The Story of Making a Picture Book for My Son's Birthday

November was a big event: my son's first birthday.

Since it's his first birthday, I wanted to do something memorable. When it comes to things I'm good at, I'd say writing novels and making doujinshi... doujinshi... doujinshi... Aha!

“That's it, I'll make a picture book.”

And so, this is the story of how I made a picture book for my son's first birthday.

*Note: While company names and service names appear frequently in the text, this is not an affiliate post. It is simply an article where a geek talks about things they personally like.

1. Planning and Research

I started thinking about making a picture book around July.
First, I searched Google for terms like “picture book doujinshi printing company” to find companies that handle them.
My vision for the picture book was roughly as follows, so I looked for a company that could accommodate this.

After narrowing down my options based on these conditions, I decided to use Print-On Co., Ltd.

The biggest reason I chose Print-On is that they have helped me with doujinshi production several times in the past.
Because of this, I know how their templates are structured and how to submit data, and I am familiar with their customer service. That gave me peace of mind.

Also, this is my first time making a doujinshi in the format of a picture book (I usually specialize in novels).
The templates and methods for creating manuscripts differ between text-heavy doujinshi and illustration-heavy doujinshi. And I have never made an illustration-heavy doujinshi.

Given these unfamiliar conditions, it is better to rely on a company I am used to in order to avoid risks.
So, I decided to ask Print-On.

First, I logged into the dedicated page and created a tentative estimate by roughly deciding on the book's specifications.

Print-On has various book set products such as “Full Color Book Set,” “Paperback Book Set,” and “Special Paper Set.”
You choose the set you want to use according to the binding of the book you want to create. For example, if you want a book that uses Japanese-style paper or special finishes, you would choose the “Japanese-style Set.”

I chose the Hardcover Book Set.
At the same time, I selected the book's size (A5, B6, etc.), the paper to be used for the cover and body, and any finishes I wanted to apply.

Print-On is fun because there are many types of paper and finishes available. For those who are particular about binding, it is incredibly exciting.
Just looking at the long list of usage examples is fun, so if you are interested, please take a look at their official website.

And the most important things are the number of pages and the number of copies to be printed. This is because the final price changes depending on these two conditions.
At this point, I hadn't created the manuscript yet, so I couldn't finalize the number of pages. Therefore, I estimated a tentative number of pages.

Also, although it doesn't apply here, for normal books, the spine width (the thickness of the book) cannot be determined until the number of pages is decided. Since you can't make the cover without the spine width, the number of pages is important in this respect as well.

With novels, this page count usually changes later (in my case, it increases significantly), but a picture book shouldn't change that much. It's unlikely that a picture book would reach 100 pages.
This time, I assumed a total of 20 pages. In the end, the number of pages didn't change, so I was relieved.

I set the number of copies to two. One is for the actual book, and the other is a spare in case there are any misprints or missing pages, or in case my son destroys it.
Actually, the unit price goes down the more copies you print, so ordering only one or two copies is very cost-inefficient. However, since this was a birthday present for my son, I decided not to think about that.

Having created a preliminary estimate like this, what I want to see is the deadline for submission.
It goes without saying that book creation cannot begin without a manuscript. Therefore, I calculate the deadline from the estimate and set up a schedule for completing the manuscript.

Also, Print-On offers an early submission discount. By using this discount, I push the delivery date as far back as possible, and conversely, move the submission date up to the limit.
By doing this, I can get a significant discount. Using this early discount makes it affordable even if you add various binding options, so it's a great deal.
(However, if you are participating in an event, you cannot push the delivery date back. In that case, I have no choice but to set up my schedule early, but...)

I also took advantage of this early discount and created a preliminary estimate.
Once the book's specifications and schedule were decided in this way, I started working on the manuscript.

2. Manuscript Creation

The first thing needed for the manuscript is deciding the direction of the book.

Since this was for my son's first birthday, I wanted to make a picture book utilizing the photos I had taken so far.
For this reason, I thought, why not arrange the photos into a painting style and make it a picture book that progresses like touring an art museum exhibition?

Once the direction is decided, I first create the main text with just the words.
If it were a novel, I would create a plot (an outline describing the development of the story) before that, but for the length of a picture book, that is not necessary. I started creating the main text in Word right away.

Anyway, once the main text is complete, I can finalize the number of pages for the manuscript. So, I re-request the estimate formally once it is finished.
Then I complete the ordering process and finalize the submission deadline and delivery date.

After this, I create the formal main text combined with illustrations.
Print-On provides templates for manuscript creation for each set. I used these as well.

I use free software called FireAlpaca for processing illustrations and covers. It is free but easy to use, and I have used it before for creating covers for novels and event menus.

The following is a scene of my work this time.

Also, I cannot draw pictures myself. For this reason, for the illustration parts other than the photos, I used Irasutoya.

There are restrictions on commercial use, but this time it is a personal picture book for my son. So I am using it as non-commercial.
If you are considering commercial use, please see the "About Use" and "Frequently Asked Questions" on the official website.

And I used an app called Qnipaint for processing the photo parts.

Since it is a free app, there are many ads, but I am satisfied because all the photos were processed beautifully. Also, it was a high point that I could create multiple touches even with the same watercolor painting.

