Even though I also focused on the publishing process, thinking about it again after reading the OP, publishing should be the last thing on your mind.
Just focus first on the writing. Figure out your story, map it out if it helps, figure out the age range of your audience, and start writing. It's important that you've actually read a lot of books in that genre for that age, so you understand what works and what doesn't.
Are you a writer? If so, a children's story takes some adjustment. Depending on what you write, you need to be able to condense your ideas and ensure your language and flow are fitting to whatever audience you're after.
If you're not a writer, just start writing first, worry about a children's book somewhere down the line. There is the perception that because they're kids books, anyone could write them. And that's true if you self-publish, but otherwise it still takes a good understanding of writing and stories in general before you even start to approach a children's story.
Workshop your writing, show it to people who are not friends or family and who understand what good writing is, be open to people tearing it apart and listen carefully. If there are areas people like, focus in on understanding why, same goes for areas people don't like. Don't just feel good or bad about it and forget to learn from it.
Again, it depends what you want from it. But in general, if it's for some purpose outside of vanity or a gift to your kids, do it the right way and take it seriously. If it's worth doing, and your writing is worth something, you'll be published eventually. It could all come together in a matter of a year if you're an experienced writer or you have some innate talent and understanding of writing, or it could take many.
But if it is just for vanity or for your kids or whatever, just do whatever you want. Draw the pictures yourself for all anyone cares. You're paying for it, so who really cares, just don't expect it to do anything real for you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GordonBlue
Oh yeah. I remember a person I used to know that self published a book of poetry, and would gift autographed copies to show you were one of her dear friends.
I think I managed to get through 2 of her crappy poems.
Every chance she got she'd work into a conversation about being a published author. had it on her resume, too.
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Self-published authors are some of the most unintentionally sad people I've ever known. The writing is almost always terrible, they become more marketers and grifters than writers, and they almost always seem more concerned about the existence of the book than whether it's any good. And of course, they're always first to tell you they're a published author, as though their version of that actually means anything.
The best comparison I can think of are those modelling/acting agencies where you have to pay all of the costs for headshots, screen tests, etc, and maybe you get a background part in some commercial (which anyone without an "agent" could get) and you call yourself an actor. It's people who want to be something so much that they'll pay just to be able to call themselves that, when the actual joy of it comes from earning it (and... you know... getting paid instead of being the one paying). It's embarrassing.
Not all traditionally published books are good, but almost all self-published books are some level of bad. There's reason why. Don't be bad.