How to Self-Publish Children’s Books Successfully: Notes From the Trenches

by Tim Pierce via Flickr
by Tim Pierce via Flickr

Note from Jane: Within the past few months, there has been increased conversation around self-publishing in the children’s book market, including three focused posts here at this site.

Last week, editor Sangeeta Mehta hosted a Q&A with two literary agents, who offered insights on indie authorship specifically in the category of picture books. In response, I heard from author Darcy Pattison, who wanted to share what she’s learned from her entry into the marketplace.


My first book, The River Dragon (Harpercollins), was published in 1990, and I’ve been involved in the industry since then. In the last 20 months, I’ve made the switch from traditional publishing to an independent publishing company, with 20 titles available. You can see my catalog here. As I say in this article, the first 18 months were devoted to production, distribution and accounting. The next 18 months will continue those activities, but focus more on marketing.

I’m having way more fun now than I’ve ever had before. Projects that failed to find a home with a traditional publisher are finding a lucrative spot in the marketplace. My indie books have received starred reviews, national awards, been translated, been sold in the Smithsonian Museum stores, and are being read by kids every day. And that’s after only two years in business.

Where to Find Illustrators

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Unless you’re an author-illustrator, it’s almost always a significant investment to self-publish because of the cost of illustrations. Behance.net is a place for artists to post portfolios, which makes it the perfect place to search for book illustrators.

You must be able to:

  • pick out great art
  • figure out if the artist is also an illustrator who already does or can adapt to the demands of children’s picture books
  • negotiate a contract
  • direct the art.
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I’ve had mixed success. One contract was cancelled because the person was an amazing artist, but couldn’t tell a story with her art. But one illustrator I discovered on Behance has been great; Ewa O’Neill of Poland worked on I Want a Dog and I Want a Cat will be out this fall.

I’ve just contracted with a British illustrator for a 2016 book. As the publisher, I offer contract terms and negotiate a mutually agreeable contract.

Another way I’ve dealt with the illustrations is to partner with a friend, Kitty Harvill (we share a birthdate, so we were fated to do books together!). She has previously published books with August House and Holiday House, and is a fantastic wildlife artist and book designer.

Our book, Wisdom, The Midway Albatross won the Writer’s Digest Self-Published Children’s Book Award and received a starred Publisher’s Weekly review. Our second book, Abayomi, The Brazilian Puma was named a 2015 NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book. Because we have a contract spelling out terms, the only hard part about working with Kitty is the accounting, because we split profit. (Thank heaven for Quickbooks.)

Why I Stick to the 32-Page Format

While I feel free to create a book of any size that I want, I generally stick to the 32-page format because it’s been the industry standard for so many years. Librarians, teachers, parents, and booksellers expect this format. I also think it’s an art form, just as a sonnet is a fixed length/format poem. In fact, I’ll be teaching a Highlights Foundation workshop in April, along with Leslie Helakoski. We’ll be encouraging writers to think in terms of 32 pages because the editing required to fit into a 32-page book makes the writing tighter and the story stronger.  For more, see my article here.

As POD publishing expands, however, I expect the picture book format to morph. On my own books, I’m finding it easy to add two pages to the front or back for advertising purposes, for example. I expect that someday soon, I’ll find a good reason to expand even more to an unusual length.

The Question of Bookstore DistributionScreen Shot 2015-03-06 at 2.34.18 PM

Unless and until you set up the right distribution and get the right recognition with booksellers, your self-published book will not reach bookstores. You can reach bookstores through Amazon’s CreateSpace Expanded Distribution, and if you price it so the store can make a profit of $2 or more, they might order it. But why should they? You must give stores a reason to order your book, which might include reviews in major journals and a major advertising campaign. Discoverability by bookstores is a major hurdle.

But so what? This is a fundamental mindshift that needs to happen if you want to self-publish. You are in the business of selling books, not in the business of stocking a bookstore. You must go anywhere and everywhere necessary to sell books, and bookstores are only one sales channel.

