How Much Does It Cost to Publish a Children’s Book?

You will know that your book is ready for professional editing once you have tried everything with it that you can do yourself. This means having done a first draft, sorted out serious plot or structural issues, and addressed glaring errors of consistency or weakness. You should have a feeling that the message or story is fully expressed, if not perhaps flawless. If you find yourself rephrasing sentences but no longer making noticeable improvements, that's a good sign you're ready. An editor's role is to lift your work from good to polished, not to finish half-thoughts. When you both love your manuscript and don't know how to improve it, it's time to bring in professional eyes.

A professional editor should respect your voice and project. Honestly, it's as simple as that.

The best way to be sure that will happen is to hire an experienced editor and also ask for a sample edit, especially with line/copyedits. Seeing that sample edit and thinking about how the editor engages with your voice should tell you everything you need to know. Chances are, you won't agree with everything an editor recommends because editing is a subjective business, but if the editor is keeping in mind your particular voice and project, and if they're experienced and aligned with your vision, you should probably expect to agree with 80-90% of their recommendations.

That said, there are exceptions! I once had an author tell me she only agreed with about 40% of my copyedits, and I was horrified. I immediately told her that meant we weren't a good fit...and then she told me that she'd had three previous editors, and she'd only agreed with about 10-15% of what any of them had suggested! In fact, she was thrilled with my work! This particular author was simply extremely attached to even the smallest nuances of her language use, and had a lot of trouble working with an editor at all. I came to realize that her taking even 40% of my suggestions was actually a pretty serious compliment, odd as that may sound.

With developmental edits, things get a little trickier, but respect is still the ultimate goal. An editor shouldn't be trying to rewrite your story. Ideally, you want a developmental editor who will respect your story and help you find its full potential without injuring your vision. If they point out plot holes, they might point out different ways to address those fixes (and you can talk to them in advance about whether or not you want them to), but they won't insist on you taking any of those fixes; they'll only strongly suggest you fix the plot hole. Similarly, if you've got a 180,000 word paranormal romance on your hands, they'll be right to talk to you about the realities of publishing and how difficult it will be for you to find an agent, but they shouldn't be rewriting the book for you or lecturing you. (In a case like this, I'd personally be having a conversation with the author to talk about their publication plans, the realities of publication, and options for how to go forward, whether that would mean splitting the book into two or cutting subplots...but it would be a conversation, and not a lecture). If an editor is telling you how to rewrite your book and you didn't ask them to do so, they're not the right fit for you, and you should move on--because yes, it's a matter of respect for your project and you.

A good editor of any kind—developmental, copyeditor, etc.—is going to honor your voice and want to help you hone it. It's good to keep in mind that your editors are not trying to make your writing less unique, they're trying to guide it to be the best it can be. With that understanding in place, make sure you're reading their feedback from a place of trust and open-mindedness. Once they've read a few hundred words of your manuscript, an editor will often have an idea of your voice and will do their best to work with your voice, not against it.

Editors will often offer an explanation for an opinion-based change, and it's important to hear their perspective. (And if your editor isn't offering an explanation for a particular change from the get-go, feel free to ask them for one.) If you find that you're declining a lot of changes in an ongoing partnership, try to afford your editor the same respect and offer an explanation as to why their changes aren't working for you. That will improve their sense of your goals for your manuscript and they can adjust their feedback accordingly. They'll probably be really excited to now be on the same page and might have some fresh new ideas!

Another thing to keep in mind is that sometimes—especially in creative writing—you may think you're doing something clever on the sentence level, and then your editor tells you they're confused by it and/or that it's wrong. As in grammatically incorrect, or conveying the wrong message, or illogical, or any number of things for which there is technically a black-and-white rule in the English language. In these instances, remember that in general the impression you want your reader to get is more important than being clever. Sometimes you may just need to be disappointed that the clever thing you thought you were doing wasn't so effective after all. And if you feel strongly about maintaining a style that's sometimes "wrong" (maybe it's important to your character building), work with your editor on how to make sure you're still being understood by the reader.

