Aren’t those children’s books at the bookstore just lovely? Online stories or children’s books at the library also make you want to write one yourself. Now we hear you thinking: “That’s the work of a professional writer; I’ll never be able to do that.” That changes today. Our step-by-step plan will get you a long way. From the right characters to beautiful illustrations: we help you on your way to writing a children’s book.
Step 1. Preparing to write a children’s book
Before you put letters on paper, it is important to first ask yourself a number of questions:
- For what age group do you want to write the children’s book?
- What are the main points of your story?
- Where, when, and within what timeframe does the story take place?
- Which characters play the main and supporting roles? Also consider their names, what they look like, their ages, and their personalities.
- What is the problem in the story, how do the characters solve it, and what are the consequences for them? Popular children’s books provide a certain degree of suspense and adventure because they center on a problem that needs to be solved.
Step 2. Determine structure
Next, come up with a structure. Estimate how many chapters you need to tell your story. Short chapters often work best for children. Briefly describe what will happen in each chapter. Divide your book in the following way:
- The first chapter. Here, you immediately make clear who the main characters are, what the story is about, and where it takes place. Make sure the story captivates right away!
- The middle section. This is where you tell the rest of the story.
- The last chapter. Finally, tell the end of the story. Consider what constitutes an acceptable ending for children so that they do not become scared or anxious. For example, choose a happy ending or a surprising conclusion.
Step 3. Writing a children’s book
Next, you put the story on paper. Figuratively speaking, of course, because it is more convenient to write your texts online. That makes editing and sharing a lot easier.
Tips for writing a children’s book:
- Write in the language of your target audience. Children love short sentences and simple words.
- Use figurative language. A sentence like “Eefje snatches her schoolbag from the table and runs out the front door” is better than the sentence “Eefje takes her schoolbag from the table and walks out the front door”. Snatching and running express an action more strongly and evoke a clear image in children.
Step 4. Check the story (or have it checked)
It is very important to continuously check whether your story is correct. Chances are that after a while you won’t spot any mistakes yourself anymore. After all, you have read the text so many times! That is why it is smart to have someone check your story. This could be an acquaintance, but you can also hire a professional. This way, you can be sure that your story is well-structured.
Step 5. Have a children’s book printed
Are you completely satisfied with the final result? And have you found beautiful illustrations? Then it is time for the last step: creating your children’s book. You design the pages online using software of your choice, so you can have the book produced. At Bookadew, almost anything is possible. Having your own book printed at Bookadew means a high-quality book, available in small print runs and ready for shipment within five working days. Ideal! Use our online price calculator to put together your book. Do you have questions or are you having trouble? Then feel free to contact us.