Children’s picture books are fun to design! They’re colorful, full of images, and everything is packed into a small number of words and pages.
To design a children’s picture book, you’ll need to consider lots of factors: book size, page count, quality of images, flow of text, color, and more. Let’s take a look at those factors.
First steps to design a children’s picture book
Start by doing some research. Look at lots of children’s picture books and board books to get a feel for what type of book you’ll be designing. Will it be a large book with big illustrations? Or a small one with few words and simple images? Here are some steps to get you started.
Assess the text and illustrations
The word count for children’s picture books is usually somewhere between 250 and 1,000 words (the younger the audience, the shorter the story). Some books have only a word or two per page. The text should already be edited before you begin designing.
Start by familiarizing yourself with both the story and the author’s vision for the book. Read the story several times and note where natural pauses occur (for example, where a page might be turned). Also note which paragraphs lend themselves to an illustration.
If you’ve already been supplied with illustrations, you’ll be designing the book around the illustrations. Check their size and resolution, and make sure the illustrations are high enough resolution to print.
If you’re working with an illustrator or creating the illustrations yourself, you’ll need to plan how to divide the story among the pages and how best to illustrate each 2-page spread. Creating a storyboard or mockup is helpful, and that’s discussed below.
Choose a trim size
The trim sizes available for children’s color picture books and board books are practically unlimited, ranging from very small to large. So how can you narrow your choices down?
It’s always best to use a standard size. That way, the book can be printed almost anywhere in the world by offset press, digital printing, and/or print-on-demand (POD).
Will the book be a paperback, hardcover, or a board book? Some printers only produce paperbacks, while others offer hardcovers in limited sizes. Board books are most often printed offset but can be produced on digital and POD printers.
Regardless of what type of book you’re designing, stick to standard sizes and you’ll have lots of options for printing. Popular mid-sized children’s picture books are:
- 8″ × 8″ (square)
- 8″ × 10″ (portrait)
- 10″ × 8″ (landscape)
Be aware that sizes and shapes are quite limited for POD printing. Here are the standard trim sizes and shapes offered by Amazon KDP and IngramSpark (two large POD printers):
- 7″ × 10″ (portrait)
- 7.25″ × 9.25″ (portrait, same size as Book Design Made Simple)
- 8″ × 8″ (square)
- 8″ × 10″ (portrait)
- 8.5″ × 8.5″ (square)
- 8.5″ × 11″ (portrait)
Note that Amazon KDP and IngramSpark print paperbacks and hardcovers. Also note that neither printer offers the landscape format.
Board book sizes generally range from 5″ × 5″ to 10″ × 10″. Offset printers offer a large variety of sizes. Pint Size Productions offers POD printing for board books (5.625″ × 5.625″ square, 16 pages).
There are lots of digital and offset printers to choose from, and they all offer a variety of sizes and shapes for color printing. Don’t hesitate to go online and learn what sizes and formats are available at various book printers. Also browse your local bookstore and library to see what sizes and shapes will best suit your children’s picture book.
Choose a page count
The standard page count for a children’s picture book is 24 or 32. In fact, 24 is often the minimum page count for perfect binding (slimmer books can be saddle-stitched). Multiples of 8 or 12 are most cost effective for offset printing, and POD printers require multiples of 4. The standard page count for a board book is 16.
Remember that the book will include non-story pages too, such as the title page and copyright page. You might also include some back matter, including a page about the author and illustrator, and info about social media.
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Create a storyboard or mockup
Now that you’ve narrowed down the trim size, format, and page count of the book, it’s time to plan out the pages. An easy way to do this is to make a storyboard or mockup of all the pages using the text and rough illustrations. There’s a great template for a 32-page storyboard that you can download for free from Inky Girl. She also shows examples of how the storyboard can be used to explore illustration ideas.
Remember that the images don’t have to illustrate exactly what is said in the story, but rather they can embellish and fill in gaps. Make sure the illustrations leave enough space to add the text to the pages.
Ideas for formats of illustrations
You’ll want to discuss with the illustrator not only the subject but also the format of each illustration. You can use one or more formats throughout the book. Here are some examples of various formats:
2-page spreads. Children’s books often include illustrations that fill two facing pages. Here are a few things to consider when using this format:
- Leave enough space in the illustrations for the text.
- Provide either a light background for dark text or a dark background for light text.
- Make sure nothing crucial is down the center of the illustrations (in the gutter), as that area will be bound into the spine.
- If an illustration bleeds off the outside edges of the spread (top, bottom, left, and right), the illustration should be 0.25″ wider and 0.25″ taller than the book pages to allow for a 0.125″ bleed on four sides.
