The best piece of advice? Hire a professional. With that being said, let's take a look at the process. Whether you hire someone, or do it yourself (which is fun), formatting demands attention to detail. These decisions affect profit.
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If you're printing a book for distribution to family and friends, then it probably doesn't matter how many pages, size of type, number of pictures, or anything else because this body of work is a gift and labor of love. However, if you are looking to publish for the mass audience, then your choices will mean everything to the bottom line.
If you are a newbie, or indie author expecting to play in the over-crowded sandbox of seasoned writers, be prepared to offer your best work for publication. That means, answering a number of questions before the book is formatted, such as: manuscript length, pricing, paper choice, cover choice (hardback? paperback?), type of paper, size of book (5x7? 6x9? other?), type of spine, and who will be responsible for printing? There are many printers in every community and most will do an excellent job but there are only a handful recognized by the book industry and if you need assistance with distribution, you'll need to take that fact into consideration. Do your homework. Find out what type of services they offer and what they charge for the printing. Hypothetically ( based on per book expenses), if the printer charges $5 for printing, a book seller is expecting 55% from the retail price to offer your book in their store, and you have another $4 for "media" mail and tracking, plus a 2% publisher fee . . . you better price your book for a profit or find a part time job to pay for your passion.
The other component is, style. If what you've spent sleepless nights composing does not attract an audience when it's on the bookshelf, then it's time to evaluate why. I believe one way to minimize heartache is by walking the aisles of your local bookstore. Find your genre and begin pulling books that catch your attention. What drew you to that one? Type style? Artwork? Colors? You'll begin to see a pattern form and from that you'll begin to witness the birth of your own body of work.
I'll pay particular attention to books in my chosen price range, estimate the number of words on the page (to determine the size of their manuscript), and then calculate if it's possible to use a similar formula and still make a profit. Sometimes the answer is, no. Why? They may have the backing of a large publishing house and are selling by volume. It doesn't mean you're not going to make it, it just means you need to be more creative and willing to forego a greater profit until you become more established.
Keep in mind, a professional format designer is an artist and will approach your project with that mindset. Once they understand the story concept and your vision, they will work miracles. But it's also important they understand there are parameters based on what I've already shared.
For those of you who have already published, would you like to share a picture of the cover of your latest book? How was your overall formatting experience? Any words of wisdom for those entering the field of writing?
Following is a limited glossary to introduce you to some of a printer's jargon. I hope this makes you more comfortable with the process and excited to complete your project.
Glossary of terms:
AIR: Breathing room between the lines of script
FONT: Print style
GUTTER: Margin facing the inside portion of the book
HALF-TONE: Reproducing a picture into dots so printed photo quality is optimal
OUTSIDE MARGIN: Typically 1/2" in from the trimline
PICA: Size of the print (in printer's terms) or (in computer terms)
POINTS: 14-16 points is considered "Large Print" for the visually impaired
10-12 points normal, comfortable text size
9 points for photo descriptions and other notes
TRIM LINE: Markings on outer edge of book pages used to guide the printer in cutting so books have a uniformly finished edge
SPINE: Portion of book facing outward (contains names of book and author)
Jo Ann V. Glim is a seasoned veteran of freelance writing and author of the book "Begotten With Love." To learn more:
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