What are the Key Stages to Publish a Picture Book and What Happens in Each of Them

Ever wondered how picture books go from a simple idea to a beautifully bound story on a shelf? For many, the process feels like a daunting, well-kept secret. You have a character in your heart and a story in your head, but the thought of transforming it into a physical book feels overwhelming. Where do you even begin?

The self-publishing journey can seem long, technical, and confusing, but it doesn't have to be. We'll break down the entire process into a clear, manageable plan, from writing your first draft to the joy of seeing your book on a bookstore shelf. Whether you're just starting out or stuck on a specific step, this article will serve as your essential guide, helping you confidently navigate each stage of your publishing journey. Your story is waiting to be told—let's get started.

Write your manuscript

For the very first step, you get to do what you already know best! Writing! Take time to really get your whole story out on the page. Don’t be afraid to start too big; first drafts are all about finding the heart of your piece. Do keep in mind that a good outline to follow, however, is writing your story under ~1,000 words, with an idea of 32 page spread in mind.

Really take your time to craft the foundation of your story and its “why”. Before building it into its physical form you’ll have to have its emotional core and child-centered message.

If you just need that little bit of motivation to make the magic happen, though, I understand. That can be the biggest stumbling block! That’s why I’ve created just the writing workshop to get you your solid first draft in just four days. I call it Dream to Draft: Your four-day Story Starter. I’ll be running it for free for a limited time in November, and I would love to see you there! You can enroll now here. 

Once you’ve got that solid foundation then you can move right on into editing.

Self Edits & Professional Edits

Editing is the second step that will round out your writing, and there are many stages you’ll want to work through. 

It’s important to first pause and do some self-editing before sending anything out. You’ll want to start with some self- edits focusing on pacing, word-count, and clarity. Seek feedback from peers or family and try reading your work aloud. You can even follow this simple checklist I created to know if you’ve covered the first layer. 

Once you’ve been through the checklist a couple of times and you’re feeling good about your own self-edits, you can move on to professional editing. A common way to tackle this in the publishing industry is through three rounds of professional edits. Here at Miriam Laundry Publishing we do this through our Picture Book Editing Package. Spanning over approximately 3 months, it will look a little something like:

• A Manuscript Analysis: a big picture analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of your work and what big things you should work on. Your editor will also let you know if it’s ready to move forward to the next stage or not.

• A Structural/Content Edit: a scene-by-scene edit to consider what structural development your story could benefit from  

• A Copy Edit: your editor will be working through your manuscript line-by-line to make sure everything is polished and error-free so it’s easy to read for your young audience!

If that still seems confusing - I’ve got you covered! I wrote a blog digging into the details of just this thing - you can check it out over here. Once you’re sure about where to go you can press on!

Illustrations 

Once your manuscript is completely written and edited you’ll get to break into another exciting step for the next 4-6 months: transforming your words into visual storytelling. Illustrations! 

Illustrations are a critical piece of your story, and you want to make sure they reflect what you envision for your books. So make sure you do lots of research to find an illustrator that matches a style you like. In fact you can go to the library and check out the very illustrators who have worked on stories in styles you love. 

When you’re sure you know who you want to work with, always negotiate a contract that clarifies rights, revisions, timelines. For a first time author, keep in mind the cost of an illustrator can vary, but we see most authors pay between $3,000-$5,000 CAD.

One good thing to note - you can find an illustrator for less than that too! One handy method for first time authors is choosing to work with recent arts graduates from local colleges. They’re looking for experience, and will often take lower rates, closer to $2,000 CAD.  

Some tips and tricks I’d suggest: 

• Visit the library and local colleges to check out illustrators.

• Get in touch with them and define visual tone; use references or mood boards too. 

• Communicate clearly: page breakdown, character emotion, setting.

Book Design

After working with one contractor for illustrations, you will have to work with a second one for book design. And yes they are different! While your illustrator may create the images, your designer will help you implement them. In simple terms: they’ll put your written story and the art together so you get a polished, printable book.

Over about 10 weeks, some of the specifics you might see them working on will include: 

• Considering and formatting sizing, fonts, bleed areas, and the front and back matter. 

• Choosing how to position illustrations and text onto page spreads to create pacing and story momentum.

• Preparing all those mysterious internal assets like the title page, dedication, copyright info.

Print set up

In the fifth stage of your self-publishing journey you get to finally send off all your pieces to be bound together into a real book! 

Through MLP’s own Publishing Mastermind Program, and a great method for self-publishing, Print-On-Demand (POD) is the way to print your book. What is POD? Essentially, it is when you upload your book to a self-publishing platform, like Amazon’s KDP, that connects you to a book-quality printer who physically creates those books. 

This means you can print as many copies of your work as needed when needed, and you do not have to order thousands of copies. 

Before going to the printer, you’ll sort out all the extra information, like the ISBN, credits, and barcode and get them finalized.

Then while at the printer, they will work with you to: 

• Review print proofs for color, alignment, bleed.
• Run through and choose trim sizes and paper options.
• Walk you through POD vs. bulk printing.

Book Launch & Marketing 

The last but utmost important stop in your publishing process is your book launch and marketing your work. In fact this is the part of the process that should never stop! You’ll always want to be promoting your work so it can be shared.

In Publishing Mastermind, MLP creates a comprehensive launch strategy alongside you. It usually includes an Amazon setup, 3D marketing graphics, social media support, and our unique strategy to aim for bestseller status.

But whether you’re venturing out on your own or working with a publishing company you’ll want to make sure you have these things ready: 

• Build up your audience (e.g. create a social media account, write + send out newsletters)

• Use 3D cover mockups for promotions

• Plan virtual launch events, school visits, or book festivals

If you know you want these things for your book, and you can envision it before you, I have the perfect place to start: my Dream to Draft Bootcamp. It’s a 4 Day Story Starter to get you your first draft down and ready to edit, but I’m only running it in November. So you’ll want to join up with me while it’s still live. And it’s FREE!