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Advice for authors: Frequently asked questions

If you have any questions which are not answered here, please contact us. We're always happy to help and our advice is free of charge and without obligation. Call us on 01733 237867.

 

Timing

  • We generally advise you to allow up to ten working days, after the proof is accepted, for your books to be printed.
  • If you are using our Gold or Platinum package, there is no hard-and-fast rule that can be applied but we would be more than happy to advise you once we know the scale of the project in question.

Page layout/format

  • If you are using our Gold or Platinum package, we look after the layout of your pages and the formatting of the manuscript for you but are open to your own ideas of how the book should appear.
  • We can accept your manuscript in most PC-based software formats but it must exist as one single document. Please do not submit each chapter or each page separately.
  • If you are using our Bronze or Silver package, we would print the pages exactly as you supplied them unless you wanted us to carry out the design work for you, for which there would be an additional cost.
  • There are no rules about the font you use or the size; those are completely your own choice. We generally use a font called Aldine401BT with an 11.5 point size. A margin of at least 12mm should be left around each page, although, again, it is your book so you set the rules.
  • Your manuscript should ideally be in .pdf format. If you do not have the software to convert your document it is possible to get it converted for no cost on several websites. (Type “convert to pdf free” into a search engine to find one). Failing that, we could turn your document in most PC-based software into .pdf format for you, although there would be an additional cost for that.
  • Although there are no hard-and-fast rules, there are various conventions and guidelines that you may like to bear in mind. But don’t forget, the book is yours and you can format the text the way you want!
  • It is generally accepted that odd-numbered pages should be on the right-hand side as you look at the open book. Some people prefer Roman numerals for the preliminary pages with the first page of actual text numbered 1.
  • It is generally accepted that a new chapter starts on a new page. (Do use a page break – Alt I B P in Microsoft Word – rather than a series of returns to achieve that). Some people prefer new chapters to start on a right-hand page which may entail inserting a blank page beforehand.
  • If you want a gap between each paragraph, do not achieve that by typing two returns instead of one at the end of each paragraph (because if one of those gaps appears at the top of a page it will give the appearance of uneven margins). Instead, insert automatic spacing to appear after each paragraph – Alt O P E in Microsoft Word.
  • Be wary that a computer spell checker is no guarantee of correct spelling. The default language should be set to UK English (Alt T L L in Microsoft Word). If, for example, you typed book instead of cook by mistake, the spell checker would not pick that up. The electronic spell checker obviously recognises there, their and they’re as legitimate words, but it won’t necessarily tell you if you’ve used the wrong one. Our Platinum package includes thorough proofreading by a trained professional. We can also arrange it in conjunction with our other packages, but there would be an additional cost.
  • It may sound basic and unnecessary to point this out, but do ensure you spell each character’s name consistently throughout the book. Pay special attention to surnames beginning Mc or Mac and names that can be spelt in different ways, such as Steven or Stephen.
  • Do not manually hyphenate words at line breaks. Let your word processing application do that for you automatically. (Alt T L H in Microsoft Word)
  • The most common mistake is the over-use of capital letters, which should be reserved for proper nouns (names) and the first word in each sentence only. Too many people write sentences such as The Doctor wrote to the Council to complain about the noisy Aircraft and the delay in getting through to the Call Centre. Not one of those words (apart from the The at the start of the sentence) should have a capital.
  • To indent paragraphs, use a tab character not a series of spaces. Better still, let your software do it for you – Alt O P S and choosing the First line option in Microsoft Word.
  • Use only one space, not two between sentences.
  • Titles of books, songs, films and so forth are generally denoted by the use of italics rather than inverted commas or speech marks.
  • Try to avoid typing words all in capitals and try to avoid using bold and underlining as such styles can become difficult to read if over-used.
  • Some software automatically defaults to American Letter size pages (216mm x 280mm) rather than English A4 (210mm x 297mm). Do be careful; you can check by typing Alt F U and choosing the Paper option in Microsoft Word.

