Childrens Book Publishing
Services for Authors.
Professional childrens book publishing services from BookPublishersNYC.com take a finished children’s book through the stages that prepare it for young readers and the adults who buy for them: editing, proofreading, interior formatting, cover design, publishing setup, and marketing. Authors choose the services the book needs, and authors keep full ownership of their books.
A children’s book has to work for two people at once. The child enjoys it, and the parent, grandparent, teacher or librarian chooses it. As a dedicated provider of childrens book publishing services, we are not a traditional or hybrid publisher, so the author publishes the book and decides exactly what to buy.
What Is Childrens Book Publishing?
Childrens book publishing is the process of taking a book written for young readers from a finished manuscript to a published book that families, schools and libraries can buy. The process covers editing the text, preparing the illustrations and the interior, designing the cover, setting the book up on sales platforms and promoting it.
Childrens books differ from books for adults. They are usually short, they depend on illustrations, they are often printed in full color, and they are written for a specific age group. Each of those facts changes how the book is edited, formatted, printed and sold when engaging professional childrens book publishing services.
At a glance
Picture books, early readers, chapter books and middle grade
Editing, proofreading, formatting, cover design, publishing setup, marketing, audiobook production
Publishing services provider; the author publishes the book
Authors keep ownership of their books
Remote, to authors worldwide
Three Ways to Publish a Childrens Book
An author with a finished childrens book has three main routes. The route decides who pays for production, who controls the book and how the author earns.
| Feature | Traditional publisher | Hybrid publisher | Publishing services (BookPublishersNYC.com) |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it works | The author submits the book, often through a literary agent, and the publisher selects and publishes it | The company typically charges the author and offers a publisher-style package | The author publishes the book and buys exactly the services it needs |
| Who pays for production | The publisher | Typically the author | The author, service by service |
| Who decides what is done | The publisher | The company’s package | The author |
| Who owns the book | Defined by the publishing contract | Terms vary by company | The author |
How to Publish a Childrens Book: Step by Step
Publishing a childrens book follows eight steps. Each step links to the specific phase within our comprehensive childrens book publishing services that carries it out.
Finish & Revise
A childrens story should read well aloud. Revise it until the rhythm, the length and the age level are right.
Step 02Edit & Proofread
An editor improves the story, language and consistency, and the proofreader checks the final text.
Step 03Select a Package
Choose a comprehensive publishing package that bundles design, formatting, and platform setup for your book.
Step 04Format Interior
The text and the imagery are beautifully laid out page by page, for both print and ebook editions.
Step 05Design the Cover
The cover is professionally designed for the ebook, the paperback and the hardcover.
Step 06Sales Platforms
The files, the description, the age range and the metadata are prepared and submitted to platforms.
Step 07Market the Book
The listing and the launch plan reach the parents, grandparents, teachers and librarians who buy.
Step 08Review & Publish
The author thoroughly reviews and approves the final files before the official publication.
Kinds of Books in Childrens Book Publishing & How Long They Are
In childrens book publishing, titles are grouped by the age of the reader, and each group has its own conventions. The lengths below are a rough industry guide, not a rule, and they vary by publisher and by book.
| Kind of book | Typical reader | Rough length |
|---|---|---|
| Board book | Babies and toddlers | Very few words, often under 300 |
| Picture book | About 3 to 8 | Often 300 to 1,000 words, commonly over 32 pages |
| Early reader | About 5 to 8 | A few hundred to a couple of thousand words |
| Chapter book | About 6 to 10 | Often 5,000 to 15,000 words |
| Middle grade | About 8 to 12 | Often 25,000 to 55,000 words |
Editing a Childrens Book: Rhythm, Age Level and Clarity
Childrens book editing asks its own questions during the childrens book publishing process, and the text is often short enough that every single word matters. Book editing services describes the three levels and their rates in full.
Developmental Editing
Developmental editing looks at the whole story: the structure, the pacing, the age level, the characters and how the story works across the page turns of a picture book.
Line Editing
Line editing looks at how the text sounds. Childrens books are read aloud, so rhythm, word choice and rhyme matter, and an editor reads for exactly how the words sound.