Do You Need Endorsements?

Just like for traditional publishers, the marketing tool of endorsements has a spotty record of success. It depends on the book, the audience, the person giving the endorsement, how the endorsement is used, and so on. It’s merely one of the marketing tools available.

How to Get Reviews

My books have been reviewed by Publisher’s Weekly, School Library Journal, Audofile Magazine, and others. Because I have a traditionally published background, this has been easier for me than for others. However, the main strategy is to consistently send review copies three to four months before publication, and to present yourself as a publishing company. I always include a copy of my catalog and often include photocopies of previous reviews.

Not all books are reviewed by all journals because it’s still controversial to review self-published books. However, good books can find a review and I expect this to open up more. Late in 2014, Horn Book’s editor Roger Sutton challenged children’s indie writers to submit in what he controversially titled The Selfie Sweepstakes, which was an offer to review books submitted within a strict window of time. He’s now begun reviewing the submissions—check out his latest post.

School Visits and the Self-Published Author

They’re just as lucrative for a self-published author as a traditionally published author. Reaching kids and teachers at schools is always an income-producing strategy that children’s book authors should consider. The questions aren’t any different for the indie writer:

  • Can you do a good presentation?
  • Do you like doing school presentations?
  • Will the school allow back-of-the-room sales?
  • What is a reasonable speaking fee?

For more on school visits, check out this site by Alexis O’Neill, who also writes a column for the SCBWI Bulletin about authors in schools.

Other Ways to Market and Promote

The question and challenge is how to build an author and a publisher’s platform. The answer depends on what kind of books you publish, the audience, the strengths of the author to produce online content, and so many other things. You build a platform and find readers and sell books. How that’s done is as individual as the books published.

Personally, I’m finding success mostly through my blogs and Pinterest. For more on building an author website, check out my post.

Print Versus Digital in the Children’s Market

Both print and digital books will always be popular. Adults on-the-go prefer digital when they travel because it cuts down on weight. Without a doubt, schools will move toward digital, which may begin to influence school age readers.

As an indie publisher, I use print-on-demand (POD) technology and ebooks, both of which mean there’s no charge unless a book is ordered. From that standpoint, investment is low because my inventory is small; I only keep enough for back-of-the-room sales when I speak.

But it’s not a question of print versus digital, or digital first, but best distribution strategy, or how can I reach my readers? I design the book’s trim size so that a single design fits all formats, and I simultaneously publish ebooks, paperback and hardcover. The POD technology is more expensive per copy, which puts the hardcovers out of the range of most trade markets, but squarely in the camp of library and educational publishing markets. Paperback books most comfortably sit in the trade market category, though I’m forced to be on the high side of pricing. Ebooks give me the possibility of worldwide reach, through Kindle, Kobo and Apple. My books have sold in Australia, UK, Canada, Germany, Mexico, Japan, India, France, Croatia, and more. In fact, Wisdom, The Midway Albatross is on the reading list for the 2015 Sakura Award, a children’s book award given by the English-speaking schools in Japan.

WisdomCover500x500

Another question is what platforms will come out on top. Right now, education publishers are promoting a device-independent format that can be accessed through a web browser. While this gives the widest accessibility, the ebook files must be smaller, so the images aren’t displayed as well. The EPUB3 standard might have a chance of becoming a standard, but only if proprietary formats such as Nook, Kindle and Apple give it a chance. In this ongoing struggle for dominance, this is the year to watch Apple and see what they do with the ebook market.

Before You Give It a Try

Picture books are a special art form, just like writing a sonnet is a special art form. People who want to write a picture book should read take a week to read 100 books published within the last few years. Only then, with some background in contemporary standards of picture books, should they try this.

