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Book Publishing Preparation Guide

Book Publishing Preparation

Okay, this is the first step of the process (really it is the second step because the first step is you writing the manuscript).This is the time you need to have your manuscript in an acceptable format for us to prepare your files for the printer. If you are using our ghost writing services to prepare your manuscript then skip this step. We accept your manuscript via flash drive, email (preferably), or CD. We like to work with Word Document but if you are working with a different word processing program, please contact us to see if we can work with your files. Visit our "preparing layout" page for formatting assistance. Also, Above are some links that may be helpful to you as well.


There are many file-sharing programs available on the internet that allow computers to download documents and make them available to other, but we prefer that you send them to us via email or our handy uploader. All files must be sent to the email: books@griotpublishinghouse.com  


If you decide to insert additional documents and/or photos after the layout is completed, there will be a reformatting fee. Please use your Griot Code to identify these files. If you do not identify them, we cannot guarantee that your additional contents will be inserted into your Book. Below are some ways to send your files to us according to whichever OS that you are using. Contact us with further questions.

Book Cover Creation
Free Book Templates
Choosing Your Font
Book Shipping Process
Pre-Publish Checklist
How it Works
Book Printing Guide
Creating Book Layout
Ghostwriting Services
Editing Your Book
Formatting Your Book
Book publishing Tutorials

About Fonts Recommended for Book Printing

There are two basic styles of type: "serif" and "sans serif".

"Serifs" are those tiny tails Most books use a serif font for the body copy, like Times, in 11 or 12 pt., and a bold sans serif font for headlines and chapter titles. If your audience is older, you may want to use a slightly larger font to make it easier for them to read. For this reason, we offer you two options for choosing your font size of either 11 or 12 pt.  


You can choose the font style that you desire, but be aware that fancy fonts are more difficult to print. They will have to be embedded in your pdf file, and sometimes this function still doesn't work with our printers. Listed below are some of the fonts that we suggest you choose for your Book.


  • Arial / Helvetica
  • Times New Roman / Times
  • Courier New / Courier


  • Palatino
  • Garamond
  • Bookman


  • Avant Garde
  • Verdana
  • Georgia


  • Comic Sans MS
  • Trebuchet MS
  • Arial Black
  • Impact

Manuscript Formatting Made Easy

The term "formatting" refers to the physical appearance and organization of a book, magazine, or newspaper. This can include elements such as the size and shape of the book, the typeface and binding, the quality of the paper, and the margins. Formatting can also refer to the overall plan or style of a publication, such as the structure of a television show or the organization of a website. In general, formatting is an important aspect of publishing that helps to create a professional and cohesive final product. 


Book Sizes
We offer four standard book sizes: 4¼" x 7"; 5½" x 8½ "; 6" x 9"; and 8 ½" x 11". We have marked the page size on templates for each book size, which you can print out and use to ensure that your content will fit within the shaded area. Cover templates are also available for each type of binding. After selecting the book size you want to publish, it is recommended that you print a copy of the template and verify that your content fits within the shaded area. We will adjust the positioning of the pages as needed to accommodate the binding edge margin.

Book Setup

When formatting your book for printing, it's important to keep in mind that black ink line art and black and white images within the text will be printed at no additional cost. The printing quality is 600 dots-per-inch (DPI), which is suitable for most line art and photographs. If you're unsure about the quality, you can print a copy of your document using a Hewlett Packard LaserJet or compatible printer and view it to see if the quality is acceptable.


For a black and white cover book, you'll need to add four cover pages to your inside pages. These typically include the front cover, the inside of the front cover (which is usually left blank unless you want to include additional content), the inside of the back cover (which is also usually left blank), and the back cover.


If your book has a color cover, you'll only need to set up the inside pages since the cover will be set up separately. This applies to both Griot Publishing House stock full color covers, customer-supplied full color covers, and Griot Publishing House custom designed full color covers.

Manuscript Template
If you want your self-published book to look professional and be easy to read, it's important to pay attention to formatting. Griot  Publishing House offers a free guide, Self-Publishing Guide For Aspiring And Inspiring Authors, which covers a range of topics, including:


  • Professional formatting and self-formatting options
  • Recommended font sizes
  • How to format a title page and table of contents
  • Margin and spacing requirements
  • Common formatting issues, such as widows and orphans
  • Page numbering
  • eBook formatting


We also provide free Book Templates that will make formatting a breeze. If you need additional assistance, our Book Midwives are available to help.    


To ensure that your document meets our printing and binding requirements, we highly recommend that you use one of the provided Microsoft Word or PDF templates, you can download them by clicking on the file name. These templates are set to the minimum margin requirements and can be used as a guide.
 

Page Numbering
Numbering pages in a book can be a challenging task for authors. For example, they may want to skip numbering the first 10 pages, start each chapter on a new page numbered 1, or use different headers and footers for odd and even pages. To help with this, we will use Microsoft Word to demonstrate how the page numbering system works.


To begin, open your document in Microsoft Word and navigate to the "Insert" tab. From there, click on the "Page Number" drop-down menu and select the position and alignment of the page numbers in your document. For example, you can choose to display the page numbers in the header or footer of the document, or to have them centered or aligned to the left or right.


