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• Wait to format text until editing is done
One rookie mistake made by many self-publishing authors is that they start formatting their manuscript before it is completed.
• How to determine your book’s trim size
As going through the self-publishing process, you’ll certainly be asked to set the book’s trim size. This is the final size of a printed page (or the actual size of a book’s page). If you took a ruler and measured the page’s bottom (or top) edge and either its left or right side, you’d have its trim size or the book’s dimensions.
• How to determine your book’s margins
Once you decide the size of your book (or the trim size), the next step in self-publishing is to set your margins. This is the white frame that runs between the page’s text and the page’s edge.
• How your text should appear in a formatted book
You’ve probably spent some time thinking about or even looking at some potential typefaces for your book. Once you’re ready to format your book, the time has come to commit to one.
• Formatting main text for your book
Once you’ve got your book with the front and back matter completed, the next step is to place all of that text into a form that can be uploaded and printing. Essentially, you’re creating on file on the computer that looks exactly like how the book will appear when printed. This is called formatting.
• Select best typeface for your book
A typeface is the design of letters. There are thousands of typefaces to choose from.
• Select different fonts for paperback, ebook
You’ll want to use different fonts for the paper and any ebook/Web versions of your book. That’s because the eye responds differently to varying platforms for reading.
• Use consistent quotation mark, apostrophe style
A common problem that can sneak into your manuscript when self-publishing is a mix of quotation mark and apostrophe styles. That’s because some software programs use smart quotes, or those that are curved (e.g. “”), while others use dumb quotes, or those that are straight (e.g. “”).
• Use consistent style on chapter, header titles
When writing chapter titles and section headers in nonfiction books, you’ll want to use a consistent style. For example, if one section title is written as What Hiking Apparel to Buy for Children, but the next one is written as Where to buy hiking apparel, the styles are inconsistent as the former is capitalized but the latter is lowercased.
• Avoid introducing wrong styles into your text
Among the most common yet avoidable errors when formatting a book to be self-published is inserting the wrong font, font size and or other style into the manuscript. Not fixing the problem results in an unprofessional-looking paperback and can get your ebook rejected from print of demand houses.
• Consider adding artwork to interior of your book
Especially if writing nonfiction, you’ll likely want to include artwork inside your book. Such artwork will help better illustrate your points (pun intended). Novelists, as well, might wish to use artwork such as illustrations if creating books for teens or young adults.
• How to place photos in your paperback
When formatting the paper version of book, photos are a must if you’ve written nonfiction. Pictures, maps and illustrations can add value to your book in a number of ways.
• How to handle page numbers, running headers
Page numbers and running headers that include the book’s name and your title also are called folios. Almost every page in your book should have a page number.
• How to line up page numbers in table of contents
One of the most annoying problems self-publishing authors encounter when formatting their book in Microsoft Word is lining up the table of contents. Fortunately, it’s actually quite easy to do, an after you’ve done it a couple of times, you’ll have it memorized.
• Make tables readable in your nonfiction book
When self-publishing a nonfiction book, you probably will want to include tables of some sort. If writing a book about rock climbing, for example, you might include a list of the National Climbing Classification System. The problem with tables created in Microsoft Word is that they don’t resize well.
• Don’t commit these five book design sins
If your book is difficult to read merely because of its appearance, few will bother to work their way through it. At the very least, an unprofessional appearance gives readers the impression that you’re an unprofessional writer. As an editor, I often see these five cardinal sins of book design.
• Pay attention to your author’s bio pic
One of the elements of a self-published book that shouldn’t be overlooked is the author’s photograph. While the photo often is a thumbnail or even smaller, it can subtly affect a reader’s decision to purchase your book.
• Selecting paper quality when self-publishing
Ever read a paperback novel and find the paper tearing as you turned the page a little too roughly? Or maybe while reading you wrote a note in the margins only to find you’ve left indentations on the next page? Fortunately, as going through the self-publishing process you can save readers of your book from such annoyances because you get the select the quality of the paper.
• How to embed fonts in a pdf of your manuscript
Sometimes when uploading a pdf of your formatted book to a print on demand company, you’ll get a warning message that fonts are not embedded your file.
• Always review proof your book before okaying it
After you’ve uploaded a formatted version of your book’s text and its cover, you’ll be asked to review a proof of your book. No matter how busy you are, no matter how much of a rush you are to get your book for sale, no matter how many times you’ve already looked at it, heed these five words: “Never leave anything to chance.” Take one last look at your book.
• Do I need to buy a barcode when self-publishing?
When purchasing an ISBN, you’re often asked if I also want to purchase a barcode for your self-published book. Should you get one?
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My name is Rob Bignell. I’m an affordable, professional editor who runs Inventing Reality Editing Service, which meets the manuscript needs of writers both new and published. I also offer a variety of self-publishing services. During the past 15 years, I’ve helped more than 350 novelists and nonfiction authors obtain their publishing dreams at reasonable prices. I’m also the author of the 7 Minutes a Day… writing guidebooks, four nonfiction hiking guidebook series, and the literary novel Windmill. Several of my short stories in the literary and science fiction genres also have been published.
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