically flick through your book.
Check:
Does the story flow?
Do the page turns work?
Are the important reveals happening at the right moment?
Does anything feel repetitive or crowded?
Is anything missing?
This is the moment to make changes.
Changing a sketch is relatively easy. Changing a completely finished illustration is much more complicated.
So don't rush towards the beautiful finished artwork.
Get the bones of the book right first.
8. Finish, proof and prepare to publish
Eventually, the sketches become finished illustrations and suddenly your book looks real.
What you receive at the end will depend on what you've agreed with your illustrator or designer.
In my own projects, I provide:
A print-ready PDF
High-resolution copies of all the illustrations
Separate cover files when required by the printer
Behind-the-scenes drawing videos when possible
I particularly love sharing process videos with authors. They're wonderful marketing material and, especially in the age of AI-generated imagery, they also allow authors to show the genuine human craft that went into creating their book.
Then comes one very important step:
Order a physical proof before publishing.
Look at everything again in print:
Text
Artwork
Cropping and margins
Colours
Paper
Binding
Cover
Overall quality
I'd even recommend sending a copy to your illustrator if possible. You'd be surprised how many things we simply don't notice until we're holding the actual book.
Fix anything that needs fixing, and only then approve your final version.
9. Start finding your readers early
One mistake I see authors make is waiting until their book is finished before thinking about marketing.
Don't wait.
You can start sharing your journey while the book is being created:
Why you're writing it
Choosing your illustrator
Character development
Sketches and artwork
Behind-the-scenes moments
Your first proof
The countdown to publication
Let people become invested in the book before you're asking them to buy it. But I also wouldn't rely entirely on social media. Children's books are wonderfully physical things.
Think about:
Schools
Libraries
Independent bookshops
Markets and fairs
Community events
Author visits and readings
Online, build a world around your story. Offline, put the book into people's hands.
10. Publishing day is another beginning
And finally, one day you get to hold it.
A real book that once existed only as an idea in your head.
Celebrate that moment. You've earned it.
But remember:
Publishing day isn't the finish line. It's another beginning.
Now comes finding your readers, talking about your story, taking it into schools and libraries, meeting families and discovering where this new chapter might take you.
Self-publishing means wearing quite a few hats, but that's also part of the adventure.
I've had the privilege of walking alongside authors from those first conversations about a manuscript all the way to holding their finished book, and it is an absolute joy. Often, it feels like the beginning of a completely new page in their lives.
So if you're sitting at the very beginning with nothing but your manuscript and a dream, don't worry about knowing everything yet.
Find good people. Choose quality. Ask questions. Take one step at a time.
And enjoy bringing your book to life.
The First-Time Author's Roadmap
WRITE
Your story is finished!
↓
POLISH
Know your reader • Get feedback • Work with an editor
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CHOOSE YOUR PATH
Traditional publishing or self-publishing?
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RESEARCH
Choose your printer/provider • Explore formats • Check quality
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PREPARE
Set your budget • Build your professional team
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CREATE
Characters • Layout • Sketches • Feedback
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PERFECT
Print your sketches • Test the flow • Make changes
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FINISH
Final artwork • Formatting • Print-ready files
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PROOF
Order the physical book • Check everything • Adjust if needed
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PUBLISH
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FIND YOUR READERS
Schools • Libraries • Events • Bookshops • Online community