Once you have chosen the position and alignment of the page numbers, you can customize their appearance and formatting. To do this, click on the "Page Number" drop-down menu again and select "Format Page Numbers." From the "Page Number Format" dialog box, you can choose the numbering style, starting number, and any additional formatting options, such as font, size, and color.


If you want to skip numbering certain pages, such as the first 10 pages of your document, you can do so by inserting a section break before the page you want to start numbering. To insert a section break, go to the "Page Layout" tab and click on "Breaks" in the "Page Setup" group. From the drop-down menu, select the type of section break you want to insert and the page numbering will restart from the first page of the new section.

Free Book Templates

Formatting Your Manuscript Before Submission

Formatting your manuscript before submission is an important step in the publishing process. It ensures that your work is presented in a professional and polished manner, making it more likely to be accepted by an editor or publisher. Here are some tips for formatting your manuscript before submission:


  1. Use a standard font. Times New Roman, Arial, and Calibri are all popular font choices for manuscripts. Avoid using overly decorative or hard-to-read fonts, as they can be distracting for readers.
  2. Use a standard font size. Most manuscripts are written in 12-point font. This size is easy to read and allows for a reasonable amount of text on each page.
  3. Use 1-inch margins. Margins allow for white space around the edges of the page, which helps to make the text more readable. Most manuscripts use 1-inch margins on all sides.
  4. Use double spacing. Double spacing allows for extra space between lines, which makes the text easier to read and allows for notes and edits to be added by the editor or publisher.
  5. Use page numbers. Page numbers help the editor or publisher to easily navigate your manuscript. Place page numbers in the upper right-hand corner of each page.
  6. Use headers and footers. Headers and footers can be used to add useful information, such as the title of your manuscript or your contact information. These can be placed at the top and bottom of each page.


By following these formatting guidelines, you can ensure that your manuscript is professional and easy to read. This can help to make a good impression on the editor or publisher, increasing the chances that your work will be accepted for publication.

Free Book Templates

● Formatting Services Available:

  •  You, the Author and Assigned Publisher Assistant will work closely together to create the right format for the contracted Manuscript.  


 ● Manuscript Corrections:  


  • Basic Editing Services will be performed on your Manuscript during the “staging” process. You are required to deliver your Manuscript with spelling and grammar checked and corrected before submission. Your Manuscript will be created using your original documents. If you need more than the Basic Editing Services included with all Book Publishing Packages, you may upgrade to our Premium Editing Service at $3.50 per page.  This amount is due with the initial down payment (half) of the total Book price or at the time of requested service.  

Editing Details

Creating the Layout and Book Design for Inside Pages

The design and layout of your book (also known as interior designing) should reflect the subject of the book and style of your writing. The design and layout of your book will combine choices of fonts, illustrations, and other elements placed on pages using a consistent layout design throughout the book.  


Book layout is similar to formatting but their is a slight difference: interior designing of your book is the look of the inside pages. Formatting is adjusting the size of the book to fit the printer and making sure that all page numbers and headings are inserted correctly.

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Lowering Your Book Publishing Cost

The best way to keep your costs low is to proofread carefully at every step. Your costs start to increase if we have to go back and forth with multiple revisions of your files. Try to give us trouble-free "ready-to-print" files from the beginning. 


Next, make absolutely sure that the PDF proof that you approve is correct. We give you this proof so that you have an opportunity to find errors, yours and ours, BEFORE the books are printed. If there are errors that go undetected in the proofreading, we cannot reprint your books for free. The best we'll be able to do is make the corrections to your files so they are right for the next printing. You will not encounter additional costs to fix your files if it is our fault. View our "There is an error with my book" link.

About PDF Downloads

Do You Need Someone to Help Write Your Manuscript?

Ghostwriters are often used to write books, articles, and other written works that are published under the name of a different person. Ghostwriters are hired to write in the style and voice of the credited author, and they may work closely with the credited author to ensure that the written content matches the author's vision. 


Ghostwriting is a common practice in the publishing industry, and many successful books, articles, and other works have been written by ghostwriters. Celebrities, executives, and political leaders often hire ghostwriters to draft or edit autobiographies, magazine articles, or other written material.


Although we do encourage each Author to write their own manuscript, we do understand that some may choose to have someone else to write the book for them. 


Ghostwriting can be quite expensive, but it is worth it if this is the route you have decided to take. Please keep in mind that we have "Professional Book Coaches" available to assist you with your manuscript, so don't hesitate to obtain advice from us to help you along the way. 

Ghostwriting Services Frequently Asked Questions

Please reach us at books@griotpublishinghouse.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.

The main reason to consider engaging a ghost writer is If you are experiencing "writer's block", or if you've been struggling to start writing your book.  As always, we do encourage you to write your own manuscript.  






Our ghostwriter services costs 25 cents per word. For example - A 100 page book of 45,000 words will cost you $11,150.00.


Yes. Partial services costs 25 cents per word. 


Depending on the process used and the unique obstacles involved., this can be anywhere from 30 days to nine months.


