Limnal
Where ideas become picture books  —  For authors and illustrators
A private online collaboration studio — a considered space, calm by design, built for the work that happens between two people, between first draft and finished book.
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A children's picture book
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Limnal
Where ideas become picture books · For authors and illustrators
Your books
A new book begins.
Give it a working title and an illustrator if you have one in mind. Everything else can wait.
Author
● Approved
● Awaiting review
● Revisions requested
○ No status
Revision Notes
Click anywhere on the image to place a note at that location.
References
Paste or upload reference images.
They stay with this spread.

· · ·

About the book

Welcome note for collaborator shown once when they first open the studio

Draft history
0 words
Saved
Untitled
Draft 1.0
Author
Illustrator
Date
Words0
The First Reader is with your draft.
The First Reader
0 open
Leave your name so your notes
can find their way back to you.
Creative Brief · Visual Development

Character
Studies

Remove this study?
This study and any notes will be permanently removed.
01
Personality trait
Physical detail
Relationship to world
Illustrator's response
Attach a sketch Drop an image here or click to browse
Visual Development · Colour

Colour
Palette

Click anywhere in the field to pin a colour. Shift the hue with the slider. When you find one that belongs to this book, add it to your palette and name it in your own words.
—
click canvas to pick
Your Palette
Core colours
Tertiary & accent
Downloads as a colour reference sheet
Colour rationale
What is this palette trying to do for the story? What feeling are you chasing, and why these tones?
Light philosophy
How does light move through this book? Define your light source logic spread by spread, or as an emotional arc.
Colours I'm moving away from
What are you consciously excluding, and why?
Hand-painted Studies
Upload your colour studies here — they'll live on this page, visible alongside the palette every time you return.
◌
No studies yet.
Upload a painting and it will appear here.
Moodboard
Rows
Cluster
Columns
Clear board
Add from the web
Paste an image URL, or copy an image and press ⌘V
or
Click here, then press ⌘V to paste a copied image
Cancel
◈
Drop images here,
paste from the web,
or upload a file
Drag to arrange · scroll to pan · drag corner to resize
Illustration Rounds · Spread Review

Illustrations

A record of every spread, every round. Upload drafts, leave notes, track revisions.
◌
No spreads yet.
Upload the first draft when ready.
Notes
Lock Scratch
Set a password to protect your scratch notes from the shared view.
0 words
Add from the web

Timeline

A record of this book's making. Click any entry to mark it complete.
Your Book
Correspondence
Each letter is drafted from the material already inside this studio. Write it yourself, or let the agent read your work and make a first pass.
Traditional Path
Query Letter
The letter you send to literary agents — 250 words, your manuscript hook, character, stakes, and a brief bio. The most anxiety-producing document in the process.
To: Literary Agents Not started
Traditional Path
Synopsis
A one-page summary some agents request alongside the query — full story arc, beginning to end, no cliffhangers. Different voice from the manuscript itself.
To: Literary Agents Not started
Collaboration
Illustration Brief
A condensed visual document for your illustrator — character constants, emotional register, key spread intentions, colour direction. Drawn from your character studies and manuscript.
To: Illustrator Not started
Self-Publishing Path
Illustrator Outreach
A cold outreach email to an illustrator whose work you admire — brief, professional, specific about the project, with enough to intrigue but not overwhelm.
To: Prospective Illustrator Not started
Traditional Path
Publisher Cover Letter
For small presses that accept unagented submissions directly — a tailored cover letter that shows you know their list and why this book belongs on it.
To: Small Press Editors Not started
Submission Log

Where has this manuscript been sent?

Recipient Type Sent Status Notes
No submissions logged yet.
Your book · In the world

Mockup

This will be a book. Come back as the cover develops and watch it become more real.

Upload your cover art in the
Illustrations tab, then generate a photograph here.

Uses your uploaded cover art. Generates a real photograph of the book.

 · 
Production · Registration

Pre-Press

Everything that needs to exist before a file goes to press.
What is an ISBN?

An International Standard Book Number is a 13-digit identifier required to sell a printed book through retailers, distributors, and libraries. Each format of your book — hardcover, paperback, ebook — needs its own ISBN. ISBNs do not expire and stay with the book for its lifetime.