Children’s picture book showing 2-page spreads. From Martin Mars, the Mighty Water Bomber written by Suzan Coulson and illustrated by Dianne Bersea.
Children’s picture book showing 2-page spreads with a white (paper) background. From The Tale of Miss Spider Who Spun Her Web written by Mieke Blommestein and illustrated by Diane Perruzzi.
Full-page illustrations. Some children’s books include just a few full-page illustrations (say, four or six) placed strategically throughout the book. And some have a full-page illustration on every right-hand page, and text on every left-hand page. Full-page illustrations can also be used opposite spot (small) illustrations, so they’re very versatile. Here are a few things to consider when using full-page illustrations:
- Full-page illustrations usually bleed off three edges (top, bottom, and outside edge), so you’ll need to add 0.125″ to each of those edges for the bleed. The inside edge simply aligns with the gutter (spine) with no bleed.
- If your full-page illustrations don’t bleed off the edges, then make sure the edges all line up with the margins used throughout the book for a consistent size and look.
- If an illustration has some interesting content next to the gutter, consider not aligning it in the gutter but instead to an inside margin (as shown below).
Children’s picture book showing full-page illustrations. From Millennium Shakespeare: The Merry Wives of Windsor adapted by Michael J. Stewart and illustrated by Lesley Buckingham.
Spot illustrations. Sometimes a sentence or paragraph in the story doesn’t warrant a full-page illustration or 2-page spread. In that case, a spot illustration will do just fine. Spot illustrations can be placed alone on a page, or grouped with other spot illustrations if space is a concern. Here are a few things to consider when using spot illustrations:
- Vary the placement of spot illustrations so they aren’t always in the center of the page.
- Make sure any background color in the illustration blends well with the rest of the page.
- If a spot illustration bleeds off any edge of the page, add an extra 0.125″ of the artwork on that edge.
- If two or three spot illustrations are placed on the same page, make sure it’s clear to the reader in which order they should be read, and which text goes with each illustration.
- Pages with spot illustrations can face pages with full-page illustrations.
Children’s picture book showing spot illustrations and a full-page illustration. From Mr. Barker & the Zoopremes written by Tim Whalen and illustrated by Anne Gavitt.
Ideas for incorporating non-story pages
When you create a mockup or storyboard for the book, you’ll see how many pages are needed for the story and illustrations. Often the first and last pages of the book are the only ones not being used for two-page spreads. So where does your title page, copyright info, and anything else you want to include go?
The first page of the book is a right-hand page, and it’s your title page. The title page often duplicates the info on the front cover, including the book title and author’s and illustrator’s names.
The copyright info usually goes on page 2 (the back of the title page) and can be combined with an optional dedication. In children’s books, the story sometimes starts on page 2 with a 2-page spread…what to do with the copyright info in this case? Try creatively incorporating it into an illustration on page 2 (for example, set it in small type on the side of a building). Or, you could add it to the last page of the book instead.
The last page of the book can include everything that didn’t fit on the cover or in the front pages of the book: author and illustrator bios with photos, social media info, and even acknowledgements, if you plan to include them.
This last page includes author and illustrator bios with photos, acknowledgements (in the box), notice of an upcoming book in the series, website URL, and social media info. From 7 Billion Angels Whispering We Love You written by Kim Tebbutt and illustrated by Sarah Penhale.
Designing a children’s picture book
There are several ways the design of a children’s picture book can sell the story and support the flow of the story through the pages.
Book cover
The book cover should appeal to its market, in other words, to its potential buyers and readers (i.e., adults) as well as kids. The front cover illustration will reflect the story, yet doesn’t need to include every character or action that appears inside the book. Keep it simple.
The front cover includes the book title and the author’s and illustrator’s names. If you choose to use a display font for the title, make sure it’s easy to read from a distance and on a small thumbnail.
The back cover should include a minimum of bar code and price, but can also include things that don’t fit inside the book, such as author and illustrator photos and bios, social media info, and so on.
Fonts
For the pages, choose an easy-to-read font (serif or sans serif) at a largish size (such as 16 pt). It can be tempting to use a display font, perhaps one that’s used on the cover, but it’s best to use a very readable serif or sans serif. Look for a font that has a friendly or playful feel to it. Here are a couple of examples:
Often children’s picture books only include a couple of sentences, a line or two of a rhyme, or a short paragraph per page or spread, so make sure all the text fits into the spaces in the illustrations at the font size you’ve chosen. You may have to adjust the size of all the text to make one specific paragraph fit nicely into an illustration. Create a paragraph style and apply it to all of the text so you can experiment with font size and leading (linespacing) throughout the book.
