Avoiding the Common Mistakes First-Time Children’s Authors Make

December 2, 2025

Writing a children’s book looks easy… until you actually sit down to do it.

Suddenly 500 words feels like 5 million, rhyme feels impossible, and every sentence starts sounding like something you’ve already read in another picture book.

The good news? Almost every new children’s author struggles with the same handful of problems, and every single one is fixable. Understanding these common pitfalls will help you write stories that feel professional, intentional and genuinely publishable in today’s children’s book market.

Let’s dive into the mistakes first-time authors make most often, and how you can avoid them.

1. Overwriting: Too Many Words, Not Enough Story

One of the most common issues in picture book manuscripts is overwriting. New authors often try to explain everything (feelings, actions, scenery, backstory) instead of trusting the illustrations to do half the work. When a story becomes cluttered with unnecessary detail, the pacing slows, the emotional impact fades, and young readers disengage.

Example:
❌ Molly tiptoed quietly into her big, bright bedroom, looking around nervously as the shadows danced across the floor.
✔️ Molly tiptoed into her room. The shadows were waiting.

The first line tells everything. The second line paints a picture and leaves room for curiosity, suspense and illustration. When writing children’s books, think visually, choose precise language, and make every sentence earn its place on the page.

2. Using Age-Inappropriate Language

Children’s books need to match the developmental stage of their audience. A picture book written with middle-grade vocabulary won’t land, and neither will a simple story written with overly complex sentence structure.

The best picture books use age-appropriate language that is simple, rhythmic and emotionally resonant. If a child can’t understand the words, and an adult can’t easily read them aloud, the book won’t connect.

Example:
❌ The dragon experienced an overwhelming sense of disillusionment.
✔️ The dragon felt disappointed.

When in doubt, read your manuscript aloud. If you stumble, simplify. If the sentence feels heavy, lighten it. Parents, teachers and librarians (the key decision-makers in the children’s book market) appreciate clarity.

3. Underdeveloped Characters

Even in a 300–600 word manuscript, characters must feel intentional. Many first-time authors start with a concept (a lion who’s afraid of haircuts, a unicorn who hates glitter) but forget to give the character motivation, emotion or agency.

A strong picture book character needs:

A want
A problem
A feeling
A change
A purpose within the story

You should be able to describe your character in three words. If you can’t, the reader won’t be able to either.

Concept example:
❌ A bunny who wanders around looking at colours.
✔️ A colour-blind bunny trying to find the perfect flower for Mum.

The second has heart, conflict and direction. The first doesn’t yet know what it wants to be.

4. Forcing the Rhyme (The Fastest Way to Get Rejected)

Rhyme is one of the most difficult styles to execute well, and one of the most commonly mishandled by new authors. Major publishers consistently say that poorly executed rhyme is the top reason for rejection.

The issue isn’t rhyme itself. When done well, rhyme and meter can create beautiful rhythm, repetition and musicality. The problem is forced rhyme.

Common signs your rhyme isn’t working:

You sacrifice meaning for rhyme.
The meter wobbles from line to line.
You use strange phrasing or unnatural dialogue just to make words fit.
The rhyme scheme changes without purpose.

Example:
❌ The dog ran fast across the yard
because he loved to play the card (?)
✔️ The dog ran fast across the yard
to fetch the stick I'd tossed so hard.

If rhyme is distracting from clarity or story structure, switch to prose. Picture book manuscripts must prioritise meaning, flow and readability above everything else.

5. Poor Pacing (A Silent Killer of Picture Books)

Strong pacing is essential for keeping young readers engaged. Many first-time authors spend too long setting up the story, introduce the problem too late, or create a saggy middle where nothing meaningful happens.

Picture books rely heavily on page turns, rhythm and visual storytelling. If something doesn’t change with each page turn (mood, action, tension or information) the pacing will feel flat.

A well-paced children’s book typically:

Establishes the character and setting quickly
Introduces the problem within the first third
Builds tension and stakes through the middle
Resolves with emotional payoff, not convenience

Use a 32-page storyboard to map out beats visually. When the pacing works on paper, it will work for the reader.

