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How to Format a Children's Book for Self-Publishing

The BookFest Award Winner 2025

FIRST PLACE AWARD

Artistic & Technical Book Design

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2025 Best Book Awards

FINALIST

Business: Writing/Publishing

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A Must-Read for ANY Author!

Publishing and designing a book-decoded!

While this book focuses on publishing children’s books, nearly all the information applies to any type of book you’re writing, making it a fantastic resource and truly a must-read for any author!

Becky has written a brilliant guide that breaks down each part of the publishing and design process-what it means, why you may or may not need it, and how to do it-making it accessible for the everyday writer. It even includes QR codes that link to helpful how-to videos.

From start to finish, this book covers everything you need to know about publishing. And thanks to Kayla’s charming character, Snuffles, there’s a touch of fun and whimsy throughout! If you’re an author of any type of book, do yourself a favor and get this book!

-Vanessa B., book editor

Ready to Publish? Discover the Proven Path to Children's Book Success!

Unlock your publishing potential with our award-winning book—your essential guide to success!

Inside, you’ll discover clear, step-by-step solutions to the most common questions aspiring authors ask—helping you turn your self-publishing dreams into reality.

Plus, enjoy exclusive companion videos that guide you through the trickiest parts of book setup, making the process even easier.

Thinking of publishing a children’s book? Start here—and set yourself up for publishing success!

BUY THE eBOOK FREE VIDEOS HERE

BONUS FEATURES: Besides the written content, we’ve prepared short videos and included diagrams, tips, and tricks throughout the book to help clarify the process for anyone creating or illustrating a children’s picture book for the first time!

Step-by-Step Formatting Help

Now at a special discounted price!

Paperback Edition

Hardcover Edition

ALSO AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING ONLINE BOOKSTORES

We created this book to answer your questions…

Because getting a picture book on Amazon should not be so hard…right?

We are book designers, who are also published illustrators, and we will give you the knowledge to design and self-publish a children’s book yourself using a print on demand (POD) distributor, such as Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).

We have the answers because we’ve gone through the process many times, and now we’re sharing what we’ve learned!

What you’ll learn:

What options are available when publishing a book with KDP
Best practices for setting up the book interior files for a children’s book
How to create a well-designed cover and prepare the spread properly to meet KDP requirements
Best practices for working with an illustrator
How to prepare the book files correctly for uploading to avoid errors (and what to do if errors happen)
The instructions for uploading the files to KDP one step at a time, including video tutorials
A glossary of terms related to design, printing, and self-publishing for the novice author.

Lilac Tree Books

Lilac Tree Books is the publishing arm of Becky’s Graphic Design, LLC. This imprint publishes how-to books to help first-time authors self-publish. Our easy-to-understand, step-by-step guides will help reduce the stress of the novice as they strive to become a published author.

The significance of the Lilac Tree

There was a beautiful lilac tree in the backyard of my grandparents’ house, and my grandfather decided to cut it down, not once but three times. But that stubborn tree defied the axe and grew with twice as many branches as before, blooming with dozens more blossoms than ever! My grandfather finally decided the tree won the battle!

Many years later, my husband and I moved into that home, and the lilac tree was still there, now towering over our heads, filling the air with the amazing smell of lilacs every spring. It provided shade for summer picnics and a canopy of green leaves for hours of dreaming in the hot summer sun. For me, a young wife and mom, it became a symbol of strength despite adversity.

Today, the lilac tree reminds me of the tenacity of every writer I’ve worked with. They’ve defy the odds to write their manuscript and share the message on their hearts. No matter how much work and time it takes, they refuse to give up. Their story sprouts up from the keyboard to inspire and entertain for years.

My goal as a publisher

As the author and publisher of Lilac Tree Books, my goal is to share the information I’ve learned as an entrepreneur, a book designer, and a self-publisher over the last thirty years. Every day, I have the opportunity to share this information with individuals one-on-one. But now, this book and the others we will be producing will help many more understand the basic process of designing, illustrating, and publishing their books.

Thank you to all who have helped me pay this forward.

Becky Bayne, Founder + President, Lilac Tree Books and Becky’s Graphic Design, LLC

The Less Stress Book Design Series