Make sure the text is easy to read on top of the illustrations. There should be an area of dark or light color where you can add the text to an illustration. You may need to lighten the area so that dark or black text is easy to read, or darken the area so that white or light text is easy to read.
Margins
It’s helpful to add margins to the pages even if the illustrations are 2-page spreads with a full bleed. Consider adding margins to all four sides (say 0.5″ to the top, bottom, inside, and outside). That way you’ll be sure not to place any text too close to the edges of the pages or the gutter. You can also align your paragraphs to the top and/or bottom margins to create a consistent look throughout the book.
Don’t place important elements of the illustrations (faces, for example) in the gutter. Sometimes an illustration that covers a 2-page spread might have the most important character or action in the middle of the artwork, so you may have to enlarge or shrink the artwork so that part can be seen. If you didn’t work with the illustrator directly to avoid issues like this, you’ll need permission to modify the artwork.
Colors
Children’s picture books look best with a consistent color palette throughout. The illustrations contain the artist’s colors, and this is your starting point. Create a color palette using the Color Theme tools in InDesign, and select colors directly from the illustrations (see chapter 58 of Book Design Made Simple, Second Edition).
Aside from color contained in the illustrations, color can also be added to text, page backgrounds, and even specific words. Maintain a consistent flow of color throughout the book by adding color to any pages without illustrations (perhaps at the front and back of the book). Stick to the same intensity of color used in the illustrations (i.e., bold colors or soft colors).
For hardcover books, you’ll have the option of adding colored endsheets inside the front and back covers (for an extra cost). You can print on the endsheets also for an extra treat for readers. If your book involves a treasure hunt, for instance, you could put a map of the hunt area for the readers to refer to. Naturally, this will be another extra cost.
Enjoy the design process
You might assume that children’s picture books are quick to design because they contain so few words and pages. You’ll find, however, that because they are so short, every single word and image is important! Children’s picture books offer designers an opportunity to collaborate with authors and illustrators in a unique way, and to have an influence on the flow of the story with text and image placement, and use of color. Have fun and enjoy the design process!
Read more: POD book publishing » explore options of printing at Amazon KDP and IngramSpark.
Read more: Book bar code » where to get one and what to encode in it.
Book Design Made Simple. You can do it yourself.
Hello Glenna,
I recently stumbled upon this site and it is AMAZING! The inputs here has answered many questions I have had for years. But I do have a few more. I plan to self publish my children’s picture book series this year. Here are my questions, 1). Hard versus soft cover? I am leaning heavily towards hard cover. 2). How many books should I print for my first run? Leaning heavily towards 1,000. 3). My printer recommend saddle bound due to number of pages (32), your thoughts? 4). What type paper do you recommend?
Thanks in advance…Paul
Hello Paul,
We’re excited that you found our site. Lots of folks have gotten self-publishing solutions from us, and that’s why we do it. Let’s answer your questions:
1). Hard versus soft cover? The cost of hard covers is much higher than saddle stitching. This means that not only will your printing costs be higher, but also your book’s price will be higher. Hardcover books are also heavier for shipping. Will you be marketing to libraries and bookstores, where a hardcover with a spine would be an advantage?
2). How many books should I print for my first run? The number of books to print is a very hard decision for anyone. We struggled
with this ourselves. How strong is your marketing campaign? Have you market tested the books and do you have a good idea of how many books you can easily sell? Because you’re thinking of printing 1,000 copies, we’re assuming that you’re planning to print offset rather than POD. A run of 1,000 is really the minimum for offset (especially for color books) to get the book’s price down. The setup of the press is expensive, so the more copies printed, the less it costs per book. You can also consider printing hardcover books using POD through Amazon KDP and IngramSpark. That way you can start with 100 or 200 books and if you get lots of orders, then do an offset run.
3). My printer recommends saddle bound due to the number of pages (32), your thoughts? 32 pages is standard for children’s picture books, so you can choose hardcover, perfect bound paperback, or saddle stitched. If you choose a soft cover to keep costs down, then saddle stitched will stay open better than a perfect bound paperback. A 24-page book is the minimum page count to have a spine on a perfect bound softcover.
4). What type paper do you recommend? It sounds like you have a printer already, so your printer is the absolute best source of info for printing your book. Visit your printer and examine the children’s picture books that they’ve already printed. See what the hardcover and saddle-stitched books feel like! Do they open nicely? Is there room on the spine for type? What weights of stock are used for the softcover, pages, and hardcover boards? If your printer is too far away to visit, then ask them to send you samples. We got lots of samples from our printer before deciding on our cover and page stock, striking a balance between see-through-ness of the pages and how much each book would weigh for shipping. It’s a big decision! For your first print run, stick with something economical but practical (not easily ripped by young hands). Also, a visit to your local library to check out their children’s picture books would be invaluable.
