How Do You Compete With 699,000 Other Children’s Books?

In 2025, more than 700,000 juvenile titles were published in the United States, according to Bowker data reported by Publishers Weekly. Picture books represent only part of that enormous field, but the competition for the attention of children, parents, teachers and librarians is unmistakable.

There are a lot of books, really good books. And in the children’s book market, many of them are talking about the same important things.

Things like:

Patience

Courage

Friendship

Belonging

Self-confidence

Growing up

So, what can an author do to make a child remember yours?

The differentiation isn’t necessarily about inventing a theme nobody has explored before. Good luck with that!  It’s what you build around that theme.

A memorable story must build a recognizable main character. Preferably one with a personality a child can immediately soften to.  Supporting characters help bring depth to the story, especially when they have distinct personalities of their own.  The characters should support one another in a way that shows a variety of perspectives.

Stories carry a message, but the story world is what captures attention. A child may come away with a real lesson, but falling in love with the character is what brings them back to the book again and again, and ultimately makes them want to read more of the world that has been created.

Visual identity is also key.  Children should be able to recognize the characters and immediately be drawn to them. The world those characters live in should also feel recognizable to children. Even when the story eventually expands, it should first be familiar.

Expanding the story world into a series, developing the entire cast with each new book and showing their strengths and weaknesses is what children can relate to and will find captivating.

And yes, consistent branding and marketing make a difference.

I started with one story. One Little Seed and four friends.  Now there is a plush character, more books in the making, and two new series in development. 

Where do my stories fall in that 700,000 range?  I don’t know for certain.  But I do know that instead of simply telling another story through Little Seed, for me it has now become, “Where else can Little Seed go?”

 — Mari