Next steps
So in Getting started you’ve created your Word file, chosen the size of your book and finalised the interior page design … but what’s next?
Proof reading
At this point it is important to consider having your manuscript professionally read. This can be an expensive outlay and most self-publishing authors are confident enough in their writing skills to proceed to first proof stage without enlisting the help of a reader. However, if you are hoping to print and sell lots of copies of your book, having an experienced and qualified reader go through your work can give the final copy a thoroughly professional feel.
Reading your own work is a difficult thing to do. A fresh viewpoint can highlight potential plot issues and will give your copy consistency throughout, which gives a much more polished look to the reader.
Get a first proof
Once your digital Word file is ready and trim page size and page design agreed we will get to work creating your first proof. A sample PDF will be made up and emailed for you to approve. This will show how your copy looks on the page and give the final extent (number of pages) of your title.
Once the sample is approved we will proceed to make up first proofs and supply a first proof PDF for on-screen checking. The advantage of an on-screen check is that you can open the file in Adobe’s free Acrobat Reader and make comments on the actual PDF, which you can then return to us for corrections to be made.
Physical proofs
If you aren’t comfortable with a digital PDF proof for checking, for a small additional fee we can create a physical set of first proofs and post them to you. Once you have marked these up, return them to us for your corrections to be made.
Additional corrections
Of course we realise that there will always be last minute corrections to make sure you are entirely happy when your book goes to print. Our price structure allows for a final round of adjustments to be made before the title is signed off and printed copies are ordered.
To discover more about how to make corrections using Adobe’s free Acrobat Reader take a look at our tutorial page.
Cover design
Your book will almost certainly need a cover. A book’s cover is its primary source of advertising, key to any sale. Our experienced team will design a cover that appeals to the target audience for your book, attracting readers that will love its content and give rave reviews.
Cover images
Most authors have a cover image they feel is perfect for their book cover, but if not we can source images from several places. A small fee will be payable to the copyright owner, dependent on the target audience for the book, or we can even arrange a bespoke photo shoot if you have something particular in mind and can’t find the image you need.