TL;DR: To publish a children's book, pick your age group, write and edit the story, hire an illustrator, format it to print specs, get an ISBN, and upload it to Amazon KDP for paperback and ebook, plus IngramSpark for hardcover and bookstores. Budget $3,000 to $10,000 for a professionally illustrated picture book. KDP won't print hardcovers under 75 pages, so plan your formats early.
So you want to learn how to publish a children's book. Congratulations! You're about to bring a little slice of magic into the world, and you've found the right place to learn how to do it.
Here's what most first-time children's book authors don't expect: writing the story is the short part. After that come illustrators, trim sizes, color printing, ISBNs, and Amazon rules that have changed three times since early 2025.
Get one of those wrong and you can end up paying for art that doesn't fit your book, or pricing a paperback so it earns 79 cents a copy. (Yes, really. I'll show you the math.)
The good news is that none of this is hard once you know the order. This guide walks you through all 12 steps, with 2026 costs, the print rules that trip up picture book authors, and what you can realistically earn.
So before we break down how to publish a children’s book through the self-publishing process, let’s briefly discuss WHY it’s a good idea to do so.
Why to Self-Publish Your Children’s Book
Here are just some of the reasons to consider self-publishing when learning how to publish a children’s book.
No Gatekeepers
Traditional publishing houses are hard to get into – and I mean HARD. Many children’s book authors spend years waiting to get a bite from a publishing house, and that’s if they ever hear anything at all.
Only around 1% of books sent to publishing houses actually get chosen for publishing. And if you are trying to learn how to publish a children’s book, that figure can seem pretty discouraging!
But don’t worry. With self-publishing, you can get your book out into the world almost as soon as you are done writing it – and thank goodness, because your story deserves to be told!
Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) has made it super simple to upload your eBook to the Amazon marketplace. And that works fabulously for children’s books too. Just think of how many children are glued to their iPads – and now they can be glued to the screen while reading your book!
More Royalties
You may think that traditional publishing will save you money when it comes to editors, book cover artists, and proofreaders, but they also take a massive chunk of your royalties. When you go through all the work of learning how to publish a children’s book and only receive 30% of your royalties, it can feel like a slap in the face.
Fortunately, when you self-publish your book, you get to keep around 70% of your royalties! In fact, self-publishing lets you keep all the profits (after printing costs).
The Same Marketing Situation
Lastly, if you’re scared to self-publish because you have to do your own marketing, I hate to break it to you, but traditional publishing houses only do a little bit of marketing for you. You still have to market your book yourself on social media, through book reviews, and at book signings.
So if you’re going to put in all the book marketing work anyway, you might as well be getting the bulk of the royalties!
At the end of the day, self-publishing your children’s book just makes sense. But now you need to know how to publish a children’s book online – so let’s dive into the steps!
How to Publish A Children’s Book in 12 Steps
Here are the simple steps you should follow when learning how to publish a children’s book.
1. Pick Your Age Group and Book Idea
Your reader's age decides almost everything else: word count, page count, how many illustrations you need, and how your book gets printed. Decide it before you write a word.
| Format | Reader age | Word count | Typical pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board book | 0–3 | Up to 100 | 12–24 |
| Picture book | 3–7 | 400–800 (target 500) | 32 |
| Early reader | 5–8 | 1,000–2,500 | 32–64 |
| Chapter book | 6–9 | 5,000–15,000 | 64–96 |
| Middle grade | 8–12 | 20,000–55,000 | 100–250 |
| Young adult | 13+ | 60,000–90,000 | 200–350 |
Kids generally like to read about characters who are their age or a few years older, so let your main character's age follow your reader's. You wouldn't write a long YA book for toddlers, and you don't need pictures on every page for a more mature theme.
Next, look at what's selling. Browse Amazon's children's best seller lists, spend an hour in the kids' section of your library, and ask a librarian what gets checked out most. Which topics keep showing up? Which authors are popular right now, and why?
The timing is good, too. Circana BookScan data reported by Publishers Weekly shows children's fiction unit sales rose 1.6% in 2025 and children's nonfiction rose 3.6%, while adult nonfiction slipped.