It helps to create a business plan. Who is the audience for your book? As you consider manuscripts, which are most likely to appeal to that audience? How can you create an excellent physical and/or digital book? Where will that audience buy books? Where are they most likely to hear about your book? Being intentional about your publishing process makes success more likely. The wonderful thing about independent publishing is that the answers will be particular to each author. Done right, you will find the right audience for your books.

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kareninglis

Thanks, Jane and Darcy, for a fantastic post! I have been self-publishing children’s books here in the UK since 2011 – and it’s great to hear from someone so like-minded.

I’ve never been traditionally published (though did have a close shave with Bloomsbury and a couple of agents early on) but I have been successful in terms of volume sales for all of my titles, with over 6,000 copies of The Secret Lake sold (half in print and half on Kindle – and still selling consistently), around 1,200 of Eeek! The Runaway Alien (also selected on LoveReading4KidsUK for their reluctant readers’ list which is by Julia Eccleshare of The Guardian and the UK’s Literacy Trust ) and almost 500 copies of my picture book Ferdinand Fox’s Big Sleep. Of course these numbers are tiny compared with typical adult or YA book sales but marketing children’s books is really is a whole different challenge because reaching your readers online is far more difficult.

As Darcy says, you need be ready to get out there and meet your audience – and school visits are by far the best way to do this. Not only is it hugely rewarding, but you can make significant sales that way if you have a good book and are well organised.

I’ve also been lucky enough to get into local bookshops and local London branches of Waterstones — one of the main independent bookchains here in the UK — where I have had very successful signings and invitations to return. You don’t get people queuing at the door but over the course of a day or half day you meet lots of families and in my case the sales at these events have always delighted the book buyers (at one Waterstones event I sold more than Fifty Shades of Grey in their store, not long after it has just come out – the children’s department head was extremely pleased!)

When I first started out my ‘calling card’ was a WordPress site devoted to my then only book – The Secret Lake – and it was being able to refer bookshops to this – and using Lightning Source (LS) – that got me my ‘in’. The site looked professional, included sample chapters from the book (which was unsual back in 2011!) and included early reviews from children who had read it whom I’d found through our local library. And using LS meant they could see the book’s details on their data feed and know they could order it in easily. However — as pointed out in Darcy’s post — the books don’t sell themselves. My bookshop sales have come about as a result of my own marketing efforts through signings or and/or local press coverage that I have organised, with press releases making it clear that the books are available in local stores as well as online. This all also helps develop relationships with booksellers who in turn will continue to recommend your book.

Having an online presence is key, as Darcy says. Since bringing out more books I have consolidated everything into one site aimed at readers and schools http://www.kareninglisauthor.com — and then have a separate site aimed at writers: http://www.selfpublishingadventures.com Pinterest is on my list to do more with – Darcy’s post will get me back to that — I’m a freelance writer for my ‘day’ job so trying to fit everything is is quite a challenge!

My latest achievement is to be accepted into the first ever Barnes Children’s Literature Festival – local to where I live in southwest London. I am the only indie author there (and am alongside the likes of Alex Scheffler of Gruffalo illustrations fame, so feel a bit daunted!) but it just goes to show how times have changed. As well as reading from my book I’ll be showing the children how I work with my illustrator in Bosnia – I did this at a World Book Day school visit last week and the kids loved it! One of the great things about being indie is you have all of your artwork at your finger tips, which you can quickly adapt and use to tailor you various marketing efforts.

One last thing – I have turned my picture book, Ferdinand Fox’s Big Sleep into an interactive book app – this isn’t for the faint of heart and it will take me another couple of years to make my money back based on its sales track record. But if you want to see how I went about it check out my blog post here: https://kareninglis.wordpress.com/creating-a-childrens-book-app/

Darcy it would be good to hook up at some stage – I will be in touch! I am children’s advisor at the Alliance of Independent Authors, so I’m sure there’s lots to talk about. And Jane, thanks for putting up this great post 🙂