Copy Editing
Copy editing checks correctness and consistency in a childrens book: grammar, spelling, punctuation, names and the consistency of spelling and style from page to page.
Illustrations for a Childrens Book
Illustrations carry much of a childrens book, making them a crucial part of childrens book publishing. An author may write the book and work with an illustrator, or may supply finished illustrations. The author is responsible for holding the rights to every illustration used in the book.
Custom artwork is available at $15 per illustration as part of BookPublishersNYC.com’s comprehensive childrens book publishing services. The $99 cover design price covers the cover design and does not include custom interior illustration. Request a quote and describe the illustrations the book needs.
Request a Quote →Rights & Custom Art
When an author works with an independent illustrator, the author should agree the terms in writing: who owns the artwork, how the author may use it and whether the illustrator is credited.
An illustrator normally owns the copyright in their artwork unless the agreement says otherwise.
Formatting a Childrens Book Interior
A childrens book interior combines text and illustrations on each page. In childrens book publishing, the formatting decides where the words sit, how the pictures flow across the pages and how the book reads when a page is turned. The interior is often printed in full color, and the artwork usually runs to the edge of the page, which means the files need the exact right bleed.
The page count has to suit the printer’s requirements, and print files follow the specifications of the printer or platform the author chooses. Formatting works on the approved text and the final illustrations, so it comes after editing, and it is billed by final formatted book pages. Books with special layouts take more formatting work.
As part of our childrens book publishing services, BookPublishersNYC.com actively resolves sizing and bleed issues in delivered cover and formatting files, whether the author publishes independently or through another company.
Explore book formatting services →Technical Specifications
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Full Color & Bleed Files are formatted with exact bleed margins so illustrations run seamlessly to the page edge.
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Page Counts Layouts are structured to meet specific printer page-count multiples and binding rules.
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File Resolution All files are vetted and resolved for proper sizing to avoid printing errors.
Designing a Childrens Book Cover
A childrens book cover has to catch a child’s eye and reassure an adult buyer. In childrens book publishing, it needs clear, readable type, an appealing image and a look that suits the age group. It also has to read at thumbnail size, because most buyers first see it as a small image on a retail page.
Many childrens books are published in hardcover as well as paperback. As part of our professional childrens book publishing services, book cover design costs $99, with three initial concepts, and includes the ebook, paperback and hardcover cover files. Custom illustration for the cover is quoted separately.
Book Cover Design
- Three initial concepts
- Ebook cover file
- Paperback cover file
- Hardcover cover file
Publishing and Printing a Childrens Book
Publishing setup prepares the book’s files and listing for sales platforms. In childrens book publishing, the listing’s description, age range and metadata deeply matter, because parents, teachers, and librarians search specifically by age and topic.
Whether you are releasing an early reader or a middle grade novel, our childrens book publishing services help ensure your book is optimally positioned on retail platforms.
Editions
Each edition has its own requirements. The service sets up ebook and paperback editions, and hardcover editions where the platform supports them.
ISBNs
An ISBN identifies a specific edition. BookPublishersNYC.com provides ISBN guidance for each edition. ISBN purchases are paid separately where applicable.
Platforms
BookPublishersNYC.com supports setup on Amazon KDP, Kobo Writing Life, Apple Books, Google Play Books, Barnes & Noble Press, Lulu, Draft2Digital, StreetLib, PublishDrive and IngramSpark.
Printing
Physical printing and shipping are not part of the service fee. Full-color printing costs more than black-and-white printing, and the platform or printer charges it.
Platform rules
Platforms set their own content and file rules, including rules on artwork created with software tools. Authors should read each platform’s current policy.
Marketing a Childrens Book
A childrens book is bought by adults for children, so marketing within childrens book publishing speaks directly to parents, grandparents, teachers and librarians. The retail listing, the description, the keywords and the launch plan all explain what the book offers and exactly who it suits.
As an extension of our childrens book publishing services, our book marketing services include listing and keyword research, launch planning and promotional copy and graphics.
Explore book marketing services →Important Note
No marketing service guarantees sales, reviews or rankings. The outcome depends on the book, the audience and many factors outside any provider’s control.