Paul, we wish you the best of luck with your exciting project! Feel free to write to us again if more questions arise.
Glenna and Fiona
Hello again Paul,
We have a friend who works at a bookstore chain, and she says that they prefer softcover children’s books because of the lower price point–they are much more affordable for customers. We just thought you should know that.
Glenna and Fiona
Does your Book Design Made Simple template and new book address creating a children’s picture book with InDesign? Thank you.
Hi SaDonna,
The template is set up for a generic adult book and can be changed in any way, including the page size, margins, type, and anything else. We wrote an article about designing a children’s book that might help you: https://www.bookdesignmadesimple.com/design-a-childrens-picture-book/
Whether you’d feel comfortable making all those changes is up to you. But it can be done!
If you choose to use our template, great! If not, there are other children’s picture book templates out there. We know for sure that Lulu.com makes one, but we’ve seen it and are not impressed; it’s confusing and not really set up very well.
We hope this helps you decide what to do.
Glenna and Fiona
Hello! Thanks for all theses details! The book I illustrated is in black and white hand with grey shades drawn and painted . The cover is a soft cover. What paper and finish would u recommend with such specifications?
What are the options? Is the cream paper very strong or just a light cream color? Exemples or any information would help!
Hello Amir,
Your book sounds lovely. The paper stock you should use depends somewhat on the topic. But assuming it doesn’t concern space aliens or violence, I’d recommend a non-glossy cover. And don’t worry about the cream paper–the color won’t be too strong.
Depending on what printer you use, you might be able to obtain either physical paper samples or a proof using your preferred materials.
I hope this helps and that you find just the right combination of papers to use with your book. It’s often a difficult decision.
Glenna
Hi, My illustrator did a double page spread with a character split in 1/2, right down the middle of her face. She drew this one character on two separate pages (end of one page and beginning of second page). Is it possible to use the illustration? I’ve tried to center it but I’m either getting a distorted face or a space at the seam when I get the proof from Amazon.
Hello Ann,
Your artist used very poor judgment here. A face should never, ever be placed in the middle of a spread like that. You could move the illustration over and use it all (or mostly) on one page. If you don’t know what to do with your now blank page, ask the artist to redo the illustration with the face on one page and something else on the other page.
We hope it works out well for you in the end.
Glenna
Thank you so much. The double page spread has 7 characters and I think she wanted it to be symmetrical and it will not fit on one page, but I will reach out to her because it does ruin the illustration
I’m glad your whole spread will be full even if she moves the center character. Symmetry is less interesting, anyway.
Glenna
It is A great way to encourage children thanks for the great information. I love the idea of the activity journal.
Glad you found our info helpful!
Do you have any thoughts about using black text on some pages and white text on others? (Each double-page spread would be consistent as to text color.) Is this a problem?
Hello Karen,
Sorry about the late reply. Using black text on some spreads and white on others is perfectly fine with me. Depending on the background color on the white text pages, you might have to thicken the type a bit–either with a very tink outline or by using semibold (or the next thickness up from whatever weight you’re using for black type). Dark background ink, either a solid color or a dark illustration of some kind, can overwhelm the type slightly when it’s printed. Do some experiments and have it printed in color at your local print shop to see what works. Also, of course, check with your book printer.
If it’s an ebook, you can do whatever you want with no worries.
So, bottom line, design-wise it should be fine. Just watch out for the printing issue.
I hope this helps. Good luck with your design project.
Glenna
Hello ! Thank you so much for this info. I am trying to choose the specs to give to my illustrator for my first manuscript. But I am getting stuck on the book size. There are books I am trying to model my book after on Amazon that are 8.88 x 11.25 or 10.11 x 10.28. As an example, ” How To Babysit A Grandma” is 8.88 x 11.25. Are these standard sizes plus the margins?
Hello Christina,
If Amazon prints this trim size and you expect to print only through Amazon, then you should be OK. 8.88 x 11.25″ is not a standard printing size for an offset printer, however. If you think you’ll want to print in bulk at some point, read our list of book printers (https://www.bookdesignmadesimple.com/book/book-printers-indie-authors/) and find out their standard sizes. Then choose a size that is common to both Amazon and the offset printer.
