Heather, you have no idea the positive impact you're having on people like myself. You've given us hope in creating our children's books. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.
Thanks, Heather! I've written 7 children's book concepts, including a series, and finally, I chose to self-publish after getting some rejection and even some interest from lit agents. In this day and age, creative control is important. Thank you so much for sharing this information with all of us fellow authors!
WHEW! Thank you! I just paid a pro illustrator to illustrate my kids' book, but had no idea how to separate the spread in Canva. Until I found this video. 😀
Thank you sooo much Heather for sharing this video. My assignment was to create through InDesign. I wasn't able to create through InDesign because my computer was not compatible. I thought of Canva and looked up on RUclips on how to create spreads and came across your video! You were a great big help!!! Thank you!!
Thank you, Heather, for such a great tutorial. My 5-year-old son has written some stories which he wants me to make into a book. I have decided to self-publish and illustrate as well. This tutorial was all I needed to boost my confidence. I can actually do this! I am super grateful.
Hi Heather, your videos are super helpful!! Thank you. I am currently making my illustrations on procreate. But I understand that all pages have to be submitted as single pages for KDP. Do you have a video showing what you do with your double page spreads in procreate? How do you export them and make them single pages?
Great tutorial 🎉 thanks a lot, although I didn't get the part where you added the spread design on an existing project, for me it opens up a new untitled project on its own.
Are you sure you were already in your existing project and went to file -> import files? Or, when you're already in your existing project, go to the uploads tab on the left
Hi Heather, Thank you for the video! Very easy to follow. I am wondering where you get the photos for your children’s book? For example, do you use Unsplash, design yourself, etc
For mine I illustrate them myself. These ones I did with acrylic paint on canvas and then scanned them in. I'm working on another book right now that I am illustrating in Procreate on the iPad. You can also use images from Canva too, if you aren't comfortable drawing it yourself. Or you can hire an illustrator. A lot of people find illustrators on Fiverr. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much for your videos! I just got my children’s book from kdp and my 2page spreads aren’t lined up. They line up perfectly on canva and on kdp preview but all three spreads aren’t lined up in my actual book. Do you have any suggestions?
How do you create an illustration to fit the wide spread? I created an illustration to fit a regular page which I would like to spread across two pages?
Hi! You have to plan for it when you are creating the artwork. So you'll either need to redo it to make it wide, OR zoom in and chop off the top and bottom to make it wide.
Hey! Thank you for this :) So no need to click "crop marks and bleed" when we download for amazon KDP? Also, this file will be the one we use for paperback? What about ebook? or hardcover? what are the export settings? (doesn't hardcover need a spine?) And when we upload them to KDP do we need 1 file of just the cover / back page and then 1 file of the interior (not including cover / back?) Thanks!!
Hi! No don't do the crop marks and bleed. We already accounted for bleed when we created the file at the proper size. When you're all done creating your pages in your Canva file, you'll export as a PDF for Print. Hardcover will be the same inside PDF, but the cover is very different. But, you need at least 75 pages for a hardcover so that's why I don't have videos for it because most people don't have children's books that long. When you upload to KDP, yes you'll have 2 different files. In my next video in this series I show you how to make the cover file. You can also look for my video that walks you through that upload process if you're curious. Thanks!!
Hi Heather. Great video. Thanks a lot for sharing this ❤ I wanted to know, if we are creating books to be printed, won't the centre of the spread get hidden due to binding? Then the image won't look good.
I don't think so but I do try to use red boxes and arrows to make it obvious what you need to click on or what you should be looking at. This video is an older one and I think I didn't do it as much here but in my newer videos I do.
Thank you!! The last page will be to the left of the spine, and then the back of the back cover will be to the right of the spine. Hope that makes sense!
@@ZacharyJoseph-c9u I'm not sure I fully understand your question but the cover will be a separate file. If you look at the next video in the series, I show you how to create the cover. The inside of the cover isn't able to be printed on. Does that answer your question?
Thank you Heather for the video. I have questions about the size of the elements on the illustration. How do you know that it’s the correct size? Because in some books I already read, sometimes the characters are big on one page and on another one they are smaller. How can you figure out what is the appropriate size for the images. I don’t know if I make sense in my question. Also I don’t know why the illustration book I did on canva but when I uploaded on KDP and launched the preview it looked blurry. Is that normal? What do you suggest to avoid that?
Hi! For the sizes of the characters, I think you have to just go with what looks best to you. I tend to zoom in more, because I think it looks better than having a tiny little character that's hard to see. I'd rather have like, the torso & head. For the book in Canva - it would depend on the illustrations that you are dropping into Canva. Are the illustrations the correct size or are you having to stretch them bigger? The other thing is, make sure you are selecting the highest quality when you export to PDF.
@@HeatherCashArt thank you for responding so quickly. I really appreciate it. For the size of the characters, I used canva elements. I need to make it bigger to fit my page like grass or trees and for the main character a bit taller.
Hi Heather thanks for the great video! Just wondering. Can I just use the spread as is for kdp book. Or do I have to do the step that splits up to single pages?