Your formats
Hardcover
Paperback
Ebook
Publisher imprint
This is what appears as the publisher on Bowker, Amazon, and in bookstores. Leave blank to appear as “Independently published.”
Notes
ISBN checklist
Decide: own ISBN or distributor ISBN
Own ISBN (via Bowker) gives you full control and works everywhere. Distributor ISBN (KDP, IngramSpark) is free but platform-locked.
Purchase ISBN(s)
US: Bowker — $125 each or $295 for 10. UK: Nielsen. Canada & NZ: free from national library.
Register book metadata
Log in to your ISBN agency and assign the number to this title with full metadata: title, author, illustrator, format, trim size, price.
Generate barcode
A scannable EAN barcode for the back cover. IngramSpark offers a free barcode generator.
Add ISBN to copyright page
The ISBN appears on the copyright page (verso of the title page) and in the barcode on the back cover.
Publishing path
Book dimensions
Your spec sheet · IngramSpark
Trim size
—
Interior page size
—
Cover flat size
—
Bleed
—
Safety margin
—
Spine width
—
Resolution
—
Colour mode
—
PDF format
—
Binding
—
Pages
—

These specs are calculated for IngramSpark. Always download IngramSpark's cover template generator for your exact dimensions — their template is the canonical source. KDP Print requires RGB, not CMYK.

Royalty calculator — what will you earn per copy?
$
Ready to upload?

Before uploading your files to IngramSpark, get their official cover template — it includes your exact spine width, trim marks, and barcode placement. Order a physical proof before approving for distribution. That moment — holding your book for the first time — is worth waiting for.

Things to know
Artwork is CMYK
All images must be converted from RGB to CMYK before submission. Your illustrator's software (Photoshop, Affinity Photo) can do this. CMYK colours print slightly differently than they look on screen — always order a proof.
All images at 300 DPI
300 DPI at the final print size. A file that looks sharp on screen may print soft. If in doubt, go higher — 600 DPI is preferred for line art and fine details.
All fonts embedded
When exporting your PDF, ensure all fonts are embedded. IngramSpark will reject files with missing fonts. This is a setting in InDesign, Affinity Publisher, and Acrobat.
Bleed extends past trim
Any artwork or colour that touches the edge of the page must extend 0.125" past the trim line. Do not add bleed to the gutter/bind side.
File is single-page (not spreads)
IngramSpark requires single-page PDFs. Do not submit files in spread format — each page must be a separate page in the PDF document.
PDF is PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-3
This compliance standard is required by IngramSpark. Export from InDesign using the PDF/X-1a preset. In Affinity Publisher, select PDF/X-1a under export settings.
Proof copy ordered
Order a physical proof before approving for distribution. Colours will look different in print than on screen. This is the moment you hold your book for the first time.

Front matter is the pages that come before the story begins. Draft them here — your designer will drop them into the layout. The copyright page and title page are required. The rest are yours to choose.

Half-title page
The first page of the book — just the title, nothing else. Simple and traditional.
Title page Required
Full title, author name, illustrator name, and publisher imprint. The formal introduction to the book.
Copyright page Required
The legal page. Appears on the verso (left-hand side) of the title page spread. Pulls from your Copyright tab — edit there to update here.
Dedication
A brief dedication to a person or people. Usually the recto (right-hand) page after the copyright. Short — a sentence or two at most.
Author note Back matter · optional
A short note from the author about the book's origins, research, or personal connection. Usually appears at the back after the story ends.
Illustrator note Back matter · optional
A short note from the illustrator about their process, materials, or inspiration. Often appears alongside the author note.
Standard order
1 — Half-title page
2 — Title page (recto)
3 — Copyright page (verso)
4 — Dedication
5 — Story begins
— — —
Back — Author note
Back — Illustrator note
About the copyright page

The copyright page should include: the copyright notice, the ISBN(s), publisher name and location, and a rights reservation statement.

If you have a Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN), it goes here. You can apply for one at loc.gov/publish/pcn — it's free and takes a few weeks.

Do not include a printed date of first printing on your first edition — it limits flexibility if you need to reprint.

Legal · Formal

Agreements

A place to hold the formal agreements that govern this project. Click any card to open, add details, or upload a signed copy.

This section is for storage and reference only. Limnal does not provide legal advice and cannot validate the contents of any agreement. Consult a qualified attorney for all legal matters.

Live · Collaboration

Meet

Video calls with your collaborator, coming soon.
Coming soon

Embedded video calls with your collaborator — meet inside the studio, where the work already lives. Calls recorded, transcribed, and summarised automatically.