Ever wonder why some picture books are 32 pages vs. 40 pages? It’s not just a random number picked by your publisher. Picture books are designed around page counts, and those pages can have a huge impact on your story’s pacing, page turns, and emotional resonance.
All three of my picture books have been 40-page self-ended picture books. I seem to always need 40 pages to tell my stories!
Benefits of 40-pg Self-Ended Picture Books
- Cost-Effective: Self-ended books use the same paper stock as the interior pages, eliminating the need for separate endpaper stock and its additional production costs.
- Streamlined Production: Because the endpapers are part of the main interior section rather than a separate paper component, self-ended books can simplify production and binding.
- Design Continuity: Because self-ended endpapers use the same paper and printing process as the interior pages, they can create a seamless visual and tactile transition into the story. They can also be printed in full color, giving illustrators more freedom to integrate endpaper art into the book’s overall design.
Get Access To Free Printable
Share your email below and get access to the free 40-page picture book thumbnail template.
How To Use This Template
Think of this template as a playground for your picture book, not a rigid set of rules. Use it to see how your story might unfold across the physical pages of a 40-page book. Above, I shared the thumbnails for my picture book, Lulu In The Spotlight: A South Asian Wedding Story.
In joy,
Natasha
