CHILDREN’S BOOK PUBLISHING
Children’s Book Publishing, Made with Care
A children’s book has three audiences at once: the child who reads it, the parent who buys it and reads it aloud, and the teacher or librarian who recommends it. Getting all three right takes specialist judgement at every stage — word count and reading level, illustration and page-turns, trim size and durable printing, and outreach to the gatekeepers who put books into small hands. Hoggard Publishers publishes children’s books end to end, so your story arrives as a beautiful, professional book that children want again tonight and parents are glad to own.
Publishing for Children Is Its Own Discipline
Children’s books look simple and are anything but. Every element is governed by the age of the reader: a board book for a toddler, a picture book for a pre-schooler, an early reader for a new decoder and a chapter book for a confident one are four different crafts, with different word counts, vocabularies, page counts and layouts. Publish to the wrong band and even a lovely story misses its readers entirely.
The picture-book form adds a second layer of craft — the interplay of words and images across page-turns. The best picture books say one thing in the text and another in the art, and time their surprises to the turn of the page. That demands words and illustration developed together, in the standard 32-page rhythm, by people who understand how the form actually works. It is not a matter of adding pictures to a story after the fact.
And children’s books must survive the nursery: sturdier trims and bindings, safe finishes, generous type and the durability that lets a book be read a hundred times. Hoggard brings writing, illustration, layout, printing and promotion together under one roof — or joins you at whatever stage you’ve reached — so every one of those decisions is made by someone who has made it before. You keep 100% of your rights throughout.
What’s Included in Our Children’s Publishing Service
The whole journey — or any single stage — for picture books, early readers and chapter books.
Age-Right Story Development
Word count, vocabulary and reading level matched precisely to your target age band.
Illustration
Original artwork and character design developed hand in hand with the text.
Layout & Page-Turn Design
Words and images composed across spreads in the picture book’s natural rhythm.
Child-Safe Printing
Sturdy trims, board and hardback options and safe finishes built to survive real use.
Promotion to Gatekeepers
Outreach to parents, schools, libraries and reviewers who put books into children’s hands.
Your Rights, Retained
You keep 100% ownership of your story, your characters and every publishing decision.
How We Publish Your Children’s Book
Five careful stages, tuned to your reader’s age.
- 1
Consultation & age fit
We confirm your target age band and shape the plan around its conventions.
- 2
Words & pictures
Text and illustration developed together, page-turn by page-turn, with your approval.
- 3
Layout & proofs
The book laid out across spreads; you review full colour proofs before print.
- 4
Printing & production
The right trim, binding and finish produced — or print-ready files prepared for you.
- 5
Launch & outreach
Distribution set up and promotion begun to parents, schools and libraries.
Why Authors Publish Children’s Books with Hoggard
Start with a free review- Age-band expertise
- Board, picture, early-reader and chapter books each handled by their own rules.
- Words and art, together
- Text and illustration developed as one — the way real picture books are made.
- Built to be read to pieces
- Durable printing and safe finishes designed for a hundred bedtimes.
- You own everything
- Full rights to your story and characters stay with you — sequels included.
Children’s Book Publishing — Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a children’s book be?
It depends entirely on the age band. Picture books are typically 32 pages with around 500–800 words (some far fewer); early readers run short with controlled vocabulary; chapter books stretch to several thousand words across short chapters. We’ll confirm the right target for your intended reader before anything else.
Do I need to provide illustrations, or do you create them?
Either. Many authors come to us with words only and we develop the artwork; others bring an illustrator or finished images and we handle layout, printing and promotion. Whatever stage you’re at, we join you there — you never pay for work you’ve already done.
Who owns the illustrations and characters?
You do. On completion, full rights to the artwork and characters transfer to you, so you can reuse them for sequels, merchandise or new editions. We deliver the source files, and any licences are documented clearly.
Can you print board books and hardbacks?
Yes — board books for the youngest readers, hardbacks and paperbacks for picture and chapter books, with child-safe finishes. We’ll recommend the format and binding that suit your age band, budget and how the book will be sold.
How do you help children’s books reach readers?
Children’s books sell through gatekeepers as much as retailers, so our promotion targets parents, schools, libraries, teacher networks and children’s-book reviewers alongside the usual online listings — the channels that genuinely move copies for this category.
How much does it cost to publish a children’s book?
Illustration is the main variable — a fully illustrated picture book costs more than a lightly illustrated chapter book. After a free consultation you’ll receive a fixed, itemised quote so you can choose exactly which stages you’d like us to handle.
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Ready to Bring Your Children’s Book to Life?
Book a free consultation — tell us about your story and your reader, and we’ll map the whole journey to a finished book.
No obligation · You keep 100% of your author rights