5 Costly Self-Publishing Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them as a Children's Book Author)

Self-publishing a children’s book is more popular—and more profitable—than ever. You can move at your own pace, maintain full creative control, and earn higher royalties than you would through traditional publishing.

But with full control comes full responsibility.

When you're self-publishing, you're not just the author. You're the editor, art director, marketer, and publisher too. It’s a lot to manage—and it’s easy to get overwhelmed or miss critical steps.

At At Home Author, we’ve worked with thousands of aspiring authors, and we see the same mistakes over and over again. The good news? They’re easy to avoid—once you know what they are.

Let’s break down the 5 most common self-publishing mistakes—and how to avoid them so you can publish a children’s book you’re proud of.

The 5 Biggest and Most Common Self Publishing Mistakes:

❌ Mistake 1: Skipping Professional Editing

“I’ve read it a million times—I’m sure it’s fine!”

We hear this all the time. But self-editing isn't enough. Neither is asking a friend or family member to take a look. And no—picture books aren't “too short to need an editor.”

The truth is, editing is one of the most important investments you can make. It’s about more than grammar—it’s about structure, pacing, vocabulary, rhythm, clarity, and marketability.

What a professional editor can help with:

• Strengthening your story arc

• Cutting unnecessary characters or scenes

• Polishing your language for your target age group

• Highlighting what is working—and building on it

Even bestselling authors use multiple rounds of editing, and so should you. Want a peek at what that process looks like? Watch the video below. ⬇️

https://youtu.be/zakXD99K0xk

❌ Mistake 2: Hiring an illustrator Too Soon

We get it—you’re excited to see your story come to life visually. But hiring an illustrator before editing is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make.

Why? Because once your story is edited, it's probably going to change.

Here's what happens all too often:

• A new author hires an illustrator based on the first draft

• The book gets edited... and now the story doesn’t match the art

• The author either rewrites around the art (hurting the story) or pays to redo illustrations (costly)

🎨 Reminder: Your manuscript should be fully edited and finalized before illustrations begin.

❌ Mistake 3: Trying to Spend Little to No Money

Yes, self-publishing can be more profitable than traditional publishing—but it also means you are investing in yourself.

Trying to cut corners on things like editing or illustration often backfires. Picture books especially require high-quality, professional artwork, and good illustrators deserve fair compensation.

Reality check:

• One illustration can take 12–35+ hours

• $100 per illustration = $2–8/hr (which is not sustainable or fair)

• Cheap-looking books get ignored or mocked—and don’t sell

💡 If money is tight:

• Pause and save up

• Crowdfund with Kickstarter

• Or explore traditional publishing instead

📎 Need illustrator recommendations? Check out our vetted list of professionals.

❌ Mistake 4: Waiting to Market Until After You Publish

Marketing shouldn’t start when your book goes live—it should start months in advance.

We often hear:

“I’ve posted in some author groups but nothing’s happening…”

Here’s why that doesn’t work: Authors aren’t your target audience. Readers are. Parents, teachers, grandparents, librarians—that’s who you should be marketing to.

Your marketing plan should include:

• Email list building

• Early buzz and teaser posts

• Content marketing (blog posts, reels, etc.)

• Outreach to local media or influencers

• Pre-orders and launch strategy

🚨 Give yourself at least 2-3 months (more is better!) to prepare your marketing before your book goes live.

❌ Mistake 5: Looking for a "Self-Publisher"

This might sound controversial, but there’s no such thing as a self-publisher for hire. If you’re self-publishing, you are the publisher.

Here are your two main options:

1. Print-on-Demand (POD)

Platforms like Amazon KDP or IngramSpark print and ship books as they’re ordered. You don’t pay for bulk inventory, and your book can appear on sites like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

2. Offset Printing

You pay upfront to print in bulk, store inventory, and sell through platforms like Amazon Seller Central, your own website, or in person.

🛑 Avoid companies that claim to “self-publish” for you—they’ll often publish your book under their name and take most of the royalties. Read more about vanity publishers and hybrid options in this post.

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✅ You Don’t Have to Do This Alone

Self-publishing success isn’t just about avoiding mistakes—it’s about making smart, strategic choices from day one. That’s what we teach at At Home Author.

We help aspiring authors like you:

• Write stronger stories

• Navigate the publishing process step by step

• Avoid scams and costly detours

• Build a real marketing strategy

📚 Want guidance? Learn more about our Profitable Picture Books course and how we help you go from blank page to published—and profitable.

Disclaimer: This blog post may contain affiliate links to products we enjoy using ourselves. Should you choose to use these links, At Home Author may earn affiliate commissions at no additional cost to you.