Kids Book Publishing: What It Really Takes to Write and Sell Children's Books
When you think about kids book publishing, the process of creating, producing, and distributing books written for children. Also known as children's book publishing, it’s not just about writing a story—it’s about understanding what grabs a child’s attention, what parents are willing to buy, and how the market actually works. Many assume that if you love stories, you can just write one and it’ll sell. But the truth? The best-written book doesn’t always win. What does? A clear audience, smart positioning, and knowing whether to go traditional or self-publish.
Children's book royalties, the percentage of sales revenue paid to the author after the book is sold are rarely life-changing unless you hit a bestseller. Most authors earn between $1 and $3 per copy, and that’s after the publisher takes their cut. If you’re self-publishing, you keep more—often 60% or more—but you also handle everything: editing, cover design, marketing, and getting the book into stores or online. That’s where self-publishing children's books, the process where authors bypass traditional publishers and release books independently becomes a real choice, not just a backup plan. Roald Dahl sold over 300 million books, but he didn’t do it alone—he had a team, a publisher, and decades of timing on his side.
There’s a big gap between dreaming of being a children's author, someone who writes stories intended for young readers, typically aged 0 to 12 and actually making money from it. Most successful kids’ authors don’t write one book and retire. They write series. They build brands. They tie books to toys, apps, or classroom use. And they learn how to market to parents, not just kids. The top sellers aren’t always the most artistic—they’re the ones who understand the business side. That’s why so many parents and educators search for guides on children's book income, the total earnings an author makes from book sales, licensing, and related products. It’s not magic. It’s strategy.
What you’ll find below isn’t a list of how to become famous. It’s a collection of real, practical posts that break down what actually happens in kids book publishing—from how much you can realistically earn, to the hidden rules of royalties, to why some books vanish while others become classics. Whether you’re thinking of writing your first story or wondering why your favorite book never made it to the shelf, these posts give you the unfiltered facts. No fluff. No hype. Just what works.
