If you are ready to officially start working on your writing career with a children’s book, then you are here at the right place. Now, one mistake that some aspiring writers make is to believe that writing a children’s book is easier than writing a novel for young adults.
You should know that with a children’s book, you might be able to complete your draft faster as it is meant to be fewer pages than a novel. However, you will have to be equally mindful of a few aspects that we are about to discuss below.
Keep reading.
What Makes a Great Children’s Book?
Before you start to work on the storyline and the outline of the story, you should understand the basic aspects of a great children’s book. Make sure you choose the right target audience, such as the ideal age range of children for whom you want to write. Also, you cannot craft a boring book as a great children’s book has captivating elements along with beautiful illustrations.
Regarding the question of how to get a children’s book published, you have two routes to choose from, such as self-publication and traditional publication. On that note, you might have an incredible idea that you cannot wait to transform into a children’s book. The best thing you can do is to get started right away and start writing.
Parents Will Buy the Book for their Children
When writing a children’s book, you should keep in mind that parents will be buying the book for their children. So, they will be the ones going through the book first to see whether or not it is a good fit for their children.
Once your little audience falls in love with the character and the story, there is no turning back, as the little ones will want to read more and buy the entire series that follows. The series of “The Magic Tree House” is one fine example of this.
However, while you make something incredibly entertaining for the kids, you must think of their parents first, as they will be the ones who are buying the books for their kids.
Define Your Target Market
To write a children’s book that will actually sell, you must understand the target market first. The best thing you can do is to spend time with the children who fall within the age group that you want to write for and their parents. You can also talk to the caregivers or teachers of your chosen age group.
The thing about market research is that it is an incredibly crucial tool that you can leverage to get to know more about the types of books that parents are reading to their kids for that age group. You will get insight into the keywords that parents use to search for books online, such as children’s books on family, kindness, courage, and friendship.
By doing market research, you will see the topics that are of great interest that you can then incorporate into your children’s book.
Understand the Basic Structure of Your Children’s Book
When writing a storybook for a younger audience, you should get familiar with the basic structure of the book. You can also work with templates when working on the draft of your book. The best way to get a clear idea of what is expected from you is to study as many books as you can that are in the same category that you want to write for.
All you need to do is visit your local library and spend some time there reading books of the targeted age group. Take notes on the layout and vocabulary of the books to get a general feel for your chosen genre. To take things a notch higher, you might as well want to talk to a child psychologist to get details of the unique needs that your targeted age group has.
Define The Concept of Your Children’s Book
Now that you have done all the research, you should think about the story that you have for your children’s book. Can you define the summary or core point of the book in a single sentence or in less than half a minute? If yes, then your story can be great for the young audience.
This aspect is also referred to as the “logline,” if you haven’t heard about it before, you should know that it is the art of reducing your book to a single sentence. You might think of the logline in terms of that one sentence that you can use to pitch your book’s plot.
Suppose someone asks you what your book is about. In this case, you will be using one or two sentences to pitch your book’s plot to them.
Things to Avoid When Writing a Children’s Book
Of course, you will want your children’s book to sell and get into the hands of your intended target audience, which is why it is essential to avoid certain mistakes, such as the mistake of using too many words in your story. If you are writing a book for two-year-olds, you shouldn’t use long words or long sentences.
Even children above two understand their short attention span and avoid writing a book that has more than eight hundred words. While your children’s book should contain some moral lesson, avoid making it too obvious because young readers wouldn’t like a lesson. The key is to be subtle when weaving the moral lesson into the story.
Final Thoughts
It doesn’t matter what you have heard your entire life about never judging a book by its cover. The truth is that people always judge a book by its cover, which is why you should pay attention to the title and cover of your book to make it interesting and attractive to your ideal readers.
The way you start your book plays a crucial role in making your book interesting. Avoid a slow start, as it will cause the young readers to lose their interest. Make sure to engage the little readers right from the very start of your book.