@@HeatherCashArt okay, great to know! Ive been having someone do the formatting for me but you’re videos have been giving hope I can do it myself!!! I appreciate your reply!!! 🙏🏽💛✨
Thank you so much for the info! I do have a question about Canva. Do you have videos on that as well? It looks like you created your own art. Is there a way to do that on Canva or did you import it from another program. All that I thought you could do on Canva was use the pics they have and I don't understand how to change the design to make it look like I want.
Hi Cathy, thanks for watching! You can't actually draw in Canva - it's just for the layout (adding text etc) I draw the actual artwork digitally. Whether it's in Procreate on the iPad, or using a Wacom tablet hooked up to your computer, or you can even draw it or paint it traditionally on paper or canvas and then scan it in! Does that answer your question?
@@HeatherCashArt thank you! I thought I just didn’t know something in Canva since I’m just learning how to use it. I have someone that has agreed to illustrate my picture book but wish I would have used Fivver now. It’s taking forever when the person on Fivver would have had it done in 6 days. I’ve been waiting a month and just want to get my picture book out since people are waiting to buy it. I wish I had your artistic ability. Sorry for whining. Thank you for your knowledge!
Hi! When creating ekindle books, do we still need to leave that first page blank? I've been looking for 2 weeks for a video that accurately explains this process and yours has been by far the easiest and it's gotten me farther than any other videos I've watched! You wouldn't happen to have one that focuses more on creating a downloadble book do you?
Hi! I'm so glad you like my video! No you don't need to leave the first page blank for the ebook. If you are creating a children's book for Amazon KDP, you can use Kindle Kids Book Creator. I do have a video! ruclips.net/video/bzCIhD996c8/видео.html
Hi again Heather, I just found your Templates! Hooray!!! I do have a question...does the page number include the pages I added to the front of the story? I have the first page 'This Book Belongs To:, the second page is dedication and copyright info, the third page is a title page. Then the story starts. Do the first 3 pages count in the total pages. I also ended it with an 'About the Author" page.
Hi Cathy! Yay!! Let me know what you think of the template! If you think there's anything I should add/change etc! Yes the first three pages do count towards your final page count. Any pages you add, even blank ones, will count 🙂
@@HeatherCashArt I already set my picture book up with a 7.125 X 10.25 layout that I sent to the illustrator. I thought originally that I wanted a hardback as well. Then I found out that I can’t do hardback unless it’s many more pages. I do want to use your sample size on my next picture book. I’ll let you know how it goes. I’m not techy (like you didn’t already know) so I should have good feedback.
Hi ms Heather. I'm still blurred with the pages arranged. I want to add some notes on objectives on pages 1, 2, and 3. I started the story on the 4th page so my pages 1 and 2 will be on 4 and continue the same till. I complete the book. right?
Yeah that should be fine, just remember that even pages are on the left and odd pages are on the right. So if you start the story on page 4, you'll have 4&5 next to each other.
Hi! It's weird but, the unit preference is actually tied to the document itself (you choose it when creating the document). So if you want to change it, you'll need to do the "magic resize" option and set the size that you want it to be in inches. Hope that makes sense!
Thank you so so much! I am trying to do this on Google doc and it's not working out. When I saved it to epub file, the texts was gigantic and so off. So thank you again for sharing your knowledge!
Hi i followed these exact steps but keep getting this issie: Interior Increase your inside margins so that content isn't obscured when the book is bound.. How can i solve this? ( thank you for the tutorial!!)
Yes you can 🙂 Check out this video I made that shows you how to use Canva illustrations to create your designs for your children's book! ruclips.net/video/a73yJ75xgH4/видео.html
For these illustrations I painted them with acrylic on canvas and scanned them in. But now I use Procreate on the iPad or Affinity photo with Wacom tablet.
Hi Heather-me again. So my illustrator hasn’t done this before in KDP either. She is just rendering the illustrations now. Should she send them to me in a specific way in order for me to put them together on Canva with my words? I actually paid for teams on Canva so we could work together but she used a different program. I set up my pages on Canva for a 7x10” (7.125x10.25). After watching your video I see that I need to double the width and then add in everything on a new file. It looks like I need to upload each page as a separate file.?
Hi! She should send each page as a separate JPG, and then you can upload those to Canva. You don't need to double the width... In this video I do it to make planning a spread easier, but I don't know if your book is all spreads or not? But your final PDF will be just how you made it (7.125x10.25). In this video, I made a separate file where I doubled the size to plan the spread, but in the end I saved it out as a JPG and then brought it into the final project where each page is its own page in Canva. Does that make sense? Also, please make sure she is creating the illustrations in the right size (the same size as the page). A lot of times I see where the illustrator will make it the wrong size and then it needs edited. I hope that helps? Let me know if anything wasn't clear!
Thank you! I sent this info to her. I was trying to find where you may have added your own ISBN and barcode. Have you done this because I would like to but I’m not sure.?
