Now that the book has been written to a high standard, it is imperative to find a publisher or an outlet where the book can be self-published. The work may have been already funded and commissioned, in which case everything will be now taken over by a professional publisher. However, if not, now is the time to produce it on a self-publishing website. Put aside all the negative press about self-publishing and vanity publishing; all the criticism goes out the window when a cheque or pay pal deposit is made.
Find a Printer
Will it be print on demand, a traditional print run, or a vanity publisher? The least expensive route to take is print on demand; there is little to no setup charges and it doesn’t leave the author with a garage full of unsold books. For traditional printing, the author will need to find a cover artist (up to £450 for full research, design, and PDF) and will need to do a digital file (PDF) for the texts or have someone do it for them (up to £125).
Print on demand is an effective route to go but make sure the right amount of research is carried out. Lulu is an excellent choice as they can offer a free step by step downloading service and PDF conversion. They even allow you to upload photos and design the cover free of charge. Keep in mind, however, that all production mistakes in the texts are up to the author, not the printer, so make sure the work is ready for print first.
Getting the Look
Lulu may provide a free PDF conversion and book cover service, but the author needs to produce the texts. Before printing, decide which book size will be used. What about the binding? Choose one before converting the texts to a PDF and format the word document to fit the book size of choice. Give at least an inch of margin space and make sure each new chapter has a heading and all pages have numbers. Do an index if at all possible, and chapter selection with appropriate page direction.
Proof Copy
Printing for the first time can be daunting, so always make sure to buy a proof copy (a copy of the book delivered physically to the doorstep) to make sure it is saleable. It may look excellent when viewed on-line, but physical books don’t have a zoom button. In other words, make sure the text and fonts are correct format and size. Here is a checklist of things to go through when in the final stages before ordering the proof copy:
- make sure the book size and binding has been chosen
- know the printing size and format in Word with the appropriate size
- check headings and chapter openings; does it look professional?
- check for page numbers and headings
- does the author’s name appear on the front cover and inside the book?
- don’t forget to put in a copyright page
- make sure the font is the right size and style
If the book looks good and the author wishes to sell it on book markets such as Amazon, then it will need an ISBN (available in packs of 10 for just over £100 in the UK). If the author is working with Lulu, however, they offer single ISBN numbers for around $60 with a listing on Amazon.com and repository in the Library of Congress. All that’s left for the author to do is to spread the word and market the book.
 |
