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What are the steps involved in the process of creating the Custom Typesetting Interior for my book?

After purchasing Custom Typesetting Interior, you will be contacted by your book layout specialist within 24-48 hours to talk about your book. During the design call, you will have the opportunity to discuss the details of the interior of your book. You can provide your own ideas, as well as receive suggestions and guidance from the designer.

The designer will put together your first proof copy, or galley, within five business days, then they will e-mail you a copy of the galley to review. Once you receive the galley, you can review all the aspects of the layout to verify you are satisfied with the results. You can send in corrections or changes for the galley, or you can sign off and approve it immediately. If you have changes, you can send them in by filling out the appropriate corrections form. The book designer will make the corrections in about five days and then send you another version of the galley to review. You can go through as many rounds of corrections as needed until you are completely satisfied with the final results.

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Can I see some various examples of what the custom typesetting interior looks like?

Yes, of course. Here are some sample pages of custom interiors from various books designed by our book layout specialists. The examples do not include the full book, but provide an example of different kinds of styles and features our designers can provide for your book through this service. There are endless possibilities for the images chosen, fonts and layout. Even if you do not see a particular feature or style provided in this sample, your designer will work with you on an individual basis to find the style and features that are right for your book.

Click on the following examples to download the sample pages. (These are PDF files. You must have Adobe Reader installed on your computer to view the files. Click here to download Adobe Reader from Adobe's Web site.)

Examples (Click the genre to download a PDF of sample pages):

 

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What is a galley?

A galley is the proof copy of the inside of the book. Traditionally, galleys are in printed form, but in today's modern book market, we have moved to electronic versions. The galley includes all pages that will be in the finished version of your book including any blank pages at the front and back of the book, but excluding the cover. It is formatted just as it will appear in the printed version. The galley is designed on a standard 8.5'' x 11'' page with cut-lines to indicate where the paper will be trimmed at the printer according to your book size, whether it's 8.25'' x 11'', 6'' x 9'' or 5'' x 8''.

How often will I speak to my book layout specialist?

One phone conversation is included in this design service, during which you can speak at length to your book designer about your manuscript. If you run into any issues and feel it necessary to speak again, contact our customer support team, and we will work with you on a situational basis.

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What can I do to prepare myself before I speak to the book layout specialist?

To prepare yourself before speaking to the book designer about your book's interior, familiarize yourself with the layout of other books and take note of what you like and dislike about certain designs. What kind of spacing do you prefer? Where do you want your page numbers to go? What kind of fonts do you like? Also, depending on the kind of book you have, consider including a dedication, author biography, or acknowledgement page. It's best to submit these materials with the manuscript.

Have a copy of your manuscript and any notes handy during the call. You might also want to have a computer with Internet access ready, just in case you need to reference something. Don't forget to relax and have fun! The book layout specialist will help and assist you in a friendly manner, and they will be happy to give their opinions, ideas and explanations if you wish.

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What font styles can I use in my book?

Our book designers have access to hundreds of fonts. Although we do not have a complete list, you can review the allowable font list which consists of the main fonts we can use in book interiors. Keep in mind when reviewing the list that if you use bold, italic and/or bold italic in your manuscript, we do not have all of these varieties in each of the fonts. If you also find a font you like in a book or magazine, but are not sure what it is called, you can supply a copy of the page as an example, and our book designer will try to find something similar.

What is a header or running head?

A header or running head is the recurring material found at the top of each page of a book, typically the author's name, the title of the book and possibly the page number (although the page number can also be placed on the bottom of the page). Headers are commonly seen in novels, biographies, textbooks, and other books, but they are so commonplace that many people don't even notice that they're there. Open up a few books on your bookshelf, and they will most likely have headers.

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What is the difference between a standard header and a customized header?

Our standard headers are included with the design of book's interior and consist of the title of your book on right-facing pages (pages on the right when the book is open) and your author name on left-facing pages. You have the option to include them or leave them out. Customized headers are headers that are changed throughout the book. For instance, complex books such as text books and guides often use the chapter or section titles as headers. We can create custom headers for your book for a small production charge.

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Does the Custom Typesetting Interior design include formatting images?

Yes, you can submit up to 10 images to be included in your book. The book designer will place the images within the pages of the text and resize them to fit appropriately. Make sure the images are 300 dpi resolution or higher, sized to the dimensions you want them to appear in the book. Include image placement markers within your manuscript to indicate where the images should be placed in relation to the text. You can also include captions for the images.

For example, an image placement marker with a caption could look something like this:
"INSERT IMAGE 'Cat 508.jpg' HERE. Caption: 2-year-old Fluffy, playing with her favorite toy."

If you wish to include more than 10 images in the book, additional production time charges can apply at a rate of $50.00 per hour. Also, the book designer will not edit, crop or touch up your images, so make sure the images are in the condition you would like them to appear in printed form. You can purchase our Image Manipulation services if you want images touched up.

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Are there any additional design costs for the interior of my book?

Your design includes up to five hours of design time, then a $50.00 per hour service charge will apply. The additional cost of design time will depend on the design elements you wish to include in your book.

Will the book layout specialist edit or correct glaring errors in the content of my manuscript?

No, the book designer will not correct any errors or change any content in your manuscript or the finished version of the book. It is important that you submit your manuscript with the text written just as you wish it to appear in the finished book.

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What do I do if I find an error in the galley, or something out of place, missing, or not what I requested in the interior layout?

If you receive your first galley and notice that a certain page or element, such as the dedication, about the author or an image is missing or misplaced, or if anything is not as you requested during the layout conversation, don't panic! The first galley proof is just that – a first proof – and it is always possible that a few changes are necessary before the finished version.

If you need to make changes, simply list the changes needed on a correction form and mark-up the galley to indicate where the corrections are located. All changes must be submitted in writing via mail, e-mail or fax. We cannot take any corrections over the phone. After we make the necessary changes to the galley, we'll send you a new version to review and approve.

The first set corrections is free of charge. Additional changes will cost $50.00 per hour, with a one hour minimum charge.

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Can I just make the corrections myself and send you a new manuscript file?

No, the galley corrections must be listed on the correction form in order to complete them. If you wish submit a revised manuscript, you will have to purchase the custom typesetting interior again and have your manuscript reformatted.

I don't know anything about book design. Can the book layout specialist just pick everything out for me?

The book layout specialist can offer suggestions and provide knowledge about standard design elements in a book, but we suggest giving at least some input to your book designer in order to see positive results in your first galley proof. Let your book designer know if you would like to give them creative control over your design, but keep in mind that your personal tastes may not be the same as the designer's. Even if you wish to let the designer have freedom with the design, they will still ask you questions about basic layout decisions.

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