I followed your size specifications exactly, except for the cover image size. I used the Cover Calculator from KDP, which indicated that the full size for an 8.375 x 8.5 inch cover should be 17.087 x 8.75 inches, not 16.75 x 8.75 inches. For the interior pages, I used the size 8.375 x 8.5 inches just like you. I uploaded the file to KDP, selected the special size of 8.375 x 8.5 inches, and chose Bleed. However, I ended up getting rejected 5 times. The system indicated that there was an issue with the Bleed. I am very frustrated now and am unsure where I went wrong. Please help me.
Hi!! When you used the Cover Calculator and when you uploaded to KDP, you selected the wrong trim size. 8.375x8.5 is the size of your file, but your TRIM SIZE is 8.25x8.25. So even though your file is 8.375x8.5, what you will select in KDP is 8.25x8.25. Does that make sense?
Do you mean your artwork isn't the right size for the Canva document? Can you resize it? Or are you saying the ratio isn't correct? Can you be more specific?
Another lovely presentation thank you, however, my only comment would be that it would be great if you include the reference source or at least mention the fact that gutter margins are required for those of us printing hardcover books. Great work though👍
Do you ever have issues with your manuscript upload failing in KDP? Looks like this may be a common issue when exporting from Canva but I can't seem to find a solution.
@@HeatherCashArtthanks for your response. I chose "flatten" but could not open the file. I honestly think it was because I had too many layers/items on each page. It was taking so long to populate everything when I would open a page (my extremely slow internet speed was a factor as well, ha ha!). I ended up saving each page as a high resolution JPG image and creating a new document to transfer the images to. Maybe that will work. Fingers crossed.
Hi! You would just add it as text like any other text you would add to the book - make sure it is within the safe zone. Since even pages are on the left and odd on the right, you'll want the number to be in the lower left corner for even pages and lower right corner for odd pages. That said... if you're doing a children's book I wouldn't really mess with having page numbers. Since children's books are pretty short, page numbers aren't really needed. They're more for the longer chapter books.
You'll still need to cut it in half for the PDF, but then if it's perfectly in the middle of the book, the two halves will be printed next to each other to create one piece, if that makes sense.
When I upload the spreads as PNG, the pages look blurry. When I upload them as PDF prints, they look clear! Is this an acceptable alternative? Note: I'm speaking of the uploading that takes place in transferring pages from the spreads to the single pages and, then, downloading them to PDFS. IS it acceptable to copy and paste PDFs rather than PNGS?
Yes that is totally ok! Canva is so weird. It's odd because it's not super clear when you're exporting what the DPI is. I hope they fix that. But I do know that the "PDF Print" exports as 300 DPI so that actually would be best! Sometimes I wish I could go back and change some parts of my videos!
Thanks so much for your prompt and reassuring reply! I have been using your videos for almost a year now as I create my first children's book. They have been really helpful and I'm almost ready to submit to KDP (I think?!) I thought the writing and artwork were challenging but the formatting is really the hardest part for me. Thank you so much
@@adriennehugo6719 Aw you're so welcome!! That makes me so happy ☺️ I know the formatting can be the hardest part for a lot of people! I'm so glad my videos have helped you - that means so much to me 🙂 I'd love to see your book when you get it up on Amazon! If you have any issues when uploading don't hesitate to reach out to me ❤️ heather@heathercash.com Good luck!!
I wanna ask, doesn't KDP still reject the manuscript due to "insufficient gutters" when ur using page spreads? Does that get ignored or there's a way to circumvent that?
Heather, Is your page number 4 coming to the left side of your book, as a part of the spread? does this video represent the exact format in which your this book that is available on Amazon, is laid out? I hope I am not filling up your comments section.💜 Thanks in advance.
Hi! Ha ha that's ok, that's what I'm here for! It's not the exact layout of my book - I laid my book out in Photoshop. So this is just an example. But all of your even pages will be on the left, and odd pages on the right. Page 1 will be all by itself to the right of the spine, and then page 2&3 will be a spread, 4&5, and so on. I hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
@@HeatherCashArt Yes, your reply answers my question precisely. Thank you! Yes, I will contact you if I have any other questions. I feel I have found a friend in you.💜 Btw, I have purchased your book today, as my gesture of appreciation. 💜
@@Diamond-zt2dc aww you are so sweet! I'm glad to be friends! If you're interested, you might want to join my creativity club on Facebook. There are more creative friends for you! And we video chat once a month and share our projects and ask questions!! facebook.com/groups/heatherscreativityclub
How do you upload to kdp without the automated checks for bleed and trim? If I have anything even close to the edge it won't let me move on to next stage
I don't believe there is a way. However, I've found that as long as there is no text near the edge, then it won't care about other elements. If I have ONE page with text too close to the edge, then it will also find all these other pages with "issues" (when it's really just part of the illustration that can get cut off). But if I fix the one page with the actual TEXT too close to the edge, then it ignores the other elements that it complained about before. I hope that helps!
@@HeatherCashArt thank you. My experience is different unfortunately :( having a really hard time with it. Do you just use the web-based page? Upload the manuscript then cover?
