Everyone has a picture book within them. I’ve been pitched picture books at parties, on dates, at weddings and funerals, and at choir practice. It’s old hat to complain that everyone thinks picture books are easy to write (if they were, I’d be an agent prowling Tinder for new clients). But what I’ve discovered is that most people don’t really know what a constitutes a picture book in the first place, other than the fact that it is a book with pictures. This is picture books 101, so we’re not getting into anything fancy. We’re just defining our terms. When we say picture book, what do we mean?
What is a picture book?
A type of children’s book where the story is told in both text and via art (often painting or illustration, sometimes photography).
Who is a picture book for?
Typically, ages 3-5 or 4-6. There are some books aimed at 6-8, but these tend to be educational books like biographies.
How long is a picture book?
32 Pages.
If you are a debut author, it’s best to assume that your picture book is going to be 32 pages long, unless it’s a nonfiction book aimed at older readers. Those 32 pages often include the copyright, dedication, and title page (plus half-title at some companies) so you often only have 29-30 pages for actual picture book text and back matter.
Sometimes picture books are 40 or 48 pages long, but this is a production decision that comes from within a publisher, that usually depends on a Profit and Loss statement they’ve made comparing production costs of increased page counts. Smaller publishers don’t always have this option, and if you’re writing a story book, it’s best to assume you’ll have 32 pages and be delighted if you get more.
How long should a picture book be in words:
Under 1,000 words. Ideally, under 700 words.
Picture books are aimed at kids 3-6. Those kids have short attention spans. Heck, my attention span barely lasts 1,000 words in a picture book. If your text is that long, you’re probably doing some of the work of the illustrator (which we’ll get to in a later post).
This is a guideline not because editors and agents hate long texts, but because we know you don’t need those words. I promise. If it’s longer than 1,000 words, you have too much dialogue, or you’re describing things instead of letting the illustrator draw them, or the pacing is off, or there’s too much happening in the text. Never forget, you only get 30 pages for your story. That’s not enough room for 1,000 words.