When sharing your children’s manuscript with literary agents or children’s publishers, it’s important to adhere to industry standards. Proper formatting will make it easier for everyone to quickly assess your work, and show that you understand the publishing process.
In this post, we’ll take you through our Children’s Manuscript Template (download below) and show you how to format your draft in a way that will impress your potential collaborators.
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Children’s Book Manuscript Template
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Here are the formatting features of children’s manuscripts:
While agents and publishers are always on the lookout for writers with imagination, the format of your manuscript is not where you should start getting creative. Unless the submission guidelines explicitly state otherwise, your manuscript should be:
You should also have 1” margins (or 2,54 cm) on all four sides of the page. In most cases, this layout will be the default settings on your word processor.
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Your manuscript’s font is another place where you’ll be rewarded for simplicity. Don't fall into the trap of writing with a whimsical font like Comic Sans, it’ll only turn agents into the Grinch.
Times New Roman (12pt, black) double-spaced is as close to a universal standard as you get in children’s publishing. Use this unless the agency or publisher guidelines state otherwise. Even if your final book will be rendered in handwriting (like Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series), your manuscript should still be very down-the-line. And yes, these settings apply even if you’re writing a picture book.
All the fun typography and typesetting that you see in finished books by the likes of Lauren Child, for example, will be added after your manuscript has been accepted, when page designers and art directors work their magic. So don’t sentence your manuscript to the scrap pile by doing it now. Simply focus on readability and the quality of your writing.
Lauren Child's What Planet Are You From, Clarice Bean? has a wonderfully inventive use of type. However, her manuscript may have looked more vanilla.Now that the basic settings are sorted, let’s look at the cover page.
The cover page of your manuscript should have the essential information an agent or publisher will want easy access to. The top left-hand corner should list your name, address, email address, and phone number. Or, if you already have an agent, you would list their contact details here instead.
Here’s a manuscript example for The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck by Beatrix Potter, which you can download along with our free template.
On the right-hand side of the header, list your current draft’s word count. The top right-hand corner is where you put your manuscript’s word count. Picture books should be rounded to the nearest ten, and anything with a larger word count should be rounded to the nearest thousand. If you’ve included illustration notes, keep them out of the word count.
Some people will tell you to then state your target reader, or what kind of manuscript you’ve written (for example, “Chapter book, age 7-9”). But as long as you’ve researched the children’s market, and your book is the right length — very important! — a professional will immediately know that information from the word count.
The other important element to include is your book’s title.
The title of your book should be centered on the cover page, around three inches below the header. If you tap the ‘enter’ key six times, this should get you where you need to be. Write your title in ALL CAPS — perhaps a few sizes larger than the rest of your manuscript (14pt or 16pt will do). Underneath the title, just write your name.
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Before you can start writing the fun part of your book, there’s one last element that needs to be set up.
After the cover page, each new page of a manuscript should feature the page number plus a reference to the title and author. These serve very practical purposes: if a tired editor finds a rogue sheet of manuscript floating around their office, they’ll instantly know where it belongs.
In our manuscript template, we’ve automated the headers for you, but you’ll want to personalize it by adding the title and your surname.
To add a header yourself, double click at the top of the page and type in your book’s title and your last name, like this: TITLE/ Lastname.
In Google Docs you’ll notice an ‘Options’ button, where you can remove the header from your first page by selecting ‘Different first page’ under ‘Header format’. In Word, the same option is available under the ‘Header and Footer’ tab in the toolbar. You don’t need a header on the first page because all the same information is already there.
From that ‘Options’ list on Google Docs (which appears when you click on the top of a page,) you can also add page numbers. You’ll want to make sure that ‘Show on first page’ is not selected, then start your numbers at either ‘0’ or ‘1’ — that part’s up to you. Keeping your name and title on the left, press the tab key to move the page number to the far right and you’re done! MS Word users need to head to ‘Insert’ and then ‘Page Number’, and follow the same process.
With that final piece of housekeeping covered, you can now turn your attention to the start of the story.
It’s time to format the actual manuscript, taking care of new paragraphs and lines’ indentation, as well as a few other details.