For margins, I would simply copy the margins used in How to Babysit a Grandma, or other books, if they seem good to you. You need to be able to handle the book without worrying about your fingers overlapping the illustrations (or at least the most important parts of the illustrations) or the type. This goes for page numbers also. Keep everything at least 1/2″ from the edges of the pages, unless there are illustrations or background colors that intentionally bleed off the edges, of course.
I hope this helps. Best of luck with your publishing adventure!
Glenna
Hey, do you recommend that the characters have their face shown on a children’s book cover or could we see them from behind looking into the distance?
Hi Cames, It’s really up to you how you depict characters on a children’s picture book cover. Some authors prefer to show the characters just as they appear inside the book, and others don’t. If it’s an educational book and the characters aren’t the main focus, then it’s appropriate to merely suggest the characters in the background or with their backs to the reader. I hope this helps! Fiona
Hi, thank you for a great article!
I don’t know if you can advise – I have a story, 1,200 words. It probably targets 8yo girls, or 7-8 give or take a year either side.
I’ve had around 8 sketches done that will be used for illustrations and can be full page.
My problem is I’m stumped as I look at doing the layout. Including the sketches, the page count is only at 17 .
I believe I need to break up the text a lot more with partial/spot illustrations and dividers to space it out. But being that it’s geared for that age, I thought it would not be suitable to make it too much of a picture-book. So I’m working out how to almost double the page count, while keeping it suitable for the reader.
And now I’m thinking it may have been best to have a designer/layout person do it though the illustrator will be ready to start in a few weeks. I didn’t know I’d be running into this problem.
Thanks in advance for any guidance!
Hello Suz,
Thanks for your note. We’re always glad to see that so many folks are using our information to help produce their own books.
I have 3 bits of advice.
1. Eight-year-olds are reading chapter books, aren’t they? I’m sure they’re also very happy to read picture books, too, but 1200 words would be a very quick read for them, and they would no longer beg their parents to buy them a picture book at that age. Can you double your word count? Please continue reading this list of suggestions.
2. Please read our blog post about what a children’s book editor does. You might pick up some hints about layout, word placement, how to stretch out your story, and how to plan your pages before you hand the project over to your illustrator. (https://www.bookdesignmadesimple.com/childrens-book-editor/)
3. Recently I picked up an excellent bit of advice on this topic. Someone said to gather 100 children’s books (yes, 100–go to the library!) and look at each one. Find the few that are closest to what you want to accomplish and then study them closely to find out how they did it. Keep the article mentioned above in mind as you study.
Also, on January 11 we will be posting an article on what type sizes to use for various kinds of books. It should give you some guidance on that topic. Let me know if you want a preview for your age group and I’ll send it along ahead of time.
You have more work to do before your illustrator can start, so I hope this helps a bit.
Glenna
Hi, thanks so much for your reply Glenna! I’m sorry, I only just saw it on rereading your article.
And yes re target age, I think it’s more a 6-10yo category. I was in Barnes & Noble today doing what you suggested as our library is currently closed.
I’d initially thought the story would be great as a regular periodical for girls, though found they don’t really do those any more, so then went this route.
The story itself, written by my daughter, appeals to a sense of learning about compassion, kindness and inclusion, and the language is not too juvenile, more conversational in a styled and emotive way.
So I think it’s on the fence of an exact target and suitability for picture-book, but the illustrator is brilliant so will have that appeal.
I have an editor reviewing it now.
Will revise the articles you’ve provided and try and figure it out. I think the illustrator has another job behind mine.
Happy to send you the story if feasible..
Thanks again!
Suz.
Hi again Suz,
Your story sounds good and is right on target as to what (certain) parents are getting their kids to read now. Between your editor and your illustrator you seem to be in good hands. They should be able to give you the best advice on how to proceed.
If you decide to do a book series, it would be best to plan it out now. It will affect your design and especially your marketing, as it’s important to build up an audience through your website and social media–basically a following of fans. Just one more thing to do, but an important one.
Best of luck, and let us know when your book is published.
Glenna
Hi,
I am a published author under my legal name. But for my children’s books I am using a pen name Toni Austen. MaustinMaltese.com is just now being created.
I do have an agent but we are looking at self publishing. I have been published traditionally, Self-Published and a combination of both. Self publishing using POD. ( the reason for this I don’t really have a platform for my children’s books) But POD with Amazon is paperback only, portrait only and the sizes are very limited.
I plan to use both Ingram Spark and Amazon ( which I have done in the past) Ingram Spark offers different sizes and hardcover. So questions: 1. Should I use the same size for both publishers? I’m thinking 8 x 10 portrait paperback for Amazon and 8 x 10 hardcover for Ingram Spark. 2. I have hired my editor and my illustrator. Even though I paid my illustrator do I list his name on my book?