In this way, I create the main text.

At first, it takes time to adjust the layout and placement, but once you get used to it, you can create about 3 to 4 pages in an hour.
However, if you stare at the computer for a long time, both your eyes and body will be stiff. On top of that, I am a frail woman who has been in poor health since giving birth.
For this reason, the limit for what I could definitely concentrate on was about 2 pages (the child also wakes up).

Also, I make the cover in parallel with the main text.
The background color is a soft sky blue that suits my son (in my personal opinion), and I made it a design that reminds one of a painting.

By the way, for geeks, the fonts (typefaces) used for the cover and body text are also a topic they could talk about forever.

Beyond simple Mincho or Gothic typefaces, I get super excited when I find cute fonts or ones that are perfectly suited to my tastes.
I've even reached the point where I start analyzing the fonts used in advertisements and free papers I see around town, thinking, 'Oh, that's a such-and-such font.'

So, I'll list the fonts I used for this picture book. Note that Marugame Honmaru Gothic and Elmer are free fonts.

Marugame Honmaru Gothic is a font with an impressive soft roundness and clean, thin lines. I thought it was perfect for the body text of a picture book.

https://www.flopdesign.com/marugothic/marugame-font.html

I used HGP Gothic M for symbols like brackets and !?. Since Marugame Honmaru Gothic doesn't include these symbols, I had to use a substitute font.

https://www.fontfactory.jp/font/detail/hggothicm/

Elmer is a font with a cute, rounded form. Because the lines are thick, I used it for the cover and spine title. I'm also grateful that it supports kanji.
(Many free fonts only support hiragana and katakana.)

https://fontfree.me/2359

I used these fonts selectively to create the cover and body text. As a font geek, this is a time I enjoy immensely.

3. Proofreading and Submission

Once the body text and cover are done, I proofread them before submission. In plain terms, it's a review of the whole thing.

If it were a regular novel, I would start by marking up the body text with red ink. But since this is a picture book, there weren't many corrections to the body text.

That said, the layout of the entire body text must be consistent. Especially in the case of a horizontally written book, it becomes difficult to read if the height of the text and illustrations doesn't align across the left and right pages of a spread.

For this reason, I check for things like whether there are any misalignments in the placement of text and illustrations, or if there is too much difference in the amount of text between the left and right pages.

I also inspect the cover.
It's a common story that even if you intend to place the title in the center of the screen, the text ends up shifted to the left or right when printed.
So, the fastest way is to print it a few times and make fine adjustments.
(Ideally, I should print the body text too, but I skipped it this time because the volume is small.)

After checking these details, if I feel it's okay, I submit the data. For books centered on illustrations, you have to convert the files into the appropriate format (like PSD) for submission. FireAlpaca supports this, so the work is easy.

By the way, I submitted it on September 15th. Since the submission deadline was September 29th, I think I was able to submit it with a fair amount of leeway.

I am extremely anxious and well aware of my own lack of stamina, so I only make books on a schedule with plenty of room. I can't handle the pressure of being chased by deadlines.

For this reason, this time too, I set a schedule where I started planning around July (even though my son's birthday is in November), which is like 'tapping on a stone bridge to make sure it's safe' before crossing. It's a kind of survival strategy for a frail person.

Now, the work after submission is completely handed over to the printing company.

If there are any defects in the manuscript, Print-On will contact you (some printing companies don't contact you).
If there is a notice of defects, I have to deal with it in a hurry, but fortunately, there was no contact this time. I'm relieved by this. Now all that's left is to wait for the shipping notification.

By the way, I am also interested in the book printing process.
I've dreamed for years of seeing it if a printing company ever held a tour.
I'll take this opportunity to express my wish: I wonder if any company would accommodate that...
(Maybe there is a company that already does it.)

4. Completion

Perhaps because the print run was small, I received a shipping notification from Print-On in October.

Inside, it was wrapped in bubble wrap to prevent damage and smooth paper to protect the book. Below is the finished picture book.

The details of the overall binding are as follows.

I chose A5 size because I am used to making novel books in that format. I mentioned the number of copies and pages earlier.

I chose the paper for the body and cover based on the criteria of "paper that is thick and seems hard to tear." The cover has a clear PP finish (a process that makes the surface smooth). Also, since it is a picture book, both the cover and the body are in full color.

The endpaper is the light brown, striped paper visible on the left side of the second photo. I chose it because it felt retro and simply cute.

This kind of freedom to pack in as many of your own preferences and ideas as you like is the best part of making fanzines.
Even though I said this was for my son, it was actually completely for my own hobby. I enjoyed it as part of a big event.

5. Summary

After giving birth, I couldn't really find the time to make fanzines as a hobby.

However, I was able to use my son's birthday as an excuse to create something, and I felt excited all over again, thinking, "Making books is so fun!"
I don't have the energy to make a birthday book every year, but if the opportunity arises, I think I might make another book just for my son.
(Also, I want to make novel books as a hobby again...)

This article has also become a full-blown otaku talk about my hobby, but I hope it conveys the feeling that "making books seems fun" or "seems interesting."
Thank you for reading this far.