Planning the Layout of Your Body Text
Posted on June 10, 2007
Filed Under Designing Novels, Page Layout, Self-Publishing with Lulu | 2 Comments
For novels, this is very simple and straightforward. You’ll want to justify the paragraphs with the last line aligned left. Set the first line indent a .3. In typing class and on the job, I was taught to set the indents at .5, but with novels that’s too wide of an indent.
For this main body of this chapter, I used the Adobe Garamond Pro font. Caslon and Palatino are also very good for the main body of your text. Avoid using Times or Times New Roman because they aren’t used in the book design industry. While you’re not out to impress the design elitists, your potential readers are used to certain visuals that are commonly found in trade paperbacks. So, save the Times font family for your business letters.
This concludes the book design segment for novels.
Planning the Layout of Your Chapter Pages
Posted on June 2, 2007
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Like the headers, there are no set rules on what format to use. However, readability and design consistency are critical for preparing your book for publication. Your chapter headings must start at the same position on each page, usually between 1.5 to 3 inches below the top margin. The same goes with any quotes or images that you place under them, as well as the body text.
Again, use other books as reference tools. Take a ruler and measure how many inches separate each element. I like to separate the chapter header from the body text by at least an inch. Not only that, but I like to use an 16 to 18 point for the header. Experiment to see what you like.
Practice Publishing with an Old Manuscript
Posted on June 2, 2007
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Karen has been asking some good questions about the publishing process with Lulu. The other day, she asked me if I thought it was a good idea to use an old manuscript as a testing ground for learning how to publish with Lulu. By all means, yes. I think that’s an excellent idea because you can use it to practice until you become comfortable with the process.
If you don’t have a spare manuscript, go to the Gutenberg Project website and download one of their ebooks from their Top 100 list. This morning, I happened to find Edgar Alan Poe’s “The Raven” and H.G. Wells’ “The War of the Worlds” and downloaded both of them. In a minute, I’ll show you how I formatted the first chapter.
Is There a Standard Format for Headers and Footers?
Posted on May 25, 2007
Filed Under Designing Novels, Page Layout, Self-Publishing with Lulu | 4 Comments
After looking through several books on my shelves, I came to the conclusion that there are no set rules regarding header formats for fiction and nonfiction books. Some authors choose not to bother with headers. For the purpose of this exercise, I’ll assume that you want to place headers in your book’s format. The screenshot below is the header for the 2006 Writer’s Blog Anthology. Click on the image for a better view.
As you can see, the page numbers to on the outer corners of the book, with the titles centered in the middle. I’ve included some other formats for you to look at. I’m sure there are more, but this should give you a general idea. The top format in the Fiction table is the standard header layout for trade paperbacks.
I’ve read many posts in the Lulu forum about the frustrations of setting up headers with Word and sympathized with every one. This was a big frustration with me and one of the reasons why I gave up using Word to write my novels and short stories. If you haven’t gotten a copy of Aaron Shephard’s “Perfect Pages” book yet, I’ll include a PDF I found on the Lulu bookstore. Download it by clicking on the link below . . . and let me know if this helps.
Fonts: Free is Not Necessarily Good
Posted on May 14, 2007
Filed Under Fonts, Legal Issues | Leave a Comment
First, free fonts are often poorly made. If you decide to use free fonts for your text, Lulu’s printers may not be able to print your book because of the technical errors contained in these fonts.
Second, most of the fonts that come from shareware sites are pirated copies of commercial fonts. The names are often changed to protect the thieves. If you get caught using these for anything you publish (books, ebooks, websites, etc.), you may face serious legal action.
Fonts and Copyright Issues
Fonts are considered intellectual property, which means that you must pay for the license in order to use them. The first link talks about issues with the corporate world, but it also applies to individuals. It’s a good idea to read up on the legal issues writers face before publishing your book. I’ve included links to two good books to help you get started.
Understanding Font Licensing and Copyright Issues
Every Writer’s Guide to Copyright and Publishing Law
The Best Fonts for Your Book
Posted on May 14, 2007
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Open Type fonts are the best because they are cross-compatible with PCs and Macs. The internal coding (called unicode) allows a typeface file to have over 65,000 characters, a big improvement over the older typefaces that are limited to 256.
The second best are PostScript or Type 1 fonts. These are good for offset printing, especially with PDF files.
Good Fonts for Headlines
Helvetica Bold, Gill Sans Bold, Eras Bold, Univers Black, Franklin Gothic Demi
Fonts for Body Copy
Garamond, Caslon, Goudy, Stone Print, and New Century Schoolbook
How Much Do These Fonts Cost?
