Self-Publishing Books: Publish and Market Your Own

SELF-PUBLISHING
BOOKS
Publish and market your own
books and E-books
Author &
Publisher of
‘THE TOMATOES
OF TIME'
Winner National
SelfPublishing
Awards for fiction
070. Rex Merchant

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City of London Libraries
LONDON
Please return on or before the latest date

above. You can renew online at
http://prism.talis.com/cityoflondon
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ei x Merchant
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Self-Publishing Books
Dedicated to
Erica.
EE ee Pee i.
© Rex Merchant
INDEX — (Alphabetical Index at the back of the book)
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The tools & materials needed for

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Cold gluing — my preferred binding......11
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The Mysteries of ISBN........... mopedbet
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© Rex Merchant
Illustrating your Book..............sceeeceresesevees 28
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Alphabetical index ......... At end of book.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ( At back of book)
Fig. 1.... The Clamp.
Fig. 2... Tapping loose pages level.
Fig. 3... Loading pages into clamp for gluing.
Fig. 4...Gluing edges of pages.
Fig. 5...Placing creased in the cover.
Fig. 6...Gluing the cover.
Fig. 7...Placing book into cover.
Fig.8...Gluing complete book together.
Fig 9..Saw cuts across the spine.
Fig.10.. Stringing the saw cuts.
Fig11..Gluing Scrim to the spine
Fig.12...Cover for a case-bound book.
© Rex Merchant
Introduction
in this book I have tried to cover many avenues for the Self-
Publishing of books. I am aware that time restraints and practicalities will limit
for some people the methods used so I have tried to present the alternatives in
ascending order of personal involvement for the writer. starting with publishing
the work as an online E-book and finally progressing to a desk top published,
hand bound. book. I have detailed the various stages between these two
alternatives.
When I set out to write this manual, I had already published over
twenty titles of my own, ranging from novels to illustrated textbooks. The
journey was a steep learning curve and there were many pitfalls on the way.
Hopefully. this book will smooth the way for would be Self-Publishers and save
them time and expense. These methods led to me to winning the Best Fiction
category of the National Self-Publishing Awards for 1998 with my second
humorous fantasy novel. The Tomatoes of Time.. which I wrote, edited and
bound myself.
In the early part of this book I have tried to cover all the possible
ways to produce a self published work. Later, I have concentrated in detail on
the methods I have used to successfully publish my own work.
oS)
© Rex Merchant
Why Self-Publish?
There are many sound reasons why a writer would consider Self-
Publishing. especially as modern technology has made it so much easier. [I list
below many of the reasons self-publishers have given.
You keep full control of the process.
For instance, you can keep a book in print for as many years as it
continues to sell. The large publishing houses tend to withdraw a book within a
few months of publishing, unless it proves to be a runaway. best seller. My early
novels sell only occasionally now but I can produce them quickly and easily: if
there is a demand for them.
Most writers write because they enjoy the process. Few write to
become rich: it may happen but don't hold vour breath! When an author passes
their book to a publisher they surrender their control over it. Your unique story
may be put into a category you don't agree with. As an example: one writer found
her serious novels given covers that suggested they were Chick Lit because that
genre was the latest sensation.
You make more profit per book.
Many authors are published on a contract which pays at the most

10% of the profits made on their work. The Self-Publisher can set his own level
of return. commensurate with what the market will bear. Certainly, I would
anticipate 80% of the cost of the book as gross profit
You control quantities published.
By following my methods you can produce only one copy of the

book. if you wish. That may be an extreme example, but producing 20 or 30
copies as a first run is very acceptable, especially as further copies can be
produced quickly and efficiently when needed. Compare this with the minimum
print run of 200 copies, which many vanity publishers would ask you to take, pay
for, and store in good condition.
There are now publishers who offer a print on demand service,
which-has overcome the problems of having to order too many books at a time. A
search online will turn up several of these businesses. www.lulu.com is a
prominent example.
4
© Rex Merchant
Self-Published works provide a unique sales opportunity.
Many writers are in the habit of giving talks to interested groups. I

have given talks on taxidermy to Natural History Societies and Young Farmers
Clubs. Copies of my taxidermy books are offered for sale at these talks. This
book on Self-Publishing would be ideal to sell after giving a talk on the subject to
an interested writers’ group.
Some successful mass-market writers are regularly invited to speak to
interested groups about their work. Some of these writers sell copies of self-
published books at these talks and add to their writing income.
Self-Publishing may be the only option.
For many writers this may be the only way they will see their work
in print. In the present climate of take-overs and rationalisations of the big
publishing houses, opportunities for new authors with traditional publishing
houses seem to be getting fewer: this especially applies to works that are not
expected to appeal to a mass market. Poetry, short-story anthologies, textbooks
for out of the way subjects and local titles. are all good examples of this type of
publication. My own range of Taxidermy Textbooks and my booklet on Care of
the Longcase Clock are perfect examples of such specialised fields.
Self-Publishing is growing.
In many writers’ opinions, Self-Publishing is the logical way