2. Brainstorm Your Book’s Plot
Once you have the perfect book idea, the next step of learning how to publish a children’s book is to fill out the plot. You can start doing this by making a mindmap.
Grab a pen and a piece of paper and simply start jotting down ideas as they come to you. If you think of details that pertain to one of your ideas, make an offshoot like a brainstorming map.
Don’t worry too much about organization – just get all your ideas out there in one place.
Next, go back through all your ideas and put them in story order.
Continue to flesh out your book outline with more details.
You can even consider making a character bio template for your main and supporting characters so you can make them truly well-rounded.
This step may take you some time, but it will lay the groundwork you need to write your manuscript successfully.
3. Write Your Children’s Book
The next step of learning how to make your own children’s book is to actually write it! This is the hardest step. Just making yourself sit down to write.
I recommend creating a calming writing space that is free from distractions. In fact, you may want to post around some inspo pictures for your book, or some motivational quotes to keep you writing.
You also want to set a writing schedule that is NON-NEGOTIABLE. Treat your writing time like any other job or appointment and don’t break that commitment.
Maybe you only have 30 minutes to write in the morning before your job, and that’s okay! Find the time in your schedule and make it work for yourself. As long as you keep putting your fingers to the keyboard, eventually your children’s book will get written.
If you aren’t sure what to write your story in, here are some of the best book writing software options out there!
4. Self-Edit, Then Hire a Professional Editor
Polish your manuscript yourself first, then hand it to a professional editor who knows children's books. Then revise.
Start by improving your book until you can't think of another way to improve it. When you give an editor your best version, they can focus on story, rhythm, and word choice instead of typos. If an editor is editing your best possible product, it'll be even better than your best. (Say that five times fast!)
Self-editing also means improving the story itself. You might realize it takes six pages to get interesting, and move the hook to the first two.
Then hire a book editor. I always, always recommend this, even for a 500-word picture book. A children's book editor knows what works with picky kids and their parents, and parents will spot a mistake on page three faster than their kids will.
When your notes come back, revise. You may not love every note, and you don't have to accept them all. One of the best parts of self-publishing is full creative control, so what you say goes. Just keep in mind that your editor is a professional who has your book's best interests at heart.
5. Hire an Illustrator
Unless you're illustrating it yourself, choosing an illustrator is the biggest decision (and the biggest expense) in publishing a picture book. Even a middle grade or YA book needs a strong cover.
Illustrations can make or break your book. Some of my favorite children's stories growing up were loved because of their illustrations. Think of Jan Brett's books, or Stellaluna. The right art brings absolute magic to your words.
What it costs
The Graphic Artists Guild suggests a base rate of $3,000 to $25,000 for a children's book. For a 32-page picture book with about 20 illustrations plus a cover, plan on roughly $5,000 or more for an experienced professional.
Where to find one
- The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) illustrator galleries
- Freelance marketplaces like Reedsy and Upwork
- Children's writing groups and Facebook communities
- Instagram, where many picture book illustrators post their portfolios
What to put in the contract
- Who owns the art. Get a copyright assignment or exclusive license in writing.
- Your specs. Trim size, page count, and bleed, so the art fits your printer (see step 7).
- Revisions. How many rounds are included.
- Deliverables. Print-ready files at 300 DPI, plus the cover.
- Timeline and payments. Milestones tied to sketches, final art, and delivery.
Plan on several months for a full picture book. Thinking about AI art instead? Read the AI section below first, because it affects whether you can copyright your illustrations.
6. Get Feedback from Beta Readers
Even if your target audience is a 4 or 5-year-old, you want other age groups to like your story, too. So at this point, it’s time to test your book out!
When learning how to publish a children’s book, I recommend getting some beta readers. You can ask on social media, look in children's writing communities, or ask around your network.
Be aware that friends and family are more like “alpha” readers, and they will be less likely to tell you any criticisms. Beta readers who don’t know you well won’t have that problem.
If your beta readers don’t like something about your book, they will be sure to speak out about it – and then you can go back to the drawing board with your editor to ensure your final product is perfect.
7. Format Your Book and Lock Your Print Specs
Pick your trim size, page count, and color option before your illustrator starts final art, because the art has to be made to those exact dimensions.
