Book Printing Process

So you have finally finished that novel that you have been writing for years. What now? Most authors want to see there book in print, maybe even would like to sell there book. Many believe that they will never have enough money to actual get there book printed, but there are a lot of affordable ways to get a book printed, but there is a process to book printing.
1) Get Quotes for book printing.
2) Prepare files to send for printing.
3) Receive a proof for book
4) Print book.

Researching multiple companies and various methods of book printing would be recommended, but for all companies, you will need to start with the same process.

Several quotes from different companies will let you know the varying costs. The varying costs should be reflected in the different kind of paper and binding, etc. These methods of printing will be discussed in a future blog.

Copycat: How to copyright your book?

Many authors, especially self publishing authors, ask the question, how do I get my book copyrighted? With great worry, authors are trying to prevent someone from stealing there work and to make sure that if necessary under legal rights their work is protected. From the moment an author translates there thoughts into words on paper or on a computer, there work is copyright protected, but some authors still want something more. For a very reasonable price you can have your work copyright protected through copyright registration. The United States copyright office (www.copyright.gov) has all the information necessary to register your book and have ironclad copyright protection of your work.

Read more about copyright protection below:

10 Big Myths about Copyright Explained

An attempt to answer common myths about copyright seen on the net and cover issues related to copyright and USENET/Internet publication.

Note that this is an essay about copyright myths. It assumes you know at least what copyright is -- basically the legal exclusive right of the author of a creative work to control the copying of that work. If you didn't know that, check out my own brief introduction to copyright for more information. Feel free to link to this document, no need to ask me. Really, NO need to ask.

1) "If it doesn't have a copyright notice, it's not copyrighted."

This was true in the past, but today almost all major nations follow the Berne copyright convention. For example, in the USA, almost everything created privately and originally after April 1, 1989 is copyrighted and protected whether it has a notice or not. The default you should assume for other people's works is that they are copyrighted and may not be copied unless you know otherwise. There are some old works that lost protection without notice, but frankly you should not risk it unless you know for sure.

It is true that a notice strengthens the protection, by warning people, and by allowing one to get more and different damages, but it is not necessary. If it looks copyrighted, you should assume it is. This applies to pictures, too. You may not scan pictures from magazines and post them to the net, and if you come upon something unknown, you shouldn't post that either.

The correct form for a notice is:

  "Copyright [dates] by [author/owner]"

You can use C in a circle © instead of "Copyright" but "(C)" has never been given legal force. The phrase "All Rights Reserved" used to be required in some nations but is now not legally needed most places. In some countries it may help preserve some of the "moral rights."

6) "If I make up my own stories, but base them on another work, my new work belongs to me."

False. U.S. Copyright law is quite explicit that the making of what are called "derivative works" -- works based or derived from another copyrighted work -- is the exclusive province of the owner of the original work. This is true even though the making of these new works is a highly creative process. If you write a story using settings or characters from somebody else's work, you need that author's permission.

Yes, that means almost all "fan fiction" is arguably a copyright violation. If you want to publish a story about Jim Kirk and Mr. Spock, you need Paramount's permission, plain and simple. Now, as it turns out, many, but not all holders of popular copyrights turn a blind eye to "fan fiction" or even subtly encourage it because it helps them. Make no mistake, however, that it is entirely up to them whether to do that.

There is a major exception -- criticism and

parody. The fair use provision says that if you want to make fun of something like Star Trek, you don't need their permission to include Mr. Spock. This is not a loophole; you can't just take a non-parody and claim it is one on a technicality. The way "fair use" works is you get sued for copyright infringement, and you admit you did copy, but that your copying was a fair use. A subjective judgment on, among other things, your goals, is then made.

However, it's also worth noting that a court has never ruled on this issue, because fan fiction cases always get settled quickly when the defendant is a fan of limited means sued by a powerful publishing company. Some argue that completely non-commercial fan fiction might be declared a fair use if courts get to decide. You can read more

Read more: http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html (10Big Myths about Copyright Explained by Brad Templeton).

