| Congratulations, you've finished your first book. It | | | | convert your manuscript to fit the template. If you |
| was a lot of hard work. And you probably are glad | | | | are using Microsoft Word (which most do) then the |
| it's over. | | | | easiest method is to use the template and copy your |
| Unfortunately, it's not. | | | | manuscript to the template. |
| Once you put -30- to that eBook, you still haven't | | | | Now you're ready for the cover design. You need to |
| finished. You've got at least three more tasks ahead | | | | pick your design. There are several ways to do this. |
| of you. | | | | You also need to write your front and back cover |
| In this article, we will be presuming that you will be | | | | copy. This is the writing that appears on the two |
| using a print-on-demand service to produce a physical | | | | covers to help sell your book. You then need to use |
| book. If you have used a good system for writing | | | | the appropriate cover template to create a cover. |
| your book, you will already know what forms your | | | | Before you can finish your cover and your interior |
| finished book will take. Although, of course, if you are | | | | you will need to obtain an ISBN. The ISBN is an |
| using a traditional publisher, you may have to rethink | | | | international identifier and bar code which is used to |
| your decisions. | | | | identify your book. Think UPC for grocery items. The |
| Your first task after finishing writing is to have the | | | | ISBN is a UPC for books. Each country maintains a |
| book edited. You should always use another person | | | | registry of ISBNs for books published in their country. |
| -- preferably a professional editor -- to edit your | | | | Note that published and printed are not the same |
| book. If you are using a good system you will already | | | | thing. |
| have performed a structural edit. All you will have to | | | | The ISBN registry for your country typically sells |
| do is a proof edit... in other words, check the spelling | | | | ISBNs in blocks to publishers. The print-on-demand |
| and grammar. If on the other hand, you haven't used | | | | printer may have a service that can sell you a single |
| a good system, you will need to perform a structural | | | | ISBN. Or your ISBN registry may sell individual |
| edit. That means you may still have to rewrite your | | | | numbers. Before buying a number from the printer |
| book. A structural edit looks at the underlying | | | | check your country's register as some may not allow |
| structure of your organization and may suggest that | | | | the resale of numbers. In order to sell you a number |
| you rewrite. | | | | the publisher of record may need to be your |
| Once you have a fully edited and finished book, you | | | | print-on-demand printer which may affect your plans |
| need to prepare it for publication. This may involve | | | | for the book. |
| outsourcing to a book designer. A book designer will | | | | The ISBN and its bar code will need to be added to |
| typically provide a better cover design and perhaps | | | | the cover of your book and also to the publishing |
| interior design than you can provide on your own. | | | | declaration page within the book itself. This is the |
| Many of the print-on-demand book printers have | | | | page that talks about copyrights and publication data |
| taken a leaf from the vanity press market and now | | | | and the cataloging-in-publication data. |
| provide that service. | | | | At this point you now have a complete book ready |
| If you don't use a book design service, you will need | | | | for publishing. So submit it to the print-on-demand |
| to first select the template you will use for your | | | | printer. |
| book. In some ways, we are presuming that you | | | | Typically they will have a number of services which |
| have used a good writing system. If not then you will | | | | you may take advantage of. These services are |
| need to identify and select your print-on-demand | | | | associated with the final task. Marketing. You need to |
| book printer and the format of your book first. All of | | | | have decided by this point how you are intending to |
| the print-on-demand printers provide templates for | | | | tell people about your book. Without marketing, yes, |
| their books. Your first interest is in the interior design | | | | you will have a published book. But you won't have |
| template. | | | | anyone reading it. |
| Once you have that template, then you need to | | | | And a book without a reader is a wasted. |