If you’ve written a children’s book and have already formatted it to the specifications on the “Begin here” page, then you’re finished! Now all you have to do is prepare a backmatter in order to be completely ready for submission.

BACKMATTER

The term backmatter refers to the text that will appear on the back cover of your book. This always includes a short teaser about the book and an author bio about yourself. Sometimes this can include endorsements, but endorsements are never necessary. Please be aware that because of limited space available on the back cover, backmatter must adhere to specific word count limits depending on the length of the manuscript. Typically, for a children’s book, the word count limit is 100 words.

Sample Teaser:

If I Were You is a charming exploration of difference and diversity in friendship and the joy that can be found in having a friend who is your exact opposite. New author Missy Christenson has woven a rhythmic, silly tale of comparison that will delight both children and parents.

Author Bio: Your author bio should be a short paragraph that provides information about yourself as the author. This can include but is not limited to: work experience, field experience that pertains to the subject matter of the book, education experience and achievements, current place of residence, and family information. Your editor may also work with you to revise the author bio to make it relevant and interesting and, again, adhere to the backmatter word count limits.

Sample Bio:

Missy Christenson lives in Jacksonville, Florida, with her husband, Kevin, and their three children. Missy has been writing since her childhood and even remembers making up stories and songs on her grandparents’ porch swing. She attributes the development of her imagination to the fact that her family did not own a television until she was about five years old.

ENDORSEMENTS

Endorsements are never necessary, but if you have one to include (no more than one for children’s books), please click the Endorsements link and follow the guidelines provided there. If your endorsement cannot meet the criteria set forth in the guidelines, please revise it or omit it.

Congratulations! You’ve finished the last formatting step! Please proceed by clicking the Submit Your Manuscript link at the top of the page.