Above all, remember that your editors are on your side! They want to help your writing be its best, not be exactly like everyone else's. Your editors want to work with you. Make sure you're working with them, too!

If we are talking about a full color cover illustration I start with a flat rate for most quotes. This rate is calculated on many things, including, in no particular order: time, comparing market rates, my skill and experience, and rights I am agreeing to sell. I compare this against other things like complexity, exposure of images, any extras the client may be asking for including additional rights. I am also keeping in mind how this will translate to an hourly rate.

I have found that there is a fairly clear link between how much I charge and the quality I produce, which comes down to time. I like to read as much of the manuscript as the client will give me, ideally the whole book. If we add up reading the book, sketching and ideating, communication and negotiation with the client, assembling reference and photoshoots, painting the illustration, revisions, type and cover design, assembling the final files, billing (which Reedsy takes care of) and back end business organizing, then divide that by the total cost we get a rough hourly. This informs how many jobs I need over a given time.

In an ideal world I would work on an image until it’s done. In a world with deadlines and money, the more I charge the fewer jobs I need to work on at once and the more time, love and attention I can devote to the task at hand, which, for me, always yields better results.

When I price a cover design project, I think about the overall workload. Is it going to be a simple design with strong typography, or something more involved with custom illustration or heavy photo work? I also look at the research and creative time it’ll take to land on a concept that feels right for the story and the market.

I factor in the practical side too — like prepping files for different formats and making sure they’re print ready. And of course, the amount of collaboration and revisions an author expects can change how much time I’ll need to put in.

It comes down to the mix of creative effort, technical work, and how much back-and-forth is needed to get the perfect cover.

One of the most common mistakes I see with self-published authors is setting unrealistic timelines for their publishing journey. Many writers plan their schedule far too tightly and only reach out to professionals—whether editors, designers, or marketers—at the very last minute.

This creates unnecessary stress on both sides: the author feels rushed and overwhelmed, while the professionals either have to decline the project or take it on under less-than-ideal conditions. In the worst case, authors struggle to even find available professionals because their preferred timeline doesn’t allow for the necessary lead time. Many professionals book out months in advance, so it’s wise to plan at least four months ahead—and in many cases, even that may not be enough time.

It’s also important to remember: as self-publishers, you are free to set your own pace. Unlike in traditional publishing, there is usually no external deadline or audience impatiently waiting for the book—especially when it’s a debut. That pressure often comes only from a self-imposed timeline. Instead of rushing, it’s far wiser to take the time to do everything properly, work with professionals without stress, and then launch the book when it’s truly ready.

Publishing a professional-quality book requires space for collaboration, revisions, and creative breathing room. When timelines are compressed, the process becomes about “getting it done” rather than “getting it right,” which can ultimately compromise the quality of the finished book. A thoughtful, realistic schedule not only reduces stress but also ensures that every stage of the process—from editing to design—has the attention it deserves.

One of the biggest traps authors fall into when self-publishing is thinking that the hard part ends once the book is written.

In reality, self-publishing is as much about production as it is about creativity, and overlooking that side can leave even the best manuscript looking unprofessional.

I’ve seen too many writers skip professional editing, try to design their own cover, or leave marketing as an afterthought, and the results are usually disappointing. But just as important, and often less discussed, are the mistakes around the actual printing and publishing process. Authors frequently go with the first printer they find rather than getting at least three quotes, which is a sure way to overpay.

Others don’t ask whether VAT will be added on top of the quoted price, only to discover the true cost later.

Perhaps the most heartbreaking mistake is not asking to see samples of the paper and materials being used; the author waits excitedly for their book to arrive, only to be handed a flimsy volume on cheap stock that feels nothing like the work they poured their heart into.

The truth is, self-publishing is about producing a product as much as sharing a story. Taking the time to ask questions, compare options, and insist on seeing exactly what you’ll be paying for can mean the difference between a book that looks like an amateur project and one you’re genuinely proud to hold in your hands and which reflects the hard work you have put in as well as the hopes, naturally enough, of your client to hold a book in their hands which is a quality item.