Popular picture book sizes include 8.5 x 8.5 in, 8 x 10 in, and 8.5 x 11 in. Any art that runs to the edge of the page needs bleed, which is 0.125 in past the trim on KDP.
Then check your plan against Amazon's rules. These are the ones that catch picture book authors off guard:
| KDP rule (2026) | Requirement | What it means for a 32-page picture book |
|---|---|---|
| Paperback page count | 24 pages minimum | 32 pages works |
| Standard color ink | 72 to 600 pages | Not available, so you'll use premium color |
| Premium color ink | 24 pages and up | Your color option |
| Hardcover | 75 to 550 pages | Not available on KDP; use IngramSpark for hardcover |
| Spine text | 79+ pages | Your spine stays blank |
For the ebook, you need a fixed-layout file so your text stays in place over the art. Amazon retired Kindle Kids' Book Creator in 2025, so use Kindle Create or a fixed-layout EPUB instead.
You can lay out your book yourself in Canva or Adobe InDesign, or hire a designer. See our roundup of book formatting software for more options.
8. Get an ISBN
An ISBN is a 13-digit number that identifies your book, and each format (paperback, hardcover, and ebook) needs its own.
In the U.S., you buy ISBNs from Bowker at myidentifiers.com: $125 for one or $295 for 10. KDP will also give you a free ISBN for your paperback, and Kindle ebooks don't need one at all.
My advice: if you plan to publish on both KDP and IngramSpark, buy the 10-pack so you own your ISBNs and show up as the publisher everywhere. Here's our step-by-step guide on how to get an ISBN.
9. Copyright Your Children’s Book
If you want to protect your intellectual property, which I assume you do, you need to copyright your children’s book.
Under U.S. copyright law, you own your work as soon as you write it, but it’s a good idea to protect yourself further by registering your book with the US Copyright Office.
If you want a little help with this, you can check out our simple step-by-step guide on how to copyright a book.
10. Choose Where to Publish
Most self-published children's book authors use Amazon KDP for paperbacks and ebooks, then add IngramSpark for hardcovers and bookstore and library distribution.
| Amazon KDP | IngramSpark | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup cost | Free | Free (file revisions also free since February 2026) |
| 32-page picture book formats | Paperback (premium color) and ebook | Paperback, hardcover, and ebook |
| Where it sells | Amazon | 40,000+ retailers, libraries, and bookstores, including Amazon |
| How you're paid | 50% or 60% of list price minus printing | List price minus your wholesale discount, printing, and a 1.875% market access fee |
| ISBN | Free KDP ISBN available | Bring your own |
Running both is the most common setup: KDP gives you the best margins on Amazon, and IngramSpark gets your hardcover into the places parents and teachers shop in person. Lulu is another option worth a look if you want to sell print copies directly from your own website.
For a side-by-side of every major platform, read our complete guide to self-publishing a book.
11. Market Your Book
Now that your book is written and ready to go, you may think you're done learning how to publish a children's book. Wrong! Marketing is what turns a published book into a book kids actually read.
Children's books have marketing channels most adult books don't. Use them:
- School and library visits. Offer a reading plus a short activity tied to your story.
- Story time at local indie bookstores and libraries.
- A launch team of parents, teachers, and your beta readers who'll leave honest reviews.
- Social media built for parents. Short read-aloud clips are a natural fit.
- Amazon keywords and categories that match how parents search, like "bedtime story about dragons."
- KDP's age and grade range fields, so parents filtering by age can find you.
Start marketing well before launch day, not after it. For more ideas, see our list of 150 book marketing ideas.
12. Launch Your Book Online!
You're almost there. All that's left is to upload your book, set your price, and hit publish.
- Upload your interior PDF and cover to KDP (and IngramSpark), then review every page in the online previewer.
- Order a printed proof and check the colors and trim before you go live.
- Price a color paperback at $9.99 or higher to earn 60% instead of 50%.
- Fill in your book description, keywords, categories, and age range.
- Hit publish. KDP usually takes up to 72 hours to make your book live.
Keep marketing right up to your launch date, and consider throwing a launch party to celebrate all your hard work. You did it!
How much does it cost to publish a children’s book?
