5 Steps to write for kids...
...when you're not an educator?
If you think that writing for adults is hard, you might be surprised to learn that writing for children is a lot harder. People go to school just to learn how to do this!
I haven’t taken any classes, but somehow I’ve got 5 self-published bilingual kids’ books for sale on Amazon and KDP. To boot, I have four new biography titles with Capstone Press coming out August 2023. What kid doesn’t love Steph Curry & Timothée Chalamet?
So, how the heck did I wake up one day and have 9 children’s books for sale?
Really, I don’t know, but there are 5 steps I took to get started…
1 - I set out to write a book I needed, but I knew wasn’t available! I was looking for bilingual kids books with Black lead characters. I kept finding heavy stories about Black history figures and, inevitably, that included tough stories that I wasn’t ready to share with my then-pre-schoolers. I was looking for “Goodnight Moon” in two languages and a Black lead. How hard could it be?
2 - I realized simplicity is key! When it comes to kids, you don’t have to overdo it. They get subtlety and illustrations do a lot of the work. I read a lot of children’s books and realized that 32 pages of rhyming one-liners is something that a published magazine writer could definitely do. I wrote an entire Ph.D. dissertation, so why not a kids’ book?
3 - I used freelancers to do everything I couldn’t. Self-publishing isn’t easy. After all, you’re creating a product, doing the marketing, and learning the publishing business — all while bootstrapping. I hired someone for illustrations, layout, and even to triple-check my translations. Writing a book is never a solo sport. The same is true for writing a children’s book.
4 - I asked for feedback (and I took it)! I was almost done with the book when I realized that I hadn’t shared it with anyone else. Duh! I assembled a group of parents of English, Spanish, and Portuguese-speaking kids, and I asked them to test the story out on the kids. Thanks to my friends, I corrected rhyming issues and even parts where the images didn’t resonate. Those tweaks made for much better books!
5 - I just put it out there. Listen, I read my books now, and I cringe to see that there are sooooooo many ways I could still improve them. The timing of rhymes is off in some places. I would even shorten the books by a few pages if I could. But, in writing, you can’t let perfect be the enemy of good. I put the book out there and just let the feedback roll in. I appreciate the support! Maybe one day, I’ll go back and release a second edition. Maybe not. For now, these titles meet the original need and are reaching audiences around the world - one page at a time.
If you’d be interested in a webinar or coaching on how to write your first children’s book, drop me a comment or email.
I’m happy to help! We all benefit from diverse books!
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