So, You Want to Write a Children’s Book? Start Here 

Have you dreamt of writing, illustrating, and publishing your own children’s book? Welcome—this is a beautiful goal.

But do you know where to start? If you’re unsure, maybe some of these thoughts sound familiar:

• I’ve always wanted to write a book—but I have no idea how to start! 
• I have ideas but I’m not sure how to turn it into a book. The whole process feels so overwhelming!
• I don’t know if what I’ve written is any good—how do I know if it’s worth investing my time and money into?
• I want to do this right… but I don’t know what ‘right’ is even supposed to look like!

Starting your children’s book can feel intimidating. Trust me—I’ve been there too! Maybe you’ve spent countless hours scouring the internet for a foolproof, step-by-step process, only to close your browser thinking, “Maybe this dream is too much.”

You are not alone, and I’m so glad you found your way here.

If I could give you one piece of advice, it would be this: the journey to writing a children's book requires perseverance… but it’s also incredibly rewarding. I will never forget the first time I held my first book in my hands, flipping through the pages, thinking, “Wow, this is actually real!”

I want that for you, too. 

All you need is a plan, and lucky for you, I have just the guide to get you started. It’s the same one that helped me launch my own publishing company—and I promise, this guide is foolproof. Anyone can do it.

Before we dive in, if you’re new here…

 Welcome, I’m Miriam! 

I’m now a bestselling children’s author, publisher, and public speaker. But 11 years ago, I had no idea what I was doing. I studied business in college, so this was all new territory. However, after a ton of trial and error—countless rough drafts and $30,000 invested—I discovered a formula for publishing a bestselling children’s book that could be systematized and repeated, again and again. Now it is my mission to share it with other aspiring authors like YOU! 

How to Write a Children’s Book

I have a proven process when it comes to writing and publishing a children’s book. Here are four steps on how to get started:

Step 1: Start with an Idea You Believe In 

All good things start with an idea—that is your first step to writing a children’s book. Though it may seem simple, this step can cause quite a lot of hesitation for writers. This stems from a lack of belief that your idea is good. Honestly, many people are seeking validation for their ideas. Learn how to pick a strong story idea on this blog.

Unfortunately, it can be easy to think your idea isn’t good enough or you aren’t good enough, but the truth is, if you don’t believe in your idea, no one else will. I encourage you not to let self-doubt creep in during this step. If you believe it’s possible, then it is. This mindset will give you the courage to take risks. It’ll be the difference between an idea and reality. 

Step 2: Outline Your Story 

Once you have your idea, you’ll need to structure your story into an outline before you put pen to paper. To make outlining your story easier, I developed the Children’s Book Blueprint—a free step-by-step guide to help you outline your first draft. 

This outline will help you: 

• Define your message
• Identify the problem
• Develop 3 roadblocks your main character will encounter
• Outline the solution
• Conclude with a satisfying ending

I examine each of these pillars in this blog.

Step 3: Write the First Draft 

A children’s book is typically 32 pages and has a max of 1,000 words. While this is important to keep in mind, try not to let it limit you once you begin writing. Only think about the word limit after you’ve developed your entire first draft. Write, and know that the editing will come later.

Many first-time writers can get stuck striving for perfectionism in every line of their first draft. My recommendation would be to just write, write, and write—even if you don’t like it, even if it’s bad. Flesh out all of your ideas and let them come together. Take the pressure off yourself to know where the story is headed. You can let your imagination run wild.

I like to say write—you’re not illustrating, designing, editing, and publishing. During this stage, you just need to focus on writing. 

Also, you should keep in mind that illustrations will carry a lot of weight as they do lots of storytelling. Therefore, you might not need to describe everything in your text. Try to stay concise (without using filler words) and stick to just one plot. 

Step 4: Edit and Polish Your Story 

With your first draft underway, take a short break to give your mind and eyes space from looking at your draft. When you come back to it, then read it. But here’s an additional tip: put the pen down, take your hands off the keyboard, and just read. No real-time editing.

When you read it again, because you’ll need to keep reading it, you’ll focus on the big picture items, asking questions about the plot and whether or not it seems like you’ve written a child-centered story. Then, you’ll start zooming in on the story, you’ll comb through word for word and scene by scene. Finally, you’ll use detail-oriented editing by looking for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word choice. At that point, you’ll be ready for a professional editor (which is an essential step!) who can give you a fresh outside perspective on your final draft.

For a thorough guide to editing, I recommend downloading my free editing checklist before submitting your draft to an editor. You want them to focus on the big stuff, so do your best to catch the avoidable mistakes.

Next Steps: Find an Illustrator and Publish Your Book 

With your polished manuscript in hand, you can move into the next phase of your book journey—illustrations, design, and publishing. You’ll want to find an illustrator to bring picture to your story and a book designer to format your book, and then you’ll be ready for publishing.

Illustrators and publishing will come with time, but here are a couple of things you should know as a first-time writer:

• The illustrative process plays a large role in your story. Illustrations are necessary for bringing your book to life and there’s a lot to cover here. Everything you need to know about illustrations, you can find in this free guide. 
• You’ll need to decide how to publish your book and source a publisher. There are a few options for how to publish a picture book: traditional, self-publishing, or hybrid. You can read about all three here. 

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, lost, or maybe even discouraged…I want you to know that you CAN do this. You can turn your story idea into a book children will read for years to come. Begin your children’s book by following these steps and choosing to believe in yourself.

Rest Assured, You’re in the Right Place

I love to help aspiring children's book writers fulfill their dream of becoming published authors. Writing and publishing your children’s book requires patience and persistence, but it’s important to stay committed. If you want guidance from writing the first draft to fully launching your book—we offer two programs that will walk you through the entire process.

Children’s Book Masterclass (CBM)

Children’s Book Masterclass is my step-by-step, 10-week course that will show you exactly how to draft, write, design, publish, and market a bestselling children’s book.

It is your complete roadmap, with…

• Self-paced videos, assignments, worksheets, and homework
• Ten 60-minute modules, taught by Miriam Laundry (me!) and award-winning author, Sharon Jennings
• Clear guidance on essential tasks
• Feedback and support from industry professionals
• Regular Q&As
• Lifetime access so you can revisit whenever you need

Publishing Mastermind 

Publishing Mastermind is designed to take you from a rough draft to a finished product. In this mastermind, you will walk away with your published book in your hands.

Here’s what you’ll get:

• A professional editing experience
• Personalized coaching through 1:1 calls and monthly exclusive group calls
• A published book–forget doing it yourself!
• Interior and exterior book design from our book designer
• Amazon set-up
• Social media graphics for your book launch
• Book release promo package

PLUS, you get access to Children’s Book Masterclass!

Space is limited—find out when Publishing Mastermind is open for enrollment by visiting our website.

FAQs

Where do I start if I want to write a children’s book?

Everything starts with an idea. Once you develop a strong idea, then you can begin to outline and write your first draft.

Do I need an illustrator before writing the book?

You do not need an illustrator before writing your book. You can hire once your manuscript is finished or after you’ve done the research to see what you like, what fits your timeline, and what fits into your budget. This should not be a quick decision and you should take time to review past work and conduct interviews.

What’s the process of publishing a book?

You can publish a book traditionally, self-publish, or go through a hybrid publishing company. Read about the pros and cons of each process and the steps to take.