Nothing will get your students more excited than getting their own books published. This is one of the best ways to make all of those ELA classes come to life for them. And I can almost guarantee that your students’ work quality will improve because they have a very lofty goal to achieve.
So how do you get your students published? There are actually a couple of great ways: you can go through a student publishing company or you can literally bind your own books in class.
Both of these options have pros and cons, so you can choose what works best for your classroom. Or you can combine both options for the best of both worlds!
Let’s start by taking a look at the pros and cons of each option. Then we will take a look how each option works.
Table of Contents
Using a Student Publishing Company
I will admit that this is definitely the more exciting option. Your students and their parents will love your ingenuity. It is exciting to see learning in the classroom turn into real life goals being realized. And it can be very inspirational for your students that are at such an influential stage in life.
So here are the pros of using a company to get your students published:
Pros of Publishing With a Company
- They get a professional product sent to them.
- There are kits available that walk your students through the whole process.
- Your students’ books will get an ISBN number, making it an “official” book.
Cons of Publishing With a Company
- While many offer free publishing, buying the physical books can be expensive.
- Most companies only want to work with one classroom collaborative work instead of individual student books.
- It can be a fairly long wait depending on which company you choose.
Some Considerations
So basically, this would be the perfect avenue to get your students published if you were going to do one collaborative effort with all of your students. And in that case, you have a large number of options. The ones that I found best are the following ones:
You will need to do your research well for each of these companies before introducing this to your classroom/parents. They are all great programs for what they do, but they all work quite differently. The benefit is that you choose the one that works best for your class and budget to get your students published.
Most of them allow free publishing services. It is in the price of the books that they make up for the free publishing.
Here is a chart so you can see the general comparison. Make sure to check the links just in case information has changed though!
Using Kindle Direct Publishing by Amazon
This option is definitely superior to all of the student publishing companies because you don’t have to pay for a package. To get your students published through Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), you need to have an account that includes payment information so they can bill you and pay you accordingly. And you will need to submit tax information so they can tax you accordingly on any taxable profits you make.
This is the only thing that makes KDP tricky in trying to publish as many books as you have middle school students. A couple of solutions would be to have parents that have an Amazon account set one up for their own children.
Or the other option would be for you to have a KDP account yourself (you could actually find this to be a good income source for you as a teacher!) and then distribute any royalties your class makes under DBA–Doing Business As. I am not an authority in this area, so do your research. Talk to a lawyer or school administrator that is adept at handling these issues!
These thoughts are only if you and your students decide to sell the books that they produce. But seriously, if there is a chance, why not?! What an amazing thing for students to see such great results from their work!
Publishing a book on KDP instantly puts it in the queue for Amazon. So if you do not want to actually sell the books beyond the students and parents buying the copies that they want, you would need to pull the book pretty quickly to avoid the possibility of someone finding it and buying it.
If you are new to KDP, they have a page on their site that walks you through the process.
My Experience
I actually did not sign up for KDP but was automatically able to use the program because I have done business in the Amazon realm of products before and they already have my payment/tax ID info.
That being said, it is all easy and straightforward to sign up for. Just make sure you do your homework before trying to implement anything in your class.
Let’s look at some of the pros and cons.
Pros of Publishing with KDP
- There are no packages to buy, so it is not cost prohibitive.
- It is nearly instant once you submit, so students will not be waiting a long time for their books.
- Amazon sells author copies at a deep discount, so kids, their parents, and teachers can easily buy the books.
- All books will get an official ISBN number for free.
Cons of Publishing with KDP
- You have to have a payment method and tax ID available for this for any profit made or expenses incurred. (This is not necessarily a con–just a work-around.)
- The books are only available in paperback format, so no heirloom hardcover books here.
Some Considerations
At the very least you will need parent signatures and permission from your school administration before taking on a project of this magnitude. But upon thinking it all through and going through the right channels, this could be life-changing for a number of your students to get published.
This is the option I chose for my own kids at home and we loved the process. While it would be trickier for school, I feel like with the right staff and parents it would be a huge success.
And if all parents aren’t on board with it, you could always turn it into a book club for the students/parents that are interested without making any waves overall.
Making Your Own Bound Books in Class
This is by far the easiest option as far as not needing to maneuver through the publishing world. But as the old adage says, you get out of your work what you put into it.
On the flip side, it is more hands on and could be difficult for teachers that aren’t that much into crafting. If you are a teacher that doesn’t like to craft and you have a parent that does and would love to help out, then you are golden!
There will also be quite a bit of prep work here, but it is well worth it.
While kids will certainly enjoy this method of making their own books, it does not carry the excitement of being formally “published.”
But this is the option I recommend for a few different situations:
- It makes a great art project to coincide with your ELA program.
- It is a great option when you cannot get publishing approval with either parents or school administration.