Turning a Childrens Book Into an Audiobook
In the world of childrens book publishing, stories are made to be read aloud, which perfectly suits the audio format. Audiobook production services cover narrator selection, recording, editing, mixing and mastering, chapter files and delivery. The author may use a professional narrator or narrate the book personally.
An audiobook needs the audio rights to the book and the final, edited text. Available as an addition to our core childrens book publishing services, pricing is a project quote based on the estimated finished hours.
Explore Audiobook Services →Rights and Ownership for Childrens Book Authors
Authors keep full ownership of their book, title, characters and original text when they partner with BookPublishersNYC.com for their childrens book publishing journey. Providing professional childrens book publishing services does not transfer ownership of a book to the company, and the company does not take a percentage of royalties for its services.
Read about author rights and royalties →Artwork & Permissions
A childrens book adds two important questions. The illustrations may belong to a different person from the text, so the author needs a written agreement that covers them.
Characters, images and music that come from other creators need permission. The author is entirely responsible for holding every right and permission required for publication.
What Publishing a Childrens Book Can Cost
Editing and proofreading are priced per 250 manuscript words, and childrens books are short. The table applies our published rates to two typical lengths. The final price for your childrens book publishing project is set in each quote, and cover design, formatting, and publishing setup are quoted separately.
| Service | Rate | Picture book, 1,000 words (4 units) |
Chapter book, 15,000 words (60 units) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developmental editing | $8–$13 per 250 words | $32–$52 | $480–$780 |
| Line editing | $7.50–$12.50 per 250 words | $30–$50 | $450–$750 |
| Copy editing | $5–$7 per 250 words | $20–$28 | $300–$420 |
| Proofreading | $3 per 250 words | $12 | $180 |
| Illustrations | $15 per illustration | Variable (based on count) | Variable (based on count) |
How to Start Your Childrens Book Publishing Journey
Request a quote
Describe the book, its age group, its word count and the childrens book publishing services of interest.
Talk it through
BookPublishersNYC.com discusses the book with the author by phone and email.
Receive the quote
The quote states the deliverables, the billing basis and the exclusions.
Sign & pay advance
The service agreement and the confidentiality agreement are signed, and the advance payment is received, before work begins.
Questions Authors Ask About Childrens Book Publishing
How do I publish a childrens book?
Finish and revise the text, have it edited and proofread, plan the illustrations, format the interior, design the cover, set the book up on sales platforms and market it. BookPublishersNYC.com provides the editing, proofreading, formatting, cover design, publishing setup and marketing services for these steps in childrens book publishing, and the author publishes the book.
Is BookPublishersNYC.com a childrens book publisher?
No. BookPublishersNYC.com is a provider of professional childrens book publishing services. It does not acquire manuscripts, pay advances or offer publishing contracts. The author publishes the book.
Do I need a literary agent to publish a childrens book?
Often, yes, for a traditional publisher, because many traditional childrens publishers accept submissions only from agents. An author who publishes independently with professional services does not need an agent.
Do I need an illustrator?
Most childrens books need illustrations, and the author either works with an illustrator or supplies finished artwork. Custom illustration is quoted separately, and the author must hold the rights to every illustration.
How long should a childrens book be?
It depends on the kind of book. A picture book is often between 300 and 1,000 words, and a chapter book is often between 5,000 and 15,000 words. These are rough industry guides, not rules.
How much does it cost to publish a childrens book?
It depends on the childrens book publishing services the book needs. Cover design costs $99, editing is priced per 250 words, formatting is billed by final formatted pages, and the three publishing packages start at $499. Printing, platform fees and ISBN purchases are separate.
Can I publish a childrens book in hardcover?
Yes, where the platform supports it. The cover design price includes a hardcover cover file, and hardcover setup is part of the Professional and Author Launch & Growth packages.
Do I keep the rights to my childrens book?
Yes. Authors keep ownership of their books, and BookPublishersNYC.com does not take a percentage of royalties. The written service agreement states the exact terms.
Request a Quote for Your Childrens Book
Describe the book, its age group, its word count, and the childrens book publishing services you are considering. Our custom quote will clearly state the deliverables for your project, the billing basis, and the exclusions.