@@pooyag yes I do. What do you have around the edges that it is complaining about? Is it artwork? I'd be happy to take a look if you want to email it to me. heather@heathercash.com
It would be the opposite. Page 1 is to the right is the spine, with just the back of the front cover to the left of it. So right would be odd numbers, left would be even.
hi heather, I was following your video and after downloading the PDF I can see all my centers are sort of overlapping between the right and the left page... Is it how it suppose to be?
No they shouldn't be overlapping, they should line up perfectly. If you want to share your Canva project with me I can take a look: heather@heathercash.com
I Found out that I didn't follow your previous video on the singular pages correctly... Now everything is fine... Took me a lot of time to figure out that I didn't follow you perfect instructions. :) Thank you!@@HeatherCashArt
Unfortunately I haven't made a ton of sales of my book on Amazon KDP. I've had success at local bookstores and galleries, and my Etsy shop, but not Amazon KDP. So I can help you with all the technical stuff, but when it comes to selling on KDP you'll have to go to someone else! I recommend Paul Marles. Good luck!
@@HeatherCashArt im asking ..can you do the spread om Canva for me 😂 thanks so much for response i cant figure it out. .. And i know how to make sales on KdP i have studied it enough ..
Heather, you have no idea the positive impact you're having on people like myself. You've given us hope in creating our children's books. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.
OMG thank you so much for your kind words ❤️ That makes me so happy 🥰 and you're so very welcome!
Your videos are lifesaving you just don't know!! Thank you so much!!❤
Awwww thank you!!! 🥰
Thanks, Heather! I've written 7 children's book concepts, including a series, and finally, I chose to self-publish after getting some rejection and even some interest from lit agents. In this day and age, creative control is important. Thank you so much for sharing this information with all of us fellow authors!
That's awesome congratulations! I agree that creative control is so important!
How to make its cover?
WHEW! Thank you! I just paid a pro illustrator to illustrate my kids' book, but had no idea how to separate the spread in Canva. Until I found this video. 😀
Yay!!! So glad I could help! 💖
This is super helpful, I’ve been looking for this exact thing!
Same here😊
Thanks so much. This is so helpful! I'm excited about my first book.
You're so welcome! Glad you found it helpful! 💗
Heather! Thank you so much for all of your tutorials! This has broken all of it down into digestible bites!
Yay I'm so glad!!! Thank you for your kind words 💕
Thank you SO much for creating these videos! They are incredibly helpful
You're so welcome! I'm glad you like them!!
Thank you sooo much Heather for sharing this video. My assignment was to create through InDesign. I wasn't able to create through InDesign because my computer was not compatible. I thought of Canva and looked up on RUclips on how to create spreads and came across your video! You were a great big help!!! Thank you!!
I'm so glad I was able to help!! Thank you!!
Thanks, I just finished mine. Your explanation was way easier than anything else I found on youtube! You have a new follower in me!
Aww thank you!!! I'm so glad ☺️
I'm new too :)
Thank you, Heather, for such a great tutorial. My 5-year-old son has written some stories which he wants me to make into a book. I have decided to self-publish and illustrate as well. This tutorial was all I needed to boost my confidence. I can actually do this! I am super grateful.
Aww I'm so glad!! I'd love to see the book once it's done! And of course let me know if you have any questions along the way ☺️
Heather, you do a really great job of explaining things! Thank you so much for your help!
You are so welcome!
Knocked it out the park babe, gr8 direction and help ..I been taking notes lol want my first book to be perfect 😊
Thank you!!
thank you heather. God bless you.
Your artwork is adorable… love the cute fox!🦊 ❤
Thank you so much!!! 🥰
You are just what this confused individual needed. THANK YOU for the clear and informative vids. Cheers. 🤗
I'm so glad! Thank you for your kind words ❤️
Awesome and really informational video. I will come back for more!!
Very helpful videos. You explain things so clearly, I'm inspired to try it myself.
Yay!
VERY HELPFUL!
Yay!
Heather thanks from UK London, you are a star!
You're so welcome! Thank you for the kind words!
Your channel has helped me the most thank you
You're so welcome!
Hi Heather, very valuable information. Thank you for sharing. 💜🙏
You're so welcome!
Thank you so much for helping us do this!
You're so welcome!!
Thank you so much for sharing your expertise. God bless your channel and what you do.
Aww thank you!!
Thank you so much it really helped me out.
You're so welcome!!
This is precisely what I was looking for
Yay!!
Thank you for these helpful videos! Hopefully, I’ll get started soon!
Yay!!
This is so helpful..... thank you so much 💗
You're so welcome! I'm glad you liked it!
Thank you! The video is very informational.
You're welcome!
Great one, with my favorite fox!!😊
Aww thank you!!! ☺️
Hi Heather, your videos are super helpful!! Thank you. I am currently making my illustrations on procreate. But I understand that all pages have to be submitted as single pages for KDP. Do you have a video showing what you do with your double page spreads in procreate? How do you export them and make them single pages?
Hi! Yes I do! Here you go ☺️
ruclips.net/video/vPl8o42OonU/видео.html
Let me know if you have any questions!!
Great tutorial 🎉 thanks a lot, although I didn't get the part where you added the spread design on an existing project, for me it opens up a new untitled project on its own.
