Getting ready to submit your text
Our designers need a 'clean' script to work with.
- Make sure it is copy-edited. It gets
expensive to change text later.
- Gather all the documents into one file.
- Give the file a clear name ideally the title of the book.
- Check below as there are a number of other files you might need to
incorporate.
- We are happy to receive files uncompressed but if you want to zip it, that
is fine.
A bit more about the text
Nearly all of the special formatting will be lost or transformed when it is
imported into the design software on the Mac computers used.
So:
· All the 'hard' page breaks must be removed along with all
other formatting for paragraphs.
· Get rid of any running header or footer, including page numbers We normally
add a running head on each page and this is something we can decide as the
design proceeds.
· You can leave special text effects such as bold and italic but most special
fonts will be lost If you have a special requirement especially for
non-fiction, the layout and use of fonts can be important. You can include your
instructions in 2 ways.
o Send 2 copies of your text. One with and the other without the formatting you
want. Your copy can give the designer an idea of the look you hope to achieve.
o Prepare a design brief. You can embed instructions in the text but make sure
they cannot be mistaken for the text itself - Put them in a different colour or
include them in square brackets.
The Devil in the Detail
After all the emotional commitment to the writing, it would be nice to think
that the hard work was behind you. As your partner in the process we will try to
minimise the number of decisions you have to make. But there are many details to
sort out. Rather than confront you with a long list of decisions, our team of
designers will come up with a suggestion that you can change during the design
process.
But there are some issues we would like to sort out now:
Have you some ideas for the cover? There are a number of
style-samples on the
site. We need a brief for the designer.
Have you written some blurb about the book? This goes on the back cover and is
the basis for the text submitted to ISBN when the book is registered. So it is
important for selling your book.
Do you want a picture yourself for the back cover?
Have you started work on your back-page bio? People like to meet the writer.
It may only be 200 words but needs careful construction. We can include this
inside at the front or back of the text.
What margin do you need to offer the book trade? We normally suggest 45-55% to
cover the three organisations in the supply chain.
What price should you sell the book for?
We normally include this with a price
in UK pounds and US dollars.
Do you want to advertise or list other work by you or related to your book?
Have you a target date or would you like to set a publication date?
There are many special markets.