- You have more classroom time to spend doing an in depth project like this.
I made my own bound journals several years ago and loved doing it. It was fun and didn’t take a whole lot of time. You could do it in two or three class periods, depending on how many students you have and how many helpers can be available to help you and your students out.
One thing your students will love about this is that they can put their own artwork on their covers.
And honestly, this might be a great art project to do with your students whether or not you end up going the publishing route.
I have an old booklet that explained how to do the process step by step, but there are so many options online. This is the one I found on MasterClass.com that is closest to what I did years ago:
How to Make a Hardcover Book in 10 Steps
Here are the pros and cons to using this method:
Pros of Making Your Own Bound Books in Class
- This project will produce heirloom quality books without the heirloom quality price. Your students will be able to take pride in a job well done. And they will be pleasantly surprised at how they were able to accomplish this once they are finished.
- It is a great way to integrate your art classes with your ELA classes.
- Parents will love what you’ve been up to with their children.
Cons of Making Your Own Bound Books in Class
- While this is certainly less expensive than the student publishing options, the supplies can get pricey, especially if you don’t have a lot of resources at your disposal. On the flip side, though, if you do have some great resources, this could be virtually free for you and your students.
- It can be time consuming. This isn’t a con either if you have a good art schedule set up.
- A lot of prep time up front. This isn’t a con if you have assistants or parents that love to help with this sort of thing.
Here is a really good tutorial on Youtube. Note that the second video is significantly shorter than the first. And while the whole project can look daunting, if you split it up, it really isn’t.
Conclusion
So this is what getting your student published can look like in your class. One of the great things about these three options is that you could do any one of them, any combination, or even all three because the results are all vastly different in each process/result.
As always, I would love to see what you have done with your class. Feel free to share in the comments section below!
If you liked this article, I think you will also really like the following articles:
Best Indoor Recess Ideas: Unique Classroom Ideas
How to Choose Perfect Middle School Art Projects
Creating a Scavenger Hunt for Your Classroom
I wish I had this advice back in school! Getting published is a big achievement, at any age. A student publishing company is a great idea.
KDP is an awesome resource. The only thing is for payment you can use your individual social and do not need a tax I’d number.
I remember in elementary school we all wrote books and I LOVED doing that. What a great way to take that a step forward and have it published! The writer in me ADORES this idea.
I know when I was in Elementary school we wrote a book and drew the pictures and had the book published. Was such a neat experience and something that has been kept with my memories. It is neat to look back on something you created. This is an amazing idea.
This is something that is a really great experience for kids. My oldest son had a story of his published in a compilation of short stories books (writers from all over the world) and he was really proud to be selected. His teacher took the reigns and submitted his work, we still have to book 🙂
That’s so awesome, Adrienne!
How cool! I can see students loving this. Their work would be around forever!
I don’t know why, but this excited me as well! Aside from I find it really awesome that you are helping your students to get published, it has inspired me to try it out for myself! I also love the different options that you have presented! The hands-on hard bound books must be fulfilling to complete!
My younger kids just found books that they had wrote many years ago when their teacher did this. This is a great idea.
I love this. kids will have something to call their own – fruits of their labor which made out of love.. 🙂
I bet your students won’t complain about writing if they have the motivational force of being published.
I agree, Stephanie!
For sure the students will enjoy learning with this kind of unique ideas. This will help them a lot!
Thank you, Agnes!
much unique ideas these are…..Thanks for sharing……
Sounds like an interesting way to learn. Me personally, I make my own notes because I learn when I write them.
What a great idea! I remember when I was in school, my teacher helped us get published as a class and honestly it was the coolest thing.
Those times and activities make the best memories, don’t they?
You have provided awesome guidelines on how to set up an effective classroom. This article would be very helpful to online teachers even students as well.
What an incredibly cool idea! I know I would have loved having something I wrote in a real book. I remember my sister, who has always been an exceptional writer, got published at a very young age and it was something that felt like such a big accomplishment. How great that is a feeling you can help other students achieve as well!
That’s awesome about your sister! I think it is things like this that can change the course of a child’s life.
What a great idea! And I’m sure an awesome sense of accomplishment for these students!
I remember my English teacher in high school did this for her students with a poem writing contest. It was such a cool experience and keepsake.
That is awesome! I love hearing about memories like this.
I’ve never been thinking of getting my students published. However, now I see it would be a wonderful opportunity not only to expand their skills, but also to get some confidence in the field. 🙂
I hope you are able to do it for your students! Maybe even for you! Let me know!
I homeschool my daughters and one of them is currently in high school and has been working on a book for the past couple of years. She is hoping to finish it as a final project her senior year. I love the idea of having it published. Especially since I have seen her work so hard, for so many years, to make it what it is.
