10 Cheapest Way To Publish A Children’s Book

Publishing a children’s book can be a wonderful, creative journey, but the costs involved can quickly add up. Unlike traditional publishing where the publisher covers the expenses, self-publishing means you’re in the driver’s seat of your budget. The good news is, there are many ways to make your dream of publishing a children’s book an affordable reality.

Here are 10 of the cheapest ways to publish a children’s book, broken down into strategies for every step of the process.

1. Embrace Print-on-Demand (POD) Services

Print-on-Demand (POD) is a game-changer for budget-conscious authors. Instead of paying for a large, expensive print run upfront, POD services like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and IngramSpark print books only as they are ordered.

• No upfront inventory costs: You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to print 500 copies of your book and then find a place to store them.
• Built-in distribution: These services automatically list your book on major retail sites like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, reaching a wide audience without any extra effort on your part.
• Low risk: If your book doesn’t sell as well as you hoped, you haven’t lost a big investment. You only pay for the books that are sold, and a small fee for your own author copies.

While the per-unit cost for a single book might be higher than a bulk offset print run, the lack of upfront cost makes POD the cheapest way to get your book into the world.

2. DIY Illustrations (or Find a Super-Budget Option)

Illustrations are often the most significant expense for a children’s picture book. A professional illustrator can cost thousands of dollars. To cut this cost, you have a few options:

• Illustrate it yourself: If you have any artistic talent, this is the ultimate cost-saver. You don’t need to be a professional; simple, charming illustrations can be incredibly effective. Free tools like Canva or even simple drawing apps can help you create digital artwork.
• Utilize free or low-cost stock illustrations: Websites like Shutterstock offer affordable, pre-made illustrations that you can license and customize. You might have to search for a style that fits your story, but it’s a huge saving compared to a custom job.
• Work with a new or student illustrator: Platforms like Fiverr or Upwork allow you to find freelance illustrators who are building their portfolio and may offer lower rates. Do your homework, check their portfolios, and be sure to clearly communicate your vision.

3. Do-It-Yourself Formatting and Design

Once your manuscript is written and your illustrations are ready, you need to format the book’s interior. This is a critical step for children’s books, as the text and images need to be perfectly placed.

• Use free design software: Many POD services, like KDP, offer free design tools and templates. These tools can guide you through the process, making it surprisingly simple to format your book yourself.
• Leverage free resources: Websites and blogs offer a wealth of information and tutorials on how to format a children’s book using software like Microsoft Word or Adobe InDesign.
• Consider a simple layout: The more complex your layout, the harder it will be to do it yourself. Stick to a clean, standard page size and layout to minimize potential formatting headaches.

4. Create an E-book First

Publishing a digital version of your children’s book is often the cheapest route, as it completely eliminates printing costs.

• E-books are great for a test run: You can get your book to an audience quickly and gauge interest before investing in a print version.
• Platforms like Amazon KDP make it easy: You can upload a PDF of your book and have it available for sale as a Kindle e-book in a matter of days.
• Retain your rights: When you self-publish an e-book, you keep all your rights and control over your work.

Keep in mind that children’s picture books don’t always translate perfectly to e-book format, so you’ll want to ensure the formatting is clean and the illustrations are still engaging on a digital screen.

5. Be Your Own Editor and Proofreader

Professional editing is a vital step, but it can be costly. While a good editor is a worthwhile investment if you can afford it, here’s how to do it for free:

• Self-edit meticulously: Read your manuscript aloud to catch awkward phrasing. Print it out and read it backwards to spot typos. Let it sit for a few weeks and come back to it with fresh eyes.
• Find beta readers: Recruit friends, family, or other writers to read your manuscript. They can offer valuable feedback on the story’s flow and spot errors you might have missed.
• Use free tools: Grammar-checking software like Grammarly can catch basic spelling and grammar mistakes.

6. Create a Simple Cover (or DIY)

A professional book cover can be a major expense, but it doesn’t have to be.

