Children Book Publishers - The How To Guide for Authors
When creating books for children, book publishers have to provide something unique and different.
As a leading provider of publishing services to both traditional book publishers and individual authors, we offer our authors a wide variety of children's book publishing services. We provide a full portfolio of excellent tools, production services and promotional vehicles for publishing a childrens book. Working with Dog Ear, we'll teach you how to publish a children's book, and transform your ideas into a truly unique and professionally published product.
What is Children's Book Publishing?
Children's books bring your story to a new generation, and your editor at Dog Ear Publishing will help guide you and help you assess your children's book publishing needs. We will help you identify what type of product and services will best meet your goals. Our comprehensive editorial, design and printing technology solutions will create the best possible experience for your readers, while maximizing the profit from each sale. It really is our role to do more than just implement your ideas; it is our goal that when you have completed the process you will fully understand how to publish a children's book.
Dog Ear Publishing is committed to delivering a superior children's book publishing experience for both our authors and their readers by offering truly unique, flexible and creative book publishing solutions.
The children's book publishing services from Dog Ear include professional editorial expertise, high-quality book design, fully customized and professional cover design and the availability of both on-demand printing and offset printing.
Children's Book Publishing with Dog Ear
Publishing a children's book isn't difficult. It doesn't matter if you are a new author or a veteran of the publishing game - Dog Ear guides all of our clients through the maze of the children's book publishing process. The end product will be a book that exceeds all of your dreams.
We've compiled some important information about our children's book publishing process that will help you with the authoring process as well as understanding the various stages of book production. When working with product aimed at children book publishers focus on aspects of the process that aren't necessarily the same as in other product.This emphasizes why authors should familiarize themselves with how to publish a children's book even before beginning the process. And, it underscores the importance of having a book publisher that truly understands the finer points of publishing a children's book.
Dog Ear children's book publishing support provides:
- A single point of contact for publishing a children's book - your Editorial Manager will be your personal liaison throughout the process.
- Professional custom design - both your interior pages and book cover will have a custom design from our professional design staff. Our designers have created award winning book designs for many of the largest traditional publishers in the world. They will create (with your input) an attractive, effective page layout and a beautiful cover that enhances your book and complements your professional reputation
- Marketing Strategy conferences - children's book publishing is all about creating and expanding marketing opportunities. Your Editorial Manager will collaborate with you on developing strategies to reach local, regional, and national sales opportunities for your book as well as helping to build a highly effective marketing and promotional campaign. Click here for more information on Dog Ear targeted marketing campaigns..
Children's Book Publishing Manuscript Guidelines
One of the first steps in learning how to publish a children's book is focused on what to do with that manuscript you've been crafting for so many years. These quick notes are designed to ease the entry of your manuscript into our editorial and production processes. Our processes are designed around the standards of the publishing industry Your review of the material below will ensure your children's book publishing project flows as smoothly as possible.
All manuscripts should be delivered to Dog Ear electronically - either via email or on a CD/DVD. Your Editorial Manager will give you the email address to which to send your manuscript.
Manuscript Preparation for Children's Book Publishing Projects
Your manuscript must be your final manuscript. Editorial changes or alterations - other than to correct errors - will significantly slow the process and will incur a charge to the author. Our goal, and that of anyone building books for children, book publishers are trying to create exactly what each child wants. That means YOU the author have to help guide us.
Art, Images, Figures, Graphs, Tables, etc.
"Non-text" elements will be placed as close as possible to where they are referenced within the text (your Art Reference). These elements will fall AFTER the reference, at the top or bottom of a page, typically within (1) page of the Art Reference. Tables are considered text and will be positioned within the text. Images will appear in the printed book as submitted (both in size and quality). Graphs or figures should use text printed as solid black and white with no shading. Shading causes images to lose quality when books are printed digitally. Art or images that require manipulation will increase our production time and costs to the author. All "non-text" elements should be numbered consecutively and must be referenced within the text..
A Note on Children's Book Graphic Elements
Images reproduce best when submitted as an original digital file in high resolution. Any scans should be submitted at 300 dpi as black and white.
Author Page Proofs
Every children's book had a digital proof produced and submitted to the author. Once you receive your Page Proofs, the final layout of pages, please take no more than five days to check the copy and return them to Dog Ear Publishing.
Post-Production Alterations
Upon review of your Page Proofs, we recommend you only correct 'egregious' errors or any errors that may have been introduced in production. Any other alterations will be considered Author Alterations and will incur a charge (as well as significantly slow the process).
We understand that authors need the ability to change their content - and our process is very accomodating of changes - but removing or adding even one line or paragraph to a page is not nearly as simple as it may seem . Even a single word change can change the length of the text block and thereby affect each following page. In some cases the entire book would have to be reformatted and repaginated - forcing us to an entirely new production schedule, incuring significant cost, and completely throwing your book off-schedule.
Here is what we need you to do upon receipt of your proofs - we suggest you print them out for convenience.
Check EVERY page.
READ all the text, looking specifically at unusually spelled words.
CONFIRM the placement of images, art, graphs, tables, children'ss, etc.
MARK DIRECTLY ON THE PAGE any required alterations. You will fax these back to us.
FAX your corrections to us. You only need to fax those pages that contain changes. You can also send them via the mail.
It has been our experience that author who closely follow the above information will have a positive and rewarding experience in the production of their book. We truly are here to help you build the book of your dreams.
FAQs - Children's Book Publishing
I want to use previously printed material. Do I have to clear permissions and do all the paperwork?
You will need to secure permission to use any material that doesn't specifically belong to you - including art and other material by children book publishers. Your Editorial Manager can supply the needed permissions forms. If you do decide to use previously printed material, you should not use more than 10% of the total content of the originating source. Please note that using material for 'Education' is not all needed to have something defined as "fair use". Even though your book may be aimed and children book publishers have every right to be possessive of their content.
What if I want to change material printed previously?
You should never change reprinted material. So let our experts determine whether copyright clearance should be obtained.
Will my children's book publishing project look like a real book?
Your book WILL BE a 'real' book - and will stand with the best products produced by the largest and most successful publishers. Each and every part of your project will be created with the highest level of professional design and production.
How much money do I make on each sale publishing a children's book?
Most of our authors are invested in the success of their book, and also expect to be rewarded for their hard work. As a children's book publishing author, you are in complete control of your profit level. You can make as little or as much as you like on your project.
How much should I charge for my children's book?
The retail price of your custom text is dependent upon many factors - including the printing costs, market factors, and your desired profit level. See our Retail Pricing page for strategies on setting a retail price and your author profit. The final customer price is set by the store.
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