What an amazing project. Make sure she finishes it!!! She will be glad years from now that she did.
I will certainly look into this when we are back into school after coronavirus !
I can see how students would be excited by having their books published! My daughter wrote a lot of stories when she was in middle school–she would have loved to have them published!
Both my boys are in preschool and I think that’s a brilliant idea. They’ll definitely love the idea of their works being published
What a great resource to get your writing published. This is excellent advice for all of us writers.
It was perfect the first time. I learn so much from you as well! Keep it up great post.
I will share this with my family and other friends so they can read all the information here and apply them to their kids (students). This is really a good ready specially when it comes to students and kids.
Thank you, Allen!
This is a great idea that encourages children to write more and better. When I was in school, we had a monthly magazine where students could get their writings published. Everyone wanted their work in there.
Exactly! Kids love that sort of incentive! Thank you for sharing. I love hearing your school days stories.
Love the idea of getting kids to write and get published!
Wow, this is a fantastic idea. Not only does it give them something that they can treasure forever, it also would look really great on a resume! Being published gives you a huge boost of confidence.
Exactly! It is that kind of confidence that can change a kid’s life! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Candace!
Getting this kids to write and have their books published is inspiring. It’s going to horn their writing skills as they grow up. Thanks for sharing this info and recommendations
I feel like despite some of the cons of getting students works published, it would definitely help them feel confident in their writing abilities!
Definitely, Bailey. As difficult as it is, it is definitely worth it!
This is a great idea for many students! Seeing their names published and their story and articles gives amazing motivation.
It does!
Cool, looks like students are going to love it.
This a great idea for students. Loved it
Thank you, Srishti!
How fun! You blog is awesome for teachers I wish I had teacher like you
Thank you, Lyosha. I think you were probably a great student!
Great ideas shared to help out students! They do really have a lot to be grateful for the internet these days!
I have to say, all of your ideas are really original. I like this one it’s so cool to get kids publish, I am sure it’s something they will remember all their life.
When I was in school, I remember having one of my poems published in a book. I mean, I don’t think my poem warranted publication but it was still cool!
This is an amazing resource! There’s nothing more empowering than having something published at that age.
I have seen some works written by students that were definitely worthy of being published. I think this is going to help a lot of kids.
Such a cool idea to get students books published. I am definitely in favor of the KDP route, because I have published 2 books there, and it was so easy to do.
I am finishing one up in KDP right now! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. ♥
No matter what option chosen for students here, this is such an exciting project for them to be a part of. Love how you have really laid out all the pros and cons here to make it easier to weigh up what would be the best for various classes and situations. Wish we had this as a project when I was at school!
Thank you, Nicole!
This is a great idea and information. Truly helpful in keeping the students motivated too because getting a book published is like such an exiting and fulfilling accomplishment. We need to share this post with specially some of our friends in the education field/business
I will recommend this to my little sister. I think after the corona situation she will benefit to this.
I love this creative idea on keeping students interested and motivated. Absolutley fantastic!
Thank you, Sarah.
This is amazing ideas. I must say kids will love such kinda creative ideas.
This is such a great idea to get students more motivated 🙂 I wish my teachers would’ve done this…
As usual the post is useful, the unique classroom ideas are inspiring for students and teachers. The making own bound book in class is really a meaningful idea.
Thanks, Teerath!
There are so many good ideas and considerations here for sure. Things will be different but it is always good to think outside the box so to speak x
this is an excellent idea. i actually published a journal w/ my students’ writings when i taught a high school 12th grade English course. It was so stimulating for the kids. They loved it.
I love hearing stories like this! Thank you for sharing. ♥
Nowadays, teaching students on this kind will encourage them how to be more creative. This is so important. Writing is one of the most important factor in expressing yourself. It can bring you to different world.
Honestly had no idea there were so many options for this and actually I am astonished that I have no heard of Kindle publishing direct. I need to give this some though for myself and my teens actually. They both enjoy writing and of course so do I.
That would be a perfect idea, Paula! And when you do it the first time, there are so many great Youtube tutorials to get you comfortably on your way! Let me know how it goes!!! ♥
Thats a good idea. I’m sure they will manage to buy even if it’s expensive. I like how you mentioned everything about it pros, and cons.
Thank you, Fransic!
What a wonderful post and advice for teacher to publish their students works! It would be such a joy to do for kids!
This is a great idea that will help me be prepared for my next activity with kids!
I love the idea of kids getting published! I know my girls would be so proud to have a published work!
You should do it with them!!!
This is Amazing! I wish I had something like this when I went to school, I would definitely love it and be enthusiastic about it!
I’m an avid Kindle user. This is the first time I heard about Kindle Direct Publishing by Amazon. I hope to use it soon.
that’s such a great idea. i love this! i’m sure the kids all loved it.