Let’s face it, publishing a children’s book is hard- really hard. Finding an agent to pick you up in this competitive market seems impossible sometimes. But many people are opting out of the agents and the big-book publishing, and they’re trying out a new popular form of getting their book read: self publishing. For children’s books, in particularly, this can be a great route to take.
You’re in charge of the image
You are fully in control of the illustrations and can pick your own illustrator based on your budget and style and liking. You get to design your own front cover and back cover and title page. You can format your own book and be 100% in control of the entire process ensuring that what you want in print, is exactly how your book appears in print.
You can create your own markets
Even being published by a big publisher doesn’t necessarily ensure success. When you self-publish you’re in charge of your own markets. You can choose who to sell your book to, and market your book yourself to schools, libraries, book stores, and online. You can also sell copies of your book yourself at places like local craft markets and eBay.
You can compare royalty rates
The great part of self-publishing is the fact you get to choose from literally hundreds of different publishers, and you can find a royalty rate that you think is fair. This means YOU get to decide how much you make off of your book- and there are no agents and extra people taking up parts of your profits.
You are in control of your own work
When self-publishing there will never be an agent or editor who tells you to change your story. You can stay true to the book you wanted to write and you won’t need to change it for anyone. Your work is YOUR work- and when you self-publish you can rest assured that no one will be demanding you change it.
You don’t need to wait to bring your idea to print
The reason most people choose to self-publish is the fact that they can instantaneously get their book in print. You can start earning profits faster. You can start gaining a reader base faster. You can get your book read faster. Because rather than waiting on letters from agents and agreements from major publishers- you skipped those steps, and published yourself.
Self-publishing doesn’t guarentee success, but it does guarentee that you are 100% in control of your work and that YOU are the person reeling in the benefits of your hard work. Hard work does pay off, and yes- self-publishing is hard work. But self-publishing your children’s book might be the right road to take for you. Everyone has a different way of getting their book read, and in modern times many people are choosing to self-publish with a lot of success.