Book Trim Size
Before publishing your book you will need to choose a trim size, the actual dimensions of the book. The most popular and economical book trim size is 5.5” X 8.5”. There are other alternatives, which are sometimes more expensive, depending on the book printing company, that include 6” X 9”and 8” X 8”, which is considered a gift-size book. If you use a book printer like CreateSpace.com, all the book trim sizes are the same price. The cost of the book varies only by the number of pages in the book and whether the interior is black and white or includes color photographs.
Not all printers offer all trim sizes, so shop around to find the one who offers the book size you want at an affordable price.
Book Layout Tips
In order to lay out the body text pages for your book, you will need to be familiar with a word processing program, like Microsoft® Word.
As you write your text on your computer, having the page size set to the actual trim size of your book will give you a better feel for how the finished layout will look, complete with the total number of pages.
Most book printers require a minimum half-inch margin around the text on each page. If your book will be perfect bound (like a paperback book) instead of bound with a spiral wire or plastic comb, it’s best to use mirror margins.
“Mirror margins” means the inside margins (the ones at the center of the book) are wider than the outside margins, to accommodate the space required to bind the pages together.
In order to create mirror margins when using Microsoft® Word, click on the “Page Layout” tab, then choose “Page Setup”. Under the “Margin” tab, you will see an area called “Pages” and under that, “Multiple Pages”. Click on the drop-down arrow and choose “Mirror Margins”.
Then you will be able to set the inside margins to at least three-fourths of an inch wide and the outside margins at one-half of an inch wide. If you don’t want to use mirror margins, simply set both the right and left margins for three-fourths of an inch (.75”). You can also set the top and bottom margins the same size if you like. Follow the directions from the book printing company you choose.
Many book printing companies, like InstantPublisher.com, offer downloadable templates with preset margins for several trim sizes. This service makes creating your book file much simpler.
Be sure to insert page numbers in the body text. These can be centered in the footer (the space at the bottom of the page), or in the header (the space at the top of the page) or placed in the outside corners of the header or footer.
Other topics covered in this chapter:
Body Text and Artwork
Font Styles and Sizes
Body Text and Artwork
Font Styles and Sizes
Order Self-Publishing On a Budget: A Do-It-All Yourself Guide in these formats:
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