Thank you for your time.
Toni
Hello Toni,
I see nothing wrong with your plan to use both Amazon and IngramSpark as long as you can keep your marketing and sales and records straight. You mentioned using the same trim size for both printers, and that would work just fine.
Children’s picture books always list the illustrator, usually right under the author’s name on the title page and cover. But if the illustrations are just small and occasional, you could list him only on the copyright page. You should do this no matter how he is paid. On the copyright page you could also list the editor’s name, but ask permission first.
I hope this helps. Best of luck with your new book.
Glenna
Glenna,
Thank you so much for your advice. Your articles give a great information for many new writers.
I had started a blog about the same things you are now writing about back in 2010 but back then self publishing was so taboo. That after blogging about it for 3 years I finally just stopped.
Again,
Thank you
Toni House
Hi Toni,
You can congratulate yourself for being ahead of your time!
Glenna
HI there,
I so appreciate your insights and helpful information. I have written several children’s books which are actually photo books that have a narrative option which the company provides. They are my personal books, but I would love to publish them to share. Using my own photos and including a few sentences for each, I have created wonderful way to communicate some Biblical information on a simple level to educate children.
How can I do this? I have the published books that I have purchased, but, how can I reproduce those books on a larger scale. It is all done digitally on computer and is really a beautiful product.
I wonder if you can help me.
Thanks,
Diane
Hi Diane,
I’m assuming that the photos and text in your book all belong to you, so in that case there are no copyright issues with reproducing the book yourself. To reproduce the book, you can either create the pages and cover yourself using our book as a guide, or hire a graphic designer to do it for you. Then you can decide how you want to print and publish the book. You’ll find some guidance on printing and publishing in our blog:
Digital vs Offset Printing
How Much Does It Cost To Self Publish?
Print-on-demand (POD) Book Publishing
All the best in publishing your book, and please do let us know how you get on.
Fiona
Thank you for putting this out there. I agree with your opinion and I hope more people would come to agree with this as well.
Hey, Thanks for this article.
I wanted to know if I can use Canva for designing a short children book?
Hello Zoe,
Canva might be fine IF you only want to print a few copies, IF you can stick with the way their templates are set up, and IF you don’t mind their printing prices. I definitely would not recommend it if you plan to sell your book because publishing for the public involves a copyright page, an ISBN, and other requirements to make the book a standard product.
Please visit TheBookDesigner for information about the very first steps of self-publishing: https://www.thebookdesigner.com/self-publishing/
Good luck with your project! If you have more questions as you go along, feel free to contact us again.
Glenna
Hey.
thanks for your answer.
Wanted to know- if I print it in a printing press? and not through Canva?
Hi again Zoe,
I recommend printing at a book printer or with IngramSpark and/or Amazon if you plan to sell your book. Please see our other articles on the topic of printing methods, book printers, and book distribution. Good luck!
Glenna
Loved the article. Can a different color print be used on the inside pages vs the title page, copyright page and dedication page?
Hi Charnell,
Yes, sure. Why not? Especially in a children’s book. Just don’t go crazy with different colors of type all over the place. And be sure you have a good reason to change colors and don’t do it just because you can. Consistency is very important in book design.
Glenna
Thanks for this eyeopening article. Do you know any children designer that can do such good job you wrote about?
I agree with every factor that you have pointed out. Thank you for sharing your beautiful thoughts on this.
Please visit also my blog,
Simple Steps in Writing a Successful Children’s Book
Hope this will also help, Thank you!
I was hoping to use the 10″x8″ trim format, but it looks like KDP doesn’t allow that anymore. I hope this is a case where they have a dozen webpages that talk about trim size, and one of them says 10x 8 is accepted, but so far I have not found it.
https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=G201834180#:~:text=You%20can%20also%20enter%20your,(15.24%2D29.69%20cm).
Hi John,
So far it seems that none of the print-on-demand companies (Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, etc.) offer a landscape format. Not sure why, but I imagine it’s because the grain of the paper must align with the spine and for some reason longer pages and a shorter spine can’t be printed on their machines. Square and landscape formats are wonderful, but until they can be produced by the POD companies, we’ll be limited to using the portrait format. Wish I had better news for you!
Fiona
The info above include square sizes of 8″ x 8″, and 8.5″ x 8.5″.
Hi, Fiona:
I realize I’m late to the party on this question: It’s very simply because POD printing machines can’t print wider than 8.625″, give or take an eighth. When Ingram gets Premium hardcovers for 11″ x 8.5″, they outsource them to a trade printer.