Are you sure you were already in your existing project and went to file -> import files?
Or, when you're already in your existing project, go to the uploads tab on the left
this was great, thank u!!
You're welcome!
This is so very helpful! All my pictures were scanned in as PDF’s. Do I need to convert those to something else before importing??
I don't think so, I'm pretty sure that you can just upload the PDFs to Canva the same as you would an image.
i say you’re so generous of sharing information unlike some pretend guru on tiktok 👏🏻
Aww, thank you!
Hi Heather,
Thank you for the video! Very easy to follow.
I am wondering where you get the photos for your children’s book? For example, do you use Unsplash, design yourself, etc
For mine I illustrate them myself. These ones I did with acrylic paint on canvas and then scanned them in. I'm working on another book right now that I am illustrating in Procreate on the iPad.
You can also use images from Canva too, if you aren't comfortable drawing it yourself. Or you can hire an illustrator. A lot of people find illustrators on Fiverr.
Hope that helps!
Thank you so much for your videos! I just got my children’s book from kdp and my 2page spreads aren’t lined up. They line up perfectly on canva and on kdp preview but all three spreads aren’t lined up in my actual book. Do you have any suggestions?
Oh that's weird! It may have been a printing error then. Their quality is very inconsistent! You should email them.
💚 Absolute genius. Thank you. 🎉
THank you this wa so helpful
You're welcome!
How do you create an illustration to fit the wide spread? I created an illustration to fit a regular page which I would like to spread across two pages?
Hi! You have to plan for it when you are creating the artwork. So you'll either need to redo it to make it wide, OR zoom in and chop off the top and bottom to make it wide.
you are an angel 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰😇
Awww thank you 💕💕💕
Hey! Thank you for this :) So no need to click "crop marks and bleed" when we download for amazon KDP? Also, this file will be the one we use for paperback? What about ebook? or hardcover? what are the export settings? (doesn't hardcover need a spine?) And when we upload them to KDP do we need 1 file of just the cover / back page and then 1 file of the interior (not including cover / back?)
Thanks!!
Hi! No don't do the crop marks and bleed. We already accounted for bleed when we created the file at the proper size.
When you're all done creating your pages in your Canva file, you'll export as a PDF for Print.
Hardcover will be the same inside PDF, but the cover is very different. But, you need at least 75 pages for a hardcover so that's why I don't have videos for it because most people don't have children's books that long.
When you upload to KDP, yes you'll have 2 different files. In my next video in this series I show you how to make the cover file. You can also look for my video that walks you through that upload process if you're curious. Thanks!!
Hi Heather. Great video. Thanks a lot for sharing this ❤
I wanted to know, if we are creating books to be printed, won't the centre of the spread get hidden due to binding? Then the image won't look good.
Hi! No the center will not be hidden. The book is bound using saddle-stitch binding and you will see the center of the spread.
@@HeatherCashArt OK. Thank you 😊
Thank you for a great video! Just a small request: sometimes it's hard to follow your cursor. Is it possible for you to make it a little more visable?
I don't think so but I do try to use red boxes and arrows to make it obvious what you need to click on or what you should be looking at. This video is an older one and I think I didn't do it as much here but in my newer videos I do.
Awesome video! Question: Will the last page in canva reflect the back cover of the book when printed?
Thank you!! The last page will be to the left of the spine, and then the back of the back cover will be to the right of the spine. Hope that makes sense!
@@HeatherCashArt Okay so then we want to be creating a cover image spread as well as include it into the pdf download? Correct?
@@ZacharyJoseph-c9u I'm not sure I fully understand your question but the cover will be a separate file. If you look at the next video in the series, I show you how to create the cover.
The inside of the cover isn't able to be printed on.
Does that answer your question?
@@HeatherCashArt Yes I just wasnt sure if the cover needed to be also included in the manuscript as well as uploaded separately.
@@ZacharyJoseph-c9u no, just separately only
Thank you! ❤
Thank you Heather for the video. I have questions about the size of the elements on the illustration. How do you know that it’s the correct size? Because in some books I already read, sometimes the characters are big on one page and on another one they are smaller. How can you figure out what is the appropriate size for the images. I don’t know if I make sense in my question. Also I don’t know why the illustration book I did on canva but when I uploaded on KDP and launched the preview it looked blurry. Is that normal? What do you suggest to avoid that?
Hi! For the sizes of the characters, I think you have to just go with what looks best to you. I tend to zoom in more, because I think it looks better than having a tiny little character that's hard to see. I'd rather have like, the torso & head.
For the book in Canva - it would depend on the illustrations that you are dropping into Canva. Are the illustrations the correct size or are you having to stretch them bigger? The other thing is, make sure you are selecting the highest quality when you export to PDF.
@@HeatherCashArt thank you for responding so quickly. I really appreciate it. For the size of the characters, I used canva elements. I need to make it bigger to fit my page like grass or trees and for the main character a bit taller.
Hi Heather thanks for the great video! Just wondering. Can I just use the spread as is for kdp book. Or do I have to do the step that splits up to single pages?
