Help Center | Kidillus – Children's Book Illustration
📚 Kidillus Help Center

Everything you need to
publish your story

Guides, pricing, tools and live support for every step of your children's book journey — from idea to Amazon KDP listing.

⌘K
500+ Books Published
7 Art Styles
< 2h Avg Response
30+ Countries Shipped
👤
Account
🎨
Illustration
💰
Pricing
📐
Formatting
📦
Orders
🚀
Publishing
🖨️
Printing
💬
Support

Account & Dashboard Guide

Your complete command center for projects, payments, portfolio, and team communication. Here's everything happening on your screen.

Kidillus Dashboard Overview

🗺️ Dashboard Overview

The Kidillus Client Dashboard is a real-time publishing hub. Once logged in, everything — from order progress to wallet balance — is visible at a glance.

💳

Finance Wallet

Track total spend, download PDF statements, and manage invoices.

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Active Orders

See every in-progress project with live status indicators.

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Book Analytics

Line charts for page views and click-through rates per book.

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Inbox Preview

Latest message shown directly — no need to navigate to Inbox.

📊 The 4 KPI Cards

  • Total Spend (Wallet Card): Click this card to open the Finance Report popup. Choose a date range and generate a PDF — perfect for tax records or accounting.
  • Active Orders: Count of ongoing (not completed or cancelled) projects. Use it as a quick health check.
  • Books Published: Total books linked to your author profile and visible in the public store.
  • Total Book Views: Cumulative visitor count across all your book detail pages.

📈 Book Analytics Chart

The interactive line chart plots two data streams over a 30-day rolling window:

  • Blue Line — Views: Unique visitors who opened your book's detail page.
  • Pink Line — Clicks: Engagement actions (e.g., clicking "Get This Book" or "Look Inside").

🔄 Real-Time Order Tracker

Your 5 most recent orders are shown with a horizontal progress bar. Each stage lights up as work advances:

Pending
Requirements
In Process
4
Delivery
5
Completed

⚡ Quick Actions

  • Public Page: Generates your author URL (e.g., kidillus.com/yourname). Share on social media.
  • Custom Order: Jumps straight to the Price Quote wizard — no menu navigation needed.
  • Support: Opens a new ticket directly from the dashboard.
  • Settings: Update password, email, profile photo, and shipping address.
🎓 Interactive Guided Tour: First-time users see an automatic walkthrough that highlights each dashboard section. It runs once and never appears again unless you reset it in Settings → Help.

🔔 Custom Offer Alerts

When a team member sends you a Custom Offer (revised price quote), a blue notification bar appears at the top of your dashboard showing the offer title and amount. Click Accept or Reject inline — no page navigation required.

Ready to start your first project?

Get an instant price quote for your children's book in under 2 minutes.

⚡ Get a Free Quote

Chat & Inbox System

Real-time messaging with your illustrator and the Kidillus support team — all within a single, secure interface.

Kidillus Chat Interface

🗂️ Interface Layout

  • Inbox List (Left Panel): All active conversations sorted by most recent activity. Green dots show online/active status.
  • Chat Window (Centre): Timestamped message thread. Supports text, images, files, and system notifications.
  • Order Context (Right Panel): Active order details linked to the conversation — progress bar, deadlines, and deliverables without switching tabs.

📎 Sending Files & Attachments

  • Click the Paperclip icon (📎) next to the text box to upload reference images, story scripts, mood boards, or feedback documents.
  • Supported formats: JPG, PNG, PDF, DOCX (max 10MB per file).
  • Uploaded files are stored securely and accessible to both parties indefinitely.

💸 Custom Offer in Chat

Your illustrator or admin can send you a Custom Offer directly within the chat stream. It appears as a special card showing the service name, price, and delivery timeline. You can Accept or Decline it inline without leaving the conversation.

🔔 Notifications & Alerts

  • Browser Push Notifications: Enable alerts (via the bell icon in the header) to receive a pop-up even when Kidillus is not your active tab.
  • Email Notifications: You will receive an email copy of every new message to your registered email address.
  • Red Dot Badge: The envelope icon in the header shows an unread count that updates in real time.
🛡️ Security: Always keep all communication and payments inside Kidillus. This ensures you are protected by our Buyer Guarantee and gives you documented evidence if any dispute arises.

