Endpapers, again, are the front of the book and the back of a book of a hardcover book. It is not the cover. It is not the inside of the book. They are four pages at front and back that hold the book together, OK? The front endpaper is a four-page item. Page one which is behind this yellow page is white and it is not printed and it glues to the cover. Page two and three have been printed yellow. … [Read more...]

Some children’s picture books do not have endpapers that are separate. We call these self-ended books. That means that if your book is 24 or 32 pages, page 1 and page 24 or 32 are glued down and you don’t see them. This is different than a hardcover book which has endpapers and it allows you to have four-color endpapers. It does look a little bit different but it does give you that option. … [Read more...]

What are the parts of a hardcover children’s book? Let’s start with the outside. This is what we call a case and we call it a case and not a cover because it’s actually…it has a board, OK? It’s hard, unlike a paperback book which just has paper, OK? The case is covered with something and we call that a case wrap. If there is an additional covering on it, it would be a jacket and just like a … [Read more...]

What kind of paper should I use with my children’s book, my illustrated children’s book? OK, the trade books, you narrow it…you know, you’re looking at it like the 50-pound…the offsets, your uncoated paper. The children book, you want to use a coated paper, OK? And the reason you want to use a coated paper is that the harder the surface of the paper, the better the print quality, OK? It’s not that … [Read more...]

How do I count my pages on a self-ended children’s picture book? Unlike one with endpapers, you actually count every page inside the book. One is behind this page. It does not print. It glues down to the cover and that is page one. This is 2, this is 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, all the way to the end and you probably have 22, 23 and the last page, 24, is white. It does not print and it is glued down to the … [Read more...]

How can I make one-color endpapers look special? One color, which is printing in PMS, is usually a solid color but you can use gradations of that color as here or here and you have a visual that is more than one color. That’s how they can look special. … [Read more...]

Should my children’s hardcover book have a jacket? I’m asked this all the time and it is really a very subjective answer. Some people think a jacket makes a book appear more valuable. It certainly does cost more. It costs more to do the design for it and you also have to manufacture it. Many parents tell me, “I buy a book with a jacket and the first thing I do is I take it off.” So it’s up to you … [Read more...]

How do I figure out my pages in my children’s picture book? Every page in a children’s book should four-color, first of all. You’re using all the pages you want and it’s typically 24 pages or 32 pages and the most important thing to remember is your book starts with a single right-hand page. Your book ends with a single left-hand page. All the pages in between are spreads. So they face each other … [Read more...]

How do I put my endpapers together? An endpaper at front and back of a hardcover book is basically a four-page item, 1, 2, 3 and 4. The front endpaper, one who’s down to the board and you do not see it, 2 and 3 will print and four will be blank, facing the first page of your text. On the back endpaper, the reverse is true. Page one, which is blank faces the last page of the text, 2 and 3 are … [Read more...]

As for copyright pages on children’s picture books, they can go on one of two places. They will be following the title page or they could be the very last page of the book and that’s usually page 24 or 32. … [Read more...]