A couple of weeks ago, I was in Stuttgart, passing through a shopping mall. In the mall, there was a bookshop – and though I didn’t have time to browse the bookshop, I was intrigued by how many books and the condensed level of knowledge found in one place. It also reminded me of an article I’ve read in the past written by the former editor of Wired, Chris Anderson. He wrote: “magazines and books are condensed information you can find on the internet, but in magazines and books, people have selected content that can teach you things you didn’t know, you didn’t know!
By Editor Morten B. Reitoft · INKISH
If you ever consider writing a book, you’ll know this isn’t an easy task. Even an article like this requires a portion of knowledge, a bit of trust in yourself and your topic, and quite a lot of research. So writing books requires time and often great interest in the topic you write about.
When you have written your book, it often makes sense to have somebody else proofread it – because of understanding, words, and because your hardest critics often are the people you love the most.
When the book has been proofed, it’s now ready to be designed. I find that well-designed books are easier to read and way more interesting to spend time with, so I recommend you find a designer who has book-design skills.
Everything above is about time. If you are publishing with a publishing firm, they often help you with all the above, but more and more people choose to self-publish.
When it comes to print – and this is the main topic of these articles – you can choose many different options. Do you want a hardcover or softcover book? Do you want to print, stock, and distribute books as they are sold? Or how do you want your book to get to market?
Today more and more printing companies offer on-demand production, eliminating the need to produce for stock. The books may be slightly more expensive per piece, but as you will never need to tie money into a larger print run, pay for storage, etc., I am sure this more than balances the increased cost – if any, by the way!
Today, digital books look as good or even better being printed in digital, so don’t worry! Of course, you should worry about having a print service provider who can manage the production of books with as few touchpoints as possible. That minimizes potential errors, but it also keeps costs at a minimum. You can easily imagine how complicated and expensive a process would be if you have to call or write every time you have one order. Or even worse for the printer if the printer needs to handle the entire printing process handheld manually, right?
The smart printers of today automate the printing process – and more and more even invest in software like Bronte, which enables all stakeholders in the process, from the self-publisher, the publishing company, to the distributor, to manage the entire workflow in a super optimized way.
If you are an author, you don’t need to worry about workflow automation in your professional role. Still, it would help if you were sure that the publishers and printing companies you work with are up-to-date on technology. The newest and latest technology does not only make your book look better, but it also makes a difference in your potential commissions and the profit of your work.