This has been a busy week. On top of all those chores that never seem to end, I had a few extra things to do. LIke updating my will and getting my brakes serviced. Of course, it hasn't been all bad. The STEM school here is getting into full swing, and I am volunteering my time working with the kids. Great fun.
The biggest one is that I am helping my friend with all the typesetting her new book. It is amazing how many details there are in just putting the words on paper. This is all on top of having written those words in the first place. She has been through this a few times before (it's not her first book), but it never really gets easier.
For those of you who are wondering just how complicated it can be, let me give you a breakdown.
First, you must decide on a trim size. Do you want 6"x9" or 5.25"x7.61" or... about five "standard" sizes are available, and custom sizes are possible (but more expensive). Next, margins. This sounds simple, but you have to remember a few things. Larger margins mean more pages, means more expensive to print. Smaller margins make it more difficult for a reader to hold, and too small can look crowded and cheap. Plus, the margin on the inside next to the spine (this is called the gutter) needs to be larger. The pages curl into the spine of the book, and if the gutter is too small, it is hard to read the words.
That's all well and good, but now we get to the text itself. First off, font. It seems crazy, but the look of the font on the page makes a difference in how the book feels. You have to match the visual to the tone of the book. Letters dripping blood and threatening violence simply don't fit if you are publishing a comedy. And what about the size of the font? Large print? Too big, and the reader is turning pages so often that it is difficult for them to remain engrossed in the story. Too small, and the reader is exhausting themselves before reaching the end of the page. Spacing between lines? Spacing between paragraphs? Spacing between scenes? All of this has to be taken into account for both feel and readability.
And what about chapters? Do they directly follow one after another? Or does each chapter start on a new page? And what is the font size for the chapter numbers/titles? How much space separating them from the text? Font decorations like italic, bolding, highlights? Centered, Left, Right, always to the inside or outside? Each of the details has to be answered one at a time.
Already it's starting to look like a daunting task, and we haven't tackled page headers, footers, page numbers, or some of the more difficult tasks--like making sure you don't have any pages with only one or two lines on them.
None of this even begins to touch on what to do if your text includes graphical elements.
This would honestly be a horrible task except for one small thing. You know that when you are done, with text all prettied up, title page and front matter laid out, back matter and extras included... you are ready to print!
Yes, the end of this is the whole reason you write. Your strory is going public. People are going to read what you wrote. THIS IS IT! That actually makes this kind of fun. Its the end of a journey, and if it is done right, the beginning of the journey for uncountable numbers of readers.
I am honored to have my friend ask me for my help with this, and we are almost ready to celebrate her amazing achievement.
I'll let you know when it hits the market.