⌚ Response Times

  • Business Hours (Mon–Fri, 9am–7pm IST): Replies within 30 minutes to 2 hours.
  • Weekends / Holidays: Replies within 6–12 hours.
  • Urgent Orders: Use the "Rush Order" tag when submitting a quote to flag priority handling.

Illustration Styles & Guide

Seven professional art styles from simple vector to cinematic 3D. Choose the one that best matches your story's mood, audience age, and budget.

Illustration Style Samples

🖌️ Our 7 Art Styles

🎯

2D Flat Color

$15 / page

Clean vector art with bright solid colors and no gradients. Modern and minimal.

Best for: Ages 0–5, ABC books, educational readers.

Solid Detail

$20 / page

Flat art enhanced with shadows and highlights for extra depth and character richness.

Best for: Ages 3–8, character-driven stories.

⭐ Popular
🌙

Soft Detail

$20 / page

Dreamy gradients and airbrushed finish for warm, emotional storytelling.

Best for: Bedtime stories, fairy tales, emotional narratives.

Coloring Book

$10–15 / page

Crisp black & white line art — perfect for KDP activity and coloring books.

Best for: Coloring, workbooks, activity pages.

🖼️

Watercolor

$20 / page

Hand-painted aesthetic with organic brush textures and soft color blending.

Best for: Classic tales, nature themes, nostalgic stories.

🎬

3D / Pixar Style

$30 / page

Cinematic lighting, character modeling and realism similar to animated feature films.

Best for: Modern adventures, premium covers.

💜 Premium
🔬

Realistic

$30 / page

True-to-life proportions, intricate detailing, and complex background environments.

Best for: Biographies, historical fiction, older readers.

🆕 New

🎯 How to Choose Your Style

1

Identify Your Reader's Age Group

Ages 0–4 → Flat, bold colors. Ages 5–10 → Soft or watercolor. Teens → Realistic or 3D. Coloring books → Line art only.

2

Match the Story's Mood

Adventure → Solid Detail or 3D. Romance/Emotional → Watercolor or Soft Detail. Educational → Flat Color. Funny/Quirky → Flat or Solid Detail.

3

Set Your Budget

For a 24-page book: budget $240–$360 for Flat/Solid, $480–$720 for 3D/Realistic. Ask us for package pricing.

4

Request a Sample Sketch

Not sure? We offer a free character concept sketch before you commit. Just describe your main character and story setting.

📐 What's Included in Each Illustration

  • Full-page art: Each spread is designed at 300 DPI in your chosen book trim size (e.g., 8.5 × 8.5 or 10 × 8 inches).
  • Bleed area: 0.125 inch bleed on all sides, ready for KDP and IngramSpark upload.
  • Character consistency: We maintain the same face, body proportions, and color palette across every page.
  • 3 free revisions: Included per illustration. Additional rounds are available at a small fee.
  • Final file formats: You receive high-res PNG, PDF, and layered PSD/AI file on request.
✅ Buyer Protection: You own 100% of the commercial rights to all delivered illustrations. A signed Copyright Transfer agreement is included with every completed order.

KDP Formatting & Book Layout

Professional manuscript typesetting and print-ready interior design for Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, and Kindle eBook platforms.

Book Formatting Samples

📦 What's Included

  • Print-Ready Interior PDF: Margins, bleed (0.125"), CMYK color profiles, and 300 DPI resolution — exact specs required by Amazon KDP and IngramSpark.
  • Professional Typesetting: Kid-friendly font pairings, text placed creatively over or alongside full-bleed illustrations.
  • Essential Pages: Title Page, Copyright Page, Dedication, "A Note from the Author", and "About the Author" sections.
  • KDP Paperback PDF: Formatted for your chosen trim size (6×9, 8.5×8.5, 10×8, etc.).
  • Kindle / ePub eBook: Reflowable format optimized for Kindle Unlimited and Kindle Direct Publishing.
  • IngramSpark version: Alternate bleed/margin spec file for premium distribution.

