When Mia and I first met, she mentioned wanting to be a one-stop shop for parent-approved children’s entertainment — from books to live-action shows to cartoons. So, when we reconnected and decided to collaborate on a children’s book, one of the first things we had to figure out was how to publish it.

If you’ve read any of my past blogs, you know I research everything (it’s a blessing and a curse — most days I’m not sure which).

So, I did a deep dive into the world of publishing — and wow, there’s a lot to consider. If you’re also trying to decide how to publish your book, here’s a breakdown of what I found.

1. Traditional Publishing

This is probably the first thing that comes to mind when someone dreams of publishing a book — landing a deal with a major publisher like one of the Big Five (Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, or Simon & Schuster) or a company like Scholastic.

Pros:

• No upfront cost to the author
• Professional editing, illustration, and production
• Distribution to bookstores, libraries, and online retailers

Cons:

• Very competitive — many publishers only accept submissions through agents
• Authors give up most creative control and usually the rights
• Authors receive a low royalty, usually between 5-7%
• Long timeline (typically at least 2 years from acceptance to release)
• Minimal marketing support surprising, I know!

I always assumed a traditional publisher would handle everything, including marketing- leaving the author to do book signings and write more. Turns out, that’s not the case — authors are expected to push their books on social media and get reviews.

More about traditional vs. self-publishing

1. Self-Publishing

This is the DIY approach — and it’s the one Mia and I ultimately decided on.

Pros:

• Full creative and financial control
• You retain all rights and royalties
• You decide what deserves to be published

Before self-publishing became as popular as it is, traditional publishers were the ones deciding what constituted a “good” book often unfairly and inaccurately. Self-publishing lets you be the one who decides what’s worth sharing with the world. Of course, this is a bit of a two-sided coin. (More on that below.)

Cons:

• You’re responsible for everything (editing, illustration, printing, marketing, etc.)
• Harder to stand out in a very crowded market — where anyone and everyone can publish, even if their book is poorly executed or problematic
• Some people still look down on self-published books

That last one? Not fair — but it’s real. Fortunately, organizations like the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) are working to raise the standard of self-published books. They aim to help self-publishers navigate the process, offer discounts on products and services, and even provide a checklist to help you make your book as professional as possible:

IBPA Industry Standards Checklist

If you’re self-publishing — unless you're only selling ebooks — you’ll also need to decide how to print and distribute your book. Here are the two main options:

Option A: Print Books Yourself

You can print through a book printer and store/sell books yourself (from your website, in-person events, etc.). Some printers allow smaller orders, while others require bulk printing. Unless you have a spare room, office, or garage, you’ll probably want to start with smaller runs.

What’s the difference between printers and book printers? Find out here.

Option B: Use Print-on-Demand (POD)

The other option is to use a POD service like Amazon KDP or IngramSpark. These companies let you upload your book files, and they handle printing and shipping as orders come in. In exchange, they take a cut of each sale. Some services charge upload fees, others don’t. Aside from potential upload fees, you usually don’t pay anything upfront unless you’re adding extras like your own ISBN.

(Should you go with a free ISBN or one you purchase? It's a question you should definitely consider, and this PDF lays out the pros and cons of each: Free vs. Paid ISBNs – IngramSpark)

​How to Publish a Children’s Book​

POD Platform Comparisons

Here’s a quick look at what I found during my POD research. I’ve focused mainly on the cons, so you can immediately see if a platform won’t work for you:

Lulu works best if you have a large following that will buy directly from Lulu: “if they find your book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble instead, you’ll lose more money per sale than you would if you just published directly on those two sites.“ The reviews I read also said that they have poor customer service and high printing costs. Though, despite the negatives, they have a decent overall rating. (3.9 stars)

Ingramspark charges $45 per title to upload and another $25 if you make revisions. It has a hard to use the platform that isn't very beginner friendly, and it seems like they do not offer phone support. Reviews also mention that royalties are hard to set up. They do have a large network of stores they work with though- which is a definite plus. https://blog.reedsy.com/ingramspark/​

Bookbaby is expensive but it has 4.5 stars on Trustpilot. This Reedsy review doesn't recommend them for ebooks. https://blog.reedsy.com/bookbaby/​

Draft2Digital only does black and white interiors- including the illustrations. Draft2Digital vs PublishDrive Review​

PublishDrive is $10 a month for “2 books” but each format of the same book counts as a new title. They do not offer print book distribution in their free distribution plan.

1. Hybrid Publishing

Hybrid publishers offer professional support like editing, design, marketing, and distribution — but you pay for it. Because most of their money comes from royalties on book sales, a good hybrid publisher is motivated to help your book succeed. You typically keep your rights and a better royalty rate than with traditional or POD options.

Pros:

• Combines the support of traditional publishing with the control of self-publishing
• Author keeps creative rights
• Often includes some marketing and distribution

Cons:

• Can be expensive upfront
• Quality and reputation vary, so do your homework

Hybrid Publisher Criteria – IBPA

1. Vanity Publishing (AKA: Beware!)

At first glance, vanity publishing looks similar to hybrid publishing — you pay a publisher to print your book — but the big difference is intent and quality.

Vanity presses typically:

• Accept every submission (often instantly — a red flag!)
• Produce low-quality, overpriced books
• Allow little to no creative control
• Charge high fees and still take royalties
• Offer cookie-cutter or no real marketing support

They often call themselves “self-publishers” or “publishing services,” which can make them hard to spot.

How to Spot Vanity Presses

Podcast on Vanity Presses

Our Choice: Self-Publishing with Kistemo

After going through all this, Mia and I decided to self-publish our books through her company, Kistemo.

We’re still in the early stages of our respective books, so we haven’t finalized whether we’ll use a print-on-demand service or print copies up front. But now we feel informed enough to make those decisions with confidence.

Final Thoughts

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to publishing — just a lot of different paths depending on your goals, budget, timeline, and creative preferences.

For us, self-publishing made the most sense — but I’m glad we took the time to explore everything before diving in.

What about you? Are you thinking about publishing a book? Already started the process? I’d love to hear what path you’re considering and why!

Want a quick side-by-side publishing guide you can save or print? Grab the Publishing Paths Cheat Sheet (Free PDF)

If you’re writing a children’s book (or thinking about it) I’ve been putting together a YouTube playlist of helpful videos as I come across them.

I also have a marketing/publishing playlist.