Ways to Promote Your Book over the Internet III

5. Add a medit kit/press room

Having a press room added to your site is a great place for the media to retrieve promotional information pertaining to your book. Adding images as well is an additional plus for editors and book reviewers. Be sure to have up to the minute news regarding your book such as press releases etc. Include all references to press covered on your book from images to reviews. Adding a FAQ (frequently asked question will also be useful to getting more publicity for your book.

6. Offer perks and rewards

Interact with you readers and create increased interest and readership by including reader’s testimonials and reviews in a monthly newsletter. Many people value what others have to say and often let this influence their interest and purchases. Offer perks such as a series of training courses or coaching based on your books topics. Have monthly or quarterly contest or giveaways.

Ways to Promote Your Book over the Internet II

3. Make your website interactive with your readers

Your website is more than a promotional tool for your book. There are many ways to make excellent use of your book’s website. The goal of having your book’s website is not to just get readers to visit once but actually to return often. Your book’s website can provide downloadable treats such as worksheets, checklist and charts.

Provide updated content and news related to your book’s topic. Offer updated visuals such as related artwork or photographs. Your website should be an aid to help your audience get the most out of your book and the message that it is conveying.

4. Welcome comments, views and questions

Create an interactive community amongst your readership base by inviting them to make comments and ask questions. Offer promotions, contest and added incentives for their participation. Remain connected to your readers by following up with their responses. Always keep the communications lines open by giving good feedback.


Next post: more tips on promoting your book via the internet

Ways to Promote Your Book over the Internet

The success of your book will greatly depend on your promotion efforts. Generally any type of marketing campaign can be costly. However, you can make great use of email and the internet in order to cut back on your promoting costs. Here are some methods you can successfully use to promote your book via the web:

1. Invest in a website for your book.

Don’t market your book on your existing website only. Marketing on your existing site is fine. However, it is best to create a separate site that focuses solely on the book. Your book can get lost in the midst of your current sites subject matter or the sea of products sold. Your site should be named after the book's title if possible. Be sure to reference your existing web site to your book's website.

2. Offer a Few Sample Chapters

One great way to spark interest in your book is to offer a few free chapters of your book. This is an excellent way to spark interest and get your readers wanting more. You can do this by allowing readers to download sample chapters with adobe acrobat via your book's promotional site. This sneak preview will have your readers wanting more. This will hopefully create the anticipation and evoke your readers to buy your book

Next post: more tips on promoting your book via the internet

Choosing The Right Binding Method For Your Book

When publishing your book you may want to consider how your book will appear to it's readers. Does the appearance of your book convey your message? Does it fit the overall theme of your book? Choosing the right binding method can help you accomplish the right image and message for your book. Here's a list of our standard binding methods from Best Book Printing and their intended uses.

Saddle Stitched
Suitable for books with 80 pages or less. The press sheets are folded in half and stapled on the spine. ( I generally see used in books with smaller pages such as children's books).


Perfect Bound
Paperback books with more then 40 pages. This is the most common binding method for the self publisher. The pages are stacked and glued. They are then glued to the inside of the cover. (I usually see these used for instructional how to type books).


Case Bound
Hard cover books wrapped in cloth and foil stamped on the cover and spine. This method requires a minimum of 80 pages. This is more expensive but also more durable than perfect binding.


Case Bound with Dust Jacket
Same as standard case binding with the addition of a one sided loose color cover. This affords additional protection to the cloth cover and still allows for foil stamping on the cover and spine.


Case Wrapped
Mechanically the same as a case bound book, but instead of foil stamped cloth material, the cover wrap is printed in color on paper and applied to the outside boards with adhesive.


PlastiCoil
Much like metal spiral binding but made with a more durable plastic coil. This is suitable for books with up to 250 sheets and the coil is available in a number of standard colors.


