How to self-publish a children’s book
A children’s book looks simple and is the hardest format to get right. The words are few, so every one counts; the pictures carry half the story; and the production is unforgiving. Here’s how to do it properly.
First, decide what kind of book it is
“Children’s book” covers a dozen formats, each with its own rules:
- Board book (ages 0–3): thick pages, very few words, simple shapes.
- Picture book (ages 3–7): the classic. Almost always 32 pages, heavily illustrated, ~500 words or fewer.
- Early reader (5–8): short, simple sentences, illustrations on most pages.
- Chapter book (7–10): longer, fewer pictures, real chapters.
- Middle grade (8–12) and young adult (12+): mostly text, like adult novels in production terms.
The earlier the age, the more the pictures and the production dominate; the older the age, the more it behaves like a normal novel. Decide this first — everything downstream depends on it.
The 32-page rule
Picture books are almost always 32 pages, because books are printed in folded signatures (groups of 8 or 16). Once you subtract front matter — title page, copyright page — you’re left with roughly 14 spreads to tell the whole story. That constraint is the craft: plan your story across those spreads before you write a final word. A storyboard, even rough boxes on paper, is worth more than any software at this stage.
Illustration is the book
In a picture book, the art is the product. Three things separate a professional book from an amateur one:
- Consistency. The same character must look like the same character on page 3 and page 27 — exactly what AI image tools cannot do and what a real illustrator delivers through character model sheets and a held style. We never use AI for this.
- Composition for the spread. Illustrations are designed across the two-page spread, with room left for text and a safe margin away from the gutter so nothing important vanishes into the fold.
- Bleed. Picture-book art usually runs to the very edge, so every illustration needs bleed — extra image past the trim line — or you’ll get white slivers after cutting.
Trim size, colour and binding
- Trim: picture books are often square (e.g. 210×210 mm) or landscape — formats that suit full-bleed art. Decide early; the illustrator works to it.
- Colour: children’s books are full colour, which is more expensive to print than black text. Print-on-demand colour suits small runs; offset becomes cheaper only at higher quantities.
- Binding & paper: heavier paper holds colour better and survives small hands. Board books need specialist printing — not all POD services offer them.
The eBook needs a fixed layout
A reflowable eBook, which re-wraps text to any screen, destroys a picture book — text and image come apart. Picture books need a fixed-layout eBook, which keeps the exact page design like a digital spread. Plan for this; a reflowable export will look broken.
A cover that works at thumbnail size
Most buyers first see your cover as a small image on a screen. The title must be legible tiny, the character appealing, the age clearly signalled. Original, hand-made — never AI.
Where Librum fits
We illustrate children’s books (consistent characters, hand-drawn, never AI), prepare full-colour print files to your printer’s spec, build the fixed-layout eBook, and design the cover. Send us the story and the age range; we’ll tell you the right format and a fixed quote.
Questions
How many words should a picture book have?+
Usually under 500, often far fewer. The pictures carry the rest.
Can I use AI to illustrate it?+
You can, but it won’t hold a consistent character across the book, the rights are murky, and the look is generic. For a book you want to sell or be proud of, commission real illustration.
Why 32 pages?+
Because books print in folded signatures. 32 pages is the standard, economical unit for a picture book.
Do I need a different eBook?+
Yes — a fixed-layout eBook, not a reflowable one, so the art and text stay together.