Q&A for How to Write a Children's Book

This depends on a variety of things. First, illustrators charge their own fees that differ. Speaking from personal experience, I had a 300-page novel bound professionally without going through a publisher for local consumption, and it cost $100-150. The steps you take in this process will always lead to different fees, depending on what you want to accomplish.

It does not cost much to write a book, since all you really need is pencil and paper, or access to a computer. Publishing or copying the book, however, can be expensive, depending on many factors (the publisher, type of paper, etc.).

Find some children's books with titles you like. You can get inspiration from seeing what other authors have come up with.

It's entirely up to you. Book illustrators often work with a variety of mediums, both on the computer and on paper.

When writing, getting stuck without any ideas (called writer's block) is very common and happens to every writer at one point or another. Put your story away for a little bit and focus on other things. When you do get an idea, (and you will eventually), go back to your writing.

There isn't a specific thing; it's all about your imagination. However, the most important thing is to write a book that's understandable. For example, if you were writing a teen's book, then you would definitely want to include lots of new and long words. J.K.Rowling's Harry Potter series has a lot of words even though it is still enjoyed by adults and children alike. This brings us to the the next important thing: fun. In order to write a children's book, you need to let your mind run wild. Don't keep it too serious. You may want to write a hook that makes children intrigued and tantalized so they want to keep reading.

Ideas come from your experiences in life and love, or from observing others. Whatever interests you deeply will also interest other people. Write from the heart.

If you're looking for an audience for a survival story, you should be looking at older people, like teenagers and adults.

Perhaps identifying it in the realistic fiction genre would alleviate you having to choose.

There isn't a specific age, although if you are under 18, it would be best to get your parents or guardians to handle it. Make sure that your parents understand why you want it published.

No, it is not necessary. A good editor will help you polish your story to perfection.

You might want to read Daisy Meadow's fairy books or one of the many other fairy books out there, to get inspiration from them. Maybe ask a friend or family member. Remember it's all about your imagination with a dash of fairy folklore thrown in.

Perhaps you should just try doodling silly animals, and then see which one seems most appealing to children. It doesn't matter how well you draw. Younger children may prefer sillier animals, and older children and teens may prefer a character they can relate to.

If it is for younger readers, add color because it will encourage them to read it. If it's for older children, it is optional to add illustrations. You don't have to buy more expensive paper. What matters is the quality of the story you have written.

I would probably go ahead and break the story up into the appropriate number of pages so you would have a better idea of what needs to be illustrated and how many pages you would have total. (This will be especially important if you're hiring someone to do the illustrations.)

Add more pictures and fun facts. Some may contain gruesome stuff that provides shock value, but most younger readers like it. Just don't make it too long and/or boring, and add some funny things too.

There is no "best" age group to write for. You don't even have to write for any one single age group.

No, it is not necessary. The agent can read your story and advise on what you should do for your next step.

You have to have an idea first. Then you'll need a pen or pencil and some paper. Then you write down your ideas into a story. Just follow the guidelines in this article.

You can do it either way. Note that if you use digital, you won't have to bother scanning, and if you make a mistake you can always press undo, but it takes double the time and depends on the speed of your PC.

Yes, as long as they're not too gruesome. Many books for older children and teens have such scenes.

Reference wikiHow to Punctuate Dialogue for guidance.

Roughly 10-20 pages, give or take, or up to 30 pages will also be fine, especially if you are using a word per page. You usually shouldn't write more than 4 sentences on a page. The main part should be the pictures and these should really stand out.

Look over your details and keep the ones that you believe help the reader understand better. Take out the ones that are not needed. Example: "How did the pizza taste? Answer: It tasted very cheesy. There were about 6 pepperonis, but the pizzeria put on way too much sauce." You could take out the detail about the pepperonis, because it doesn't describe the taste.

You can be any age really. All you need is to be confident about it and have a good book idea in order to be an author. However if you're young, you'll probably want people like your parents to help you out, especially with the logistics required to get it published.

It depends on the reader. Some young readers (10+ as you said) are able to handle the mature content while on the other hand, some of them are not. Personally, I think that if the crime thriller has a person actually murdering people (and not just the cheesy killing of a pet fish or something) it's more suitable for teens. But if you think 10+ might be mature enough for the content, then go ahead and write the story.

It depends on how you write it. If your story has a long and complex storyline, and uses more complicated sentences and vocabulary, it may be more suited for teens and adults. You could make it for younger readers by shortening it a little bit, making it easier to read, and maybe adding a couple pictures. You might even be able to write it for preschool-age kids if you write it simply enough.