You can get the Adobe Garamond (which contains 21 styles) family for $21.00 (each style) at MyFonts.com. Be sure to check out their specials. Below is a short list of sites where you can check out some good fonts.
Adobe.com
Bitstream
Fontsite.com: Also offers books and articles on typography.
ITCFonts.com
Formatting Your Book Interior with Word
Posted on May 7, 2007
Filed Under Page Layout, Self-Publishing with Lulu | 2 Comments
Do you set up your document’s style and margin formatting before you type a word? Or, do you use your word processor’s default settings like many of us are guilty of doing? Either way, you’ll have to reformat your manuscript to fit Lulu’s printing specifications.
If you’re publishing a paperback novel, you can copy your standard-sized manuscript into a 6×9 Word template that Lulu provides. Of course, you can make the process easier by changing the margins in the original document. But I was taught the old-school adage of never messing with the original. That way, if you mess up, you still have the original. Do whatever you feel comfortable with.
Since most of the people I’ve seen on and off the forums use Word, I’ll focus on this application first. I strongly suggest that you grab a copy of Aaron Shephard’s “Perfect Pages,” which will give you step-by-step instructions on how to publish your book with Word. So far, it’s the best resource I’ve seen on the market and better than the free tutorials you’ll find online.
Planning Your Book’s Format
Posted on April 30, 2007
Filed Under Designing Novels, Page Layout, Self-Publishing with Lulu | 2 Comments
The first step in publishing with Lulu is formatting the content of your book. This takes some planning and a bit of research. Get out a piece of paper, jot the following questions down, and answer them as best as you can. Then get a manila folder or a small binder to store the questionnaire. You’ll be adding other items later on.
What size is your book going to be?
Lulu offers several sizes and formats, including hard bound, saddle stitch, and coil. The most common format is the 6×9 paperback.
What kind of binding will your book have?
This depends upon the number of pages in your book. If your book has less than 88 pages, Lulu will print your book in saddle stitch format. The maximum number of pages you can have is 800, if you’re using the basic publish service. If you’re using the Global Distribution service, you’ll be limited to 740 pages for the 6×9 format.
Do you want a black and white cover, or are you going to use color? This will affect the price of your book.
Do you want color for your book’s interior illustrations?
This feature is great for graphic novels and textbooks that use color illustrations. However, this option is not available for Global Distribution. You will have to purchase your own ISBN numbers from Bowker, if you want to sell them on Amazon.
What fonts are you going to use for the cover and the interior? Are they listed on Lulu’s conversion list, or do they come from a different source? Below is a list of fonts that Lulu can convert.
Arial
Book Antiqua
Bookman Old Style
Century
Courier
Garamond
Palatino
Tahoma
Times New Roman
Verdana
Symbols
For the purpose of simplicity, I used the Palatino font when designing the anthology. That way, I didn’t have to bother with the embedding process. Garamond and Times New Roman are also good fonts to use for the text body. I’ll talk more about fonts later.
Are you going to convert your file(s) into the PDF format before you upload them onto the Lulu site, or rely on Lulu?
If you’re going to stick to the above font list, you might as well use Lulu. Should you use a font that isn’t on the list, you will need to embed it into your file before you upload it. You will also need to embed any illustrations you have.
What is the price of your book?
At this point, all you can do is guess. Most Lulu books cost around $15.95, before shipping. Once you publish your book, you will be required to order a proof copy to make sure that everything printed correctly.
Are you going to use Lulu’s distribution services?
Add $99.95 to your budget, if you’re going with the standard “Published by Lulu†distribution. For the “Published by You†distribution, add $149.95.
Are you going to make a special review copy to send out to colleagues and popular book review sources, such as Midwest Book Review?
I’ve read that the major book reviewers prefer hard bound copies. Depending upon how many copies you want to send, it can add up. Make a list of all the major reviewers you’d like to query and assume that they are going to say yes. Tally that figure into your budget. For friends and colleagues, you can get away with sending a paperback copy.
The answers to these questions will determine your overall publishing and budget strategies. You can change these plans at any time, unless you’ve purchased the distribution services. For instance, you may decide to republish your book in the 8×11 format instead of the 6×9. Or, you may want to upgrade from the basic service to one of the distribution services. Lulu makes it easy for you to change your mind.
How Easy is It to Publish with Lulu?
