Skip To Content

    How To Write A Picture Book

    Do you have a great idea for a children's book? Here's a step-by-step guide to getting that idea published.

    1. Gird yourself.

    2. Read a bunch of picture books.

    3. Write it!

    4. Consider not rhyming.

    5. Don't get your story illustrated.

    6. Show it to real kids.

    7. Send it to an agent.

    8. Acquisition.

    9. Illustration.

    10. Wait.

    11. Pre-pub.

    12. Publication.

    13. Show it to kids again.

    Jason Novak is a cartoonist in Oakland, Calif. He's done work for The New Yorker, Esquire, The Paris Review, The Poetry Foundation, The Believer, and The Rumpus. Jason created these images with his 2-year-old daughter, Gertie.