Kimberly Hitchens
Owner, Booknook.biz
Hi Kimberly,
I wasn’t aware that the issue was the width of the printer, so good to know!
Fiona
Impressive! Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. It is also to train your mind to imagination to think big.
Hi Fiona,
Astonishing blog of yours very helpful. Can`t wait to see more!
Thanks,
Regards
Janet
I had a question about using fonts. I have an A-Z book I am working on that is a Christian family reference book. It has colored illustrations for each letter. You state to use a 16 size font. Is it acceptable to change the colors for each page or should I stick with white on the dark pages and black on the light pages?
Hello Becky,
Our guidelines are very general and may not apply to your case at all. Depending on the age of the children who will read the book (or if it’s meant to be held up by the adult for an entire class to see), you could easily use larger type, even 24 point size. (For an actual big book that’s held by the teacher, the type is probably 1.5″ high or so.) Anyway, stick with the same typeface and size for all the pages. Except for the large letter, of course (e.g., “B” for Bible). And sure, you can change the background color for each page if you like, or for each spread. And use black or some other dark color (blue, brown, green, red) for the type on white pages and white (or light yellow maybe) for type on dark background pages. But I’d say you should stick with a palette of colors and not use something different on each page. You need some consistency. We’ve written an article about choosing a color palette, if you’re interested (https://www.bookdesignmadesimple.com/devising-a-color-palette-for-your-book/).
I hope this helps. Best of luck with your project. It sounds delightful.
Glenna
Thanks so much!
You’re welcome! We are glad to help.
Glenna
Hello,
First of all, I love the tips and advice in your article. You explained it well and I guess I am going to apply these in my future writing project. You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.
Come and visit my blog on Tips on How to Write a Story That’s Perfect for Children
Hope this will help.
Thanks
Attilio
Great article! Thank you.
My question is, when using a fiverr illustrators, other than listing them on the cover, do I also need to add the in the section About the Author…or insert a write up about the illustrator?
And one more question please, the illustrator does not collect royalties correct. The fiverr transaction lists the option for Commercial use and/or Source file (hopefully accessible for my edits and further use).
What do you recommend I do or say to ensure this is clear…
Thanks for your generous advice.
Adriana
Hello Adriana,
I’ll tackle your questions one at a time.
1. If your illustrators did all of the artwork in your picture book, then list them on the cover and on the title page (if you have one). On the other hand, if the artists did small illustrations that appear occasionally, don’t put their names on the cover. You simply list them on the copyright page, like this:
Illustrations on pages x, x, x, and x: Artist Name.
Illustrations on pages y, y, and y: Artist Name.
2. Usually when an artist is written up on a page in the back of the book, the art is equal in value to the words. You can determine this by looking at some famous children’s books and comparing them to yours. Do the pictures really make the words come alive? If so, then the value of the art is equal to the value of the words. It would be very nice of you to add an About the Illustrator” page, but it is not required. An About the Illustrator page can boost an artist’s career because it shows that the author greatly appreciates their contribution.
3. I believe that the illustrator does not normally collect royalties unless he or she is also the author, or a coauthor. You can make it clear in your contract that the art is “work for hire” and that should do the trick.
Best of luck with your book. Feel free to contact us again with more questions if you need to.
Glenna
Thank you. Very helpful suggestions. 🙂
Adriana,
If you are using a “work for hire Illustrator” the illustrations are your property, and you are not legally bound, or even expected to list their names anywhere in your book.
When an Illustrator signs up on Fiverr, Freelancer, Upwork, and many of the rest, they agree to have no future rights to contract work performed. They’re yours, just as if you’d drawn them yourself.
You can find this easily this in the TOS of your work for hire sight. Also, you may feel as though you want to list their name, even though it isn’t required, but make sure you ask the Illustrator first.
Think of it this way, your book is very important to you, but they may not want their name on that project. They may want to preserve their name, and brand, for projects that are truly important to them.
I found this information very helpful.
This is such an insightful article, as we all know that Kids’ books are a fascinating blend of life lessons and simplicity.
Thanks for sharing your tips
Cheers
Lynda
Glad you found it helpful, Lynda!
Can the same illustration be used twice in a children’s book?
Hi Antonette, I suppose you could use the same illustration twice, but ideally you would have enough different illustrations for all the pages. It’s not unusual for the book cover to use an illustration that’s used inside the book. And parts of illustrations can be used elsewhere in the book, for example, using a detail from a full-page illustration as an accent on another page. I suggest not using the same full-page illustration twice unless it can’t be avoided. There are really no rules against it, but I think it would seem unusual to the reader. Fiona
I own over 600 traditionally published picture books and I don’t think there is any with repeated illustration.