• Use your own illustrations: If you’re doing your own illustrations, your cover can be a simple design using one of your best pieces of art and a clear title.
• Free cover creation tools: KDP offers a free cover creation tool that lets you design a simple cover using your own images and text.
• Keep it clean and readable: The most important thing about a children’s book cover is that it’s visually appealing and the title is easy to read. A simple, well-designed cover is always better than a cluttered, unprofessional one.

7. Choose the Most Economical Book Specifications

The physical characteristics of your book can have a huge impact on the cost.

• Paperback over hardcover: Hardcovers are beautiful and durable, but they are significantly more expensive to print. Starting with a paperback version is the cheapest way to get a physical book to market.
• Standard book sizes: Non-standard sizes require custom cutting and formatting, which drives up costs. Stick to common sizes like 8.5″ x 8.5″ or 8″ x 10″ to save money.
• Efficient page counts: Most children’s picture books are designed in multiples of 8 or 4 pages (e.g., 24 or 32 pages). Sticking to these standard page counts can help you save on printing costs.

8. Use Free Marketing Strategies

You can’t sell a book if no one knows about it. Marketing doesn’t have to be expensive.

• Build a social media presence: Create a free author page on social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook to share updates about your book.
• Reach out to local schools and libraries: Offer to do free readings or workshops. This gets your book in front of your target audience and builds a local following.
• Start an author blog: Write blog posts related to your book’s themes. This helps you build an online presence and connect with parents and educators.

9. Crowdfund Your First Print Run

If you’re dead set on a high-quality, offset print run, crowdfunding is a way to get the money without taking on the personal financial risk.

• Kickstarter or Indiegogo: Platforms like these allow you to pre-sell copies of your book to friends, family, and supporters.
• Offer tiered rewards: Offer different reward levels, such as a signed copy, a digital download, or a personalized message in the book. This encourages more people to donate.
• Build a community: Crowdfunding is as much about building a community of fans as it is about raising money.

10. Learn and Do Everything Yourself

This is the ultimate cheapest way to publish a children’s book, but it requires the most time and effort. It’s an investment of your time, not your money.

• Read everything you can about self-publishing: There are countless free articles, blogs, and YouTube tutorials that will teach you the entire process from start to finish.
• Use free software: Learn to use tools like Canva for design and formatting, and free image editors like GIMP if you need to adjust illustrations.
• Become a savvy marketer: Master the art of social media, email newsletters, and community building to promote your book.

The Potential Drawbacks of Cutting Corners

While a DIY approach is the cheapest way to get your book published, it’s important to be aware of the potential downsides. The adage “you get what you pay for” often holds true in the world of publishing.

• Substandard Quality: An amateur cover, unpolished illustrations, or a poorly formatted manuscript can signal to readers and buyers that the book is low quality. In a market as visual and competitive as children’s books, this can make it incredibly difficult to sell. Parents, librarians, and educators are accustomed to the high standards of traditionally published books.
• Loss of Credibility: A book with obvious errors or an unprofessional look can damage your reputation as an author. When you plan to write more books in the future, a poor first impression can be hard to overcome.
• Wasted Time: While you may not be spending money, the amount of time required to do everything yourself—from learning complex design software to marketing and distribution—can be immense. If you don’t have a background in these areas, you may spend countless hours on tasks that a professional could complete in a fraction of the time, and with better results.
• Navigating a Saturated Market: It’s not enough to simply publish a book; it has to stand out. Professionals, such as editors and designers, have a deep understanding of the industry and what sells. They can help you create a product that is not only well-made but also marketable and ready to compete.

For these reasons, many authors choose to make strategic investments in professionals. This doesn’t mean you have to break the bank. You can find skilled freelancers for specific tasks you’re not good at, such as illustration or editing. While some so-called “publishing solution” agencies promise to do everything for a low fee, it’s wise to be cautious. These agencies can sometimes produce a generic or unoriginal product, or not be transparent about their process and the professionals they are using.

By choosing which steps to do yourself and which to outsource on a budget, you can get your children’s book into the world without breaking the bank. The journey may be a little longer, but the reward of holding your own published book is priceless.