Gail Nelson - The ABCs of Creating Your Childrens Book: How to Write, Illustrate, Design, Publish, and Market Your Picture Book

Copyright 2018 by Gail M. Nelson

All rights reserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,electronic, mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by anyinformation storage and retrieval system without written permissionfrom Gail M. Nelson, except for the inclusion of brief quotationsin a review.

All images, logos, quotes, and trademarks included inthis book are subject to use according to trademark and copyrightlaws of the United States of America.

DESIGN/Books

Published by e-book-design.com

Smashwords Edition

Licensing Notes

This e-book is licensed for your personal use andenjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away toother people. If you would like to share this book with anotherperson, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Ifyou are reading this book and did not purchase it, or if it was notpurchased for your use only, please visit Smashwords.com andpurchase a copy for yourself. Thank you for respecting thisauthors work.

~Linda Sue Park, author

M y love affair withbooks began in childhood with story time. Every evening my threeyounger sisters and I would take a bath, put on our cozy flannelnightgowns, and choose a favorite book for Mom to read to us. Weloved to share new adventures while poring over the colorfulillustrations.

This love for books continues to feed mysoul. It is a joy to be able to write and illustrate my own books,illustrate childrens books written by other authors, and helpwriters of all genres self-publish their books.

10 Childrens Books that Changed my Life

The Giving Tree by ShelSilverstein

Charlottes Web by E. B.White

Harold and the PurpleCrayon by Crockett Johnson

Guess How Much I Love Youby Sam McBratney

The Paper Bag Princess byRobert Munsch

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by BettyMacDonald

The Tale of Peter Rabbit byBeatrix Potter

Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A.Milne and Ernest H. Shepard

The Very Hungry Caterpillarby Eric Carle

Goodnight Moon by MargaretWise Brown

But, can books really change the world?Studies have shown that books can inspire empathy, encouragesmarter choices, and inform kids about the world. For example, theproceeds from Linda Sue Parks book, A Long Walk to Water, gotoward building wells in South Sudan. Then, children, especiallygirls, can go to schoolinstead of carrying water eight hours adaywhich is life-changing!

Start with a really greatidea.

Write in your own voice.

Read your story aloudearly andoften.

Re-write based on feedback.

Edit manuscriptprofessionally.

Balance words and pictures.

Illustrate professionally.

Choose where to publish.

Design interior and cover.

Proof thoroughly.

Publish your book.

Promote your book &yourself.

There are so many publishing optionsavailable to writers today, its hard to know what is right foryou. An author recently had her book accepted by a traditionalpublisher. Good news, right? When she learned it would take twoyears before her book would be available, she decided to publish itherself. She is 101 years old!

Independent authors can publish more quicklyfor a worldwide, online audience. Plus, there is more creativefreedom to target smaller, niche markets. For example, if yousearch for a book topic that isnt available, it could be a greatidea for your book.

If your heart is set on getting your bookaccepted by a traditional publisher, give yourself a time limit ofperhaps a year or two, then consider self-publishing. However, ifself-publishing already makes sense for your book project, readon!

Read a lot of childrens booksclassics, bestsellers, and local authors.

Join SCBWI (the Society of Childrens BookWriters and Illustrators), www.scbwi.org.

Take classes and workshops. Be open to learningand new ideas.

Express your creativity. Its fun and you canmake a difference.

Network with childrens book people,www.meetup.com.

Read blogs on childrens author websites. Start ablog or website.

Do research on Amazon: best sellers in yourcategory, descriptions, and reviews.

Talk to librarians, book sellers, teachers,authors, and parents about your book ideas and topics.