Decide on an age group to write for. When writing for the youngest children, you will need to use mainly pictures. School-age children often read chapter books, which are short novels divided into five to ten chapters. When writing for children, think about what they feel and experience. Most of all, think about what they would like to read.
Find an illustrator. You may have a talented friend or family member willing to draw the cover and inside illustrations. If you prefer to work with a professional artist, consider using a college art student. College students often work for less money in order to gain experience and build a portfolio.
Use a program such as Microsoft Publisher or Adobe InDesign to format your manuscript. Your manuscript should be the size of the finished book. Include the graphics and text just as they will look in the final project. Save the manuscript in PDF format. If you do not have experience with these programs, consider taking a class or hiring a professional typesetter to format the manuscript for you.
Submit the file to a print-on-demand company that specializes in children's books such as BigUniverse.com. Pay all required fees.
Create a website that has other information related to your topic that might be of interest to parents. For example, if you are writing a picture book about cats that learn to get along with each other, you could include articles about sibling rivalry on your website. Include a link to your book so that parents can easily purchase it.
Tell your friends and family who have children about your book so that you can begin making sales.