In many cases, this doesn't matter a jot, even if it's going to cost a sizeable amount of money and the author never sells more than 100 copies. The writer is just thrilled to see the book in print, and to distribute it to friends and family.
Others are bitterly disappointed when they find that it's virtually impossible to sell copies of their book. Hoped-for online sales don't eventuate, and boxes full of the book languish in the garage, slowly yellowing with age.
This isn't always the scenario, of course... but all too often it is, because inexperienced authors don't have any idea of how hard it is to actually market a book. (They thought all the hard work was over once it was written and printed!)
Good Reasons to Look at Self Publishing Children's Books
Are there any good reasons to self-publish – or is it a matter of authors fooling themselves?
If authors go into self-publishing with a clear idea of what the whole process will entail – from writing the book right through to marketing it – and still elect to publish the book themselves, then yes, there are definitely rewards. Some good reasons to self-publish are:
- the pleasure of having a printed book that represents hours of hard work, and the excitement of children of having a book given to them (or read to them) that has been written by someone in the family
- a product that provides a pathway to school visits and author talks – and possible related sales, if the author is in a job that has constant contact with children, schools or parents
- a boost of self-confidence that can carry them through the 'lean' years until a commercial publisher takes them on
- a title that people can look up online (some self-publishing deals are linked with large online stores like Amazon.com)
Not-so-Good Reasons to Self Publish a Book for Children
Most 'not so good' reasons for self-publishing have to do with the author deluding herself about what she can expect. This might include such things as a vision of having the book displayed in all book stores, or the decision to take a risk on earning enough money from book sales to replace paid work outside the home (this is remotely possible, but extremely unlikely. Other not-so-good reasons are:
- a fit of pique at a commercial publisher for rejecting the book ("I'll show them!" is likely to rebound and hurt the author more than the publisher who rejected the story)
- the thought that any publisher seeing the finished product will either (a) want to take it on immediately or (b) offer a contract for the author's next book (again, possible – but a pretty remote hope)
Can a Children's Book Author Look at the Book Objectively?
Unfortunately, some writers of books for children who want to be published at any cost are blind to the shortcomings of the manuscript. This is particularly evident in illustrated story books or picture books. Some common problems:
- The author (who may be an amateur artist) decides to illustrate the book herself, even though her skills aren't really up to the job. Similarly, an author may ask a friend to illustrate the book – even though the friend doesn't have enough talent, either.
- The author doesn't ask for feedback on the work before publishing, or send the book to a freelance editor for a critique. It's important to get a reaction from someone who understands writing for children. Someone who writes perfect grammatical English might not have a clue about how to write books that will engage a young audience. To prevent wordiness/preaching/talking down to children, it is essential to have the book proofread and edited by someone who is knowledgeable in the field.
- The author decides to save money by doing the layout and cover design herself in her usual word-processing program. This often results in overly narrow margins, a poorly-chosen font, and a cover that screams 'home-made'.
- The work contains grammatical and spelling errors when it is sent to the publisher. Usually, unless an extra fee is paid, the publisher takes 'camera-ready' material and simply produces the book. The author is then embarrassed by a published book peppered with mistakes.
McGeath Freeman's excellent article on 3 Deadly Mistakes for Self-Publishing Children's Picture Books offers further insights into what authors might miss when deciding to self-publish.
Self Publishing Tips for Children's Book Authors
Writers who want to self-publish should understand that they will have to:
- write, edit, proofread and design the book
- obtain an ISBN number
- send copies of books to reviewers (unless they intend only to print enough copies for friends and family)
- find a place to store the books (if they order large quantities to reduce the cost per book)
- handle the financial aspects of selling books (sales tax, invoicing, mailing)
- market the books (find book stores or online stores that are willing to sell them)
- handle promotion and press releases; do interviews with local papers and perhaps radio stations (this means organising all of these as well as talking/being interviewed)
Does all of these mean that writers shouldn't try self-publishing a children's book? No, not at all. It simply means that they shouldn't close their eyes to the difficulties – and they certainly shouldn't let self-publishing become a substitute for learning their craft.
For writers who would love to see their book(s) in print, but don't want to spend a fortune, Print on Demand publishing would probably be a good option. Authors can opt to print very small numbers of books to see how sales go. A small print run means that the price per book will be more, but it's a 'safe' way to dip a toe in the water. Finally, beware of 'vanity' publishers who ask for large sums of money and promise the world – this is a sure road to disappointment.
Marg McAlister - Marg McAlister has tried on a good many writer's hats in her career, and has enjoyed wearing most of them. Her writing achievements ...
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