Even Oprah's publisher got it wrong!

Excellent book design requires a basic understanding of book publishing and an in-depth knowledge of book structure and composition. I highly recommend that all self-publishers work with an experienced book designer to get their covers and interior pages prepared for the printer. Professional, polished editing and design are benchmarks against which your book will be judged in the marketplace—and are the two areas where you should buy the best help you can afford.  

Following are brief descriptions of the basic building blocks that make up most books and should be included on your book designer’s checklist:

The Front Matter will normally include a copyright page (including copyright notice and library cataloguing information), title page, contents, acknowledgements, and dedication—all written by the author. If desirable, self-publishers might also add a foreword by someone other than the author, a preface by the author explaining how the work came to be, perhaps an introduction stating the purpose and goals of the writing, and even a prologue giving background details or tie-ins to the main story. How many of these items to include is up to the author, and how to organize them is a matter of standard structure with which your designer should be familiar. 

Your manuscript will make up the Body of the book, including parts, chapters and sections. Your developmental editor should give you pointers to help organize these items into clear and concise pieces that are easy to read and understand.

Back Matter, if useful, might contain an epilogue, afterword, appendix, glossary, bibliography, or index. These items can be helpful in bringing closure or additional information to work.

The Front Cover contains the title, subtitle(s), author’s name and an appropriate illustration.

The Spine connects the front and back cover, and is normally the only element visible when the book stands on a bookshelf.

The Back Cover usually contains a summary or description of the book, endorsements praising the book, and a brief author biography. The EAN-13 bar code, which carries the price information, is printed on the bottom of the back cover.

(Note: I’ll write in more detail on Book Covers in another article…)

Book Bindings are either softbound (paperback) or hardbound (casebound). With softbound, POD technology the books are either “perfect” bound. Perfect bound book pages are trimmed to size, and then glue applied to the spine-edge of the pages before the cover is fastened on.

A Sales Page —probably the last page in the book—will make it easy for readers to find and recommend your book to others. Self-publishers are free to create a separate page where they can include sales information on their title(s). If the book is available as an e-book, include the online link to buy the e-book and another to buy the print version. Include links to your website and any other social media sites you’ve got running.

Creating Final Files  

Although printing your book is the last task in the multi-faceted production process, selecting a print method and a printing company before your designer creates final files is a critical step that will save you time and money. Your printing company sets the specifications for the designer to create the proper files—and they must be followed!

Printers offer clearly defined trim sizes and bleeds and will require you to submit your book in a specific digital file format. Cover specifications are defined separately and will include calculating the spine measurement based on the thickness of the text paper. Your designer or POD company will prepare these final files according to the final specs for your book.

Be sure to hire someone who is a professional book designer— ideally, someone who has worked at a traditional publisher. Someone who has designed book covers that have gone on to work in the marketplace.

The main point for the self-publisher is to stay in control of the production process. Don’t allow others to determine the look or the outcome of your book. Choosing an appropriate typeface for your subject matter makes a big difference in your book’s appearance.

Even Oprah’s publisher got it wrong….and Flatiron Books is an imprint of Macmillan - one of the Big Five publishers! Read the reviews for her new book on Amazon, below, where readers complain about the readability of the fonts and the choice of color. Someone dropped the ball!

There’s a reason there are standards in the book publishing industry. It’s because these standards have proven, over and over, to sell books. It may not be in your best interest to “experiment” with alternative layouts or cutting edge design from adjacent industries like marketing and advertising. It’s risky at best, and could turn off your readers.

When it comes time to work on your book layout and design, be willing to be humble in the face of professional experience and advice. Speak to book professionals and booksellers to get honest opinions from those in-the-know before you make your final decision to make your book public.

Plan for success,

Lindsay

P.S. If you have questions about your book idea, or want to see how I might help you make a plan, schedule a discovery call with me HERE.