forward for the future. More and more authors are considering the option.
especially with the advent of E-books published online.
Writing magazines run regular articles by experts on the subject and there
is now a dedicated magazine on the subject - 'Self Publishing.
Writing Magazine has instigated the National Self Publishing Awards in
conjunction with the David Thomas Trust to foster this growing interest.
A visit to your local bookshop will show you. many examples. of 'san
history titles or photographic books that are self- published.
Your Self-Publishing might just prove: to be the esinihane fof a
successful business venture. Who knows? Your: small publishing house. may
become the giant of the future! é ; se
oT)
© Rex Merchant
Options open to Self-Publishers.

E - Books
Recently there has been a revolution in the publishing world. — With the
introduction of the E-book readers such as Amazon's Kindle. and the ability to
download books to other hand-held devices and to computers, the E-publishing
of a book can be done practically free of charge. Anyone with a computer can
prepare their book for publication in this new technology. download it to their
chosen publisher at no cost and have it made available to a worldwide readership.
Each of the many E-book publishers specify their own requirements for
the preparation of your manuscript. If you go online to their website, such as
‘Kindle Publishing' for the Amazon site, the details can be downloaded and acted
on.
I chose to use Smashwords for my own entry into this new world of
publishing. At www.smashwords.com I downloaded Mark Coker's _ very
comprehensive style guide and prepared my manuscripts to those specific
requirements. I personally felt the main advantage of this particular site was their
acceptance of my work in Word®, which is the programme I regularly use to
write my books. The instructions are very detailed but I did have to learn a new
way of laying out my work. I didn't get it right first time! So don't despair if you
have a similar experience. Happily there are facilities for downloading corrected
versions of the book if it doesn't get accepted at first. It's even possible to pay to
have your work prepared by experts. but I'm sure anyone computer literate can
follow The Smashwords Style Guide and succeed in this venture. Your book
cover can be designed using copyright free material available online.
If you have a book in print and you own the copyright to it, which most
Self-publishers will. it is an excellent way of opening up a new market for your
work, but this method of publishing can be used as a stand-alone way of putting
your work before the reading public without a hard-copy book being produced at
all.
It isn't even necessary to have an ISBN for the book, but some of the
larger retail outlets insist on an ISBN and will not handle sales of it without this
identifier. Some of the E-book publishers, such as Smashwords, will allocate an
ISBN to your work for you, at a small charge. While we are considering ISBNs.
you should understand it will be necessary to allocate a new number to the E-
‘book version even if you have previously published a hard-copy version of the
wotk with its own ISBN. Each new format needs a new ISBN.
The price paid for the reader to download your book is set by you. the
author, and any payments are credited to your bank account. The online
6
© Rex Merchant
publishers make a small charge for their services. which is all explained on
their websites. You can, if you so desire. make some of your work available
completely free of charge. a useful way of attracting a loyal readership to your
naine. I did this with an anthology of my already published short stories.
The E-book publishers do not offer an editing service nor do they
advertise or sell your books but many do offer advice on how to do it. The
marketing is left entirely to you, but this is a fact of life for all self-publishers.
The lack of editing means you are completely responsible for your own
work, so make it the best possible writing you can produce. There is no excuse
for bad spelling, bad syntax. lack of adequate proof reading or bad editing. Make
sure you present your work to the highest possible standard that will do justice to
you as a writer and to the Self-Publishing world as a whole. One of the criticisms
sometimes aimed at Self-Publishers is their lack of professionalism. so be as
professional as any commercial publisher would be.
There are several businesses offering the E-book publishing platform. As
this is a fast growing branch of the publishing world. I have not attempted to list
the numerous online references to E-book publishers. If you use an online search
engine you will find scores of entries. There are even some who offer to publish
illustrations, so that children's books can be made available in this format. Many
of the traditional publishing houses offer, or will soon offer this service, as it is
such a fast growing area of sales that they cannot afford to ignore.
If you feel you need a book on e-publishing to teach you how to do it.
there are many available from the usual sources. Amazon have pages of them
advertised.
As a writer and an avid reader, I do not see the traditional bound book that
has been around for centuries, being completely superseded, especially for non-
fiction titles that may be referred to frequently, over a prolonged period of time.
I personally like the feel of a well bound book in my hands, but can see that
paperback novels. which I would usually read then pass on to the charity shop,
may well be replaced by an E-book format.
This new method of publishing books will hopefully open up a new
readership and lead to a revival of reading for pleasure and of buying more
books. As it is based on the latest technology. it will undoubtedly appeal to the
younger generation and hopefully get them into a reading habit for life.
There are many routes open to self-publishers, depending on how
much you are willing to undertake yourself and how much you wish to spend on
letting someone else produce your book.
© Rex Merchant
The least involvement for the writer would be to hand the manuscript
over to a Vanity publisher and await delivery of the finished product. Some
Vanity publishers will offer to sell your book, but this service can vary so much
in quality.that it is advisable to research their services and charges thoroughly
before signing any contracts. There are some excellent vanity publishers, but
some are not so good and have given the whole area a bad name.
There are many small publishers who now offer a Self-Publishing
service. The Writer's News carries adverts for many of these. These should not
be confused with Vanity Publishers as they offer a useful and specified service.
You may wish to hire a printing firm yourself. Many printing firms
offer to print and bind vour book. They will suggest cover designers and advise
on the print. paper etc. however, they will not sell your book for you: that is
entirely up to you. You are unlikely to get an economical quote for the work
unless you buy hundreds of copies because of production and setting up costs.
You can commission a printer to print your work and then try to get a binding
firm to complete the job. You will find they do not cater for small runs.
There are several publishing firms now offering a print on demand
service. They advertise that they will produce just one copy of your book. if that's
all you require.
The above routes to publishing your work can be very expensive. Do
ask prices and compare services before you decide to use a particular method.
The advent of E-book publishing by such publishers as
Smashwords or Amazon. to name but two from the many available. has opened
up new possibilities for the self-publisher.
I came to Self-Publishing wishing to have the maximum
involvement in the process, and the maximum control on the outcome. I also
wanted a print-on-demand technology with the ability to have books printed and
bound only when I wanted them. I stipulated this because the resultant saving in
monetary outlay and in storage space was obvious. There are other less obvious
advantages. such as the flexibility to alter covers and take immediate advantage
of the publicity of awards won or good reviews received. In this book I have
described in detail how I went about achieving these aims.
© Rex Merchant
The tools & materials needed for Self-Publishing.
Successful and profitable desk-top publishing is only possible