Choosing a Book Size for Your Manuscript

Our Book Templates can save you time and money by automating some of the set-up and formatting tasks. We have Templates for Inside Pages and for Covers.


Book Templates for Word -- Inside Pages:


These can be used in virtually any word processor (like Microsoft Word, Open Office, Pages, Word Perfect, etc.) Please note: It's not necessary to use these templates. If you've already written your book in a word processing program, it's probably easier to do some basic formatting in your existing file. But, if you're just getting started, we encourage you to download one of our templates, open it up and just start typing. 


Below are suggested book sizes for certain types of books. It is your choice which size you actually prefer your book to be.


These are just some of the many covers that we have designed.  We do not use templates, just your imagination mixed with ours, and the essence of your story to create beautiful covers.  These covers are printed on durable paper stock, and have a shiny coat to compliment the designs. We will be posting more as we continue to update this site.  Covers start at $50.00, one of the lowest price for covers in the book industry!  Contact Us for more information. 

Free Book Templates

Can we help you format your files?

Yes, we can help you format your files. We can offer you free simple instructions for reformatting your own files, or you can simply send us your files (Word documents) and we can reformat them for you. For most standard book files, the reformatting charge is $85. If you have special requirements (large files, many graphics or charts, etc.), we'll analyze your files for free and let you know up front what the reformatting cost will be.

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Book Publishing Preparation Checklist

Get Started

The checklist below contains important instructions. As you prepare your manuscript, check off the appropriate spaces below before submitting your final manuscript. This is just a guideline to help you add the final touches to your manuscript. 


If using material that requires permission to be reprinted, obtain written permission to reproduce and include it with the manuscript. Short quotes do not require permission but we recommend that you cite the Author.  

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General Formatting

FONT should be uniformed throughout the manuscript.

_______

Dedication or EPIGRAPH (optional)

Tablet of Contents

_______

Includes preface, foreword, introduction, text (chapters) and author's names if it is a contributed volume, appendices, and notes. If your manuscript is divided into parts, be sure to insert part titles in the table of contents. List page numbers. Make sure they correspond with the correct page.

Quotations

_______

Check QUOTED PASSAGES with original sources for accuracy and completeness.

Foreword (if desired)

_______

A foreword should be brief and is usually written by an authority in the field. Add byline and affiliation at end of text. The press does not publish a date for the foreword.

Choose Your Title and Subtitle

_______

includes the title of the book and name of the author(s)/editor(s) as he or she wishes it to appear. We will insert the publisher's information. Subtitle is optional.

Preface (if desired)

_______

A preface is written by the author and should briefly state the purpose of the book and specify the intended audience. It is not signed. A brief paragraph or two of acknowledgments may be included at the end if desired. 

Acknowledgements

_______

(if desired): Acknowledgments longer than a brief paragraph or two should follow the preface in a new file.

Introduction

_______

An introduction included in the frontmatter provides an overview of the book and should not include in-text citations or notes. However, most introductions that introduce the subject matter are paginated with the text rather than the frontmatter.

Cover Design

_______

We will work with you to design a basic cover, but if you desire more, it may be in your best interest to purchase our Deluxe Designer package. 

Book Identifiers

_______

These are addon for your books that are not mandatory but necessary for the identity of your book. PERSONAL ISBN, GRIOT ISBN, EAN, SAN, COPYRIGHT.


Permissions

________

Word count: Includes all text, notes, references, and bibliographic material. 


If you are using word document to prepare your files, look at the bottom of the screen to find your word count for the entire document. 

Images and Illustrations

________

You are allowed colored photos on the front and back cover for free.  Any colored photos inserted within the interior layout will access a fee.  All black and white photos can be printed at no extra charge.

Number the Manuscript Pages

________

Consecutively across all electronic files. 


In Word: After choosing "Page Number" from the "Insert" menu, click on "Format" on the box; choose "start at" and type in the page number with which you wish the file to begin. 

Are You Self-Publishing? Let's Get You Started!

 Learn about the process of manually putting paper (also known as pages) together to form a book. Bookbinding includes binding this paper or pages with either a hard or soft cover exterior.  

Book Binding

 The design and layout of your book (also known as interior designing) should reflect the subject of the book and style of your writing. Learn more about preparing yur book for printing.

Book Preparation Guide

 If you plan to sell your book in stores or make it available in libraries, you'll need an LCCN (Library of Congress Catalog Number).  Learn more about other Book Identifiers such as ISBN and EAN. 

Book Identifiers

 Since you have done all of the hard work, let us compliment your self-publishing skills by printing it for you. We can ship and print your books in as little as 24 hours, and have them  to you within 3 business days.

Book Printing Guide

Words are Energy! Get Ready to Tell Your Story.

Let Us Assist You With Sharing Your Story With the Universe!

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Need to Self-Publish or Get a Book Coach?

If you are self-publishing your book, we have all the tools you need. If you need professional assistance in preparing your book, our Book Midwives or Coaches specialize in guiding Authors through the book publishing process. Get help staying organized while brainstorming ideas with a Book Coach. Make intimidating parts of the publishing process a much smoother one. 

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