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Share your children's story

We Turn Your Imagination into Great Books

Do you love stories? Do you create stories for your children or your friends’ children? Would you love to be a published author? Seeing your creation in print, a whole world that you have created leaping off the page is incredible. If you would love to bring your stories to life and share them with others, speak  to ShieldCrest children’s book publishers in the UK and we can help publish your story.

You don’t need an agent, you can come to our friendly and professional team at ShieldCrest and we will work with you to bring your book from an idea to a finished masterpiece. Self-publishing gives you control over the process and ensures that you will be able to share your story. Our supportive team will be with you every step of the way.

Why publish with ShieldCrest?

Reputable, professional children’s publisher

We are dedicated to publishing quality children’s book with first-rate literacy and creative visual content. We will follow a process to ensure that your book is professionally produced. Each step is carefully considered, using our industry experience, we know how best to achieve the optimum end result and give you a finished children’s book that you will be proud of.

Different formats for different minds

Share your imagination with everyone, whether they prefer hardback, paperwork, or e-books, we have the resources to format your book in a multitude of versions and mediums, so that you can share your story in more ways with more people.

Share your story across the world

Reach a worldwide audience with online distribution at amazon.com and other platforms. If there’s internet, people can buy your book online. You can also have hard copies if you wish to sell your book yourself, whatever you want we will work with you to facilitate it.

Your book, your rights

When you come to us to publish your children’s book, you don’t need to worry about the rights to your story. You will always retain the rights to your book.

A picture paints a thousand words

Your children’s story may be incredible, the imagery may be jumping off the page, the excitement palpable, so just imagine what it would be like with first-class illustrations emphasising the story. We love words! But children’s books can benefit from a picture or visual element, to engage and maintain the readers’ interest. Our talented creative team will work with you to bring your story to life, and ensure that you retain overall artistic direction.

And sell, sell, sell, with our professional marketing packages

It’s one thing to write an amazing children’s story, and another to sell it. When you work with us, you can take advantage of our professional marketing services to ensure that your book is seen.

Where to start

For many people, their love of books and reading can be traced back to the stories they read as a child. Whether it was the adventures of ‘Just William’, the mysteries of the ‘Famous Five’ or recent additions such as the work of David Walliams, there is something special in the relationship between children and stories they feel have been crafted for them.

The term “children’s book” is more diverse than you would think. Like adults, children are into a wide variety of things such as fantasy, mystery, action thriller and comic style books all available for children.

What to think about

In order to get a children’s book published in the UK, ideally, the first place to start is if you know or have children of your own.  This is a great way to test whether it works in terms of their level of enjoyment.

There are more factors to consider when writing a children’s book. The first is the ages you are writing for, as this will affect the kind of language you use and the style of narrative. If it’s for toddlers just learning to read then it needs to be very simple, whereas for older readers the plot can be more complex.

With younger children, the rhythm of a book can make a difference. Ideally you don’t want too many words and a rhyme can help make it feel engaging. With older readers, it can be harder but it is possible to find ways to make it ‘talk’ to them without having it feel like you are trying too hard to ‘get’ them. As with any other story, you can think about what you were into when you were young and what made you like those particular stories. It also helps to do a little research into current media for children such as animation, video game, films and so forth as that will help create a language for it.

This also affects the kind of characters you choose – do some of research on the kind of things kids of that age are interested in as that will make it easier to determine what you can work with. Ideally, you also want something that can tie in with personal experiences as children also tend to know if a story feels like it’s been too obviously crafted with them in mind (as personified in the “How do you do, fellow kids?” meme).

It is also important to remember that children’s books are not “easier” than any other form of narrative. For example for smaller children crafting rhymes with a rhythm that fits and makes sense can often be more challenging than you think.
Another factor is younger readers often favour complete stories as opposed to cliff hangers or ambiguous endings. Even with a series, children tend to want each part to feel complete.

Illustrations

You may also want to consider whether to add illustrations or work with an illustrator – the latter may be an additional cost but can often be something that draws the attention of a potential publisher. A good publisher will, of course, be able to assist with the illustrations. This is especially useful for smaller children’s books as it is recommended you limit the amount of words. With older children and young adults  it does depend on the genre (such as world maps for fantasy stories).

At ShieldCrest we offer an illustration service, using our own team of experienced illustrators. For younger children, it is recommended that the story stick to around 50 to 800 words, with the illustrations highlighting the main point of the story.

If you are writing a young adult novel then this is different as they are more likely to engage with reading providing the concept is strong enough and sufficient interest created by the writing. For example, you may only want an illustration such as a map to indicate the key locations in a fantasy novel or possibly pictures at the start of each chapter to highlight key events.

Crafting

At the heart of it, crafting a children’s story is the same process as crafting a story for adults. You still need characters that they can engage with, a plot that entertains and for them to be left satisfied by the end.

