Your book only has one chance to make a first impression!
In some cases, authors have spent years writing and polishing their book. It represents countless hours of effort, sometimes into the small hours of the night. Publishing it is a big deal and receiving the first copy in the post is a very special moment. Have you opened the envelope only for your heart to drop? Were your expectations shattered? Only an author will know what an important moment this is!
It is not about how you get published, or even who with. It does matter that you understand the process of printing your book and the choices you make.
It should never be the case that the quality of your book is a surprise. You will always get what you asked for, but you first need to know what you want.
For example, there are many different types of paper to choose from. At one end of the scale there are the thin papers used to print a bible. These can be as low as 50gsm grams per square metre). The most common paper for a book is 80gsm white, which is used on huge roll-fed machines by volume print factories. In most cases, this works well. However, if you have text which is 100% black or high-density pictures or illustrations, they might ‘bleed through’, and they could be seen through the backing page. In this case, you might want to increase the paperweight to 100gsm to cure this.
In addition, there are coated papers, glossy art paper, open weave cream papers, and also silk finish. All have their place. As an author, you need to know what is available and what is right for your book.
Some people say that you cannot judge a book by its cover, which is ridiculous! The cover is the only thing you can use to evaluate the book. It has to be the right thickness, laminated with a gloss, matt, or the classy ‘soft touch’ cover. It is your choice!
It can also have cover flaps that make the book feel more substantial. There are other embellishments you can choose, such as embossed titles, gold or silver foiling (which requires a special metal plate) or Spot UV varnish, where you overprint a gloss on selected elements of the cover artwork.
Of course, all enhancements add a little to the cost of each book. If you are not printing large runs, they might appear to be disproportionally expensive. But are they?
The books that an author sells directly to the public, via their own website, at their speaking event or on social media are the most profitable to them. With these sales, unlike a book trade sale, you do not need to give a percentage to the retailer. Instead, that percentage – up to 60% – goes to their author—more than enough to cover the additional cost of embellishments.
What other levers can an author pull to make their book look “special”? The design and layout of the pages should not be based on a formulaic template but a dynamic reflection of the book’s contents. It should add to the reader’s experience.
Firstly, start with the font. There are thousands to choose from. Take a look at the website dafont.com or fonts.adobe.com. There are far more choices than just Times New Roman! Do you want a serifed front or sans-serif? Which is clearer for the reader? It is your choice!
What about the pre-matter pages? These are the pages before the Title Page and which ‘set the scene’ for the potential reader before the book starts. The pages answer the questions that a reader would have before making the decision to buy. Is this book for them?
You could enhance your pages with chapter-specific running headers which show that some thought went into the page layout.
Every new chapter could have a “drop cap” at the start of the first paragraph. You could be using rich text to add light and shade to your layout. You might want to add pictures or illustrations – even a cartoon! Anything to make the book enjoyable to read.
None of these things happen by accident. As an author, you also need to become a reader and look at the work of other authors and publishers to get inspiration and ideas. Find out what you could include to make your book stand out.
Be proactive and look for original ways to make your book stand out. You only have one chance to make a first impression!
Have a free talk with book marketing experts and a publisher. AuthorCraft MasterClass.
Chris Day – author and publisher
Managing Director of Filament Publishing Ltd
chris@filamentpublishing.com 020 8688 2598