How to Evaluate Children’s Book Publishers for First-Time Authors

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

For a first-time children’s book author, few things are more exciting than a publisher showing interest in your story. It’s all right there: your manuscript, your characters, and your ideas. Maybe you’ve imagined a child turning the pages at bedtime, asking to hear the story again. So now, when a publishing service or “author solutions” company says they can help bring your book to life, it feels like finally getting the attention that you and your book deserve.

Unfortunately, not every door that opens leads somewhere good. The big traditional publishers have a wide reach, but they’re highly selective. Meanwhile, vanity publishers know how vulnerable first-time authors are. They try to win you over through flattery, urgency, and vague promises, followed by confusing contracts and expensive packages. Some even grab the rights to your book right out from under you while making you feel like you’re getting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

That’s why, if you’re going to evaluate children’s book publishers, you need to go beyond just asking: “Will they publish my book?” Instead, you should look for companies that will not only help you create a children’s book, but do so while protecting your rights, respecting your vision, and give you a realistic plan for reaching more readers. Self-publishing your children’s book can help you do all of that and more.

Children’s books aren’t easier to publish

If you’re a first-time author looking to evaluate children’s book publishers, you may be surprised to learn that children’s books aren’t necessarily easier to publish just because they’re simpler and shorter. In many ways, compared to a regular fiction novel, they’re more complex.

As a first-time author, your book depends a great deal on visual storytelling, pacing, page turns, and illustration quality, not to mention layout, trim size, print quality, and age-appropriate design. Even if the story is charming, a picture book with weak production will look amateurish.

There’s actually a lot involved in creating a children’s book beyond the writing itself. You also have to:

• Understand the market
• Develop the story
• Manage illustrations
• Design the layout
• Choose the best publishing route
• Prepare your files
• Develop a plan for printing, distribution, and marketing

When evaluating children’s book publishers, check their website or speak with their support team to find out answers to common questions like:

• Do they understand a picture book layout?
• Can they handle full-color interiors?
• Do they offer a variety of appropriate trim sizes?
• Can they print both hardcover and softcover children’s books?
• Do they understand how the illustrations need to interact with the text?
• Can they help with cover design?

At BookBaby, our children’s book printing services include a wide range of choices for printing and self-publishing children’s books. You can choose your features and print styles based on your budget and preferences.

Watch out for rights grabs

Rights grabs are one of the easiest ways for first-time children’s book authors to get trapped. Your book is intellectual property and it may include print rights, eBook rights, audiobook rights, translation rights, and even merchandising rights. Imagine it also expanding to include things like film and television rights, too! A bad publishing deal may ask for more rights than the publishing company needs or deserves.

When you sign on with a traditional publisher, you might sign away primary rights, and possibly even subsidiary rights like TV and film. Meanwhile, independent authors retain their rights.

Read the royalty terms and contract carefully

Book royalties seem simple on the surface until you see how they’re calculated. Publishers often tell you a royalty percentage, but what is that a percentage of? Retail price? Profit after production costs? Selling through one platform exclusively? A high-number royalty might sound attractive until you see pieces of it nibbled away by how and where your book can be sold and for how much.

For the contract, read it carefully because your professional future depends on it. It’s a good idea to have an attorney or publishing professional review it as well, paying particular attention to things like:

• Rights granted
• Royalty structures
• Term length
• Termination clauses
• Creative control
• Illustration ownership
• Who owns the revision and approval rights
• What to do if there’s a dispute

Don’t rely on any verbal promises. If the salesperson tells you that you have complete control, make sure that also appears in writing. If they pressure you to sign quickly, run!

The ideal publishing deal is the one you can fully understand

Getting your children’s book into print and actually holding it in your hands is nothing short of magical if you’re a first-time, self-published author. That’s why we highly recommend taking your time while you evaluate children’s book publishers. Compare your options and ask questions — even uncomfortable ones. Read the contract and royalty details carefully. Get clear on who owns what and make sure distribution means what you think it means.

Above all, don’t let the excitement rush you into a deal where you ultimately give up too much. Just having a publisher say “yes” feels like a dream come true, but the real dream come true is seeing your children’s book published beautifully, professionally, and with terms you can actually understand.

If you want more control over that process, check out everything BookBaby has to offer, including editing, design, distribution and support services for first-time and longtime professional authors. You can get started today with a free quote on our website.

Conclusion

With the right approach, first-time authors can evaluate children’s book publishers without falling into bad publishing deals. While traditional publishers are selective, vanity publishers often target inexperienced authors with flattering promises, confusing contracts, and expensive packages that may strip away important rights. Children’s books are more complex than they appear, requiring careful attention to illustrations, layout, trim size, printing quality, and formatting. Authors should review royalty structures, contract terms, rights ownership, and distribution promises carefully before signing anything.

There are many advantages to self-publishing a children’s book, and when you work with BookBaby, you’ll enjoy full creative control, transparent terms, and professional support for editing, printing, and distribution. Learn more.