What is this product?
This is an introductory guide for the novice book creator. It is intended to give clarity to the book making process in an easy to understand and friendly manner. Hopefully this will assist in communication with the book designer / printer so that the process can go smoothly and a great final product can be achieved.
If you have recently embarked on creating a book of any kind you may have already realised there is a bit more to the process than initially expected.
Epub option for Mac and Interactive PDF on PC.
Who is the product suitable for?
If you are not a book designer or professional printer and have written a book of any kind that you intend to publish or give away, then this resource will help you.
If you are a student or a designer of any other sort who is interested in knowing more about the book making process than this may be beneficial to you as well.
If you are a writer, editor or illustrator who works in the publishing industry but hasn't ever made their own book then this may be a helpful tool for you as well.
Common terminology is given both a written and pictorial definition presented as simply and clearly as possible.
Rather than alphabetical order, the book moves through the definitions in a sequence that mimics the steps in book creation. Once the mechanics of book making are explained the information moves to the content presented on the page of the book including things like image quality and typographic arrangement. All of this is relayed in a way that is appropriate for someone who knows nothing about design or book construction.
The interactive nature of the book means that you can move from one connecting idea to another quickly.
The look and layout of the book is simple with a fairly casual and friendly approach in both wording and graphics.
If you own an iphone or ipad, the ebook can appear in your Apple Books on those devices.
How will this book be helpful to me?
This information will primarily help in understand printing terminology. It may also help you choose the book format that is appropriate for your publication (or assist in understanding your designers choice).
The layout of this book as a glossary gives definitions to each word associated with the printing and book designing process. The single word definitions are then built on in a logical sequence and then expanded upon for a full understanding of how they all work together to create a book.
What this book isn’t.
This book doesn’t contain publishing advice (eg. approaching publishers, finding your target market, etc.) or tutorials on making your own books by hand. It is about the elements that go into making a book that will be most generally common in a commercial setting.
My hope is that by being informed about your options before you embark on your book-making journey the process will go smoother and you will come out of it with a product you are proud of.
If I am a printer or designer will this book teach me anything?
I don't want to rule the possibility out completely but if you have already studied or worked as a printer or book designer then this book will probably be too basic for you.
It may help you to refer your clients to this publication to show them during meetings. Instead of doing the heavy lifting of explaining the book making process each time you have a new client, a handy pre-prepared guide may be beneficial.
Will this book give me all the information I need to design a book and send it to print myself?
In short, no. The book explains each stage of the process but not how to do it.
If you are a graphic designer with a working knowledge of Adobe programs then this information will give you more of an understanding of how to design a book but not how to execute each stage in the process.
What was the inspiration behind this book?
This book came about as a series of info sheets and workbooks that I have used with my own clients that gradually formed into something more individual.
Every element I decided to include in the book came from the most common questions I have been asked and the most misunderstood elements of book design.
All my clients get a version of the book for free when we work together.
Similar Products to this Book
The Book Block - Industrial Book Binding Techniques
Publisher: 0.itemzero + Maiadouro; Authors: Rúben R. Dias, Rui Oliveira, Fábio Duarte Martins, Ricardo Philippe Dantas; English Translation: Hugo Rocha, Maria João Cunha; Revision:Maria João Cunha; Design and Infographics: Itemzero; Typeface:Uivo by Scannerlicker; Prepress, Printing and Finishing: Gráfica Maiadouro.
ISBN: 978-989-330088-6
2020
Indie Publishing: How to Design and Publish Your Own Book
by Ellen Lupton (Editor)
Paperback, 176 pages
Published November 3rd 2008 by Princeton Architectural Press
Original Title Indie Publishing: How to Design and Publish Your Own Book (Design Brief)
ISBN 1568987609 (ISBN13: 9781568987606)
Edition Language English
(Please note this publication is a little old now so some of the information can be out of date. I included it here as it has good instructions for making a book by hand.)
Not covered in my book is any information about making books by hand, This book does have this information in handy visual guides which might interest some.
