For Picture Book Creators: 32 Page Standard - Why? How Many Pages For Story?
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- Опубліковано 7 лип 2024
- An explanation of why 32 pages is the standard for picture books, and what this means for picture book creators (hint: this does NOT mean all 32 pages are available for your story content).
***CORRECTION: The separate/colored ends are NOT glued to the first page of the book block, sorry!
When I mention my own books begin on pages 6-7, by the way, please remember that most of my books for Simon & Schuster are self-ended 40-page picture books. The decision to increase from 32 to 40 pages was made by my publisher, not by me. For pre-published picture book writers with no track record, I recommend sticking to the standard 32 page template; you can always discuss the possibility of increasing the page count after your mss has been acquired.
Also forgot to mention that my print-ready templates are just guidelines. Where the story content actually begins and ends can vary from one publisher to another, and one project to another. As I emphasized at the end of my session, read and analyze many picture books to get a sense of what's out there.
Some links I mentioned:
Creating Picture Books (lots of resources and free templates):
www.debbieohi.com/pbcreation
Debbie's Free Print-Ready Archive:
www.debbieohi.com/printready
Tara Lazar's post on picture book dummies, picture book construction, layouts:
taralazar.com/2009/02/22/pict...
Mireille Messier
www.mireille.ca/
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Software / hardware I used to create this livestream:
Ecamm Live (for the picture in picture feature, overlays, switching between scenes etc.)
www.ecamm.com/
Restream.io (how I streamed to Twitter, Periscope, FB Live, UA-cam at same time):
restream.io/channel
Overhead camera: Canon M50
Overhead lighting: Homemade ring light! See my DIY video
• DIY ring light with LE...
Headshot webcam: an ancient Logitech whose model I can't recall, sorry
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** ABOUT ME:
I’m Debbie Ridpath Ohi, a children’s book writer and illustrator based in Canada. My illustrations have appeared in books by Judy Blume and Michael Ian Black, among others. I love encouraging creativity in young writers and illustrators. You can find out more at www.debbieohi.com/
Email newsletter: debbieohi.link/newsletter
Creating Picture Books resource (with free templates):
www.debbieohi.com/pbcreation
Free, print-ready stuff for educators and creators:
DebbieOhi.com/printready
Also please visit me on:
Twitter - / inkyelbows
Instagram - / inkygirl
Facebook - / debbieohi - Фільми й анімація
I am only 4 minutes in where you bring out the little book cover. This video is ALREADY so helpful in explaining WHY the page counts are standard 32. and great visuals. Thanks
Thanks, Shane! So glad you found it useful.
Thank you so much for this information. I finished my manuscript and used this template to sure everything lines up.
Thanks so much! Feel free to check out my updated Picture Books 101: Understanding Picture Book Format And Construction, which might also be useful (and good luck with your mss!): debbieohi.substack.com/p/picture-books-101-part-3-understanding
Thank you so much, Debbie! You are such an open, sharing author/illustrator. I appreciate and value all your nuggets of picture book wisdom. 😊
Thank you so much!
Wow, this is the best explanation for such complex matter that I have EVER seen. Amazing! Thank you so much!!
Thanks, Naz!
I've been trying to figure out about book structure and this helped me so much! I'm still very overwelmed about everything in this picture book world but your video helps a lot to break everything down so that it'll be a bit more easy for us newbies :) Thank you so much for being so helpful to us all
I'm so glad my video helped, Zel Da! Thanks for letting me know.
Thank you so much for these explanations and recommendations of other illustrators to check out! I never knew those terms of self ended and color ended. The whole dummy book creating gets me so stumped, it's really held me up for so long!
Glad it was helpful! I agree - it IS confusing! I still have to check my own ref notes to remind myself. 😁
Thanks Debbie, this was soooo helpful 👍 I love your transparency!
Thanks, Denise!
Only found this video today but thank you for making it. Made the layout a lot more understandable.
Thanks so much Debbie. That was so informative and also fun to watch :)
Thank you, Ennov!
Thank you. That little cut-out was very helpful.
So glad you find it useful, JB!
Thank you for this. I like to plan my outlines based on my book structure, so this is a tremendous help
I'm so glad!
Thank you ! This has been super helpful
You are the best, Debbie!
Awwww....thanks, Blythe!
Thank you so much this is so helpful ❣️🙏🏽
This has explained it to me simply in a way i have not understood before
I am going to need mine to be in 40 rather than in 32 because mine is to teach children a foriegn language and so I need extra pages to have a dictionary of the new words at the end. I thini because it is a speciality product it should be ok to be different
This is fantastic thank you!
So google says picture books are 12 or 14 spreads because they have to be divisible by 8 , the math is not making sense to me. Should I be writing 12 or 14 spread? I have stories in both and feel like one or the other will have to get adjusted before I can start drawing, thanks
A good book that used the title page as a lead to the story: Pig, Horse, and Something Scary. Really lovely book as well.
Thank you!
You're welcome, Ruth!
Debbie, when you are designing your book/layout and it has double page spreads, do you really need to think about any of this? What I mean is, will the printer arrange the pages to suit this 32 page oversize sheet of paper so that when they cut it the double pages all end up correctly. Should I just concentrate on creating the 16 double pages (if that's what it has).
I definitely think in terms of spreads when working on my story and in terms of the illustrations. I also try to vary the presentation e.g. not just have all double page spreads but sometimes spot illustrations.
This is so good
Thank you!
Thank you so much, UA-cam algorithm.
Thank you
You're welcome
I’ve been working on a picture book writing and illustrating but only have 10 illustrations like it seems to short and have run out of ideas lol
Yes, 10 illustrations would make a VERY short picture book. :-)
I am not exactly sure why this is so "confusing". If anyone has every read a book, they should understand the logic behind pages, no?
Second viewing...I am slow
It's a confusing topic, no worries. I still have to remind myself!
Too many unorganized thoughts. Confusing and I didn't take away anything. This process seems so mysterious.