A professionally illustrated, self-published picture book typically costs $3,000 to $10,000. Illustration is the biggest expense; publishing on KDP itself is free.
| Expense | Typical 2026 cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Illustration (32-page picture book) | $3,000 to $10,000+ | Graphic Artists Guild guidance runs $3,000 to $25,000 |
| Editing | $200 to $1,000* | Short manuscripts cost less to edit than novels |
| Layout and cover design | $0 to $1,000* | $0 if you or your illustrator handle layout |
| ISBN (U.S.) | $125 single, $295 for 10 | Free KDP ISBN available for paperbacks |
| Copyright registration | $45 to $65 | Fee increases have been proposed |
| KDP and IngramSpark setup | $0 | Both are free to set up |
| Proof and author copies | About $4.20 each, plus shipping | 32-page, 8.5 x 8.5 in premium color paperback on KDP |
| Marketing | $0 and up | School visits and launch teams cost time more than money |
How much money can a children’s book make?
A 32-page color picture book priced at $12.99 earns about $3.59 per paperback on Amazon. Price it at $9.98 and that drops to 79 cents.
That's because KDP pays 60% of the list price on print books at $9.99 and up, but only 50% below $9.99, and the printing cost comes out either way. Here's the math:
| List price | Royalty rate | Printing cost | You earn per copy |
|---|---|---|---|
| $9.98 | 50% | $4.20 | $0.79 |
| $9.99 | 60% | $4.20 | $1.79 |
| $12.99 | 60% | $4.20 | $3.59 |
| $14.99 | 60% | $4.20 | $4.79 |
Assumes a 32-page, 8.5 x 8.5 in premium color paperback sold on Amazon.com, using KDP's 2026 printing costs. Run your own numbers in KDP's royalty calculator before you set a price.
Ebooks work a little differently. KDP pays 70% on ebooks priced from $2.99 to $12.99, but first subtracts a delivery fee of $0.15 per megabyte, and picture books are image-heavy. A 20 MB picture book priced at $4.99 earns about $1.39 on the 70% plan and $1.75 on the 35% plan. Compress your images and run both numbers.
For comparison, a traditionally published picture book author earning 5% on an $18.99 hardcover makes about 95 cents a copy, and only after the advance earns out.
Can you use AI illustrations in a children’s book?
You can, but KDP requires you to disclose AI-generated images, and the U.S. Copyright Office won't register AI-generated artwork without meaningful human authorship.
- KDP disclosure. KDP's content guidelines require you to tell them about AI-generated text, images, or translations when you publish, and that includes cover and interior art. AI-assisted work (you made it, and AI helped you edit or refine it) doesn't need disclosure.
- Copyright. When the Copyright Office reviewed Zarya of the Dawn, a comic illustrated with Midjourney, it registered the author's text and the arrangement of the book but excluded the AI-generated images. That means anyone could reuse art like that.
Our take: use AI for brainstorming and rough layouts if it helps you. For final art, especially a character you want to build a series around, hire a human illustrator so you own what you're selling.
How much money can a children’s book make?
A 32-page color picture book priced at $12.99 earns about $3.59 per paperback on Amazon. Price it at $9.98 and that drops to 79 cents.
That's because KDP pays 60% of the list price on print books at $9.99 and up, but only 50% below $9.99, and the printing cost comes out either way. Here's the math:
| List price | Royalty rate | Printing cost | You earn per copy |
|---|---|---|---|
| $9.98 | 50% | $4.20 | $0.79 |
| $9.99 | 60% | $4.20 | $1.79 |
| $12.99 | 60% | $4.20 | $3.59 |
| $14.99 | 60% | $4.20 | $4.79 |
Assumes a 32-page, 8.5 x 8.5 in premium color paperback sold on Amazon.com, using KDP's 2026 printing costs. Run your own numbers in KDP's royalty calculator before you set a price.
Ebooks work a little differently. KDP pays 70% on ebooks priced from $2.99 to $12.99, but first subtracts a delivery fee of $0.15 per megabyte, and picture books are image-heavy. A 20 MB picture book priced at $4.99 earns about $1.39 on the 70% plan and $1.75 on the 35% plan. Compress your images and run both numbers.
For comparison, a traditionally published picture book author earning 5% on an $18.99 hardcover makes about 95 cents a copy, and only after the advance earns out.
