News
08/10/2022
Aaron Dunn

Parents reading children's book to their kids

If you’re a children’s book author, you already know the dramatic differences in writing and illustrations needed to be successful. But when it comes to actually printing your children’s book, do you know what it takes to make it?

Softcover vs. Hardcover Children’s Books

Because books for kids are more likely to suffer a lot more wear and tear than ordinary books, it’s often better to choose more durable cover options. Where a novel is purchased and read a handful of times by adults before being stored on a bookshelf, children’s books are often read through countless times and passed down from one child to another. Children are notoriously messy as well, so the tougher the binding for your book, the better.

It’s possible to choose a softcover option for your children’s book printing, but you must make sure it’s laminated. Even then, this binding will still prove inferior over time to hardcover binding, so be cautious. Ultimately, the one expense you should always plan for is going a little extra on the binding. Plus, the better constructed your book, the more likely parents will be to purchase it, knowing how potentially destructive (though innocent) their children can be.

Size and Design Options

Do you want your  book to be portrait, landscape, or perfectly square? These are common orientations in children’s book publishing, but it’s important to think about how the layout of your book will apply to each size and shape. What will be the easiest way for parents to sit with their children, point at the pictures and illustrations, and show them the words they read?

Also, your children’s book will most likely need to be slightly larger than conventional reading material. Many children’s books print in 11” x 8.5” because these larger sizes are easier for smaller hands to manipulate. It’s important to discuss your size and design options with your children’s book printer to see what they can do most efficiently and economically for your timeframe and budget.

How to Order Children’s Book Printing Services

When you’re ready to order children’s book printing services, you need to know how many you’ll need from the start. This may change depending on how the book will be used and whether or not you have existing orders.

For instance, if a school has ordered a certain amount of copies for their classrooms or school library, you should know those numbers upfront. If the book is to be sold independently, you may not need as many copies from the beginning. Otherwise, they may end up filling up space in storage until you can guarantee buyers. Commercially successful children’s authors may need many thousands of books printed to be distributed to bookstores throughout a region or the world.

Before you decide on how many copies to print, it’s critical to find a book printer that can help you with every step of the printing process. They should be experienced, both with on-demand printing for self-publishers and with large quantity print runs. They should have high-quality equipment and customer support to ensure your print run is as successful as possible.

At Linemark, we’ve helped countless authors print and distribute their books – to both children and adults! To learn more about our children’s book printing services, reach out to a member of our team today.

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