How to Write and Format A Children’s Book: The Practical Tips

Many people dream in their youth of becoming a writer and creating great work. And if you have an idea in your head and feel like writing and publishing your own children’s book, why not give it a try? There are many reasons to read to children—that’s a fact.

Reading to a child incredibly stimulates their creativity and imagination. What if you could combine these two things and become an author of children’s books yourself? Find out what to look for at the beginning of this path.

The Right Digital Format for A Children’s Book

As soon as e-paper screens are bigger, then many people will appreciate the PDF format. It has mechanisms for converting between different formats and is also able to generate PDFs in A4 and A6 sizes.

Although formats such as EPUB/MOBI have the advantage of adapting to the screen on which we read, we often want to use the book in the layout that its creators planned.

PDF is a stable format. And it is primarily intended to reflect the appearance of a paper book, so it is logical that if we want to have a fragment on paper, it is worth reaching for this format in the case of a children’s book.

If you want to edit PDF-formatted books quickly and efficiently, thus avoiding the risk of infecting your device, it is worth using trusted sources. SwifDoo PDF is great for this purpose; it will allow you to quickly correct typos and change the font style or size. It is also a simple PDF converter, which allows you to quickly change the format of files with any extension.

Selecting the Target Group

As with books for adults, works aimed at children should also be adapted to the target group.

The first distinguishing feature is of course the specific age of the youngest. For children up to 3 years of age, it is worth offering a simple book, in which the interior is dominated by interesting illustrations, rhymes and infographics. Older children will be interested in a basic plot or an interesting story.

Another criterion is of course gender: boys are unlikely to be interested in stories about princesses and fairies, and girls, on the other hand, prefer such topics to those devoted to cars or space adventures. Of course, there are universal topics such as animals or magic.

Or maybe you’re planning to publish a book for even older children? In this case, it’s worth considering the standards of adult literature, because science fiction and adventure novels that require a slightly more mature language and an elaborate plot work best here.

Content and Plot

How to create a plot for a children’s book that will steal their hearts from the very first page?

First of all, you need to create a distinctive hero who will stand out not only physically, but also due to special powers or other attributions. Secondary characters are also extremely important, as they will, on the one hand, provide a background for the main events, and on the other hand, logically complement them. For example: Winnie the Pooh was the main character of his story, but he had a group of charming friends, without whom his adventures would not be so interesting, exciting and beautiful!

The content of the book should be written in an accessible and interesting language for children. It is worth weaving into it various kinds of rhymes, funny associations or abstract comparisons. It is best to write in short, simple sentences, which the youngest will best absorb and understand.

It is obvious that you should completely get rid of negative and stressful vocabulary!

Avoid Violence, Both Verbal and Physical

If you think horror is necessary, don’t drag out the moments that are too stressful. Children are sensitive and can get scared, and you’ll lose your readers for good. Write in simple, short sentences, without overwhelming the reader with fancy words, but differentiate the language of individual characters. You can assign each of them some sayings or behaviors. Let them be witty and funny.

Collaboration with Illustrators

In children’s books, especially for younger children, illustrations are just as important as text. Although authors usually have their own idea of the characters or setting in which the book’s action takes place, sometimes it happens that the person responsible for the graphic design sees it completely differently.

Formatting A Printed Children’s Book

A well-formatted and designed children’s book is essential to an author’s success. Even though you worked hard on your manuscript, it may not catch the eye without professional formatting.

The well-formatted book helps ensure that your kid readers have the best possible reading experience.

How to Write A Book Ending

One of the most important questions you probably ask yourself is: how to finish writing a book?

You’ve probably read a book more than once, where the fast-paced action kept you in suspense from the beginning, but the ending was disappointing at best? Regardless of whether you want to know how to write a children’s book, or maybe you’re asking yourself how to write a romantic book that will actually be moving or how to write a good, original adventure book, the ending is of great importance.

There is no single, universal recipe for writing the best ending for A children’s book. Nevertheless, it is the culmination of the work and it is necessary to devote an appropriate amount of attention to it, think through several possible scenarios and consider which one will be the best.