Independent publishing has opened the doors for authors in ways nobody could have imagined. A decade ago, the idea of indie author success seemed nearly impossible; even five years ago, reaching an audience seemed highly unlikely. Today self-publishing authors have firmly placed their mark on the book world, a trend that doesn’t seem likely to reverse. An often overlooked element of that is solid book layout design.
If you’re an indie or self-published author, you’ve probably read a lot about how to write. Everything from character development to world building are staple articles. You’re probably aware that, once your story is written, you’re going to need an editor.
How does your book get that professional look though? Professional design layout transforms your manuscript into a real book.
Book Layout Design Terminology
Before going any further, let’s establish some basic vocabulary. Here are a few terms you need to understand before exploring the book design layout process.
The first term you need to know is manuscript. A manuscript is any written material, usually hand written or in computer file form, that has not been published. If your book file is still on your computer then you’re working with a manuscript.
The second term is format. You can’t simply upload your manuscript from Word (or whatever program you use) into Amazon. Take a look at some indie books on Amazon. Even first time self-publishing authors produce books that look professional (think of interior graphics, a table of contents and a smooth print layout, to name a few). Your book needs to be in the proper format before uploading to Amazon, or any other platform.
The last term is publishing. This one may seem obvious, but it’s worth defining. By publishing your book, you’re making it available to the public. In self-publishing, you’re doing the work of a publisher in order to make your book available to readers.
How To Get A Professional Look
There are a lot of readers out there that love indie books. I’m one of them. I find that independent and self-publishing authors create unique material, stuff that conventionally published authors do not.
Regardless of our taste in what we read, however, readers want a professional looking book. They want to open a book, print or eBook, that feels every bit as polished as their conventional counterparts.
You simply cannot expect to have any success as an independent or self-publishing author without a professional looking product. If someone told you that, they were wrong.
I provide high-quality book design layout for a rate any independent and self-publishing author can easily afford. The book files I create work on every on-line eBook platform and can be used to publish print books through every major retailer.
When I design and layout your book, your readers won’t know the book was self-published. Offering quick turn around times and revisions, I can give you a book you’ll be proud of.
I hope this blog addressed some of your questions about book layout design. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below.