The body of your picture book manuscript should start two lines beneath your title and author name — right on the cover page. If you are writing a novel, the advice is to begin your first chapter on a fresh page.
Everything you’ve typed so far, including the book title, should have been spaced at 1.15. As we head into the main text of your story, you’ll want to change the line and paragraph spacing to be double.
The first line of the text should be left aligned without indent, while the following lines should be indented by 0.5”. Do not leave extra lines between paragraphs or justify your text — it should be aligned on the left and ragged on the right.
To get those publisher-ready indents at the start of each paragraph, you can just hit the ‘Tab’ key every time (never use the spacebar!), or you can set this up as your default (or simply use our template.)
If you’re a 21st century Dr. Seuss and you've decided to write in verse, you'll need to indent every new line, including the first one. You can set this as your default, too — just don’t select the special ‘first line’ option!
If you’re writing a chapter or middle grade book, you’ll need to divide your manuscript in chapters in a consistent, orderly way that will make agents smile.
Your first chapter header should be centered underneath the title and byline on your first manuscript page. We recommend entering it in ALL CAPS, 12pt font, and leaving one double space between the chapter header and the byline. Then the same again between the header and the body of the text. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but it keeps things nice and clean.
From there on out, whenever you kick off a new chapter, you'll need to start on a fresh page. To insert a page break on both Google Docs and MS Word you just need to click ‘Insert’ then ‘Break’ or ‘Page break’ — which makes sense.
Then hit the enter key 4 times (with double-spaced lines) so that you’re about a third of the way down the page. Now you can enter your chapter header just like you did before: centered, ALL CAPS, 12pt font!
Whatever your instincts are telling you, you do not need to include a table of contents in your manuscript — it’ll only distract from your story.
Illustrations are half the magic when it comes to children’s picture books. In the writing process, it’s quite useful to create a storyboard (or dummy book) to visualize your book’s finished version. So it can be tempting to pepper your manuscript with ideas on what the illustrations might look like (There's a massive tree, and behind it, a golden castle with dragons poking out of each window!).
However, publishers prefer to let their chosen illustrator interpret the text — so most agents and editors would advise you to go light on the illustration notes. They should only be used in those rare cases when something happens that is essential to the plot, but not present in the text.
Here’s a speculative art note for The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck:
Again, unless you're the next Jon Klassen and planning to write and illustrate a book where the story is told through the images, there should really be no need to include illustration notes to help the agent or editor visualize what’s happening while they read. Your words need to stand on their own — so if you feel the need to explain further, you might want to revisit the ‘Show, don’t tell’ rule.
📚 If you’re writing Middle Grade fiction or a chapter book, you definitely don’t need to worry about illustration notes — even if you plan to adorn your pages with doodles, like David Walliams. Just focus on crafting a compelling story.
And that’s it! Once you’ve let the reader know you’re finished by typing out ‘THE END’, your manuscript is complete.
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Finally, save your file with a professional and easily searchable title. We suggest going with “Lastname_TITLE” (as in, "Potter_JEMIMA_PUDDLE-DUCK") and leaving it at that.
If you follow these steps (or download our children’s book manuscript template) we’re confident that agents and publishers will find no flaws in the formatting of your submission.
FREE RESOURCE
Children’s Book Manuscript Template
Pair your dazzling story with professional formatting.
But while a professional-looking manuscript will make a great first impression on literary agents, you still need to wow them with your query letter — so be sure to check out the next post in this guide before you submit!
Writing a children’s book can be pretty easy and simple these days. It does take one with a credible idea to write a book that will intrigue children who have a very short attention span.
So, the onus is always on the writer to write a spell-binding book, a fascinating one that will keep the children sharp and interested to make sure they want to keep reading the book through to the end.
This is why authors need to know how to write a children’s book. Children’s books have a unique set of features and authors need to keep these in mind when attempting to write one.
These steps will help you through the process:
Understand the key features
Know your category
Emphasize the character
Make the story engaging
Use illustrations
Create a title
Edit
Consider some essential factors
Know what to avoid
If you have been struggling with how to write a children’s book that will succeed, then worry not because here you will be getting detailed information on how to write a children’s book with no more extended stress or struggle.