Ross Fraser

I am trying to find a way to publish my first book (I currently have 2 rhyming books that I would say are in the final editing stages) and am torn between trying to get a publisher and attempting to go won the self publishing route. I originally planned on trying to get a publisher but after 8 years of failed attempts to find an employer willing to give me a job (I am essentially housebound due to a severe back injury and only get £20 a week in benefits which leaves me 2-3 hundred pound short for bills every month) but haven’t managed and I don’t want to be in the same boat with my writing. The reason I got into writing books for children was that I needed a way to work from home (given my limitations) which would also allow me to provide for my daughter and wife. I really would be interested in discussing options with Darcy or Karen (or anyone else that thinks they can help point me in the right direction) as I know I only have one chance to do this right…

Ross Fraser

Darcy Pattison

Ross:
I wish I could be more encouraging, but this is a difficult business. When you self-publish you are starting a small business. Most small businesses run at a loss for 3-5 years before starting to turn a profit. Besides that, in the self-publishing world, children’s books aren’t the strongest sellers or the largest profits. To make a living, you’d find it easier to write romances or other adult genres with stronger audiences.

You can do it. I make a profit. But three years in the profits are still small and I couldn’t live on it. It’s growing each year, as I put out 3-4 new books. It takes that commitment to continue to write and publish new books.

And all of that assumes you’re a great writer and make great choices on editors, cover artists, or illustrators for picture books.

It’s hard. To mak a living at this is quite difficult. Not for the faint of heart. And for sure, not for someone who needs money quickly. Definitely not a get-rich-quick business.

Darcy

Ross Fraser

I appreciate the reply, it was late when I found this page and as a result I may not have explained myself properly. I understand that getting into writing is not easy and I am not afraid of hard work or a challenge (in fact the last 9 years have been little but a challenge) but I could do with advice and direction. I have come to the path of becoming a writer through I process of elimination and a determination to use the one skill I can still rely on (with the mobility issues and side effects of the extreme pain I live with every day), my creativity.

To say I have always had an uneasy relationship with reading and writing is something of an understatement. My journey to become a children’s writer has been a rocky and surprising one. It was determination to read a Beano when I was 10 (aided by my mum’s decision not to read it to me) that finally resulted in the first step. I still felt very much out of my comfort zone while growing up avoiding reading and writing as much as possible due to how difficult I found it. However things changed when the accident in 2007 left me with a severe back injury that kept me out of work (despite thousands of attempts to return) and in a seemingly never ending difficult situation.

I also wanted to show my daughter that it’s more important how we deal with hard times than the hard times themselves. After all, if we spend too much time looking back, how are we expected to see where we are going.

I need to make a go of this one way or another, trust me I am not looking to get rich quick, I just need a way to bring some income in, even if that is £50 a month… it will lessen the amount I need to raise (by selling personal items to make ends meet). I have been considering crowd funding to get the book published (plus increase visibility) and then create a marketing campaign to help with the initial release.

I have figured out that finding a publisher would be the ideal route to take but I wouldn’t want to approach too many publishers at the same time, for the fear of putting them off in some way. Also I know it can take 6-8 months for publishers to get round to reading the story submitted due to the volume of submissions they would get, which to be frank seems like wasted time in my current situation which is why I was looking at self publishing. Saying that I know self publishing will be tricky with the logistics of posting books out with the mobility issues I have, unless I approached a distribution center of some sort to deal with that side of it but that will obviously eat into any profits I get from the book.

As you can see I am far from having all of this clear in my head but I do know (as mad as it is) this is currently the best hope I have of providing some financial support for my family. I could just really do with some advice on how best to proceed, I genuinely believe my writing is solid (writing rhyming childrens stories, not sure I would be able to write for adults or tackle other genres). I know it can take more than just having a good story which is why I reached out by responding to Karen’s comment last night.

Is there any extra advice you can give me, I really would appreciate anything you can say that would point me in the right direction.

