Self-Publishing Chapbooks: How to Do It Yourself
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Self-Publishing Chapbooks: How to Do It Yourself by Jo-Anne Rosen, Wordrunner Publishing Services If you have your manuscript pol- A good laser printer with a du- The Process ished and ready to self-publish, but plexer, either built in or as an op- your budget is limited, here are tional accessory. You should invest Design tips: some tips for doing it yourself. in such a printer if you are going Don’t use lots of different fonts to be publishing and printing more that detract from the message of Chapbooks are traditionally cheaply than one chapbook for yourself or your text. Don’t use italics except produced booklets. They don’t have other writers; otherwise the books for emphasis. Simpler is always to look cheap (though the funky can be copied or offset printed at better. Pay special attention to the photocopied look is certainly an a service bureau. You can print cover, because that’s the first thing option). The emphasis here will be the insides of the books yourself people see. Look around at other on making relatively low-cost, high- and even the covers (depending on books for design ideas and borrow quality chapbooks. cover weight) for considerably less these shamelessly (adding your own than it would cost to have the pages touches). What’s Needed photocopied, and they will look a lot better. Copying blurs the print ISBN and bar codes: This can get Recommended: To begin with, a slightly and if you want the booklets expensive and may not be necessary professional page layout software printed on bright white 24-lb. paper for chapbooks. Setting up an ISBN such as InDesign or Quark. If you it will be expensive. Offset printing account as a publisher the first time are serious about producing books, is also expensive. Your cost could be costs $300 to register and process a it is well worth taking a course or limited to toner, paper and wear and minimum of ten ISBNs. It is also teaching yourself how to use a good tear on the laser printer. If you shop possible to buy one ISBN for $150. layout tool. While it is possible to around and get a good deal on a The entire process can be completed “compose” (lay out) a booklet in a remanufactured printer, then in the on-line at www.isbn.org. Bar coding word processing program such as long run you’ll save money. software is relatively inexpensive, Word, the typographic and graphic but to set one up, you need an offi- tools are primitive and difficult to The best printers have postscript cial ISBN from Bowker, the United use. Take courses at the local JC and capability. Postscript is a printer States agent that dispenses and keeps purchase software at low student language that is the standard for track of international standard book rates. desktop publishing because it is numbers. You should check with supported by imagesetters, the very local bookstores to find out if they The pages of your booklet will usu- high-resolution printers used by really require ISBNs to sell chap- ally be 5½ x 8½ inches, which is a service bureaus to produce camera- books. standard sheet folded in half, though ready copy. Some of the loveliest booklets can be printed on legal fonts are postscript. But it isn’t Paper: Get thee to a paper ware- sized paper or trimmed to smaller really critical unless you are having house (e.g., JC Paper in San Rafael, sizes. The pages must be “imposed” the cover of the chapbook offset Kelly in San Francisco, Paper Plus in proper print order so that they printed. I have used Lexmark post- in Santa Rosa) and look at all the print four pages to a sheet, two on script emulation printers with good choices for covers and inside sheets. each side. The page layout software results. Some very reliable duplexing Select a 60-pound, white opaque sets up booklets that print out col- printers can be purchased refur- paper that’s laser rated and environ- lated, ready to fold and assemble. bished for a few hundred dollars at mentally friendly (60-pound book www.marketpoint.com (a Lexmark distrib- paper is the same as 24-pound writ- Or you can type or wordprocess the utor). I’ve used the Lexmark Optra ing paper). But linens can be lovely, pages, then cut and paste them up R+, which has a separate duplexing too. Consider a fly sheet, either the old fashioned way, but you won’t tray, the T420 and E460dn with the translucent or in a contrasting color. be able to print these yourself. duplexer built in (less hassle). Stay away from laid papers. Pick up samples and test them on your laser to trim edge of the cover or pages). commission on each sale. Authors printer before investing in reams or So if you want a cover design with a can buy their own books at cost plus cartons of paper. bleed, consider trimming the books shipping and resell them privately. smaller and designing the interior One advantage to using CreateSpace Printing the “guts”: The sheets will accordingly. Heavier covers need to is that books are sold on the Amazon emerge from a laser printer warm be “scored” at the service bureau, marketplace at no extra cost. Lulu’s and slightly curled. Next step is which makes folding easier. You can ExtendedReach also offers a free list- to “press” them under some large, then fold them yourself or have the ing on Amazon.com, but it is avail- heavy books for a day or two. Gen- bureau do it. able only to those authors who opt erally the heaviest cover paper that for a Lulu ISBN. will pass through a laser printer is Stitch and trim: This is the final 90-pound index. stage. Don’t even think about doing Marketing Tips this yourself. I have a long-armed Folding and assembly: I gave up on stapler which I use for the 8-page • Create promotional pieces for having them machine folded. The (2-sheet) catalogues; these are not your book (using cover design). results are irregular and sometimes trimmed, so it’s okay although time the booklets get smudged in the consuming. Any more than two • Approach local bookstores and process. But try that for yourself. sheets requires heavy-duty pro- community groups to arrange Maybe I’m too fussy. fessional equipment for accurate readings. trimming. • Go to open mikes and all literary Because here’s the labor intensive events in your community, show part: I fold by hand for quality your book off. control. I also check each sheet for Alternatives toner smears or paper imperfections • Create an email announcement. Consider perfect binding for books before folding it. If there are only with 60 plus pages. It requires good • Create a website or page for your 50 or 100 books, they ought to be page layout skills, to keep costs book and put that in the signature perfect. I turn over several sheets, down and deliver camera-ready of your emails. examining them (4 or 5 at a time), files to a digital print house such as then fold. Those that don’t pass • Have a book-signing, launch Gorham Printing in Seattle (www. muster are discarded and the extra party. gorhamprinting.com). They specialize sheets from that booklet set aside in small runs of books in certain • Send copies of the book to review- and used to fill in for later discards. standard sizes with full-color cov- ers on local newspapers. Cost to have books machine folded? ers and bleeds, and their rates are Depends on quantity: maybe $40- • Arrange to have book clubs read very reasonable. They provide clear $50 average? Results are so-so. Pages your book (usually fiction or guidelines for setting up books and can get out of order. memoir) and be at the discussion. will also supply an ISBN for a fee. These books can be larger (e.g., 6x9 • List your book with amazon.com Get a “bone” to fold the sheets with or other online bookstores. See a sharp edge. These are found in art inches) and as few as 25 copies may be ordered. The more copies print- www.wordrunner.com/publish/pb-marketing. supply stores. (Made from plastic.) html for details. ed, the less it will cost. Offset printed or color covers: If you • Blog to market the book. want a heavier cover or really fine Print on Demand (POD) publishing art look, consider having 80-pound of perfect bound books is relatively covers offset printed (there’s a much inexpensive and only one book has to larger selection of 80-lb. cover be ordered, so this could be a place to start. Guidelines to preparing books Any questions or paper) or get full-color covers laser suggestions? Write to printed at a service bureau on heavy are available on these sites as well. Books can be sold on the website of [email protected]. matte or glossy stock (glossy paper www.wordrunner.com is more expensive). “Bleeds” are also the company that prints on demand expensive (when art or color extends (e.g., www.lulu.com or www.createspace. com). The POD company takes a .