Posted on April 25, 2007
Filed Under Self-Publishing with Lulu | 2 Comments
Lulu prides itself on its 1-2-3 publishing system. If you have good computer and Internet skills, you should have minimal problems with publishing your book. I say minimal because not everyone has a DSL connection or uses industry standard software. You may encounter some conversion or browser problems, in addition to the learning curves of designing your book.
I’ve published books, an ebook, and a scrapbook with Lulu. Publishing the ebook was a cinch. All I had to do was design it, convert it, and upload it. The biggest hurdle in publishing my first book was the formatting.
I didn’t have any issues with Lulu’s software until I tried to use their turbo uploader for the photos in my scrapbook. I had to upload each photo one-by-one because there was an issue with the Java script. Perhaps the problem centered on my Firefox browser. I’ll know for sure when I use Safari or Netscape when I test out another scrapbook project. The reason I’m mentioning this is because some authors have used multiple illustrations inside their books. Or, they upload their books by chapter instead of one file.
If you have a DSL or broadband connection, you can bypass this problem by embedding your images into your files. I did this when I published the Writer’s Blog Anthology last year. Then I combined each chapter into one file, before converting it into a PDF and uploading it. The upload process took about 10 to 15 minutes for 5MB.
Some Basic Questions About Publishing with Lulu
Posted on April 25, 2007
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Will Lulu claim exclusive rights to your work?
No. You will have sole ownership of anything you publish on the Lulu website. Read their membership agreement carefully, because they will reject manuscripts that violate their policies. For instance, they will not publish anything that contains excessive violence or child pornography.
If you decide, say halfway through the publishing process, that you’d rather publish through another venue, you can delete the files from your account.
Do I need to purchase an ISBN number for my book?
No. You’ll need to get one if you plan to distribute your book to Amazon and the rest of the online booksellers. For private publishing, it isn’t necessary. Once you publish the initial draft of your book, you’ll have the option of buying an ISBN number and Books In Print distribution service, which will allow your book to be listed with major online bookstores internationally.
This year, they’ve added a “Published by You” distribution service. This option is great for small press publishers or authors who don’t wish to have the Lulu imprint on the covers of their books. When your book is listed on Amazon, potential buyers will see your name (or publishing company) listed in the publisher information section of your book page. This service costs $149.95, which includes:
- You will be registered (and listed) as the publisher.
- A single, unique ISBN which you should allocate to a single, available book title. The ISBN should never be re-used. The ISBN is the property of the registered publisher and as such is non-transferable.
- A scannable Bookland-EAN bar code placed on the back cover. (Not applicable to one-piece covers. They will have to produce their own bar code.)
- Bibliographic data on your book will be fed by Lulu to major international bibliographic databases and available to booksellers. At the booksellers’ discretion, your book may be made available for sale online or in bookstores.
- Lulu will convert your retail price into five currencies (US dollars, British pounds, Australian dollars, Euros, and Canadian dollars) to facilitate global availability and purchasing.
- A listing in a wholesaler’s catalog, giving you access to online retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
You also have the option of choosing the “Published by Lulu” service, which costs $99.95. This service includes:
- Publishing rights granted to Lulu (They will be listed as the publisher on sites such as Amazon.com.)
- A unique ISBN assigned by Lulu for your title. “Lulu.com” will be listed as the publisher
- A scannable Bookland-EAN bar code placed on the back cover (Not applicable to one-piece covers.)
- Bibliographic data on your book will be fed by Lulu to major international bibliographic databases and available to booksellers. At the booksellers’ discretion, your book may be made available for sale online or in bookstores
- Lulu will convert your retail price into five currencies (US dollars, British pounds, Australian dollars, Euros, and Canadian dollars) to facilitate global availability and purchasing.
- A listing in a wholesaler’s catalog, giving you access to online retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
- Immediate assignment of the ISBN. Your ISBN will be assigned to your project and be visible in your project’s data.
How much will Lulu charge my readers?
The cost will vary per book. Let’s say you have a 350-page novel, and you are going to publish it in the 6×9 paperback, full-color cover, Perfect Bound format. I’m also going to assume that you’re planning on upgrading to the “Published by Lulu” ISBN service. Black and white pages cost .02¢ each. Full color covers for 6×9 paperbacks cost $4.53. Using the formula below, you can determine the approximate cost of your novel.
(350 x $.02) + $4.53 = $11.53
Lulu has a built-in calculator that will determine the full cost of your book, before and after the royalty calculation. I’ll cover that in a later post.
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