CREATE YOUR OWN BOOKS FOR FUN AND PROFIT! HERE'S HOW YOU DO IT!
These instructions are for 4-1/2" x 8-1/2" trade paperbacks, but can be adapted for production of hardbacks and larger books.
Part One: Printing Your Book
1. Acquire the manuscript that you want to publish. Write it yourself or get it from another source. Keep it all legal; don't plagiarize and don't libel. Study plagiarism and libel carefully if you are unsure.
2. Type, layout and print your page. Use any method of printing you want, including handwriting, but I recommend a good word processor like Microsoft Word, Word Perfect, Star Office, etc. Set page size and margins so they look the way you want; use the header and footer to add page numbers, page banners, etc. Mimic a design you like if you have trouble creating one of your own. Again, mimic, don't copy.
3. Print your pages using the booklet printing mode of your word processor (if it has one) or by using low cost software like "Clickbooks". You will be printing four book pages on each 8-1/2" x 11" piece of paper (2 on the front, 2 on the back) and will cut them in half. You want each completed pages in the proper order (this is called imposition). We use Microsoft Word to compose pages and Clickbooks to set up for printing.
4. Print your pages using a good inkjet, laser or dot matrix printer; there are advantages and disadvantages to each. Inkjet printers are relatively cheap and print fast, but ink cartridges are expensive. Per page printing costs are the highest and the inks can smear or fade. Pages are smooth when they come out of the printer. Laser printers are more expensive, but are fast and have the lowest per page costs. The printing is more permanent and less likely to smear or fade, but heat of printing tends to warp and wrinkle the pages. It is hard to get a flat book if there is much wrinkling. Some printers are worse than others about wrinkling. Dot Matrix printers are harder to find nowadays, but some 24 pin printers do a fine job of printing book pages. Dot matrix printers use pressure to force ink onto the paper, more like regular press printing. Inks are long lasting and not likely to smear or fade. Dot matrix per page costs are relatively high.
5. Any 8-1/2"x11" paper can be used for the pages of your book; make sure it will work in your printer. Paper suppliers will generally give you free samples of a variety of papers. Choose paper that is compatible with your book design and personal preferences. You can use 20# paper for most books, but 24# paper will create a thicker, richer looking book. You should consider 28# or 32# paper if you are including illustrations or photos. We use 20# or 24# 5-1/2" micro-perf paper for our books; micro-perf paper has a perforation so it can be easily separated into 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" pages. Micro-perf paper can be ordered through many office supply stores or from internet sources.
6. The "book block" is all of the pages of your book bound together. After printing and stacking all the pages, measure the thickness of the book block; you need this thickness to design your cover.
7. The cover size will be width of the back cover (5-1/2") plus width of the spine (thickness from step 6) plus width of the front cover (5-1/2"), thus, a 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" book 1/2" thick would require a cover 11-1/2" x8-1/2" high. It is hard to find cover stock; order cover stock or card stock in a larger size from an office supply store or paper supplier and cut it to size. You can use an exacto knife, razor knife, paper cutter or even scissors to cut it.
8. Layout your cover in your word processor, publishing, or graphics program. Most such programs let you rotate text so you can print the spine. Measure the cover after it is printed and, using a rule and scoring tool, score the cover at each edge of the spine. The scoring tool can be a bone scoring tool, dull table knife, or even an empty ball point pen. The goal is not to cut the cover, but to compress the paper to get a crisp, straight bend at each edge of the spine. We have had good luck using an old pizza cutter as a scoring tool. Neat scores produce crisp bends at the edges of the spine and give your book is a professional look.