Why Isn't My Children's Book Selling? Start With the Buyer

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A children’s picture book usually doesn’t sell because it is aimed at the child and not at the person who pays for it. A parent, grandparent or teacher buys the book, so everything a shopper sees has to make that adult think “this is right for my child”. That is my advice from selling children’s books of my own and coaching authors, not a KDP rule. This post covers what is different about picture books. For the general reasons any book stalls, read why self-published books aren’t selling.

Who actually buys a picture book?

An adult does. A three-year-old doesn’t have a card, a Kindle account or a say in what appears on the search page. The adult scans the cover and title, reads the description, flips through the preview and glances at the reviews, all in a few seconds.

So ask four questions of your own book page, as if you were a tired parent looking for a gift:

1. Does the cover look like a children’s book on the shelf next to it, at thumbnail size?
2. Does the title say what the book is, or is it only clever?
3. Does the description tell the adult what the child gets from the story, in the first two lines?
4. Does the preview show the best pages, not the title page and the copyright page?

The page checks in optimize your Amazon book page apply to picture books too, so I won’t repeat them here.

What should I set in the KDP reading age field?

Set it. KDP says the reading age is optional but recommends it for children’s books, because without it a book may not be eligible for those categories and won’t appear in age-specific Amazon search results. The bands KDP lists are 0-2 for simple picture books with few or no words, 3-5 for picture books, 6-8 for early readers and first chapter books, 9-12 for middle grade and 13-17 for teen and young adult (KDP reading age, checked 03-Nov-26).

The age shows on your book page below the description. Amazon may change it based on what customers say, and if that happens you can’t change it through KDP. KDP’s page doesn’t mention a grade level, only age bands. My other post covers the same field in how to reach more kids as a new author, and the two agree.

Why do my ad clicks not turn into sales?

Usually the book page is what’s missing. Ads put the book in front of a parent. The page then has to close the sale, and a picture book with no reviews gives a stranger little reason to trust it. A book with no reviews converts fewer clicks, so ads cost more per sale and look like they don’t work.

Fix the reviews before you raise the ad budget. How to get Amazon Kindle reviews lists what Amazon allows and what can get you banned. Read it first.

How can I sell copies in person?

This is my own advice, and I’d try it before spending more on ads. A parent can hold the book, turn the pages and see the pictures. Places to start:

• Local independent bookshops and gift shops, which may take a few copies. Ask what terms they use.
• School and craft fairs, and local markets.
• Library events, such as a story time you offer to read at.
• Schools and nurseries, where a teacher can recommend it to parents.

Each person who buys can be asked, kindly, to leave an honest review once they have read it to a child. Order your own copies from KDP at the author price and keep a few in the car. Don’t promise a sales result. The aim is to get the book into hands and to start earning real reviews.

What should I change first?

Change one thing at a time and give it a few weeks, so you know what worked. My order:

1. The cover and title, if they don’t look like a children’s book to an adult.
2. The reading age and categories.
3. The description and preview pages.
4. Reviews, through honest requests to readers you meet.
5. Ads, once the page is ready to close a sale.

What I do about it

If you have a picture book out and aren’t sure which of these to fix first, join group coaching for self-publishers: $47/month, cancel any time, 7-day money-back guarantee. Post your book page in the private Slack group and I answer every question, usually the same day or the next.