Book Update

I got so wrapped up in working on the final draft of my book that I haven’t taken the time to blog for a couple of days – heck, it’s been a week. Of course, I’m not just working on that project as other things need to be taken care of.

I’ve made it back through Day 9 as of this moment; only 14 more to go before I’m finished, plus writing the epilogue. I’m printing out copies with a few photos to pass on to Nan, who is proofreading for me. It’s never good for authors to proofread their own work. You get so caught up in your work that it’s easy to miss simple grammatical errors or spelling. Also, another point of view can alert you to the fact that a section might sound awkward or confusing to a reader. There’s nothing worse than reading a good story, but you can’t enjoy it because of the bad grammar and spelling; and for a lot of people, those glaring errors jump off the page in your face.

The finishing of the final draft doesn’t mean the book is ready to go. There are many, many decisions to make. There’s layout and design, choosing the size of the book, the type of paper to have it printed on, front and back cover designs, copyrights, and that’s on top of deciding to just go with a print on-demand-company or to go with a real publisher. These are not easy decisions and this is not even talking marketing, yet.

Print-on-demand is a popular way to go and it’s relatively easy (just remember none of this is as easy as it sounds). However, with the thousands of books being printed this way, what makes your book stand out? And with anyone being able to print anything, your book is mixed in with a lot of poorly written material. These print-on-demand places do not do any editing on proofreading. They are set up and print only. They could care less whether the writing is any good.

I don’t want a cheap, shoddy piece of work. As good a writer and editor as I may be, I still make mistakes. I still need, and appreciate, someone else looking over my work before it goes out to the public. I want my books to look professional and classy. The writing, though time-consuming, is the easy part. From there it gets difficult and to do a good job is not cheap. If you want quality work, you need to pay for it – from editing to designing to printing. And if you don’t have the expertise, then be willing to pay someone who does.

Ouch! But this is the type of work I want to do. I’m learning. Maybe there will come a time when I can do almost all of it myself (as I thought I could in the beginning), but I’m not there yet.

On to Day 10... and I still haven't come up with a title.

It’s All about the Paper

My goal as an author is to incorporate writing with photography. I am not just a writer and not just a photographer. I am both and want to incorporate both! I want my photographs to be embedded with the text. If you are reading about the roundhouse in Martinsburg, W. Va., I want you to see a picture right there without having to search elsewhere in the book. 

But books don’t usually work that way. Pictures are grouped together in the middle or at the end. I couldn’t get it through my head, that why, with modern technology, pictures couldn’t be with the text.

“Too Cold for Alligators” was published in 2014. I insisted the publisher print the pictures on the pages with the text. The proof copy was a letdown. I ended up re-editing all my photos and re-submitting. The second proof was much better though not perfect. I am excited about the book, but there is a disappointment because the pictures are not great. How can I make this better in the next book?

The writing will be slightly improved as I’ve learned much since becoming editor of the InterTown Record. I’ve had to research and study AP Style and rediscover forgotten rules with writing. I decided for my book purposes I will stick with the AP Style as jumping back and forth between that style and the “Chicago Manual of Style,” depending if I am doing newspaper work or writing the book, would be too confusing. What is important is my writing style remaining consistent. 

But what do I do about the photographs? I want to show the readers, not just tell them about the journey. I have taken some great pictures. How can I share them with everyone? 

I need to know more about the printing business. I had the opportunity to tour Puritan Press, a printing company in Hollis on Wednesday. What a great experience, but too much information comes in during a whirlwind tour. I really didn’t know what to expect. There are many divisions, components, departments to the business. To make a simple statement, the many types of printing jobs performed, such as newsletters, posters, art books, reading books, catalogs, letterhead and business cards, have different needs, rules, layout, and more. Five days later my head is still spinning.

“It’s all about the paper,” I was told more than once. What you want printed dictates the kind of paper. Online printing offers the self-publishing author only a couple of options whereas there are many other choices. Price is also a factor as the better quality paper, the higher the price. If you are only writing a novel or something that is just text, then it is okay to go with a standard paper, but to do something with pictures requires higher quality and probably with a coating. 

I had gone with the standard paper for “Two Cold for Alligators,” hence the ink for the images (photos and maps) had a bit of bleed. Coated paper, which holds the color ink better, is more costly and heavier. The weight is a consideration in shipping and if readers need to hold the book or it the publication needs to lie on the table (as with coffee table books and art books). 

Then there is the type of pictures needing to be printed. If you are doing brochures or catalogs showing art work for galleries or museums, then a color editor may be needed (another expense) because of the need to make the printed material as exact as possible to the original. Printers do not all print the same and not all computers are calibrated the same color-wise. How I edit my pictures to look good printed from my printer may not come out well on another printer.

Who knew there were so many issues to consider in writing a book!

“It’s all about the paper!” The research will go on as I continue work on the book. I will learn more about the printing process and available options.