How to self-publish and market a children's book
Last updated: Published by Defining Moments Press
To self-publish and market a children's book, start building an audience 60 to 90 days before launch, run a focused 90-day launch, then keep the book visible with steady, repeatable outreach.
That three-phase approach comes from Read N Learn, Children's Book Marketing (2026). Defining Moments Press, which publishes this guide, includes book marketing and a full launch in its Author Launch, Author Training, and Author Premium tiers, along with a media and podcast list in Author Training.
How do you market a children's book?
You market a children's book to the adults who buy it: parents, grandparents, teachers, and librarians. Start before launch, concentrate your effort in the first 90 days, then keep a few evergreen channels running. School visits and readings work especially well because children's books are usually read aloud.
The three-phase launch plan
- 1
Build an audience before launch (60 to 90 days before release)
Share the book's story, gather an email list of parents and teachers, and line up early readers.
- 2
Run a coordinated launch (The first 90 days)
Concentrate reviews, readings, school and library outreach, podcasts, and media in one window.
- 3
Keep it selling (After launch)
Set up evergreen systems: author visits, events, a simple website, and ongoing outreach.
Numbers
What counts as good first-year sales?
Based on published author case studies reviewed by Read N Learn, first-year sales for actively marketed children's books tend to fall into three bands: 300 to 500 copies is typical, 1,000 or more is strong performance (top 20 percent), and 5,000 or more is exceptional (top 5 percent).
Use these bands to set honest goals and to judge whether your launch plan is working.
Strategy
Why marketing is about more than royalties
Defining Moments Press's view is that it is not about the book; it is about what the book does for you. Its authors use books to open doors to speaking, coaching, and business growth, so a modest number of copies can still create real opportunity.
That is especially true for professionals who write a children's book connected to their work, such as counselors, nurses, or educators.
Read about children's books for professionals or go back to the children's book publishing guide.
Common questions
See all 45 questions in the FAQ- How much can you make from writing a children's book?
- Earnings depend on royalty rate, price, and copies sold. Traditionally published authors typically earn 5 to 12 percent of list price, per Scholars Direct, often split with an illustrator. Read N Learn reports that 300 to 500 copies in the first year is typical for an actively marketed children's book, 1,000 or more is strong, and 5,000 or more is exceptional.
- How do you publish a children's book series?
- Publish the first book, learn from its launch, then release later books on a steady schedule with consistent characters, design, and trim size. Self-publishing gives you full control over the series timeline. In traditional publishing, a publisher often waits to see how the first book sells before committing to more. Plan the series look early so the covers match.
- What kind of children's books sell the most?
- Print books still dominate: SagaPages estimates print holds about 78 percent of the children's book market in 2026. Beyond format, no single category wins for every author. Before writing, study the bestseller lists in the age range you want to reach, and pick a reader age and format first, because that choice shapes length, illustration needs, and price.
- Do I need a book coach, or can I do it alone?
- You can publish alone if you are comfortable managing illustration, design, upload, and marketing yourself. A coach helps when you want a deadline, feedback, and a tested process. Defining Moments Press offers both a self-paced 8-week course with unlimited email support and a done-with-you tier that includes a year of book coaching.
- Is there a free way to start?
- Yes. Defining Moments Press offers a free one-hour course on how to write, publish, market, and monetize a book, listed with a retail price of $997. It covers defining your expertise, knowing your reader, self-publishing myths, and monetizing a book, and you finish with an outline for your table of contents.
Plan your launch with a coach
Book a free discovery call to talk through your book, your audience, and a launch plan with Defining Moments Press.