Free Author Tool

Picture Book
Paginator

Plan your picture book page-by-page. Paste your story, auto-split across spreads, add illustration notes, then export a PDF for your illustrator.

12–40 Pages Auto Text Split Art Notes PDF Export Auto-Saved

Story Planner

Paste story → Split → Fine-tune spreads
Saved

Storyboard View

32 Pages
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How to Use the Paginator

Mastering the 32-Page Picture Book Layout

Most industry-standard picture books — including those published on Amazon KDP and IngramSpark — follow a strict 32-page structure. This tool helps you distribute your story sentence-by-sentence to visualise the flow before you hire an illustrator.

Why 32 Pages?

Books are printed on large sheets folded into groups called signatures, usually in multiples of 8 or 16. A 32-page book is the most cost-effective and widely supported format. Going off-standard (like 34 pages) may result in blank filler pages or higher printing costs.

Standard 32-Page Breakdown

  • Page 1 — Title Page (right-hand side)
  • Pages 2–3 — Copyright & Dedication spread
  • Pages 4–5 — Story begins (action starts here)
  • Pages 4–29 — Main narrative arc
  • Pages 30–32 — Endpapers, author bio, or call to action

Step-by-Step Workflow

Step 1 — Paste & Auto-Split

Copy your full manuscript and paste it into the story box. Click Auto-Split Text. The algorithm divides your story into sentences and distributes them across pages based on average reading pace.

Step 2 — Adjust the Page Turns

A great picture book is built on the page turn — the moment of suspense or surprise when a child flips the page.

  • Use Insert Spread to add more room for a big scene.
  • Use the ↓ arrow on any page to push text to the next page.
  • Watch the word count. A red box means over 50 words — consider trimming or spreading the text.

Step 3 — Add Art Notes

Click the icon on any page to open the art note field. Describe what the illustrator should draw — for example, "Max looks surprised to see the puppy at the door." These notes appear in the exported PDF but not in the final book.

Exporting for Illustrators

Once you are happy with the layout, click Download PDF Storyboard. Enable the DRAFT watermark if this is a work in progress. Send the PDF to your illustrator so they know exactly which text belongs on which page and what scene each spread should depict.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this picture book paginator free?

Yes — 100% free for authors and illustrators. No account or signup required. Use it as many times as you like to plan your children's books.

Does this work for Amazon KDP?

Absolutely. The 32-page layout is the industry standard for Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, and traditional publishing. The tool also supports 12, 24, 28, and 40-page layouts.

Is my story saved automatically?

Yes. Everything is saved in your browser's local storage. Even if you refresh the page or close the tab, your text, title, and art notes will be there when you return.

Why did my text box turn red?

The box turns red when you exceed 50 words on a single page. Picture books rely heavily on illustrations, so keeping text concise (under 30 words per page is ideal) gives the artist space to tell the visual story.

Can I use custom page counts?

Yes. Select "Custom" from the page dropdown and use the + / − buttons to add or remove spreads (2 pages at a time). Any even page count between 8 and 60 is supported.

How do I prepare this for a professional illustrator?

Fill in the art notes for each page, then click Download PDF Storyboard. The PDF includes your page text, art notes, and page numbers. Send this file to your illustrator as the layout brief.

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