You've put your heart and soul into the story you just finished. It's one full of magic, unicorns, and tales of lands far, far away. Maybe it's a tale you remember your mother making up before bedtime, or the ideas have been in your mind for quite some time. The important thing is, you've finally penned it all down.

Now, what's next? At this stage, ask yourself what will make your story work for children. Is it good enough to be published right away? Or is there room for improvement? Writing for young readers isn't as easy as you might think it is. Every word counts. 

There are a hundred things that you need to consider before you move to the publishing step. The rhythm should be smooth, and the dialogue must feel natural. These are some factors that many overlook. The result? The book doesn't speak to children the way it's supposed to.

You might be thinking, "But my little cousin who read my book really liked it, what could go wrong?" But here's the thing: there's a huge difference between the way children and adults read stories. Maybe your work seems perfect to you and your cousin, but there'll always be a way to make it better.

This is where editing comes in. If you're doubting whether your final draft needs to be polished, this blog will change your mind.

Why You Need To Hire an Editor for Your Children's Story

 As an author, especially a new one, you must be excited to get your story out to the public. The thought of little readers holding your world is fairies and unicorns is thrilling. But there's one step you can't skip before your book makes it to the store.

➔    Make Things Simple

Sure, your story is a great one. But will the young minds understand it? As an author, your writing needs to be easy enough for the children to understand. The book won't make any impact if nobody gets it. It's not easy to achieve this simplicity in stories.

"What could possibly go wrong?" A lot.

It's very easy to overlook mistakes while writing. Perhaps you introduced an idea that young ones don't fully grasp. Now, how do you make the story easy for the kids? It's easy to hire children's book editing services. Professional ones know how to explain complex ideas in a way that makes minds tick.

➔    Wait, How Did I Miss That?

We often read our own work after we're done writing it and notice hundreds of mistakes. Wrongly placed commas, bad use of semicolons, there's so much you might fail to notice at first. It's always better to have another pair of eyes to go through your story.

"A panda eats, shoots, and leaves"

The panda finished his food, shot someone, and left, just like that. This sounds violent.

"A panda eats, shoots, and leaves."

The panda seems friendlier here. He eats plant stems and leaves.

See the difference? That's the power of correct punctuation. Your work might have many such blunders. A professional editor can help you spot all of them

➔    Don't Bore Them

You don't want children to think they're reading an interview when they're holding your book in their hands. They'll put it down immediately. No kid wants to read too grown-up dialogues.

How your characters speak says a lot about you as a children's author. Their dialogues can either make or break your story. There needs to be a playful, uplifting tone that the little kids will enjoy. A professional editor will make sure your story doesn't bore them to sleep.

➔    Make Kids Dreams

Children look for magic in the stories they read. They're big fans of made-up creatures and completely different worlds. One quality of works made for these readers is that they spark their imagination.

★    In 2022, around 33% of children's books sold had fantasy elements. This means it's gaining more popularity with time among young readers.

The young ones should be taken to the world you've created when they open your book. This will make the reading experience much more engaging for them. A professional editor will tell you exactly how you can make this happen. 

➔    Minds Grow, Stories Should Too

Toddlers can read long words. Kids in elementary school don't want to read stories written for teenagers. Maybe you didn't think about the age bracket while writing. Each group has its own needs.

Not everyone is an expert in developmental psychology to understand which age prefers what kind of writing. You can't be too sure if something will make kids of a certain age click. A professional editor will help you refine your writing to speak to these curious hearts. Keep this in mind before you contact any professional childrens book publihers.

➔    Smiles Matter, A lot

You've got your story. It's complete, but something's missing. You read the entire thing and realize that it sounds really boring. No kid wants to read a plain story with nothing to make them laugh. You need to win their hearts over, the key? Their laughter.

★     Around 50% of children say they look for books that make them laugh.

Your book should be funny and playful enough to make little kids smile as they read it. This can be a bit challenging if you're not that good at making people laugh. The good news is that an editor will know just what will make the children beam with joy. So you don't have to worry if the book is funny enough.

Commonly Asked Questions 

●     What else is there to editing?

Editing is about more than just grammar and spelling. In addition to punctuation and sentence structure, there are many other things you need to be careful about. Some of them include:

➔    Character consistency

➔    Flow of the story

➔    Story structure

●     Do I need an editor if I'm publishing for the first time?

Absolutely, this is the most important step in publishing a children's book. As a new author, you will have a lot of faults in the work that should be fixed. It is always good to reach out for help in editing.

●     Will the editor help in making my book better for the market?

Yes, professional editors can change your content to appeal to the publishers. They are also aware of trends and reader preferences. Hire one so you don't have to worry about the marketing part.

Wrapping Up

It's only natural to find faults in your work once you're finished with it. What matters is how you fix them. You've got an amazing story and you've finally written it. Now it's time to polish it.

Maybe your descriptions of Candy Mountains and chocolate rivers need a bit more magic. Or you're unsure how to tailor your sentences to be more age-appropriate. A professional editor will have a solution for all your issues. All you have to do is contact one, sit back, and relax.

Remember, working with an editor doesn't mean you're a bad writer. It just means you want the little minds to get the best of your story.