If you want to write a children’s book that parents will love and buy, you need to write for both kids and parents!
To write a children’s book that parents will love and children will enjoy, make sure parents enjoy reading it, it’s not too long, it asks or answers questions, and it builds a connection with both the kids and the parents.
The children’s book genre is probably the only book genre where you’re writing for both an audience and a buyer, and the two aren’t the same. In most other genres, your intended target (audience) or reader is also the buyer. Because of this, children’s books are a little more nuanced when it comes to writing and illustrations.
Children start exploring the world of books through their ears and eyes, but it’s often their parents’, guardians’, and teachers’ voices that bring these books to life. Most parents can relate to spending hours reading books to their children and quickly developing favorites.
My youngest daughter quickly developed some favorites, including Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson and Seriously Do Not Open This Book by author Andy Lee.
If you’re contemplating self-publishing a children’s book, be sure to read Self-Publishing A Children’s Book 101, where we cover everything you need to know about self-publishing a kid’s book on self-publishing platforms such as Amazon KDP and IngramSpark Publishing.
I hope the tips below prove valuable to you and answer your question on how to write a children’s book that parents will love!
Make Your Children’s Book Fun for the Whole Family
Your children’s book needs to be genuinely entertaining for both children and parents. Think about what emotions you’re hoping to evoke when someone reads your book.
Do you want to make your readers happy, surprised, or curious?
If you’re a parent, there’s no doubt you’ve watched a kid’s movie and found something funny that 100% went right over the top of your child’s head. That humour isn’t by accident. It’s to make you happy. If you’re happy, laughing, and enjoying yourself, your kids will too.
Try to layer humor into your children’s book story that works for children and their parents.
One way to create a memorable experience for young readers is by creating a main character that they can relate to, or even better, cheer for. A character that they’re invested in seeing overcome whatever challenges they’re facing in the book. It could be a made-up creature, an animal, or a child. Your children’s book needs a hero.
If you’re currently considering self-publishing, and you’re not sure which is the best self-publishing platform for you, Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), IngramSpark Publishing, or others, check out The Best Self-Publishing Platforms to Publish Your Book! We cover the pros and cons of Australia’s most popular self-publishing platforms.
Short and Sweet Wins Hearts and Minds
Children’s books are almost 100% intended to be read aloud to young readers with short attention spans. If your book is too long, you risk losing readers, and also parents. As a parent myself, I 100% know that there are children’s books that I avoid reading simply because of how long they are and also long books that I have tried reading which my daughter loses interest in.
That’s why you need to keep your children’s book as short as possible and allow your illustrations to do some of the heavy lifting for you.
As you work on your book, make sure that you read it aloud as you go. It will help ensure that your flow, clarity, and pacing are correct.
Your children’s book should aim to be between 500 and 1,000 words. Indie Publishing Group has a great article How Long Should A Book Be? An Author’s Guide to Word Count, which also covers children’s picture books and chapter books for middle grade readers.
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Ignite Imagination and Spark Curiosity
Humans are naturally curious creatures, and small children are perhaps the most curious of them all. They want to absorb as much information about the world around them as possible.
When a child listens to a story, it’s not only helping with self-discovery, but also allowing them to explore the world around them and experience different places, people, and cultures. Trying to balance education with entertainment when writing a children’s book can be extremely difficult. It’s very easy to lean too much in one direction while missing the mark in the other direction.
Discover Your Voice
It can take a little bit of time, and often some outside perspective, to truly discover your writing voice. Some children’s book authors gravitate naturally towards rhyming, and others don’t. Some find it easy to break down something complicated into something more easily absorbed by children.
Consider your tone. Do you write in a fun or playful way? Or are you more mysterious and adventurous? If you stay true to your voice, you’ll find it a lot easier to write children’s stories that resonate with your intended audience, and your stories will sound less forced.
Building A Connection Is Key
Reading a children’s book with your child is one of the best ways to bond and have a shared experience. It helps you, as a parent, discover what sparks joy for your child and allows you to build a connection.
If both you and your child love the same book, you’ll quickly find yourself coming back to it time and time again. That’s the power of a great children’s book. The power to create bonds and shared memories which will last a lifetime.
Other children’s books articles you may find useful:
How to Write A Children’s Book that Parents Will Love | Conclusion
Learning how to write a children’s book that parents and children love can be a real challenge. Remember, show don’t tell. Let your illustrations do some of the heavy lifting in your children’s book. Make it fun for both parents and children. Ensure that it leaves a lasting impression. You need to make your children’s book one that kids love, and parents love reading.
If you have any questions about the self-publishing process, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Our experienced team is standing by to help your publishing dream come true.
At Author Services Australia, we support Australian and New Zealand self-published authors and writers with a full range of affordable self-publishing services, including ghostwriting, copyediting, developmental editing, proofreading, ebook and paperback formatting, book cover design, children’s book illustrations, graphic design services, Amazon KDP Keyword and Category Research, animated book cover reveal videos, beta reading, and social media and marketing.
If you’re currently considering self-publishing, and you’re not sure which is the best self-publishing platform for you, Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), IngramSpark Publishing, or others, check out The Best Self-Publishing Platforms to Publish Your Book! We cover the pros and cons of Australia’s most popular self-publishing platforms.
Clayton Hobbs, owner of Author Services Australia, has over a decade of experience in the self-publishing industry, assisting Australian authors with self-publishing services such as editing, cover design, formatting, and ghostwriting. Starting out as a freelance writer specializing in website content, articles, and guides, before switching to children’s picture and chapter books, Clayton is the author of best-selling books Hockey Wars, Softball Strikeout, and The Day My Fart Followed Me To Hockey, writing under the pen name Ben Jackson, along with many other children’s books.
