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Have you thought about making
an audio book?
Follow the process of publishing
in over 90 articles
Some titles in our bookshop
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Preparing a book brief
If you have ever worked with designers of any sort
you will recognise that this is the stage when you either lose control of
your pet project or realise your dream.
To achieve the latter and avoid the
former outcome, you must prepare a good brief
for the designers. There are options. You
might have the skills and software to do this yourself or need a designer to
undertake the page makeup.
To help your designer, you need to prepare a brief. You need to decide:
 | Book size
 | Print costs depend on the number of
pages. A larger format needs fewer pages. |
| We have an extensive range of trim sizes. |
| There is a wide choice but we normally
use 203x127 or 229x152. |
| Is it part of a series or designed to match an existing format e.g. a
textbook? |
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| Paperback or hardback?
| Who is your likely audience? |
| Academic and reference books might need a hard cover. |
| Unless there is a good reason, go for soft cover. |
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| Is type size an issue
| Is the book for children or the visually impaired? |
| But normally this is left to the designer. |
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| Will it be illustrated and, if so, how? |
| Do you want to include a short biography? |
| Is there going to be some copy on the back cover or inside? The blurb |
| Have you found a celebrity to write a foreword or endorse the book? If so,
how prominent should this be inside and on the cover? |
| Does it need an index? We need to print a proof copy before you can
complete this. |
When you send the material, remember to include
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Your
'nom de plume', if any. |
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Any
dedications |
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Any
preface or acknowledgement |
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Any
index requirement, contents list or other index - just the headings as the
numbers are added later |
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Your
prelim pages |
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Your
biography |
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The
copy for the back cover |
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The
text files. You can email them
or put them on a disc. |
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Illustrations
with any captions and instructions for each one |
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Your
mock-up, if it exists |
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The
brief for the book and the cover design
brief |
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Copies
of any book you would like the designer to take as a model |
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And
don't forget the payment |
If any of the material might be unique, it must be sent through a courier
firm or by registered post. Make sure that we have a contract before you send
anything. Regretfully, we have to refuse to accept anything we are not expecting.
Once the designers have had a chance to work on the material, we will send
you some sample pages and a cover mock-up along with a quote for completing the
design work. If you want to proceed, half the cost will be payable at this
stage.
Our page on the details covers issues such as
bibliographies and whether you need an index.
Check the way the project flows and get an
overview of the publication process.
Back to Design
Picture
libraries
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Does your book deserve the attentions of a
professional
copy editor?
Writers Services offers a full
range of editorial services.
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