Writing · Children's books
Our children's book writing services pair you with an experienced children's book writer who turns your idea into a finished manuscript, with your name on the cover. Whether you have a bedtime story you've told for years or a series you want to build, we handle the writing, and we can also illustrate and publish it.
A children's book has two audiences: the child who listens and the adult who reads aloud, buys and re-reads it a hundred times. We write for both. Get a free consultation and tell us who your story is for.
Children's book writing services are professional help with creating the story itself: the concept, the structure, the language and the final manuscript. You might hire a writer to draft a picture book from your outline, to develop a rough idea into a full chapter book, or to polish pages you've already written. Some clients arrive with only a title and a feeling, and that's enough to start.
This is where ghostwriting services come in. A children's book ghostwriter writes the book for you, and you keep full credit and ownership. You supply the idea, the values and the voice you want, and your writer shapes them into polished pages. It suits parents with a family story, educators with a lesson to share, and business owners who want a book that supports their brand or cause. If you've written a draft already, we can edit and strengthen it instead of starting over.
Every format has its own length, vocabulary and pacing, and the standards that members of SCBWI, the main professional group for children's writers and illustrators, work to are a useful guide. Browse our children's book genre page for the categories we cover.
A picture book is usually 32 pages, and the text typically runs 500 to 1,000 words. Every word has to earn its place because the illustrations carry half the story. We shape a clear story arc, a lovable protagonist and an ending that makes a child ask for it again. We also leave room for the artist, so the text never describes what a picture can show.
Early readers help children build confidence on their own. We use short sentences, repeated words and familiar patterns, matched to a reading level that suits guided reading. The story still needs humor and heart, because a child who's bored stops reading. Chapters of a few hundred words and plenty of white space keep the page friendly.
Chapter books bridge the gap between pictures and long novels. Expect short chapters, a fast plot and a cliffhanger or two to keep pages turning. They're also a natural fit for series planning, with recurring characters readers want to revisit.
Middle grade runs longer and goes deeper. We build full character development, subplots, real emotional stakes and a voice that sounds like a kid without talking down to one. Themes like friendship, courage and belonging work well when they grow out of the plot instead of being announced.
Board books are for the youngest readers, with a handful of words per page and a physical book of 10 to 50 pages. Rhyming picture books look easy and aren't: the meter has to be steady and the rhymes natural, never forced. We write rhyme that reads smoothly aloud and doesn't trip the reader. For the very youngest, we focus on sound, repetition and concepts like colors, animals or bedtime routines.
Every project starts with a free consultation, and you approve a written, itemized proposal before work begins. The path after that is the same each time, and you see work at each stage.
Here is how the weeks usually run. Weeks 1 to 2 are discovery and planning. Weeks 3 to 5 are the first draft, though a picture book draft may take just 2 to 3 weeks. Weeks 6 to 8 cover revisions, final polish, proofreading and sign-off. A milestone schedule is set at kickoff, and it assumes material and feedback arrive within the agreed review windows.
We also keep your reader in view the whole way. A concept that sounds charming to an adult can feel flat to a six-year-old, so we test ideas against what children actually enjoy: surprise, repetition, silliness and a character who wants something badly. When the draft is ready, we check that the vocabulary, sentence length and themes suit the age group before you ever see it.
Each stage ends with your review, so nothing surprises you later. If a scene feels wrong or a character doesn't sound like you imagined, you say so and we revise. Bilingual and educational stories follow the same path, with extra care for translation and classroom use.
If you don't have an illustrator yet, we can refer you to one. Your ghostwriter works under a signed NDA, so your idea stays confidential, and you are the sole named author.
A project manager is your single point of contact, and replies come within one business day.
Most children's books are chosen by an adult and read by a child, so the text has to work for both. Rhythm matters first. A sentence that's fun to say aloud gets read again and again.
Page turns matter too. In a picture book, the end of a page should create a small question the next spread answers. Vocabulary should be age-appropriate but not dull, since a few rich words are how children learn new ones.
Themes work best when they're gentle. Kindness, bravery, grief and diversity and inclusion can all appear without a lecture, and a story doesn't need a tidy moral of the story to land. For teachers and parents, organizations like Reading Is Fundamental show how much a shared story can do for early literacy. We also keep length in line with the age group, because a book that's too long loses its audience before the ending. Reading level matters here: a story for a first grader should be written and checked against that level, not an adult's guess at it.