I don’t think I would do it myself. I want children to have fun with my picture books so I would rather order more illustrations than cut costs.
Good to know!
Was looking for some takes regarding this topic and I found your article quite informative. It has given me a fresh perspective on the topic tackled. Thanks!
I hope you can take the time to read my post as well :The Secrets to Writing a Great Children’s Book
Thank you for providing this service. I am also writing a children’s book. I have been using illustrators on fiverr. I am on my 3rd one. It seems that once they deliver the product they r shy on revisions and I end up with some pages that I dont like.
Hello Grace,
If I were you, I’d try to find a more established illustrator than the ones you’ve been using. Look at this link: https://www.scbwi.org/illustrator-gallery/ and you will be able to find just the right style for your book.
Many of the artists on Fiverr advertise extremely low prices, so it’s understandable that they might not want to return for revisions. It’s unfortunate, but that also happens with carpenters, roofers, and others that you might hire for any job. But if you want to use a Fiverr artist, read their comments and reviews first.
Just today I read a helpful blog post about communicating with a book cover designer, and this advice would work for children’s illustrations as well. I hope it helps.
https://selfpublishingadvice.org/the-ultimate-guide-to-the-perfect-book-cover-for-indie-authors/
We wish you the best of luck with your continuing publishing journey!
Glenna
I am trying to include pictures in my book. sometimes I need to put the pictures alongside but they always one above the other. Please advise how to insert the pictures. Thank you
Hello Zubi,
If you are using InDesign, you should not have any problem at all in placing pictures wherever you want simply by dragging them to the right spot. If you are using Word, it’s possible, I think, but not as easy. Word does not give you much control over placement.
Glenna
Hi Glenna
I use Word: Click on the picture, go to the text wrapping option and choose Tight. You can then drag the picture to where you want.
S.J.
To place images so that they may not move, use “in line with text” to get them to stay put.
I use this feature in Mac Pages. (Which is brilliant for creating books)
If you place under “automatic” or “above or below” “around” they will move. In Mac go to Format, Object placement and the options are there. Stay on Page or Move with Text. Choose Move with Text and the option is there. It is frustrating to find images all over the place, so my heart goes out to you.
Thanks so much for this great information on sizing illustrations. I am creating my first children’s picture book (writing and illustrating) and there is SO much to learn! So, can you paint in a bigger scale than the book size and have the book designer shrink it to fit?
Hello Donna,
Yes, certainly you can make your art as large as you like. But please remember two things: (1) your art must be proportional to the final size, and (2) it must be able to either fit in a scanner or be professionally photographed so it can become a digital file.
We wish you success with your children’s book!
Glenna
Thank you so much!! As a new writer, this is like a Christmas gift. It’s a wealth of info neatly wrapped on one web page.
Fantastic article! Thanks so much!
Thanks, Bonnie! Glad you enjoyed it.
great info! thanks for the resources, too, Someone just asked me about a board book, so I shared your link.
Hi Peggy, glad you found it helpful!
I know a friend who is in the printing line who often asks for such blogs and articles where he can improve on his skills and widen his niche, I am sure this blog will surely help him with what he wants, will surely pass this on to him for his reference.
Thank you, Daniel!
Thank you! I know someone who would be very happy to get this help.
That’s good to hear, Vijay, and thanks for passing it on.
Glenna
Absolutely! People keep telling me,” It’s a children’s book, how hard can it be.” One of my Cognitive therapists has been wanting me to write a book about my life since my brain injury. Which I haven’t been able to put together. So she said, write a Children’s books first to get you used to it. That’ll be an easy first step. HA! I’m loving writing the book, but the rules, the decisions; editor? Publisher? Indie self publish? Indie Self publisher? As you know, the list goes on.
Hello please where can I download high resolution paintings of Bible characters for children’s books.
Thanks
The list really does go on! But hopefully we’ve given you a bit of a guide to follow, to simplify the process. All the best in publishing success, Lisa! Fiona
Dear Funke,
I’m afraid I have no idea where you could get such illustrations. However, if you do find some online, be sure to get permission to use them. Or read the fine print, which might include permission.
The best bet would be to hire your own artist to draw the Bible characters for you. That way, you can be sure that they will be doing the activity that you are writing about in your book. For instance, you might find a great picture of Moses online, but he might be parting the waters, not holding the Commandments. If you happen to be writing about him parting the waters, great. Otherwise you will be stuck with a picture of something you’re not writing about.
Good luck with your search!
Glenna