Hi! You will need to split it up for the paperback book because otherwise it will put your spread on just one page and it won't span two pages.
@@HeatherCashArt okay, great to know! Ive been having someone do the formatting for me but you’re videos have been giving hope I can do it myself!!! I appreciate your reply!!! 🙏🏽💛✨
Never mind! I should have opened it before I asked. What about the Author page? Do they add this info or should Ieave it in the original book pages?
Hi! Amazon doesn't add it to the actual book, so you should definitely include it if you'd like it in there!
Thank you so much for the info! I do have a question about Canva. Do you have videos on that as well? It looks like you created your own art. Is there a way to do that on Canva or did you import it from another program. All that I thought you could do on Canva was use the pics they have and I don't understand how to change the design to make it look like I want.
Hi Cathy, thanks for watching! You can't actually draw in Canva - it's just for the layout (adding text etc) I draw the actual artwork digitally. Whether it's in Procreate on the iPad, or using a Wacom tablet hooked up to your computer, or you can even draw it or paint it traditionally on paper or canvas and then scan it in! Does that answer your question?
@@HeatherCashArt thank you! I thought I just didn’t know something in Canva since I’m just learning how to use it. I have someone that has agreed to illustrate my picture book but wish I would have used Fivver now. It’s taking forever when the person on Fivver would have had it done in 6 days. I’ve been waiting a month and just want to get my picture book out since people are waiting to buy it. I wish I had your artistic ability. Sorry for whining. Thank you for your knowledge!
Hi! When creating ekindle books, do we still need to leave that first page blank? I've been looking for 2 weeks for a video that accurately explains this process and yours has been by far the easiest and it's gotten me farther than any other videos I've watched! You wouldn't happen to have one that focuses more on creating a downloadble book do you?
Hi! I'm so glad you like my video! No you don't need to leave the first page blank for the ebook. If you are creating a children's book for Amazon KDP, you can use Kindle Kids Book Creator. I do have a video!
ruclips.net/video/bzCIhD996c8/видео.html
Hi again Heather, I just found your Templates! Hooray!!! I do have a question...does the page number include the pages I added to the front of the story? I have the first page 'This Book Belongs To:, the second page is dedication and copyright info, the third page is a title page. Then the story starts. Do the first 3 pages count in the total pages. I also ended it with an 'About the Author" page.
Hi Cathy! Yay!! Let me know what you think of the template! If you think there's anything I should add/change etc! Yes the first three pages do count towards your final page count. Any pages you add, even blank ones, will count 🙂
@@HeatherCashArt I already set my picture book up with a 7.125 X 10.25 layout that I sent to the illustrator. I thought originally that I wanted a hardback as well. Then I found out that I can’t do hardback unless it’s many more pages. I do want to use your sample size on my next picture book. I’ll let you know how it goes. I’m not techy (like you didn’t already know) so I should have good feedback.
@@cathyhulet441 I can send you a template for that size! Email me at heather@heathercash.com 🙂
Thanks a lot ❤️❤️
Hi ms Heather. I'm still blurred with the pages arranged. I want to add some notes on objectives on pages 1, 2, and 3. I started the story on the 4th page so my pages 1 and 2 will be on 4 and continue the same till. I complete the book. right?
Yeah that should be fine, just remember that even pages are on the left and odd pages are on the right. So if you start the story on page 4, you'll have 4&5 next to each other.
Thank you Ms Heather
What size did you make the pages in the design where you placed your pictures?
Hi! That is explained in the previous video in this series:
ruclips.net/video/Xn3dCLDoifo/видео.html
Let me know if you have any questions!
Hi! How do you get the rulers and guides to go to inches?
Hi! It's weird but, the unit preference is actually tied to the document itself (you choose it when creating the document). So if you want to change it, you'll need to do the "magic resize" option and set the size that you want it to be in inches.
Hope that makes sense!
Thank you so so much! I am trying to do this on Google doc and it's not working out. When I saved it to epub file, the texts was gigantic and so off. So thank you again for sharing your knowledge!
Ooh yeah I definitely wouldn't recommend Google docs! Glad I could help!!
Mam can you please tell me about in double page spread what is the calculation of cover size??
Hi! You have to watch the next video in the series!
ruclips.net/video/YOsZ8Ha7NcI/видео.html
Thank you
Hi i followed these exact steps but keep getting this issie:
Interior
Increase your inside margins so that content isn't obscured when the book is bound.. How can i solve this? ( thank you for the tutorial!!)
Email me your file at heather@heathercash.com and I'll take a look 🙂
Heather: Is it acceptable to use some of the backgrounds found in Canva in my children's book. It is my hope to publish.
Yes you can 🙂 Check out this video I made that shows you how to use Canva illustrations to create your designs for your children's book!
ruclips.net/video/a73yJ75xgH4/видео.html
Where are you doing the art work? I'm looking for something to help me making the pictures for the book.
For these illustrations I painted them with acrylic on canvas and scanned them in. But now I use Procreate on the iPad or Affinity photo with Wacom tablet.
Hi Heather, where do you get your illustrations?
