So now that the Kindle version of Resurgence is available, I'm working on creating the print version of the book.
In my Where and How to Self Publish post, I stated that I would use Createspace to generate the print version for sale through Amazon. Since that post, I have opted to go with KDP paperback. The way the wind is blowing, Amazon seems to be phasing out Createspace gradually so it’s just a matter of time until I would have to go through KDP for the print version. And it seems that things have improved for Canadian authors, on top of KDP Paperback adding features regularly.
On the upside, I’ll be able to track my royalties in a single place and combine the sales of both formats for each marketplace. It will also be easier to link the Kindle and print version.
What is involved in formatting for the print version:
Picking the trim size of the book
Formatting the inside of the book
From the formatted document, getting the book cover template (this will be specific to each book as the number of pages is required to generate the correct spine width)
1 Trim size
Trim size if the size of the book once put together.
Based on how long my books are, Resurgence and the others I already wrote, I opted to go with a 6”x9” book trim size. Smaller than that would have led to a larger page count, a more condensed text, and a thicker book that is heavy. I prefer my readers to have a pleasant reading experience.
A trim size of 6x9 is also a common trade paperback size. Why pick a strange size and have your readers think the book looks out of place on their bookshelf?
2 Formatting the inside of the book
In my ebook Formatting post, I wrote about how I was going to format the eBook. One option I mentioned then was the Kindle Create Add-in for MS Word. Although I didn’t use it for the eBook, I did try it to format the inside of the book using this Add-in.
The Add-in works through the use of styles with a special Kindle tab to help format the book. I quickly got frustrated with the styles and their behaviors so I ended up creating a new Word template and creating my own styles. I could have simply updated the styles of the Add-in but I was weary that the styles might revert back to what they were originally.
My Word Book template ended up with 36 styles (I may add new ones as the need arises). The styles cover the front and back matter as well as the chapters and header.
I don’t mind the time I spent creating the Word template (and finally learning properly about Word styles). At least I know how my styles will behave.
Here is a summary of the tedious activity of formatting the inside of the book for print:
Set the page size (custom size 6x9)
Set the margins which is based on the number of pages (mirrored margins; top/bottom/inside/outside margins) – KDP suggests margin sizes based on the number of pages and trim size but also look at similar books in your book collection
Pick a font and font size for the text (this requires printing out various options) and update the styles based on that font. I ended up using Palatino Linotype
Style the front matter (half title, book list, title page, copyright, author’s note, dedication, map)
Style the story (chapter title, first paragraphs, scene breaks, section breaks)
Style the back matter (thank you, excerpt, appendices for characters and places, about the author)
Style the header (page number for chapters only, book title/author alternating based on odd/even page)
Ensure to check that while styling the inside of the book, the inline formatting (like italics) didn’t get lost.
3 Creating the Print Version of the Book Cover
This step comes after formatting the inside of the book because getting a template from KDP requires the exact number of pages the book will have. Until the inside is fully styled (margins, front/back cover, etc.), Word’s number of pages is unreliable.
The print version of a book needs a cover that goes from the front to the back with the front part of the book on the right-hand side, the spine in the middle and the back portion on the left-hand side.
Although the cover should come after the inside formatting is done, I learned a valuable lesson. I should have started with the print version of the cover before the eBook cover version. I should have had a version that I can trim to the right size (adjust to the template) for a print book cover so that when I generate the cover template as shown in my example , it would have been easy to adjust my cover image to the template.
Why should I have done a print version of the cover first? Well, what looks best for the print version is for the background to be continuous from the front to the back cover. For the original eBook cover, I put a supernova effect under a hand and had some of the supernova rays layered above the hand image.
Unfortunately, I can’t recreate the exact supernova I used the first time. Also, for the eBook cover, the rays ended before the spine would start but now I need the rays to extend to the full page that makes up the cover including the back. So I have to pick as close a supernova as the original and redo the rays on the hand. Something I would have avoided had I been thinking of the print version of the cover from the start.
I also have to extend the background map to span the back.
When I work on the next book cover, I will simply leave out the text for the spine and back cover but at least I will have the background ready to go for both book formats.
Of course, this consideration is only if you decide to do your own cover, which is not exactly recommended since the author usually doesn’t know what makes a good book cover (see my Getting a Good Book Cover post).
Progress on the Print Version of Resurgence
After I created my Word book template, I was able to completely format the inside of the book (a tedious process) and generate the cover template. It helped that I already had the front and back matter written for the eBook version.
The last few days haven’t been the best days to work on the print cover due to tired eyes so instead, I’ve been rereading/revising the next book in my Auros series: Alliance. To save time later, I’ve attached my new template to my document and I'm applying the template styles as I go. This will save me a lot of time when it comes to formatting the second book for print. I’m also adding the cues that will help me format for the eBook version.
Update on Resurgence Sales
You may be wondering how well Resurgence is doing since it became available on April 22, 2018. I have some sales on the .com and .ca Amazon marketplaces. I have a few Kindle Unlimited pages read as well. I don’t know yet how profitable those read pages are compared to a sale.
As I don’t have a second book to encourage a reader to read Resurgence, I’m not promoting this first book very actively. But I did set up my author page on Amazon and on Goodreads and I’m posting in groups on Goodreads.
Once I have multiple books available, I will spend more time promoting them. Readers prefer to see multiple books from an author.
PS: If anyone is interested in my Word book template (.dotx), I’ll be happy to share it. Just sign-up to my Writing and self-publishing newsletter.
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