because of the modern home computer. To follow my method of publishing you
will need access to a desktop computer and a range of the more usual additions.
A computer.
The computer that [ use is an ordinary desktop PC capable of

running ‘Windows®’ and “Word®’. I also have a Laser printer. an Inkjet printer
and a scanner. The computer is the type the majority of households now possess.
Certainly. most writers use a similar system. so the necessary basic equipment
may be already available to vou..
A laser printer
Most computer owners will have a printer. but it is often an Inkjet

printer. This is fine to print coloured book covers. but the print is not waterproof
and therefor not suitable for a book text. Also. the cost of using an inkjet printer
for a large output of text is relatively high.
A laser printer will print waterproof text and line drawings. and is
much cheaper to run for bulk printing. The one I use at present is a Brother laser
printer. which is probably now obsolete but a comparable printer can be bought
for about £60. Such a printer will print an A4 size sheet of text (2 x A5 pages) for
about Ip. which includes the cost of the paper.
When choosing a laser printer. check the running costs.
Consumables are the main expense when printing large volumes of work. It is
possible to refill your laser cartridges. which greatly reduces the cost of printing.
It is important that the printer will print text on both sides of the paper without
picking up print and leaving unsightly dark marks.
Inkjet printer.
My inkjet printer came free with the computer and was supplied
complete with the desktop publishing software, Sierra® Print Artist. I have also
used Serif Page Plus ®. I use my colour printer only for producing coloured book
covers and coloured show materials. such as advertising flyers. show cards and
business cards. Because the print is not waterproof, I have to seal my covers: a
process I cover in detail later in this book.
9
© Rex Merchant
Scanner
My original desktop scanner was bought in 1997 for £60. A

replacement would now cost about £40. I use a scanner to help design original
book covers for my publications and to scan line drawings and photographs for
my textbooks and for show material. Depending on how elaborate a cover you
decide to produce. a scanner may not be necessary.
Binding equipment.
There are several options open to the self-publisher for binding a

book. I list some examples below.
Stapled booklets
The simplest and cheapest type of book to produce is a stapled

