The Story
Write a story that appeals to your base audience. Kids 1-3 years of age, 3-5 years of age, 4-9 years of age, 6-12 years of age. The younger the base audience, the more pictures will be required. The younger audience requires shorter, simple sentences. Don't be afraid to use a few 'big' words. Add a glossary to the book. Use fun words. Use language the creates mental pictures and make the pictures in the book come to life and 'move'. The story should stimulate the imagination. Use action words and feeling words. The story should contain strong family values and morals.
Artwork
Artwork should be a part of the book. The younger audiences require a picture on every page. The older audiences require an occasional sketch or picture. Your publisher should be able to provide an appropriate illustrator for your story.
Editing
The publisher will edit the book. He looks for continuity and flow transitions, sentence structure and style, grammatical correctness, and effectiveness of the presentation of the story.
Pre-Press
The publisher will package all aspects of the book in a format that the printer will use to print the book. The publisher can prepare the book in print format and/or eBook format. He will obtain for you an ISBN number and a LCCN (Library of Congress) number. The ISBN number is necessary for selling the book at retail shops.
Book Size
The book size can be printed in most any size. Younger audiences enjoy big pages with big pictures and big print. Therefore, a finished printed size of 8 1/2 inches wide by 11 inches tall is very common for the younger audiences. Dimensions half that size works well for older audiences.
The number of pages in the book should be fewer for younger audiences, more for the older audiences. However, keep in mind that binding the book is a concern with respect to the number of pages in the book.
Soft Cover and Perfect binding (adhesive to hold pages together) is an inexpensive way to prepare the books for sale. However, you will need a minimum of 32 pages including the cover to use this process.
Soft Cover and Saddle stitching (staples in the center fold) is good for most any number of pages for small books. However, the number of pages must be in multiples of four. Example: An 11" x 17" sheet is printed on both sides, two panels each side. It is folded in the middle. You now have a finished size of 8 1/2" x 11" with four pages, two inside and two outside.
Hard cover binding is more expensive and is more practical for larger printing numbers.
Book Elements
- Artwork - both cover and throughout the story.
- Credits page - publication information.
- Dedication/Author page - Is the book dedicated? Are there more books by the author?
- Introduction page - This is one or two paragraphs that sets the stage for the story.
- The story - Younger audiences enjoy a simple single chapter format. Older audiences can use chapters.
- Glossary - An excellent teaching tool for a few of those challenging words used in the story.
- Endorsements - It's a nice extra and lends credit to your book. One or two is sufficient.
- Retail price - Establish or determine retail price of book for the ISBN label.
Cost
Prices vary according to the number of pages, the number of illustrations and type of illustrations, the number of books printed, and the amount of editing necessary to prepare the work for the market. An example: A 32 page perfect bound book fully illustrated can be produced for about $5,000 which includes 225 printed books. When the market desires your book and the orders for books cause production runs of 50,000 to 100,000 books, you will enjoy very nice profits for your investment of time and finances.
Conclusion
I hope this helps you move forward to publishing your book(s). Please write Michael@SnailPublishing.com for discussing your book project and to address any questions you have. You can call 210-696-0998 as well.
Do you have a story to be considered for publishing? Click HERE to continue.