📏 Supported Trim Sizes

Trim SizeFormatBest For
6 × 9 inchesStandardChapter books, MG novels
8.5 × 8.5 inchesSquarePicture books (most popular)
10 × 8 inchesLandscapeWide panoramic picture books
8 × 10 inchesPortraitActivity books, workbooks
5.5 × 8.5 inchesDigestEarly readers, chapter books

🔤 Font Selection Guidelines

  • Ages 0–4: Large, rounded fonts like Baloo, Nunito, or Fredoka One. Font size 18–24pt.
  • Ages 5–8: Clean readable fonts like Patrick Hand, Andika, or Comic Sans. Size 14–18pt.
  • Ages 9+: Traditional book fonts like Georgia, Palatino, or Lora. Size 12–14pt.
📤 What to send us: Your final manuscript (Word or Google Doc), all illustration files (PNG/PSD), and your preferred trim size. We handle everything from there — no design software needed on your end.

⚙️ Formatting Process

1

Submit Manuscript & Files

Upload your Word doc and illustration files through the dashboard order panel.

2

Layout Draft (1–2 Days)

We place text over illustrations, set margins, and design all front/back matter pages.

3

Client Review

You receive a full PDF proof to review. Mark any changes needed.

4

Revisions & Final Delivery

We apply changes and deliver the final KDP-ready PDF, ePub, and source files.

Physical Book Printing

Museum-quality hardcover and softcover printing with global shipping. From 1 copy to 1,000+ — we handle it all.

🖨️ Print Quality Specifications

  • Press Technology: HP Indigo digital press for true-to-screen CMYK color accuracy — every illustration prints exactly as designed.
  • Paper Stock: Premium 130gsm gloss or 100gsm matte coated — thick, tear-resistant, archive quality.
  • Resolution: All files printed at 300 DPI minimum for razor-sharp illustration detail.
  • Binding — Hardcover: Casebound (sewn and glued) — the same method used by major publishers. Withstands thousands of reads.
  • Binding — Softcover: Perfect bound with laminated cover (gloss or matte finish your choice).
  • Cover Finishing: Spot UV, soft-touch matte, or standard gloss lamination available.

📦 Print Packages & Pricing

PackagePrice (from)Delivery
🔖 Author Copy × 1$187–10 business days
📚 Starter Pack × 10$12010–14 days
🏪 Retailer Pack × 50$45014–18 days
🏭 Bulk × 100+Custom QuoteCustom
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Global Shipping

US, UK, Canada, Australia, and 30+ countries with tracking on every order.

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Print Proof

Order a single proof copy before bulk production — highly recommended.

♻️

FSC Certified

All paper stocks are Forest Stewardship Council certified and eco-friendly.

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Custom Sizes

Any trim size from 5×5 up to 12×12 — custom quotes available.

⚠️ File Requirements: Printing requires a print-ready PDF at 300 DPI with 0.125" bleed. If you used our Formatting service, your file is already print-ready. Otherwise, we can prepare it for a small fee.
🖨️ Get a Printing Quote

Pricing, Calculator & Packages

Transparent pricing with no hidden fees. Use the calculator to estimate your project cost instantly — or explore our complete package breakdown below.

Price Calculator

💡 How Our Pricing Works

Pricing is based on three simple inputs: Art Style × Page Count + Add-ons. There are no hidden platform fees or commissions.