Can you use AI illustrations in a children’s book?
You can, but KDP requires you to disclose AI-generated images, and the U.S. Copyright Office won't register AI-generated artwork without meaningful human authorship.
- KDP disclosure. KDP's content guidelines require you to tell them about AI-generated text, images, or translations when you publish, and that includes cover and interior art. AI-assisted work (you made it, and AI helped you edit or refine it) doesn't need disclosure.
- Copyright. When the Copyright Office reviewed Zarya of the Dawn, a comic illustrated with Midjourney, it registered the author's text and the arrangement of the book but excluded the AI-generated images. That means anyone could reuse art like that.
Our take: use AI for brainstorming and rough layouts if it helps you. For final art, especially a character you want to build a series around, hire a human illustrator so you own what you're selling.
Common mistakes to avoid when publishing a children’s book
The most expensive mistakes happen before you upload: art made at the wrong size, the wrong format plan, and pricing that wipes out your royalty.
- Commissioning art before you lock trim size, page count, and bleed. Resizing finished art costs time and money.
- Planning a KDP hardcover for a 32-page picture book. KDP hardcovers start at 75 pages, so go through IngramSpark.
- Pricing a color paperback at $9.98 or less. Your royalty drops from 60% to 50%, and printing eats most of what's left.
- Skipping a written illustrator contract. Without one, who owns the art is unclear.
- Skipping the editor because "it's only 500 words." Every word in a picture book is load-bearing.
- Writing "for all ages." Bookstores, libraries, and Amazon all shelve by age band, so a book for everyone reaches no one.
Need Help Publishing Your Children’s Book?
You now know every step it takes to publish a children's book. But knowing the steps is one thing, and doing them in the right order, with the right people, is another.
This is for you if:
- You have a story (or a finished draft) and want to publish it right the first time
- You'd rather not learn print specs, illustrator contracts, and KDP rules by trial and error
- You want a coach who has walked other children's book authors through every step
At selfpublishing.com, we've helped authors publish over 7,000 books, and we've worked with authors in 91+ countries. Our Children's Book School coaches you from idea to an illustrated, published book.
Not sure if it's right for you? You can book your free strategy call with our team today to get answers to your questions and talk through your options.
Frequently asked questions about publishing a children’s book
How much does it cost to publish a children's book?
Most self-published picture books cost $3,000 to $10,000, and illustration is most of that. Uploading to Amazon KDP and IngramSpark is free, a U.S. ISBN costs $125 (or $295 for 10), and copyright registration costs $45 to $65.
Can you publish a children's book for free?
Yes, if you create the illustrations yourself. KDP charges nothing to upload and offers a free ISBN for paperbacks, and IngramSpark title setup is free. Hiring an illustrator and an editor is where the real cost comes in.
How long does it take to publish a children's book?
Plan on roughly six months to a year for a picture book. Writing and editing can move quickly, illustration usually takes several months, and once your files are approved, KDP typically puts your book live within 72 hours.
Do you need an agent to publish a children's book?
Only for traditional publishing with a large house. The Big 5 publishers don't accept unsolicited manuscripts, so you need an agent to reach them. Self-publishing requires no agent at all.
Can you publish a hardcover children's book on Amazon?
Not through KDP if it's a standard 32-page picture book, because KDP hardcovers need 75 to 550 pages. Publish your hardcover through IngramSpark instead, which also distributes to Amazon.
How much money can a children's book make?
On Amazon, a 32-page, 8.5 x 8.5 in color paperback priced at $12.99 earns about $3.59 per copy after printing. Your total depends on marketing, and school visits, library sales, and building a series all help.
How many children's books do you need to sell to make $100,000?
At $3.59 per paperback, you'd need to sell about 28,000 copies. Higher prices, ebooks, and direct sales at events change the math.
Do you need to find your own illustrator?
If you self-publish, yes. If you publish traditionally, no. The publisher chooses and pays the illustrator, so submit your manuscript on its own unless you illustrate it yourself.
Can you use AI to illustrate a children's book?
You can, but KDP requires you to disclose AI-generated images, and the U.S. Copyright Office won't register purely AI-generated art. If you want to own your characters, hire a human illustrator for final art.