Graphics

  • If you are using our Bronze or Silver package, graphics – anything that is not text – need to be included within your manuscript. We do not add photographs, line drawings and so forth into your book unless we are carrying out the lay-out as an extra service, for which there would be an additional cost.
  • There is no need to group all of your pictures together; they can be distributed throughout the book to suit your needs.
  • If you are scanning items for use, choose a setting of 300dpi. Any lower could make the images blurred or indistinct; any higher could make your file unmanageably large.
  • Colour does add to the cost of printing and if you have a colour image on one side of a page with just mono (black-and-white) on the other, we have to charge for two colour pages because of the nature of the printing process.
  • Colour images should be in CMYK colour rather than RGB.
  • It is very important that you do not use pictures, maps or images without the permission of whoever owns the copyright. You can’t copy from other books, newspapers or the internet without permission.
  • In any case, images from the internet may look crisp and clear on a screen but their quality will invariably be too poor to print well.
  • If you are using our Gold or Platinum package we can accept images in either ‘hard’ or electronic format for inclusion within the book.

Cover design

  • If you are using our Gold or Platinum package, we design the cover for you, taking your wishes and ideas into consideration. We have access to a library of well over a million images that we can use or incorporate in the design, or we can use your own picture(s).
  • If you are using our Bronze or Silver package, we would print the cover exactly as you supplied it. Alternatively, we have a number of standard covers to which we could add your title or we could carry out a bespoke design for you, for which there would be an additional cost.
  • If you are supplying your own, it should be in .pdf format and CMYK colour rather than RGB. There are various sites on the internet that sell copyright-free print-quality images that can be used for your cover. (Type “copyright-free image library” into a search engine to find one, but do ensure you are buying one of sufficiently high resolution for printing rather than internet use).
  • The design needs to include the back, spine and front as one single item and should have a minimum of 3mm ‘bleed’ – a continuation of the background colour or design which is lost in the final trimming of the book – around the outside.
  • The spine width can be calculated using the Printondemand-worldwide spine calculator.

Submitting your work

  • If you are using our Bronze or Silver package and supplying your own files, we require one for the cover and a separate one for the interior pages.
  • We can accept the material through the post on CD, DVD or memory stick (to 9 Culley Court, Bakewell Road, Orton Southgate, Peterborough, PE2 6WA.)
  • If the files are less than 8Mb we can accept them by e-mail. If they are bigger than that, it is possible to send them over the internet at no cost. (Type “transfer files free” into a search engine to find a suitable website).

ISBN (International Standard Book Number)

  • Every book that is available to buy has its own unique ISBN number, which is the way the industry can track down the publisher and/or distributor.
  • The system was first developed by WH Smith in 1966 and has since been adopted internationally. On January 1, 2007, ISBNs changed from 10 digits to 13 digits and now start with 978 or 979.
  • It should appear on your preliminary pages and, in barcode format, on the outside back cover.
  • If you are using our Bronze option, you will need to supply your own ISBN number, although you will find that you can only obtain them in batches of ten which cost, at the time of writing, £100.
  • If you use our Silver, Gold or Platinum package, we supply an ISBN number for you.
  • The UK ISBN Agency can be contacted by any of the following:
    • Tel: +44 (0)870 777 8712 (9am-5pm)
    • E-mail: isbn@nielsenbookdata.co.uk
    • Post: ISBN Agency, 3rd Floor, Midas House, 62 Goldsworth Road, Woking, Surrey, GU21 6LQ, United Kingdom
  • Revised/updated editions of books need new ISBN numbers.
  • If you produce your book in both paperback and hardback versions, they need separate ISBN numbers.
  • Once allocated, ISBN numbers must not be re-used.

