Guides
How many pages should a coloring book have?
Two numbers decide the shape of a coloring book: how many drawings are in it, and how many pages that turns into. They are not the same number. KDP will not print a paperback under 24 pages, coloring books are normally printed single sided, and the blank backs count. Getting this right before you lay out the interior saves you rebuilding the file and recalculating the cover.
The arithmetic: drawings are not pages
A coloring book is printed on both sides of the sheet like any paperback. Single sided means you place a blank page behind each drawing, so the back of every picture is empty and markers that soak through ruin nothing. That doubles the count.
| Drawings | Single sided interior | Double sided interior | Reads as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 24 pages plus front matter | 12 pages, under the minimum | A thin book. Works as a gift or a lead product, not as a standalone seller. |
| 20 | 40 pages plus front matter | 20 pages, under the minimum | The lightest book that still looks like a real product. |
| 30 | 60 pages plus front matter | 30 pages | The common shelf size for kids’ books. |
| 50 | 100 pages plus front matter | 50 pages | An adult book with a visible spine and room for spine text. |
So 12 drawings printed single sided is exactly on KDP’s 24 page floor, and that is before the title page. If you want a 12 drawing book, add front matter and a bonus page or two so you are not fighting the minimum.
Why single sided is the default
- Markers bleed through. KDP prints on standard paperback stock, not on the heavy cardstock a coloring pad uses. Alcohol markers go straight through and crayon and gel pen show as ghosting.
- Buyers check. Reviews on coloring books mention single sided pages more often than they mention the art. If your pages are double sided, say so in the description rather than letting a reviewer say it for you.
- Pages get torn out. A colorist who wants to frame a page can remove it without losing the drawing on the back.
The cost of single sided is real: twice the pages means a higher printing cost per copy, which comes out of your royalty. It is the normal trade in this category and buyers accept the price that comes with it.
What to put on the blank backs
Fully blank is fine and is what most sellers do. Two alternatives are worth knowing. A faint "notes" or "test your colors here" page gives the buyer something and costs nothing. A repeated light pattern looks tidy but increases the ink coverage, and on some interiors that pushes you from black and white into a different printing category, so check the printing cost before you commit to it.
White paper or cream
Choose white. Cream is designed for long stretches of body text, where it reduces glare, and it makes black line art look grey and colors look muddy. White gives the maximum contrast for the outline and lets colored pencil and marker read as the buyer expects. Cream is the right answer for a novel and the wrong answer for a coloring book, every time.
KDP also offers premium color and standard color interiors. A coloring book interior is black ink on white paper, so the black and white option is the one you want. Colored interiors cost several times more per page and buy you nothing when every drawing is an outline.
What this means for the interior file
- Build the PDF with the blanks in it. Do not expect KDP to insert them. The file you upload is the book, page for page.
- The page count must be even. If the arithmetic lands on an odd number, add a blank at the end.
- Page one is a right-hand page. Put the title page there so drawing one falls on a right-hand page too, which is how the book should open.
- Finalise the page count before you build the cover. Spine width comes from the page count, so any change after the cover means redoing the cover.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum page count on KDP?
24 pages for a paperback. Below that the book cannot be printed, which is why 12 drawings single sided is the practical floor.
Is there a maximum?
Yes, in the hundreds, and it varies by paper and trim. It is irrelevant for coloring books: over about 120 pages the printing cost eats the royalty and the book will not lie flat.
Should I print double sided to lower the price?
Only for a book where bleed-through does not matter, such as simple toddler shapes meant for crayons. For anything markers will touch, single sided is what buyers expect.
Do the blank pages count toward printing cost?
Yes. Printing cost is per page regardless of what is on it, which is the whole trade-off of single sided printing.
How many drawings does create-ebook produce?
12 to 24 full-page drawings, laid out on US letter with the print PDF and a cover. Pay per book, no subscription; previews are watermarked until you unlock the book.