Publish a Children's Book
If you've been wanting to publish a children's book but have NO IDEA where to start, you're in the right place! I got you covered! Let's figure out what platform you are going to publish on, what program you're going to use to create your files, and everything else in-between!
Step 1: Choose your publishing platform
My two options of choice are KDP and IngramSpark.
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KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing / Amazon)
Pros:
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Easy to use
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Great for non-tech-savvy folks & first-time publishers
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Higher profit margin
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Quicker turnaround time when ordering (via Amazon Prime)
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Can add extra images to listing (via A+ content)
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Cons:
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Inconsistent quality
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Low chance of being ordered by bookstores
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Hardcover books need to be at least 75 pages
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IngramSpark
Pros:
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Consistent, great quality
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More likely to be ordered by bookstores
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Hardcover books can be as low as 18 pages
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Cons:
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Not as user-friendly (e.g., no side-by-side preview)
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Lower profit margin
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Longer shipping time for orders
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Can't add extra images to listing
Now that you've chosen a publishing platform....
Step 2: Choose your editing program
Two great options are Canva and Adobe Photoshop.
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Canva
Recommended if you don't have experience with Photoshop.
Pros:
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Easy to use
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Great for non-tech-savvy folks
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Collaboration tools (multiple people can view/edit a single project)
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Files are not taking up space on your hard drive (picture book files can be big!)
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If you aren't an artist / don't have an illustrator, you can use Canva's images to create pictures for your book
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It's free
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Cons:
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Can't edit spreads side-by-side
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Can't do super advanced image editing (like cut/paste elements, clone stamp)
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Adobe Photoshop
Recommended if you already use Photoshop for other things.
Pros:
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Can use artboards to edit & view spreads side-by-side
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Can do super advanced image editing (like cut/paste elements, clone stamp)
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Cons:
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Not as user-friendly / high learning curve
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Requires monthly subscription of $23/mo
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Files are stored on your hard drive, and they can be big!