Legal deposit

  • Legal deposit is the act of depositing published material in designated libraries or archives. Publishers and distributors in the United Kingdom and in Ireland have a legal obligation to deposit published material in the six legal deposit libraries, which collectively maintain the national published archive of the British lsles.
  • These are (in no particular order):
    • The British Library
    • The Bodleian Library, Oxford
    • The University Library, Cambridge
    • The National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh
    • The Library of Trinity College, Dublin
    • The National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth
  • Publishers are obliged to send one copy of each of their publications to the British Library. The other five libraries have the right to claim those publications from the publishers and distributors. In practice many publishers deposit their publications with all six libraries without waiting for a claim to be made.
  • If you are using our Bronze option, you will need to look after the legal deposits yourself and you should allow for the six copies when you decide how many to have printed. Alternatively, we can keep back six of the books you have printed and send them to the relevant bodies for £7.50
  • If you use our Silver, Gold or Platinum package, we carry out the printing and despatch for you.
  • The principle of legal deposit has been well established for almost four centuries and has great advantages for authors and publishers. Publications deposited with the libraries are made available to users in their reading rooms, are preserved for the benefit of future generations, and become part of the national heritage.
  • In the United Kingdom, the Copyright Act of 1911 and, in Ireland, the Copyright and Related Rights Bill of 1999 make it obligatory for publishers and distributors in the United Kingdom and Ireland to deposit their publications.
  • Publications are recorded in the online catalogues of the six legal deposit libraries, all of which are accessible on the internet and will remain essential research tools for generations to come. Most of the books and new serial titles are listed in the British National Bibliography (BNB), which is used by librarians and the book trade for stock selection. All the legal deposit libraries contribute to BNB, which is available in printed, CD-ROM and online formats and has a world-wide distribution.
  • Within the terms of the Copyright Acts, a 'publisher' is to be understood as anyone who issues or distributes publications to the public.
  • Publications destined for the British Library (www.bl.uk/) should be sent to:
    • Legal Deposit Office
    • The British Library
    • Boston Spa
    • Wetherby
    • LS23 7BY
  • The other five legal deposit libraries employ an agent to collect publications on their behalf (www.llgc.org.uk/cla). Publications and enquiries should be addressed to:
    • Copyright Libraries Agency
    • 100 Euston Street
    • London
    • NWI 2HQ
  • Irish publishers should send material destined for the five libraries to:
    • Irish Copyright Agency
    • c/o Trinity College Library
    • College Street
    • Dublin 2

Promoting your book

  • Unless you are using our Platinum package you will need to promote your book in order to generate sales. It is all very well having it available on the internet and through bookshops for people to order, but you need to let people know it is there.
  • Be very wary of paying for advertising. Unless you are an expert, and even if you are, it is very easy to spend a lot of money on adverts which will never be seen by the sort of people that will buy your book. Advertising is all about targeting the right audience and is a very complicated science.
  • There will be more local newspapers, magazines and radio stations than you may even be aware exist. Do some research into what is out there, and which one(s) could be persuaded to offer you some editorial coverage.
  • A magazine for the over 60s is unlikely to write an article about a blood-lust vampire sex romp set on the party island of Ibiza; a pop-and-prattle ‘yoof’ radio station where the DJs aren’t allowed to talk for more than 10 seconds at a time isn’t going to be interested in a local history book.
  • It is far better to spend your time researching which branches of the media are likely to be interested than it is to contact every outlet in the phone book.
  • If any newspaper or magazine does show a willingness to feature your book, bend over backwards to accommodate their needs – make yourself available for a photo if that’s what they want, offer a copy or two as competition prizes and be available when they want to talk to you, not when you want them to call.
  • Use “social networking” websites such as Friends Reunited, Facebook and the many others that are out there. Try Youtube if you have the ability to do so, it all helps.
  • If it is a factual book, seek out the specialist discussion groups on the internet that might be interested, although do be careful about your approach – a lot will censor anything they deem to be blatant advertising.
  • Ask your local book shop or library if they sell local books and host signing sessions.
  • Offer to sell your book to local libraries; they all have budgets to buy books, you shouldn’t give them away free of charge.

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If you have any questions which are not answered here, please contact us. We're always happy to help and our advice is free of charge and without obligation. Call us on 01733 237867.