booklet. This consist of folded pages. (up to 70 pages can be bound this way)
which are stapled together along the fold line. A small poetry anthology or a
simple instruction manual could be presented in this format. The pages can be
printed A5 size in pairs on A4 landscape paper. The pages will have to be sorted
and presented in the correct order for binding. There is software available that
will do this task for you at the press of a button.
Make-A-Booklet™ software is available from
Paper Direct.
Nuffield Road.
Harrowbrook Industrial Estate
Hinckley. Leic’s. LE10 3DG.
There are websites that advertise a similar service free of charge.
I sorted out the page order for myself and used the cut and paste
facility on my computer to get them in the correct order for printing. More details
of the page sequence are given later in this book.
Long reach staplers are available from most stationery suppliers.
10
© Rex Merchant
Thermal binding
Thermal binding is used for small publishing runs of business reports

and similar books. This system requires heating equipment and special binders.
which you can purchase from stationery suppliers.
The pages are placed in the ready glued binder and fixed by heating
the book in special equipment to melt the glue.
Ring & comb binding
In ring and comb binding. the pages are perforated then a plastic or
metal/wire comb is inserted into the holes to hold the pages together. This system
is very efficient for workshop manuals and similar books where the reader may
wish to open the book flat and read the instructions while he/she uses both hands
to complete a task. This type of binding is not often found on fictional works.
Because of unfamiliarity. there would be considerable customer resistance to a
novel produced this way. It is however a good way to bind textbooks and
manuals.
Office suppliers list most of the equipment and materials used in these
binding systems.
Cold gluing. (My preferred binding method.)
I experimented with several methods of binding and came up with a cold

glue system that suited my work. I have described that method in detail later in
this book. The system I have developed needs wooden clamps (Fig. 1). produced
at a few pence each by any competent handyman (Or woman). You'll also need
PVA glue, obtainable through the printing trade, and a brush to apply it.
I use ‘PVA M218 Reversible’ from Charnwood Books, Charnwood View,
Broad Lane, Markfield, Leic’s. LE67 9TB.
You may need scrim for thicker books — White Open Weave cotton
bandage is just as good and can be obtained easily from the chemists. You will
almost certainly need a scalpel. a rule and scissors.
ie
© Rex Merchant
What about paper?
There’s more to paper than meets the eye. Take a closer look at the
paper used for commercially printed books. Depending on the class of product.
be it fine collector's edition or cheap paperback, the paper varies enormously in
thickness. colour. translucency, texture and feel.
Decide what market you are aiming for and choose your paper
accordingly. Cost may play a major factor in this choice. Some of the things you
must consider are listed below.
Paper thickness
The thicker the paper. the thicker will be the book. The paper has to
be opaque enough to prevent the print showing through too much from the other
side of the page. It 1s usual to use a paper of at least 80g to 90g per square metre
in weight, for printing books.
Translucency
Papers vary in translucence as well as weight. Dark diagrams may

show through some papers more easily than through others.
Texture
Surface texture varies from paper to paper. Suppliers grade their
papers for specific uses. Some award marks to their papers. out of five. A
particular paper may be grade 5 for laser, 4+ for inkjet. 4 for copiers and 4 for
duplex (both sides primting). This gives a good indication of its suitability for
various methods of use.
Colour
‘White’ paper varies enormously in colour from bright white to

ivory. Many office papers are glaringly white in colour. Some people find this
intense whiteness off putting. If you think this is relevant to your book. choose
accordingly.
12
© Rex Merchant
Grain
Paper has a natural grain, which runs along the long anis of the sheet.
It is produced when the paper pulp is laid down into sheets. If this grain runs
across your book. as opposed to up and down the pages. it may give the book a
tendency to spring shut when held open for reading. Paper used in the printing
trade to print books, has the grain running at right angles to the lines of text.
Some papers exhibit this springiness more than others. and it may or may not
present a problem when a ‘landscape’ sheet is folded an glued.
For my books I use a landscape format A4 paper and fold it across
the width to give two A5 pages. This could have produced the effect mentioned
above, but I bound a few blank books and checked first before deciding on what
paper to use. Luckily, I found a suitable grade.
You could overcome this grain problem by buying A3 sheets and
cutting them into two A4s. Thus the grain, which runs the length of the A3, will
run across the width of the A4s produced.
Curling
Curling is common when paper is subjected to heat in a laser printer.