Service / Add-OnPriceDelivery
🎯 2D Flat Color$15 / page5–7 days
✨ Solid Detail$20 / page6–8 days
🌙 Soft Detail$20 / page6–8 days
⬛ Coloring Book$10–15 / page4–6 days
🖼️ Watercolor$20 / page7–10 days
🎬 3D / Pixar$30 / page8–12 days
🔬 Realistic$30 / page8–12 days
📚 Book Cover Design+$30 flat3–5 days
✏️ Book Editing+$30 flat3–4 days
📐 KDP Formatting+$20 flat2–3 days
📱 eBook / ePub+$20 flat2–3 days
🎨 Full Inside Design+$50 flat4–6 days

📦 Complete Book Package (Best Value)

  • Package Includes: 24-page illustration (Solid Detail) + Book Cover + KDP Formatting + eBook version
  • Package Price: Starting from $510 (vs $550 à la carte) — saving $40+
  • Delivery: 15–20 business days for the complete package
  • Revisions: 3 rounds included per illustration, 2 rounds for cover and formatting

🔢 Quick Estimate Calculator

Estimated Total
$480
Get Exact Quote ➔
💳 Payment: Orders are secured via PayPal, Stripe, or Razorpay. Full payment is due before work begins for standard orders. For large orders ($300+), ask about our 50% deposit option.

Order Management Guide

Track your project from submission to final delivery. Every detail — files, revisions, and deadlines — is managed in one place.

📋 The Order Lifecycle

1

Quote & Payment

Submit your project details via the Price Quote tool. Pay securely to confirm your order slot.

2

Requirements Submission

Fill out the requirements form: story script, character descriptions, reference images, and mood board links.

3

Concept / Sketch Phase

We share a rough character concept sketch for approval before moving to full illustration.

4

Illustration In Progress

Work begins page by page. You receive progress previews via the chat/inbox system.

5

Delivery & Revision

All pages delivered. Request up to 3 rounds of revisions — minor text or color changes are always free.

6

Final Files & Close

You download high-res PNG + PDF + PSD files. Order is marked Complete and copyright is transferred.

🔄 Revision Policy

  • 3 Rounds Included: Each illustration comes with 3 free revision rounds. Revisions must be submitted within 7 days of delivery.
  • Minor Changes (Always Free): Text spelling, small color shifts, minor background tweaks.
  • Major Changes: Complete character redesign, style change, or new concept = additional charge quoted separately.
  • Revision Window: After 14 days of inactivity following delivery, the order is auto-closed. Reopen it via Support.

❌ Cancellation & Refund

  • Before work starts: Full refund, no questions asked.
  • After concept sketch: 75% refund.
  • After 50% completion: 50% refund.
  • After full delivery: Refunds not applicable once files are delivered and approved.
🛡️ Buyer Protection: If we fail to deliver within the agreed timeline without prior notice, you are entitled to a full refund, no disputes needed.

📁 File Delivery Format

  • PNG (300 DPI, transparent background): Best for placing illustrations into your own layout.
  • PDF (print-ready with bleed): Delivered if formatting was included in your order.
  • PSD/AI Source Files: Available on request for an additional fee ($15/file).

Publish Your Book

List your completed book on the Kidillus Library to reach readers worldwide — and connect them directly to your Amazon or IngramSpark sales page.

Kidillus Book Library

📚 Kidillus Book Library

The Kidillus Library is a public directory where your published books are discoverable by readers using smart filters for age group, language, genre, and tags. Unlike Amazon, we are specifically focused on children's books — so your audience is pre-qualified.

👁️

Look Inside Preview

Upload 3–6 sample pages so readers can preview before buying — just like Amazon.

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Direct Sales Link

"Get This Book" button links to your Amazon, Gumroad, or personal website — you keep 100% royalties.

Ratings & Reviews

Readers leave star ratings and written reviews to build social proof and credibility.

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Author Verified Badge

Complete your profile to earn the verified author badge — increases reader trust.

📱

Social Sharing

Each book page has share buttons for Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp to amplify reach.

📊

View Analytics

Track page views and engagement on each book from your dashboard analytics chart.

🚀 How to Publish on Kidillus

1

Go to Dashboard → "My Books"

Click the "Add New Book" button to open the publishing form.

2

Upload Cover & Preview Pages

Upload your book cover (JPG/PNG) and 3–6 interior spread images for the "Look Inside" feature.

3

Fill in Book Details

Title, subtitle, author name, genre, age group (0–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12), language, tags, and a compelling description.

4

Add Your Sales Link

Paste your Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Gumroad, or website URL. This is where readers will be directed to buy.

