Bringing Imaginations To Life: The Best Children’s Book Printers In The UK

Even in today’s digital world where downloads, kindles and audiobooks are readily available, you cannot underestimate the importance of creating an environment in which children grow-up with, and develop a passion for, reading from an early age – and printed books for children is the best vehicle for achieving this aim. Getting your creative idea into print is now far easier than it has historically been – here are some aspects of children’s book printing for you to consider:

Bespoke Options

There are many opportunities when printing a children’s book for bespoke features and finishes regarding size, paper type, binding, and covers. With regards to size of your book there are no ‘hard and fast’ rules – generally speaking, if your target market is 0-7 years-old, then a larger size – A4 or medium square – is the chosen option.  This size offers plenty of space for large, vibrant illustrations and oversized text making it easier for the young children to engage. If you are aiming at slightly older, junior market (7– 12 years-old), then perhaps A5 novel-style size is more appropriate – these are still effective with illustrations and images, but better suited for text only books. The different formats recommended for children’s books are mainly square, perfect bound with a silk finish, square hardback, or alternatively, stapled landscape option.

Self-Publishing

Self-publishing your children’s book is a great option – you don’t necessarily need a big-name publisher behind you now to get your book into print! There are some simple steps to consider if going down this route:

• Print Set-Up – Once you have written your book you can send the text in PDF format to an established online print company, who will compose the print format you require, approve it with yourself and then produce the number of copies you want printed.
• Editing Your Book – Whilst it is recommended to have a third-party proof-read and perhaps help edit your book – a fresh pair of eyes unfamiliar with the content can often offer a more detailed and objective result – you may choose to undertake that task yourself. If doing so it is worth considering ensuring that before you start proof-reading your book you take a break from the text and return with fresh eyes, whilst always completing a spell check with an approved online tool. When editing the content ensure that the story plot has a clear structure, is believable and is easy for a child to follow.
• Illustrations – Most children’s books will feature illustrations – especially for the younger set – you can sometimes use existing ‘stock images’ but it is better, wherever possible, to use original, unique illustrations. If you choose to use stock images, ensure that they are royalty-free for reproduction.
• When designing and printing your book cover consider using spot UV varnishing or foiling to highlight aspects of your cover illustrations to make them stand out from other book titles.

Promoting Your Book

Having had your book written and published you will, obviously, want to promote your work in the most visible fashion. There are numerous ways to get your publication noticed – consider creating an engaging video and post it on relevant online and social media platforms, perhaps run contests or ‘giveaways’ campaigns to encourage engagement with your book or offer pre-order discounts. An often effective route is to connect with social media influencers and maybe fellow authors who are more established and build relationships with them to use their existing promotional channels.

If you are intending to self-publish your book, then speak to an established and reputable online print company – Print 2 Demand Ltd are an all-round book manufacturing and printing service who can offer you advice and guidance on all aspects of your book. They are one of the leading children’s book printers UK and will cater for your every need in getting your book designed, printed and into the relevant marketplaces!