By now, we know how important it is to have a dope book cover for our Self-Published book.
But it’s not always the book cover that gives a book away that it’s Self-Published. Sometimes, how the book looks inside makes it look homemade.
Typesetting: the spacing between words and letters, the font type & size, the page’s trim size, margin, and overall layout.
Grab a book that has been traditionally published (or professionally Self-Published!) and look over the pages. Take note of how it appears on the inside. Look at how tidy the words are! How are the left and right edges aligned, the typefaces are the same, and the paragraph spacing is perfect?
This is the result of expert typesetting.
Many Self-Publishers skip this stage. We don’t realize it because we submit the Word or PDF file we used to compose the book to our preferred print-on-demand.
But what’s wrong with that?
There is nothing wrong with that, except our manuscripts do not print exactly as we type them in Word, Google Docs, or Scrivener. The document requires proper typesetting and formatting for print and digital devices like Kindles and Tablets.
The cover of your book may suffer from a poorly formatted book. Take a look at book two in The Stella Trilogy, first edition.
I actually like the initial cover image. The problem is with the rest of the book.
Do you notice how the spine is twisted? Because the book was too short to have a spine, this occurred. Giving it one, nonetheless caused it to wrap around and face the front.
I didn’t realize the book needed more pages for a full spine because I’m not a graphic artist or skilled book cover designer.
While this cover image doesn’t pop as well as the first (IMO), the book is professionally bound. The alternate ending made the book long enough for a spine in the revised edition. The book features a more professional cover, professional formatting, and professional editing.
Recommendation. Before having your entire cover designed, wait until your book has been edited and properly typeset. Your graphic artist will require the precise number of pages and trim size to create a cover, back, and spine that perfectly matches the book.
Moral. Before hitting publish, make sure to hire a skilled typesetter to correct the placement of your text on the page.
If you want to try it yourself, here are some sources:
- Reedsy Book Editor
- Adobe In-Design
- Microsoft Publisher
- Vellum
*Fiverr. Note: Professional typesetters can be found on websites like Fiverr. Make sure they are typesetting rather than just typography, though. Typefaces and other decorative elements make up typography. That’s not typesetting. Additionally, if they are only using Vellum, you can do it on your own by simply purchasing it.
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