Planning
5 min read
How to plan a 24-page coloring book, page by page
Pick one idea, write a page list before any art exists, mix in a few open pages, and check the count for home or paperback printing.
The Kids Books Maker journal
Small, careful steps to a book a child will love
Plain guides to planning, drawing, printing and publishing kids books. Where a number matters, we link the source; where something is our opinion, we say so.
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Art and characters
5 min read
Line thickness and region size by age: starting points, then a test print
The editorial defaults we use for outlines, number of regions and background detail, and how to check them on paper.
Printing
4 min read
Printing coloring pages at home: paper size, scale and single-sided
A4 or US Letter, 100% scale, one side of the paper, and a test page first. The small settings that decide how a printed page turns out.
Art and characters
5 min read
Keeping a character consistent across every page
A short character sheet, a fixed style line and a page-by-page check go a long way. Here is how we do it.
KDP publishing
5 min read
KDP paperback sizes, bleed and margins for coloring books
The trim sizes, bleed, margin and page-count numbers KDP publishes, pulled into one place for coloring book makers.
KDP publishing
4 min read
KDP royalties and printing cost, explained with a coloring book
How Amazon KDP works out what you earn from each paperback sale, with numbers computed from KDP's published table.
KDP publishing
4 min read
What KDP asks you to disclose about AI-generated content
KDP separates "AI-generated" from "AI-assisted" content. Here is what that means for an AI-illustrated coloring book.
Writing
5 min read
How to write a calm bedtime story without a moral
A page plan that winds down: set the scene, wander with a refrain, then dim the light page by page until everyone is asleep.
Writing
5 min read
Wordless picture stories: telling a story with pictures alone
One clear action per page and an obvious change from the page before. How to plan a story a child can "read" without words.
Planning
5 min read
A human review checklist before you share or publish a kids book
Every page, at real size, by a person. What to look for in the pictures, the words, the files and the rights before a book leaves your hands.
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