Thank you for your time and reply

Darcy Pattison

Jane Friedman does consultations. See her information above.
Darcy

Steven K. Smith

Thank you Jane and Darcy for a great post! It’s not easy to find many in-depth articles about indie children’s books. It has a number of challenges, many of which you state in your post. The few that I have read, tend to focus on picture books.

I write middle grade novels (ages 7-12) in a series called The Virginia Mysteries (http://www.virginiamysteries.com) which ties adventures with a twist of history. I decided early on that I preferred the independence and creativity that comes with being an indie. While different than picture books, many of the same challenges exist with middle grade in that buyers are still usually parents, schools and libraries offer a big opportunity but take some work to connect with directly, and bookstores are very difficulty to penetrate.

I recently wrote a post on my website about several of my recent efforts that might be of interest: http://myboys3.com/2015/02/26/indie-publishing-update/

The 3 most successful that I’d call out here are:

– Putting my ebooks into a box set which was picked up on Bookbub and brought me a ton of new readers

– Adding Ingram Spark for my expanded distribution printing rather than CreateSpace. This has just in the past couple weeks started to open up opportunities at bookstores and other sellers that either refuse to work through an Amazon company, are required to order through a distributor like Baker & Taylor, or require that orders be returnable.

– I developed a PDF that I’ve been emailing out to local schools and libraries about my series which has already led to booking several school visits throughout Virginia. This allows me to charge a modest speaking fee, often sell books to be read in advance for the discussion, and sometimes sell them in the back of the room at the event.

So much of the self-publishing community, such as the outstanding podcasts that I listen to religiously (Creative Penn, SPP, Rocking Self Publishing) focus nearly entirely on the adult market. It would be great to develop a community of indie children’s authors (and not just picture books) to support each other, share ideas and experiences.

Thanks for the great article and hoping that it sparks additional interest in these issues! I’d welcome the opportunity to connect with others in this space.

darcypattison

Karen –
Thanks for the info on the UK chidlren’s publishing world. Nice to know it works there, too.
Darcy

darcypattison

Steve:
I, too, have some MG books and especially a young/short chapter series. A recent review in SLJ of Kell and the Detectives, The Alien’s Inc. Series, Book 4 has been helpful.

Bookbub, of course, rocks–if you can get it.
I use LSI, not IngramSpark, which I feel does a better job of distribution; however, it’s hard to get in with them.
And, yes, I love the Podcasts, too.

If we had a listserv/forum/podcast/etc of indie children’s book authors, would there be many?
Darcy

Carisa Kluver

Excellent article! Thank you so much for sharing your experience (and Karen Inglis for your enlightening comments). The children’s book is definitely a different animal, whether print or digital, on so many levels. It’s nice to see it covered more in this blog – thanks!

Sangeeta Mehta

Terrific ideas and advice, Darcy. I’m glad that so many of us are taking an interest in self-publishing with regard to the children’s book market—and from such different angles. I was especially intrigued by your mention of Quickbooks and how it helps with accounting. Do you have any other suggestions about how the author and illustrator can keep track of monies received from books sales and subsidiary rights?

darcypattison

Sangeeta: I’ve been looking at other options, but everything is designed for big publishers. The only thing that looks every likely is EasyRoyalty at http://easyroyaltiesusa.com/. They offer a 30-day trial, and I’d definitely suggest that. But for most folks, QuickBooks works with a few modifications. I use Classes to keep track of individual titles.

Darcy

darcypattison

In related news, I just learned that my latest novel, LONGING FOR NORMAL, is reviewed in March 10, 2015 Booklist. Here’s the link, but you must be a subscriber to read it all: http://www.booklistonline.com/Longing-for-Normal-Darcy-Pattison/pid=7280381

Quote: “Pattison’s characters provide a reason to keep reading. In voices old before their time, due to years in the system, they describe their desperate attempts to stay relevant to the adults in their lives. A rare book featuring foster kids in realistic scenarios.”

To get that review, i sent an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) about four months ago. Each journal has a lead time and wants the book pre-publication.

Darcy

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