Children’s Book Template
Writing a children’s book isn’t as easy as some tend to think. It requires lots of planning and a special skill set.
Using a template can help you keep everything straight and make sure you include all of the necessary elements:
Fill in the template with your desired details as you go through these steps.
How to Write a Children’s Book in 9 Steps
Here are the steps to write a children’s book:
1: Know the Format
When you think about how to write a children’s book, some characteristics are unique. Some children’s books are like a permanent fixture, a staple to all childhoods.
Dr. Seuss and Robert Munsch have written many of these. It may be a good idea to keep some of these on hand as you write yours.
Some things to keep in mind about children’s books:
Be familiar with the category and age you are writing for, and how saturated the market is.
Create characters
that are easy to understand.
Make the story simple but engaging.
Use age-appropriate language.
Use an illustrator.
Create a quality and catchy title for your book.
Edit your book thoroughly.
Use Squibler to work on a ready-made book-writing template. The document comes with built-in formatting and organization of chapters for you to seamlessly work on it.
2. Know Your Category
The first thing that you need to determine is the age group you want to write for and then choose a relevant category to target that age group specifically.
When children are young, their interests and levels of attention change rapidly. A 2-year-old and a 4-year-old will be reading very different books.
Do the necessary research and make sure you write something appropriate for your chosen age group. Consider these factors to determine if your book is age-appropriate:
Think of an appropriate style.
Brainstorm appropriate topics and themes.
The length and plot complexity. Remember that each age range will have different levels of comprehension and understanding when it comes to following a storyline.
Children’s Book Categories
The children’s book market is vast and versatile. There are many different types and categories of children’s books that authors can choose from.
Picture Books
This is a kind of book that should be written mostly for children from 0-7 years. These are books that have lots of illustrations to complement the storyline.
These books are also meant to teach kids how to read so they should have more pictures and fewer words. It should also have lots of rhyming and easy flow so that young children can follow easily.
Young Readers
These are books mostly for children ages 6-10. These will be transitional books. These are books that fall in between picture books and middle grades.
These books should be able to help children grow away from the picture book, so they should contain simple words. They should start to get longer – perhaps around 2000 words or so, and contain some illustrations but not too much.
Middle Grade
These are books written for the ages of 8-12. This level of book should help a child become an independent reader. It should be more of a fiction book. Length should start reaching around 10,000 words, and pictures should be very minimal.
Young Adult
These are books that can be read by children above 12. The children are nearing young adults now so the book should be slightly more advanced. Illustrations can be eliminated while the word counts increase tremendously – to 20,000 words or more.
3. Use Characters for Easy Understanding
Children are not like adults in that they cannot easily comprehend abstract things. If you know how to write a novel, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will be able to write a book for children.
It is by nature that they will become fascinated by the characters you build. So, if you want to go far as a children’s book author, then you need to write a book that focuses heavily on the characters.
You can use a memorable character of their age to help them relate to what your book is about. Use easily relatable characters and insert them into easily relatable situations and storylines.
4. Write an Engaging Story
Write a story that your chosen age group can relate to. Let the theme of your book make a significant impact on the children.
They will appreciate storylines that drive actions, allow them to make decisions about what’s happening, and challenge their thinking in an age-appropriate way.
Keep these points in mind when developing the theme of your book:
Be relevant to your readers.
Your subject should be simple.
Fully explore the theme of the book.
Use age-appropriate vocabulary.
There should be a focus on appropriate vocabulary. Be careful not to use words your intended readers will not understand or relate to. Each category of children will respond to different styles, so write in a way that your chosen age group will like.
The picture book ages will like books with simple and easy-to-understand words with pictures to help them. They are in a learning stage right now and should be introduced to new words slowly.
Always remember three things when thinking about the right vocabulary for each category: your target audience, the use of rhyme, and age.
5. Use Illustrations
This is one area that brings distinction in children’s books.
So, when you are thinking about how to write a children’s book, consider if you need an illustration or illustrations throughout the book depending on the children’s category.
The picture book age, for example, should be heavily saturated with bright images. Their books should be glossary and colorful. It helps attract them and keep them focused.
