By Gene Kroupa | Well, it’s finished – the book I promised to self-publish when I retired: An Old
Midwest Hunter’s Stories. No photos, just text. So, here’s what I learned along the way
that might help you.
- Library of Congress Control Number – Get one. It’s free and having an LCCN
lends professional credibility to your work and makes it easier for librarians to find
it. Obtain the ISBN through your publisher – easier although it might cost a bit
more. - Bigger is better when it comes to gutter size. Rule of Thumb said a minimum
of half an inch. Mine was a tad larger and wasn’t quite enough for my comfort
with 250+ pages. - Proof, proof and proof again. No matter how much proofing is done,
something will slip through. Don’t trust Spellcheck or a reader who doesn’t know
the outdoors context. Spellcheck wanted to change toms to tom and make
woods into wood. And a professional proof reader missed where Spellcheck had
changed arctic to attic in a friend’s book. - Sharpen images with software. The image I wanted to use for the cover was
taken with an older cellphone. Fortunately, the graphics artist was able to use
free software to sharpen the image. - Readability is the goal. I spent extra to get a heavier, brighter grade stock of
paper so that the text was more readable without ghosting. Likewise, I chose a
satin finished silk cover stock that cut glare and helped the image standout. - Pay for a printed proof in addition to the digital one. Signing off on the digital
proof doesn’t guarantee the printed product you will receive matches it. A black
haze clouded over the front and back covers requiring another printed test-round
to get things right. - Make sure the cover art doesn’t bleed into the spine. Obviously, it is better to
overlap into the spine rather than the front cover. The printed proof should show
if it were just a trimming error or some right-sizing is needed. - Talk with folks who’ve worked with publishers. Nothing like getting feedback
from folks who’ve been through the process. Look through similar books to see
what the finished products look like. There are plenty of online resources, but
live ones seem to know better and printed examples show better. - Know the specs before you submit a PDF to the printer. Be sure your PDF
will provide the desired black density for text. Some printers want images in
CMYK for printing. Better to ask about these specs upfront. - The book is yours. You have plenty of latitude in how to organize and present
your material. Whether your goal is to leave a legacy or make money or both,
put your stamp on the product.
Verify everything noted above as the points are just my observations. Good luck
with your first or next book.
