Book printing is a learning curve for self-publishers. However, this curve can be a steep one. After you spend all your effort and time writing the book, you need to ensure that everything is right.
Often, authors end up making mistakes. So, to help you out, we have done the legwork to find the top mistakes you should avoid with book printing. Check out these mistakes below.
1. Skimping on the Cover Design
When it comes to book sales, it is important to make a good first impression. Many authors choose to save money and design their own coffee. Unfortunately, choosing a DIY method for the cover design can lead to a sales disaster.
There are various ways to invest in your book with your own money but you will get the best possible value if you hire an expert. When you work with a professional, you can get a professional and visually attractive book.
2. Not Optimizing Your Book Description
Every retailer will give you a page to describe your book to your potential readers. It is another case of making your first impressions count as nothing is going to send the readers running faster than a description, which is rambling, boring, and full of self-praise. The ideal way to train yourself to write a good description for your book is to read as many descriptions as possible in the same genre. Soon, you will start noticing a structure in the writing and the kind of plot points will be highlighted. Spend some time reading book jackets at a bookstore or library.
3. Slacking on the Editing Process
Editors tend to be adept at spotting typos, grammar mistakes, and spelling mistakes from even a mile away. Also, they can be merciless about inconsistencies, poor structure, plot holes, and cliches. So, before hiring one for your spiral bound book printing, first, try to edit your book all by yourself and make the copy as clean as possible. Make sure you know the different types of editing available. It is nearly impossible for a single editor to accomplish every level of editing in a single and manuscripts need different kinds of editing.
4. Formatting the Book Incorrectly
Every book has its own technical requirements, which have to be observed strictly. Check the booksellers’ guidelines to learn about the file type they prefer uploading. You need to choose one of the ideal manuscripts. Beyond the file type, formatting your manuscript properly ensures that readers have a smooth experience reading the book. Hence, be careful of the fundamentals, such as section breaks and paragraphs.
5. Not Choosing a Specific Release Date
A big aspect of marketing is setting up the expectation of the audience. Nothing is going to destroy that relationship faster than turning it into something unreliable. So, you have to be sure about the publishing dates and avoid letting the readers down.
6. Not Reading the Book Before Printing It
There are beta readers who love to reading books and give them feedback. They can let you know if the book you have written is enjoyable or is going to need some work before spiral bound book printing. At times, you can simply ask your friends and family members for honest feedback. However, your best bet is to join a writer’s group. Beta readers can be the difference between printing a great book and a bad book.
7. Not Considering a Designer
Editors, distributors, and designers all play their own roles. Self-publishing authors can easily find themselves bogged down while trying to balance every role at once and it can hamper the print of the book quality.
You might need some additional help in some areas. By getting help in these areas, you can focus on the other important things of spiral bound book printing. A graphic designer with experience in the field can turn your ideas into reality. They can design the perfect book cover for you and also suggest you the best color palettes and typography. Also, they can bring in a fresh eye to the designing process.
8. Not Asking for Paper Samples
You might think that the printing service will print on paper that is accepted by the industry. However, that might not always be the case. So, it is better to have some idea about the type of paper that the printing service will use for printing the book. The two key things you need to know are paper stocks are available in different weights can and be uncoated and coated. Also, the paperweight affects the pages in the book. It might be difficult to make a decision without checking the samples. So, ask the spiral bound book printing services for samples.