Hi! I draw them 🙂
Hi Heather-me again. So my illustrator hasn’t done this before in KDP either. She is just rendering the illustrations now. Should she send them to me in a specific way in order for me to put them together on Canva with my words? I actually paid for teams on Canva so we could work together but she used a different program.
I set up my pages on Canva for a 7x10” (7.125x10.25). After watching your video I see that I need to double the width and then add in everything on a new file.
It looks like I need to upload each page as a separate file.?
Hi! She should send each page as a separate JPG, and then you can upload those to Canva.
You don't need to double the width... In this video I do it to make planning a spread easier, but I don't know if your book is all spreads or not? But your final PDF will be just how you made it (7.125x10.25). In this video, I made a separate file where I doubled the size to plan the spread, but in the end I saved it out as a JPG and then brought it into the final project where each page is its own page in Canva. Does that make sense?
Also, please make sure she is creating the illustrations in the right size (the same size as the page). A lot of times I see where the illustrator will make it the wrong size and then it needs edited.
I hope that helps? Let me know if anything wasn't clear!
Thank you! I sent this info to her.
I was trying to find where you may have added your own ISBN and barcode. Have you done this because I would like to but I’m not sure.?
Hi, can you teach on how to do front and back page of a story book in camva?
If you mean the cover, yes it's right here 🙂
ruclips.net/video/YOsZ8Ha7NcI/видео.html
I followed your size specifications exactly, except for the cover image size. I used the Cover Calculator from KDP, which indicated that the full size for an 8.375 x 8.5 inch cover should be 17.087 x 8.75 inches, not 16.75 x 8.75 inches. For the interior pages, I used the size 8.375 x 8.5 inches just like you.
I uploaded the file to KDP, selected the special size of 8.375 x 8.5 inches, and chose Bleed. However, I ended up getting rejected 5 times. The system indicated that there was an issue with the Bleed. I am very frustrated now and am unsure where I went wrong. Please help me.
Hi!! When you used the Cover Calculator and when you uploaded to KDP, you selected the wrong trim size. 8.375x8.5 is the size of your file, but your TRIM SIZE is 8.25x8.25. So even though your file is 8.375x8.5, what you will select in KDP is 8.25x8.25. Does that make sense?
This is brilkiant. I have a qyick question please. My image isnt fitting to the screen once I upload. What am i missing? ❤ 😢
Do you mean your artwork isn't the right size for the Canva document? Can you resize it? Or are you saying the ratio isn't correct? Can you be more specific?
@HeatherCashArt Yes sure. So the artwork I upload won't drag and fit to a spread. If I try to resize, it cuts the picture and kind of zooms in.
@@GinoandLaurensAdventures what is the size of your artwork, and what is the size of the spread you are dropping it into?
Where do you get the files you do download
Thank you.
You're so welcome!
Is not possibile download doble page on alazon? Necessary devide them? Thx
Amazon requires that you divide them.
Another lovely presentation thank you, however, my only comment would be that it would be great if you include the reference source or at least mention the fact that gutter margins are required for those of us printing hardcover books. Great work though👍
Do you ever have issues with your manuscript upload failing in KDP? Looks like this may be a common issue when exporting from Canva but I can't seem to find a solution.
Yes! I created this KDP Error Guide:
ruclips.net/video/zN7Cs-zKvTM/видео.html
I also have a service on my website where I will fix your errors too 🙂
Heather, I downloaded my canva book as a PDF and saved it to my "Downloads". Is it normal to NOT be able to open the PDF or preview it?
No that's not normal. What happens when you try to open it?
Are you making sure you select "flatten PDF"?
@@HeatherCashArtthanks for your response. I chose "flatten" but could not open the file. I honestly think it was because I had too many layers/items on each page. It was taking so long to populate everything when I would open a page (my extremely slow internet speed was a factor as well, ha ha!). I ended up saving each page as a high resolution JPG image and creating a new document to transfer the images to. Maybe that will work. Fingers crossed.
Do ms Heather knows how to add page number foe the books?
Hi! You would just add it as text like any other text you would add to the book - make sure it is within the safe zone. Since even pages are on the left and odd on the right, you'll want the number to be in the lower left corner for even pages and lower right corner for odd pages.
That said... if you're doing a children's book I wouldn't really mess with having page numbers. Since children's books are pretty short, page numbers aren't really needed. They're more for the longer chapter books.
@@HeatherCashArt appreciate the tips given. 👍
Are the photos you upload scanned first?
Yes, I painted these on canvas so I scanned them in. Here is a video on the process!
ruclips.net/video/_HcNsj97wBo/видео.html
I want to make the middle page on my book as spread page without cutting, is that possible?
You'll still need to cut it in half for the PDF, but then if it's perfectly in the middle of the book, the two halves will be printed next to each other to create one piece, if that makes sense.
when i put upload my art work in the 2 page spread it doesn't fit it gets cropped ..do i need to pay on canva to make it fit to the spread?
You might have it a slightly different size than your Canva page size. Make sure you are accounting for bleed.