A finished manuscript is half the job. Most children's books need pictures, and our book illustration services can match you with an artist whose style fits your story. We prepare an illustration brief so the artist knows exactly what each page needs.
After that, the pieces come together. A book cover design services team builds a cover that looks right on a shelf and as a small thumbnail online. Our book formatting services handle the page layout for print and for fixed-layout ebooks, and we can plan a hardcover or print on demand edition. Common bindings include perfect bound (32 to 800 pages), hardcover case bound (32 to 500 pages), sewn (50 to 500 pages), spiral and comb (20 to 200 pages) and board books (10 to 50 pages). Then we publish it, so you don't have to coordinate five different vendors. Color matching, trim size and printing choices all affect how a picture book feels in the hands, and we guide you through each decision. If you plan to approach a literary agent or send a book proposal first, we can prepare the materials for that too.
Yes. You own 100% of the rights, you are named as sole author and you keep all royalties. We never take a share of your royalties, and we keep no copyright, royalty interest or publishing claim. Rights transfer to you on delivery, confirmed in writing at the start of the project. Your ISBN is registered in your name as well.
If you plan to build a series, ownership matters even more, because you control every sequel, spin-off and character. You can also file for copyright registration with the U.S. Copyright Office, and we're happy to explain how that works. Our team never claims your characters, your title or your artwork. Illustrators, when we bring them in, work under clear terms that we explain before anything starts, so you always know who holds what.
Pricing for children's books is quoted per project after a free consultation, because it depends on a few factors: the format, the word count, how many books are in the project, how much research or rhyming is involved and whether you want illustration and publishing included. A rhyming picture book often takes more drafts than a prose one, for example. A 500-word picture book and a 40,000-word middle grade novel are very different jobs.
Your quote is fixed in writing before work starts, split into milestones, with no hidden fees. For the general structure of how we price, see our pricing page. Timelines vary too. Writing usually follows the eight-week plan above, and a picture book draft alone may take 2 to 3 weeks. Illustrating a 32-spread picture book adds 8 to 14 weeks, and a full picture book, from first call to published, takes roughly 4 to 6 months. Chapter books and middle grade take longer. Rush timelines are available for an additional fee, quoted up front, so ask us for the full schedule when you book your consultation.
Small Press Distribution has published more than 250 books for over 170 authors. Writing, illustration, design, publishing and marketing sit under one roof, so your story moves from idea to finished book without handoffs that cause delays. We've helped authors reach 50+ bestsellers, though we never promise sales or reviews.
Just as important, the book stays yours. You'll work with specialists who understand how children's books differ from adult ones, including how a teacher, librarian or parent decides what to read next.
It depends on the format, length and whether illustration and publishing are included. A short picture book costs far less than a middle grade novel. We don't publish a fixed price list for children's books, so we give you a fixed written quote after a free consultation. That quote is split into milestones, with no hidden fees.
Most picture books run about 32 pages, and the text typically runs 500 to 1,000 words for ages 2 to 6. Younger audiences need fewer words. Early readers (ages 5 to 8) run 1,000 to 10,000 words, chapter books (ages 7 to 10) 10,000 to 30,000, and middle grade (ages 8 to 12) 25,000 to 50,000.
Yes. We can write the manuscript, prepare an illustration brief and match you with an illustrator. We then handle the layout, cover and publishing. If you already have an artist, we're glad to work with them and keep the project on schedule. Illustrating a 32-spread picture book takes 8 to 14 weeks, and a full picture book from first call to published takes roughly 4 to 6 months. Everything stays under one project manager.
For a picture book, yes, because the pictures are part of the story. For chapter books and middle grade novels, illustrations are optional, though a strong cover is still essential. We can help you decide what your format and budget call for.
Absolutely. A ghostwriter drafts the story from your idea, and you keep full credit, copyright and royalties. It's a common choice for parents, educators and business owners who have a good concept but not the time or craft to write it. You approve every draft before it moves on.
Our children's book writing services take a story idea, even a rough one, and shape it into a book a child will want read again tonight. Tell us your story idea and we'll talk about the best format. When you're ready to bring it to shelves, see our book publishing services.
Free consultation
Every enquiry is read by a publishing consultant, not a sales script. You'll get an honest view of your project, a recommended route and a fixed written quote.
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