What we handle for you
Children's books fail for very specific reasons: inconsistent illustration style, word counts that don't suit the age group, covers that don't stand out on Amazon, or text that reads beautifully aloud but doesn't land on the page. We have seen every one of these problems. Here is how we prevent them.
Writing for children takes a specific skill. The words have to be short, the rhythm has to pull a child through the page, and every sentence has to earn its place. Our writers work across picture books, early readers, middle grade, and junior fiction, and they understand the difference between them.
In a children's book, the illustration is not decoration; it is half the story. The pictures demonstrate the story and help the child to understand it clearly. We work with illustrators who understand how to carry the narrative between pages, how to show what the text does not say, and how to make a cover that stops a child in a bookshop aisle.
Children's books are personal. Most of our clients approach us with a story that means something to them, a character their own child loves, a lesson they want to pass on, or a memory they do not want to lose. That is not a small thing, and we do not treat it like one.
We have worked with grandparents, primary school teachers, speech pathologists, parents of children with additional needs, and first-time authors who had never published anything before. What everyone of them had in common was a story worth telling, and a need for people who actually knew how to tell it properly on the page.
Have a conversation
Most people who contact us do not have a complete manuscript. They approach us on the basis of an idea and a story they have been meaning to write down, or a draft that has been sitting in a folder for two years. And that is completely fine; and i wouldny wrong if I say that it is actually where most of our best projects begin.
We do have questions about your story, your audience, and what you want to do with the book once it is published. Then we will tell you, straight up, regarding time and cost.
+1 (786) 496-1231
info@southerncrosspublishing.com.au
1680 Michigan Ave 700 326 Miami Beach, FL 33139, USA
Frequently Asked Questions
No, we take care of everything from writing, editing, formatting, to illustrations, and publishing. We match you with illustrators from our network based on what your book needs, particularly. You review examples and give your input before anything gets finalised, as you are always part of the decision, of course.