Know your audience first and foremost.  Children’s books vary significantly by age group. If your story idea is longer than a couple of thousand words and has the potential for immersive worldbuilding, then you may not want to create a picture book on it. On the other hand, if you have a light-hearted and simple concept, you may find it difficult to stretch it out into descriptive chapters.

Select the right audience according to your book concept, and then survey the competition. You will find out essential information that will help you write a more refined book, and give you a sense of the results you want to create.

The actual income of children’s picture book authors is  difficult to determine. A picture book writer shares about half of their income with the illustrator for a rough estimate, including advance and royalties. And the advance for a children’s book is around $10,000 with no royalties issued until the advance is earned back. And a children’s book sells 5000 to 10,000 copies before going out of production in its first two years of release.

Writers also have to face many rejections before their book is accepted for publishing. With that being said, whether you’re a picture book writer or a mid-level children’s book writer, money should not be your motivation for writing.