ShieldCrest can not only publish your work but we also offer proofreading, editing and other services to help get your children’s book out there. We want to see you succeed and we have the tools to help you do it. For more information by all means contact us today and we will be happy to discuss our publishing packages in more detail.

Next steps

If you have a story to share, don’t delay. Come and speak to the team at ShieldCrest Children’s publisher today and let us turn your story into a book that you can share. Unleash your imagination, unlock your creativity, and share your story with us!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I self-publish a children's book?

Here at ShieldCrest, we work with many children’s authors to bring their stories to life. Self-publishing is a popular path for many authors and works well for children’s books. Mainstream publishing houses are notoriously hard to get a publishing deal with, and many people are turning to other ways to share their stories with children.

Can anyone publish a children's book?

You can publish your children’s book by yourself, using various e-book publishing software and services. However, you will be doing this entirely by yourself with no access to all the professionals that are involved in transforming a book from a series of scribbles to a physical book. This can be a lonely and difficult process and it can be hard to produce a high-quality book through this route. When you come to ShieldCrest, you not only receive a publishing deal, but also a whole collection of professionals who are here to make your book the very best it can be. The steps needed to turn a manuscript into a book are many, and with us, you will have help and support on each step along the way. From editors to illustrators, designers to marketing packages, we want your book to be brilliant and sell

How do you pitch a children's book to a publisher?

Pitching a children’s book is no different from pitching any other type of book. If you are submitting to a publisher then check out their submission guidelines, and ensure that you follow them. Your pitch is your chance to sell your book, and time spent on creating the perfect pitch is time well-spent. You need to be clear about the age range that your book is aimed at, the genre of the book, as well as the key reasons why your book stands out and why the publisher should choose your book.

What are publishers looking for in children's books?

A genuine voice that speaks to children. When you write from the heart, it is unbeatable. You can’t write to a format, or to get published, you just need to write, whether you want to make your readers gasp, laugh, or shudder. Children are perspective, they know when they are being talked down to or manipulated. They will be able to spot a good story, versus a manufactured one. Publishers are looking for this spark, this connection, this story that they know will engage children. Your book does need to be written for a particular age group, and within a genre, as this will make it sellable, but really publishers are just looking for a good story.

Is it difficult to get a children's book published?

It is no harder or easier to get a children’s book published than a novel for adults, but don’t assume that because it is shorter it is easier! The fewer words, the better those words need to be. A book for toddlers may only have 500 to 1000 words, compared to 60,000 for an adult novel, but each of those words needs to be very carefully considered. Write what you feel, if you have a story that you think would be perfect for 11-year-olds, then write that. If you tell your own 2-year-old a story about a gherkin who enjoys riding the tube, then write that. Always write from the heart.

Can I submit a children's book without illustrations?

Here at ShieldCrest, we have professional illustrators as part of our team. If you have a fantastic idea, but don’t have the drawing skills to match, then we can work with you to bring your story to life. Maybe you have a clear idea about what you want each picture to show, and how it works with the words, or maybe you aren’t entirely set on the pictures and want greater input, either way, our illustrators will work with you, to produce a fully illustrated book that works with and enhances your words.

How do you get a children's book published for the first time?

So you have written your children’s book, but before you go any further make sure you have edited it and edited it again, and again. You want your book to be the best you can make it before you submit it to a publisher. Make sure you read the submission guidelines for the publishing house to whom you are submitting your book and follow them. Don’t let your book get rejected because you haven’t followed their instructions. Research the publisher, not all publishers deal with children’s books, so make sure that your chosen publisher does. It can take time to get a response, so be patient, and if you are rejected don’t despair, simply try again.

Do I need an agent to publish a children's book?

If you want to send your book to a mainstream publishing house, then you will need an agent, as they do not accept submissions directly from writers. An agent can be useful when negotiating contracts as they will do this on your behalf and ensure that you get the best deal. However, if you are submitting your children’s book to us here at ShieldCrest, we accept direct submissions, so you will not need an agent. Bear in mind that an agent will usually take around 15% of your book deal, so while they may be able to negotiate a better deal, they will also be another cost for you to incur. It does depend on what path of publishing you are considering going down.

Where can I submit a children's book for publishing?

Here at ShieldCrest, we accept submissions for children’s books. Whether you have a space-styled book for younger readers, and need an illustrator, or have an adventure book for older children, set around London landmarks, we are ready to read your book. Please make sure you follow our submission guidelines. Our team of professionals is waiting to turn your manuscript into a quality physical book.

How much does it cost to publish a children's book?

At ShieldCrest, we believe that publishing should be accessible, so our prices are set accordingly. We have two main packages available and are happy to discuss with you, which one will suit you best. Our prices start from as little as £299 for our basic package, however, it is worth considering how much support you require from your publishers when you are deciding which service to choose for your publishing deal. Our friendly and helpful team is always on hand to answer any questions that you may have.

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