The runtime maths at picture-book length

The house law is 155 words to a finished minute, so a 700-word picture book is about 5m of read text.

Children's editions are deliberately slower: pauses on illustrations, room for a page turn, space for a child to look.

Expect the finished piece to run longer than the raw word count suggests — that is a feature, not padding.

What the build needs from you

Illustrations at the highest resolution you hold, with layers if your illustrator kept them; layered art moves far better.

Confirmation that you hold the rights to the illustrations for video use — many illustration contracts cover print only.

A note on the reading voice you want: warm and close, or theatrical and cast.

What it costs

Base production is 12% of the word count for a film book and 7.000000000000001% for an audio book, which at picture-book lengths is a very small base — the add-ons and the score are what shape the price.

A chosen, cut and mixed score is a flat $1,500; voices are 1% of word count per 2; effects 1% per 5.

Because the base is small on short books, most children's builds are shaped by the score and sound design rather than by length.

Asked and answered

Do I need the illustrator's permission?

Yes, unless you hold the rights outright. Many illustration agreements grant print use only.

Will the illustrations actually move?

They can be given motion — parallax, camera moves, animated elements — and layered artwork moves best.

How long will a picture book run?

The text alone is tiny — around 5m for 700 words — but a children's edition is paced slower on purpose.

Is there a minimum?

Short books have a small base by arithmetic; bring your word count to the Forge and see the number yourself.