5

Publish & Share

Click "Publish". Your book goes live immediately. Share your unique book URL on social media.

🌐 Amazon KDP Publishing Tips

  • Title & Subtitle: Include searchable keywords in your subtitle (e.g., "A Bedtime Story for Toddlers Ages 2–4").
  • Categories: Choose 2 sub-categories. Niche is better — "Children's Books → Animals → Dinosaurs" outperforms broad categories.
  • 7 Keywords: Use long-tail phrases like "bedtime story for 3 year olds" rather than single words.
  • Pricing: $8.99–$14.99 is the sweet spot for US picture books. Price below $9.99 for Kindle Unlimited eligibility.
  • Author Page: Create your Amazon Author Central page and link all your books for better discoverability.
📘 Full Guide: Read our complete step-by-step How to Publish on KDP guide — covering everything from account setup to going live.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the questions we receive most often. Can't find your answer? Open a support ticket below.

📦 Orders & Process

How long does a complete illustrated children's book take?
For a standard 24-page picture book using Solid Detail style, the total timeline is typically 15–20 business days: 2–3 days for the character concept, 10–14 days for all interior illustrations, and 2–3 days for cover design. Rush delivery (50% surcharge) reduces this to 8–12 days. Formatting adds another 2–3 days if included.
Do I own the copyright to the illustrations?
Yes, 100%. Upon full payment and order completion, all commercial rights are transferred to you. You receive a signed Copyright Transfer Agreement with your final files. You can publish on Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, sell physical copies, create merchandise — with no royalties owed to Kidillus.
Can I see samples before paying?
Yes. You can browse our full portfolio at kidillus.com/illustration and the Book Store. We also offer a free character concept sketch for orders above $100 — just mention it when submitting your quote request. This lets you see the character design before committing to the full project.
What if I'm not happy with the illustrations?
Every order includes 3 free revision rounds. You can request adjustments to colors, character expressions, background elements, and poses. If you are fundamentally unhappy after revisions, contact support — we will work with you to find a resolution, which may include a partial or full refund depending on the stage of completion.
What file formats do I receive?
You receive high-resolution PNG (300 DPI, transparent background) for all illustrations, plus a print-ready PDF if formatting is included. PSD layered source files are available on request for an additional $15 per file. All files are delivered via a secure download link that remains active for 30 days.

💳 Payments & Pricing

What payment methods are accepted?
We accept PayPal, Stripe (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), and Razorpay (for Indian clients — UPI, Net Banking, Cards). All transactions are SSL encrypted. For large orders ($500+), bank wire transfer is also available — contact us for details.
Is a deposit or full payment required upfront?
Standard orders require full payment before work begins. For orders above $300, we offer a 50% deposit structure — 50% upfront, 50% upon delivery before files are released. Contact us via the quote form to request a split-payment arrangement.
Are there any hidden fees or platform commissions?
No. The price quoted is exactly what you pay. There are no platform commissions, no subscription fees, and no royalties on book sales. The only extras are optional add-ons (cover, formatting, eBook) that are clearly listed before checkout.

📚 Technical & Publishing

What trim sizes are supported for KDP formatting?
We support all Amazon KDP-approved trim sizes including 6×9, 8.5×8.5, 10×8, 8×10, and 5.5×8.5 inches. IngramSpark sizes are also supported. If you need a custom size, contact us with your specifications and we will confirm availability.
Can you publish directly to Amazon KDP on my behalf?
We can guide you through the entire KDP publishing process step-by-step, but direct account access is not required or recommended for security reasons. We deliver all ready-to-upload files and a customized publishing checklist. The actual upload takes less than 30 minutes with our guide.
Do you offer ISBN and barcode generation?
Yes. KDP provides a free ISBN if you publish exclusively through them. For wider distribution (IngramSpark, bookstores), you need your own ISBN. We have a free ISBN Barcode Generator tool at kidillus.com/tools/isbn-barcode-generator that creates print-ready barcode images for your back cover.

Still have questions?

Our support team replies in under 2 hours during business hours.

💬 Open a Support Ticket

🎫 Support Tickets

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