Peace be upon you
Are you importing jpeg or PDF files
Hi! I'm importing JPGs 🙂❤️
When I upload the spreads as PNG, the pages look blurry. When I upload them as PDF prints, they look clear! Is this an acceptable alternative? Note: I'm speaking of the uploading that takes place in transferring pages from the spreads to the single pages and, then, downloading them to PDFS. IS it acceptable to copy and paste PDFs rather than PNGS?
Yes that is totally ok! Canva is so weird. It's odd because it's not super clear when you're exporting what the DPI is. I hope they fix that. But I do know that the "PDF Print" exports as 300 DPI so that actually would be best! Sometimes I wish I could go back and change some parts of my videos!
Thanks so much for your prompt and reassuring reply! I have been using your videos for almost a year now as I create my first children's book. They have been really helpful and I'm almost ready to submit to KDP (I think?!) I thought the writing and artwork were challenging but the formatting is really the hardest part for me. Thank you so much
@@adriennehugo6719 Aw you're so welcome!! That makes me so happy ☺️ I know the formatting can be the hardest part for a lot of people! I'm so glad my videos have helped you - that means so much to me 🙂 I'd love to see your book when you get it up on Amazon!
If you have any issues when uploading don't hesitate to reach out to me ❤️ heather@heathercash.com
Good luck!!
I wanna ask, doesn't KDP still reject the manuscript due to "insufficient gutters" when ur using page spreads? Does that get ignored or there's a way to circumvent that?
No I haven't had it rejected. Are you sure you're picking the option "with bleed"?
@@HeatherCashArt perhaps I didn't the last time, thank you very much, I'll apply ur tips👍
Heather, Is your page number 4 coming to the left side of your book, as a part of the spread?
does this video represent the exact format in which your this book that is available on Amazon, is laid out?
I hope I am not filling up your comments section.💜
Thanks in advance.
Hi! Ha ha that's ok, that's what I'm here for!
It's not the exact layout of my book - I laid my book out in Photoshop. So this is just an example. But all of your even pages will be on the left, and odd pages on the right. Page 1 will be all by itself to the right of the spine, and then page 2&3 will be a spread, 4&5, and so on. I hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
@@HeatherCashArt Yes, your reply answers my question precisely. Thank you! Yes, I will contact you if I have any other questions. I feel I have found a friend in you.💜
Btw, I have purchased your book today, as my gesture of appreciation. 💜
@@Diamond-zt2dc aww you are so sweet! I'm glad to be friends!
If you're interested, you might want to join my creativity club on Facebook. There are more creative friends for you! And we video chat once a month and share our projects and ask questions!!
facebook.com/groups/heatherscreativityclub
@@HeatherCashArt Thank you for sharing the link with me. Creativity club sounds awesome. I do not use Facebook. But I will take a look at it.💜
How do you upload to kdp without the automated checks for bleed and trim? If I have anything even close to the edge it won't let me move on to next stage
I don't believe there is a way. However, I've found that as long as there is no text near the edge, then it won't care about other elements. If I have ONE page with text too close to the edge, then it will also find all these other pages with "issues" (when it's really just part of the illustration that can get cut off). But if I fix the one page with the actual TEXT too close to the edge, then it ignores the other elements that it complained about before. I hope that helps!
@@HeatherCashArt thank you. My experience is different unfortunately :( having a really hard time with it. Do you just use the web-based page? Upload the manuscript then cover?
@@pooyag yes I do. What do you have around the edges that it is complaining about? Is it artwork?
I'd be happy to take a look if you want to email it to me. heather@heathercash.com
Is the spread the same thing as cover ?
No, the spread is when you have an illustration span two pages instead of just being in one page.
Are left pages are odd numbers, and right pages even numbers?
It would be the opposite. Page 1 is to the right is the spine, with just the back of the front cover to the left of it. So right would be odd numbers, left would be even.
@@HeatherCashArt thank you so much
@@udiclays any time!!
How to make its cover to publish on Amazon kdp?
Here you go :)
ruclips.net/video/YOsZ8Ha7NcI/видео.html
@@HeatherCashArt Thankyou so much
hi heather, I was following your video and after downloading the PDF I can see all my centers are sort of overlapping between the right and the left page... Is it how it suppose to be?
No they shouldn't be overlapping, they should line up perfectly.
If you want to share your Canva project with me I can take a look:
heather@heathercash.com
I Found out that I didn't follow your previous video on the singular pages correctly... Now everything is fine... Took me a lot of time to figure out that I didn't follow you perfect instructions. :) Thank you!@@HeatherCashArt
Ooh! So glad you got it all figured out! Yay!! Let me know if you have any more issues! ☺️
So you want to show how to do it but not make money from doing it ....
Unfortunately I haven't made a ton of sales of my book on Amazon KDP. I've had success at local bookstores and galleries, and my Etsy shop, but not Amazon KDP. So I can help you with all the technical stuff, but when it comes to selling on KDP you'll have to go to someone else! I recommend Paul Marles. Good luck!
@@HeatherCashArt im asking ..can you do the spread om Canva for me 😂 thanks so much for response i cant figure it out. .. And i know how to make sales on KdP i have studied it enough ..