Wire-O
A professional looking mechanical binding method that is available in 3 standard colors. This method uses a double loop of coated metal. Like PlastiCoil, it is suitable for books with up to 250 sheets.
The binding methods examples were taken from the FAQ section of Best Book Printing

Book Marketing Resources for the Self Publisher

When kicking off your book marketing and promotions campaign it is always good to get as much reviews and media coverage as possible. Every moment could possibly be a missed marketing opportunity for your book There are many resources to get your book noticed such as newspapers, blogs, forums and columns to name a few. Here are a few Review Column Sources:

American Book Review
Black Issues Book Review
The Bloomsbury Review
Boston Book Review
Boston Review
Broken Pencil
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Complete Review
Contemporary Poetry Review
ForeWord
New Haven Review
Lit Mob
Midwest Book Review
New York Review of Books
QBR The Black Book Review
Rain Taxi Review of Books
VLS
The Women's Review of Books
Yale Review of Books

Book Printing Money Saving Tips

When it comes to book printing we all would like to get the project done right the first time. We also would like to keep our cost down in order to maximize our profits. Printing your first book does not have to break you but there are some basic things to consider. First, make sure you have a good relationship with your publishing company regarding your project. This will save you time and money when it comes to your first book publishing project. A great way to know if you have chosen a good publishing house is by their ability to disclose your printing options to you. Here are some of those options:

Money Saving Tip #1:

Stock selection can make a difference in costs. A great way to cut back on costs is by the type of stock you choose for your book.

Money Saving Tip #2:

Choosing to make your book a soft cover verses a hard cover can bring your costs down.

Money Saving Tip #3:

Opting for black and white verses color is a major way of slashing your book printing costs.

Money Saving Tip #4:

When it comes to book printing the savings in printing is based on how many books you print. The more you print the more you will save per book on printing cost.

Money Saving Tip #5

It takes money to make money so with being said, don’t skimp on you books image or style. Sometimes you have to spend a little on printing extras like: adding ribbon bookmarks, foil stamping, a leather cover, custom name stamping, fold outs and so on. If it will help with your books image or theme then feel free to enhance. The investment can be fruitful.

A Few Useful Self-Publishing Tips

1. Research & Educate Yourself
When self-publishing your book it is best to learn all there is to know before making that commitment and step towards book publishing. Read books, participate in book writing and self publishing seminars. Get to know others who have already done what you’re trying to do. Take a look at existing published books and study the inside and covers of the books that appeals to the masses. Think of alluring titles for you book. Choosing the right title can be one of the most needed elements to engage potential readers. Create a book that has an appealing, brief, clever and concise title with an eye catching cover. Remember your book cover and title is the first impression you get to make to the consumer.

2. Understanding the Competition
In doing your research, be sure that your book is not written on a subject that has been over done. There are guides that you can use as reference to see what’s been done. You can also study the delivery style for inspiration on how you can improve your presentation. Are the currently published books on your subject matter too lengthy or too short? Do they lack luster? Think of how you can provide never before done, rich and captivating content in your new book.

3. Seek the Professionals
Have a professional edit/proofread your book. A second pair of eyes always seems to catch what you didn't. Make sure your book has an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) which is a number that uniquely identifies your books and book-like products published internationally. To obtain one go to ISBN Application Process. Once you own your ISBN this makes you an official self publisher. You will need a Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) which is an identification number that the Library of Congress assigns to titles most likely to be acquired by the Library of Congress. There is no charge to obtain a LCCN just simply go to LCCN Application Process to complete application and receive an account number and password. This process generally takes two weeks. You also need to look in to obtaining a European Article Number (EAN) Bookland Scanning Symbol. Click here for a list EAN Bookland Barcode Suppliers.

4. Promoting Your Book
Have your marketing and promotions strategy together prior to publishing and printing your book. Know your target market. Understand what relevant magazines, newsletters and associations might benefit your book promotions. Utilize every form of media, press releases, local and literary media. Everyone you meet could be a potential customer, directly or indirectly. For true success your book has to literally be all you do, think or speak. Promote, market and publicize at any given opportunity.

Establishing a Retail Price

First, you must try setting your own retail price for your book. Avoid the publisher that tries to force you into extremely lofty retail prices. In order to sell your book in a retail environment, you must be sure to have your book priced at 2 ½ times your cost.

Large book selling chains expect to make a minimum of 50%. You must also take into account any possible freight fees. So basically if it cost approximately $5 per book to print then you will need to price it at least as $10.95. This will allow you to break even at least. If your book costs more to print, you must raise your retail price in order to break even.

Check to see if your publisher offers something called offset printing also known as traditional printing. Traditional printing is actually the best way to get the best price on a huge volume of books at one given time. Although it is the best way to go it is not offered by most of the large self-publishing companies today.