A Basic
Publishing Glossary
Basic
Copyedit-
before the book is typeset, this checks for spelling and
grammar errors, incorrect word usage, missing and incorrect
punctuation, and consistency throughout your manuscript. We
highly recommend every manuscript has at least a Basic
Copyedit before it is typeset.
Page
Design/Typesetting- the process of formatting the
book’s interior pages using specialized design software
that ensures your book will look and print beautifully.
Proofread-
after a book has been typeset, it needs to be read again to
ensure no errors have been introduced, and all fonts,
styles and formatting are consistent. A proofread is
included in our typesetting cost.
PDF-
Adobe’s Portable Document Format (PDF) allows files to look
and print the same on different computers. Although a
press-ready PDF file allows you to have your book printed
virtually anywhere, it limits the changes that can be made
without having to re-typeset your book. When selecting a
publishing services company, make sure they will provide
you with the files for your artwork. Bookshare Pro provides
files upon request- at no charge to you.
Copyright-
Literary Rights Copyright is a form of protection provided
by the laws of most countries to the authors of “original
works” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and
certain other intellectual works. This protection is
available to both published and unpublished works and is in
effect as soon as your manuscript has been written.
Registering your copyright with the government is an
additional measure that can help protect your work in the
case of an infringement.
ISBN-
An International
Standard
Book
Number
is a 13-digit identification number which uniquely
identifies a book. Books that will be sold through
bookstores (online or offline) require an ISBN. The owner
of the ISBN is the publisher of the book.
Barcode-
Most books include a scannable barcode on the back cover.
Books sold through book stores will have a Bookland/EAN bar
code. This barcode contains the ISBN and (optionally) the
retail price.
Printing Technologies
Most
books are printed using one of three methods:
offset/lithographic, digital, or POD. It’s imperative that
you choose the right method for each project. Choosing the
wrong method could cost you lost profits or leave you with
boxes full of books you can’t sell.
Traditional
(Offset/Lithographic) Printing is the technology that has been
used to print books for decades. Traditional publishers use
this for the majority of titles. While offset printing has
the highest initial cost, it also produces the lowest cost
per book when run in quantities. Offset is best used for
longer print runs (generally above 1000). Offset printing
allows you to add specialty cover treatments like matte
lamination, foil, and embossing.
Digital Printing produces shorter print runs
(1000 and under) most cost effectively, and is the best
option for printing smaller initial quantities to test the
market with a book. With digital printing, the per-book
cost is higher than offset but lower that POD. Digital
printing is also ideal for printing Advance Review Copies
(ARCs) for pre-publication book reviews.
Print on Demand (POD) produces books one at a time,
as they are ordered. While this brings the start-up costs
down, the higher cost of producing books one at a time can
prevent you from making any real profit, as these titles
may need to be priced above comparable books on the market.
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