6. Preaching Instead of Storytelling

Children can sense a lesson coming from a mile away. When a book becomes preachy, didactic or overly 'message heavy,' they disconnect.

All picture books have themes: kindness, courage, empathy, belonging, but they work best when the message is shown through the character’s choices, not told directly to the reader.

Example:
❌ And that’s why you should always share your toys.
✔️ Show two characters navigating a problem, compromising, and naturally arriving at a shared moment.

Subtle storytelling is powerful. It lets the child feel the lesson emotionally rather than having it explained to them.

7. No Clear Market or Audience

A picture book 'for everyone' doesn’t exist.

First-time authors often forget to consider:

Who is buying this?
Who is reading it aloud?
Who is the emotional target?
What problem does it solve for parents, teachers or librarians?
Where does it sit in the children’s book market?

Parents want bedtime books.
Teachers want curriculum-friendly themes.
Librarians want stories that fill gaps in their collections.
Children want humour, heart, surprise and safety.

If you can’t answer the question 'Who is this book for?', publishers will struggle to answer it too.

**8. Just Because You Can Write Doesn’t Mean You Should (Yet)**

This one is controversial, but it needs to be said: writing a children’s book is not easy, even though it looks like it is. Many first-time authors assume that because they’re avid readers, teachers, parents or creatives, they can effortlessly produce a publishable picture book. But picture books are one of the most technically demanding formats in the entire publishing industry.

Writing for children requires discipline, precision, emotional intelligence and a commitment to honing your craft. You need to understand structure, pacing, page turns, character development, age-appropriate language and, if you’re brave enough to attempt it, rhyme and meter. These are skills that take time to learn.

A common mistake in the children’s book community is assuming you’re 'one and done.' New authors often skip the fundamentals, no critique groups, no workshops, no rewriting, no manuscript assessment, sometimes not even basic editing, and then feel shocked or discouraged when publishers reject their 'brilliant story.'

But here’s the truth:
Every brilliant children’s book has been rewritten dozens of times.
Every author you admire has invested in their craft, sought feedback and continued learning.

If you want to write a children’s book that stands out in a competitive market, you need to treat writing as a skill, not a hobby or a one-off experiment. The authors who succeed are the ones who revise, improve, seek guidance and commit to the lifelong learning that children’s publishing demands.

9. Concept Is King

In children’s publishing, a strong concept will open doors faster than beautiful writing ever will. This is the part many first-time authors overlook. They focus on crafting lyrical sentences or quirky characters without asking the most important question: Is this concept commercially strong enough to stand out? Or, what's the buy-in for the child reading it?

A powerful picture book concept is:

Clear: you can summarise it in one sentence.
Unique: it feels fresh in a crowded market.
Relatable: it solves an emotional or practical problem for children, parents, teachers or librarians.
Hook-driven: there’s something instantly compelling about it.

The children’s book market is saturated with cute animals, bedtime stories and 'be yourself' themes. Publishers see hundreds of these every month. What makes yours different? Why would a buyer choose your book over the twenty similar titles already on their shelves?

Weak concept example:
A cat who wants to learn magic.

Cute… but generic.

Stronger concept example:
A cat who’s allergic to magic, but is determined to become the world’s first 'non-magic' wizard.

See the difference? One is a character doing a thing. The other is a high-concept hook with built-in conflict, humour and relatability.

If you want to write a children’s book that feels genuinely publishable, start with the concept. Make it undeniable. Then build everything, structure, pacing, character and language, around that idea.

Because, let's face it, concept should always be King.

Write With Intention, Edit With Precision

Every children’s author starts exactly where you are, full of ideas, unsure where to begin, and hoping to write something truly special.

The difference between a manuscript that gets ignored and one that gets noticed often comes down to craft: clarity, structure, pacing, rhythm and intentional storytelling. By avoiding these common mistakes, you’ll instantly elevate your writing and create picture books that feel professional, polished and ready for the shelves.

Want Help Strengthening Your Manuscript?

If you’re serious about improving your story, my Manuscript Assessment service is designed to give you detailed, personalised feedback on structure, language, pacing, character development and publishability, so you know exactly what’s working and what needs refining.

Ready to take your story from first draft to publishable?
Book a Manuscript Assessment today. Click here.