Hello writers!
I get asked about children’s books a lot these days, especially since launching our hybrid press, Purple Butterfly Press.
I will say that the process to do a children’s picture book is both very different and very similar to an adult book. It’s more complex because, well, illustrations and layout are far more complex than a book that is just all typeset.
How much does it cost to self-publish a children’s book?
If you’re planning to self-publish a children’s book, you should plan on investing at least $5,000, but more realistically, more than that, unless you are illustrating or you have a friend or family member who will be doing the illustrating, editing, layout, etc.
Estimated Costs associated with a children’s book (these can all vary tremendously):
Editing: $200-$1000 depending on length and quality of writing
Illustration: $1500 – $10,000+ depending on all kinds of factors
Layout: $500-$2000
Promo and marketing: $50 – $10,000+
I work with authors to basically project manage the publishing process to help you find the best routes and options for all of these to save you time and money. I also focus largely on helping you build your author platform, build up toward a big launch, and help you actually sell the book once you’ve published it. As a project manager, my fee is $1500, which includes the cost of layout, (up to $500) the actual “production” of the book and the elements needed, (ISBN, etc), guidance on where/how to load and publish, author coaching and guidance on promo and launch.