Mistake #2: Writing Way Too Long

Let’s jump into the next big mistake new children’s book authors make:

2️⃣ Writing Way Too Long

Most people try to write a story…

when they should be writing a moment.

Children’s books are short for a reason:

🟢 Kids have fast attention spans

🟢 Illustrations carry half the storytelling

🟢 Simplicity makes the message powerful

Here’s the truth:

👉 Most children’s books are 300–700 words.

Not 2,000.

Not 3,000.

Not a chapter book disguised as a picture book.

Trying to force too many scenes, characters, or plot twists makes the story confusing — and it dilutes the emotional punch.

So how do you fix it?

✔️ Focus on ONE moment, not a whole timeline.

One bedtime.

One adventure.

One problem.

One emotion.

✔️ Let the illustrations do the heavy lifting.

You don’t need to explain everything with text.

Show it visually.

✔️ Ask yourself this:

“If I had to tell this story in 10 sentences, what would they be?”

That’s children’s book writing.

YOUR TURN:

Post ONE sentence from your story that you think might be “too long” —

I’ll help you shorten and strengthen it.

2 comments

skool.com/kids-book-academy-5133

Dad, storyteller, and author of 70+ kids’ books including bestseller Made For Me. I help you go from idea to a finished, published children’s book.

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