Use Squibler to add illustrations to your book on your own. Explain the context of the illustration to the AI illustrator and it will automatically generate a visual for you based on the provided details.
You can do as many revisions to the illustrations as you want with Squibler however this might not be possible in case of hiring an external designer. This way you not only save time and money, but the work process becomes much more interesting. Here’s an example of how Squibler works:
6. How to Write a Children’s Book Title
Once you are done drafting the manuscript, it is time to give the book a befitting title.
A children’s book needs you to give it a unique and creative title. Children are almost fickle-minded and different things attract them. Getting a winning and attractive title will be your best bet.
So let your title be outstanding in a jovial or playful way without being overwhelming.
To create a great title always think of something with an entertainment factor. It should be eye-catching and relevant. This is to say make the title work in consonance with the book, a book shouldn’t show toys as a title but have gadgets as content.
Let your title be informative too, reveal some information about your book in the title. Consider these tips when crafting the perfect title for your children’s book:
Brainstorm alone: Think about it yourself and come up with a title that you like.
Use title generators: If you still can’t think of a great title after brainstorming then help yourself with a title generator. This will help narrow your thinking and at the very least, jump-start your creativity and imagination.
Test your title: This is a way of finding how acceptable your title will be with your targeted readers. Seek out opinions and feedback from others.
7. Edit and Proofread
This is one of the most significant steps when you consider how to write a children’s book.
Editing is unavoidable when preparing your children’s book for publishing. Your children’s book and the message therein might be excellent, but if grammatical mistakes are running rampant, your sales will be affected.
If you can send the book out for editing and correction by a professional editor. Don’t do all the work alone: writing, proofreading, and making corrections. Let another pair of eyes go over it before publishing.
Your editor will find mistakes that you missed and offer a different perspective. They will give professional advice and suggestions. You should try to follow most of their instructions as it will likely help in the sales of your book.
You can also use editing tools like Grammarly and the Hemingway app.
8. Follow these Guidelines on How to Write Children’s Book
There are some additional factors you need to consider when learning how to write a children’s book:
Write in the present tense. Children enjoy books written in the present tense, they are experiencing as it is happening rather than reading it as if it is in the past. It helps to engage them in the story.
If a sentence doesn’t contribute to the plot or character, it won’t make sense to use it.
Let each character in your book be different from one another.
Use the first-person narrative if you need the children to see the story or event through your eyes. If not, use the third-person narrative to give you the freedom and flexibility you need.
Choose your writing style and stick to it.
You can make your book suspense-filled and action-packed to draw the children to it. Children wouldn’t give a second look at a boring book.
Use realistic dialogue. Children like to read the way they talk for their age. So, try to listen to the real conversation of your targeted readers and write according to their vocal style. Make an effort to be around that age range more often to get your writing right.
Be careful with your tenses; try to maintain your initial tense. If you had used the present tense, then stick to that. Just be consistent.
If you are bored with your book, then your readers will be too.
9. Avoid these when Writing a Childen’s Book
Writing a children’s book has unique guidelines that should be followed. This does include some things that should not be done:
Avoid the excessive use of adjectives and adverbs
Don’t talk down on children with your book; children are no fools even at their tender ages, they can discern that from the book.
Don’t be too preachy with your book. Don’t write it as a lecture.
Don’t write something fake. Be authentic and realistic.
Avoid the use of inappropriate art for a book, let the artwork depict the story, and don’t oversaturate the book with text.
Use minimal characters and avoid side plots.
Avoid creating a main character that faces challenges that they can’t solve themselves.
Don’t just tell a story but give a narration.
You’ve Learned How to Write a Children’s Book
Now you know how to write children’s books, you are all set to start writing your first-ever book.
Writing a children’s book is like building a formidable military force. You will need a lot of patience and understanding to pull through. Let the foundation of your book be excellent, to get this right ask yourself why you are writing the book.
Think about what you want your book to teach the children. Answer these questions sincerely so that you will write a book that is real and honest.
Follow all the guidelines given here and you will be able to write a great children’s book in whichever category or age range you choose. Children naturally love books that have a little creativity and individuality, so go ahead and write your book that way.
Josh Fechter