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Madonna’s doing it, Jamie Lee Curtis is doing it, Bono and Ricky Gervais are doing it. It’s the latest celebrity in thing. Go to your local library or any high street bookshop and take a look at the children’s section. Hundreds of books and they all look great. So how hard can it be? Here is an idea of the steps you'll go through in order to write, edit, produce and publish an illustrated children’s book
 THE AUTHOR’S IDEA
You’ve had a great idea for a kids book. Now you must write it and get it through the editing, publishing, marketing and sales journey to reach a readership. Why not…
WRITING THE STORY
Why did it take so long to write? I first had the idea for my children's book 'CyberCones' a dozen years ago! Because writing is actually re-writing until you are completely at ease with showing it to everyone, from your kids to the Chairman of Puffin books. Then you can confidently send it off.
THE EDITOR
You’re story is read by a reader who, if impressed, passes it on to an editor. If the editor feels it is the style of book that suits his or her publishing company then, without you knowing it, a meeting takes place.
THE INITIAL MEETING
In the meeting, a production team decides how your story will be presented. That is, the market it falls into, the age-group, and whether illustrations are required. Then they ask if you are willing to promote your book. Great! You’re in.
THE CONTRACT
Now it’s time to make some grown-up decisions. Your contract will state when the book is to be published, what payments and royalties will be paid and what book promotion plan you and your publisher agree to. Most importantly, it decides who owns the rights (for each type of media). You do, until you sign.
GETTING ON WITH THE JOB
Now it’s time for everyone to get to work. A copy editor checks your spelling and punctuation. A designer makes the first layouts of what the book will look like. A marketing manager decides what posters and other materials are to be produced. A sales manager decides on the number of copies, and a production manager controls the costs of the paper and the printing process.
 COVER ARTIST AND ILLUSTRATOR
In 'CyberCones', the cover artist and illustrator is the same person, but they may not be. Once the final design layout is decided, you, the author, will approve a cover artist and if there are illustrations, an illustrator.
THE ROUGHS
The illustrator will get cracking and produce a set of sketches known as ‘roughs’. Several versions of rough sketches may be produced until the publisher approves.
THE FINISHED ILLUSTRATIONS
The illustrator then makes fine line drawings and colours them in. In another room, city, or even country, a typographer works on the font for your text. When everyone is happy, the whole lot is handed back to the designer.
HIGH TECHNOLOGY
This is the clever bit. The illustrations, text, font and colour specifications are all recorded on a disc in a language that suits the binding style, paper size, inks and typesetting of the print machines your book is to be printed on.
THE PROOFS
The printer runs off a set of proofs for the book and the publisher checks these against the original design, for quality and to ensure that the inks are correctly sealed.
THE PRINT RUN
Once the proofs are approved, your book is printed on large sheets of paper, folded and bound into the cover, and trimmed to size. Your book is now a reality.
ON THE SHELF
So off it goes in boxes to the markets prepared by the marketing and sales manager, perfectly presented to reach a wide public who are able to enjoy the wonderful fruits of your original idea.
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