Individual papers react differently. This could cause paper feed problems when
printing on the reverse side. There are ways of helping the paper run more freely
through the laser printer. such as reducing the moisture content before use and
allowing the printed sheet to cool down before printing the reverse side. These
tips are covered in more detail later in the section on printing.
Waviness
The moisture in glue may cause some types of paper to develop

waviness so it is important to make up a complete book in the materials you hope
to use, before you definitely decide on them. If this waviness problem does
occur, a change of PVA glue to one of a stiffer consistency may prevent the
problem.
Leaving the books in the clamps until completely dry helps as well. A
little experimenting will iron out these wrinkles before expensive mistakes are
made on a larger scale.
© Rex Merchant
Choosing a paper.
The best way to choose a suitable paper is to contact your supplier

and explain how you wish to use his product. I found my stationery suppliers
very helpful. They supplied me with several sample sheets of the most suitable
papers to try. at no cost.
If the cost of production is important to you. work out your printing
and paper costs carefully before you go ahead with the project. A realistic retail
price for your finished book would be at least five times the cost of production.
Will your target public pay that price? Bear in mind you will have to give a trade
discount of at least 30% to bookshops that sell your publication and they may
well expect free deliveries.
Card for covers.
“Never judge a book by its cover.” But that’s exactly what most
people do in practice! Make your cover as inviting and as informative as
possible. commensurate with your market and the cost of producing it.
The cover of your book can be as costly to produce as the rest of the
printed pages. Bear in mind that the cover may be the main influence in selling
the book. For fiction books. the cover is the first thing the browsers will see and
it will persuade them to pick up vour offering or pass it by.
Maybe your book is aimed at a specialist's market, as are my
Taxidermy Books. In this case the public will buy the book for the information
contained in it. and not necessarily judge it by its cover. If your book is so
specialised that there is little competition. you may find a simple black and
white. laser printed, cover is all that is necessary. I have gone into greater depth
on covers later in this book when I detail my own method of making book
covers.
The weight of card.
The weight of card used for a paperback book cover varies. but it
will be at least 160g per square metre and may be as much as 220g. (The cover of
this book is approximately 200g). Make sure your printer is capable of handling
the weight of card you decide to use.
14
© Rex Merchant
The surface of card
It almost goes without saying. the surface of the card must be

suitable for Ink Jet or Laser printing. Most cards offered by the printing trade will
be of this type. I often use a linen finished card for my covers and find that laser
colour print does not stick well to it and easily rubs off. I have no problem with
inkjet colour printing as this soaks into the surface of the card.
Size of card
The size of card you require will depend on the dimensions of the
book to be bound. I always work on an upright A5 page size. so my cover must
be at least twice the width of an A5 sheet. plus an allowance for the thickness of
the spine. This means I allow extra space on my outside page margins. so that an
A4 card cover can be used and the pages trimmed to size when the book is finally
bound and guillotined. The excess paper at the edges of the pages will be lost in
the final trimming. I found this size of card worked well for my Taxidermy
Books, which have approximately 50 pages and a spine 6mm wide.
Using ready-cut A4 card is an advantage as it is more readily available in
small amounts: say in packs of 100 from most stationery suppliers. This reduces
the amount of money tied up in unnecessary stock.
Alternatively. the paper trade supplies card in oversized A2 sheets.
Each of these sheets can be cut into four pieces of approximately 220mm X
320mm. which will bind an A5 paperback book with a spine of up to 25mm.
Waterproofing the print
Because Inkjet printing is not waterproof. the covers produced by

such printers will have to be treated. There are several ways for the Self-
Publisher to overcome this.
Laminate the cover
Laminate the cover by ironing or sticking on a layer of adhesive

plastic. This gives a very good professional finish but for me has two distinct
disadvantages. The first is cost; it cost about 40p to cover each book. The second
is the time taken to laminate each cover, as you have to cut and position each
15
© Rex Merchant
adhesive piece. iron it on without creases. then trim to size.
Waterproof coating.
Professional printers can coat your covers with a waterproof varnish. This
can be costly if they have to set up and then clean the coating machine for a few
covers. If they have a number of them to do. or if they have other similar jobs on
hand. they may quote you a reasonable price. Ask around. you have nothing to
lose.
I prefer to be self sufficient. if I can. I use an aerosol waterproofing
spray on my covers. which I buy at my local DIY shop. I have experimented
widely and at present I use Humbrol® Crystal Clear Acrylic Coating. but many
other ‘varnish’ sprays would do as well.
It is important to try the spray on your card to ensure it doesn’t make
the cover transparent. A fine covering of spray on the Inkjet printing will
waterproof the cover adequately and produce no noticeable changes in the card’s
transparency. By working in batches, the time taken is minimal and it costs me
just a few pence to treat each cover.
Writing your book
I cannot teach you to write. There are much better qualified teachers
than [. who will willingly try to do that. If you are buying this book. the chances
are you are already a writer. However, I will share with you some of my own
experiences on the subject.
I have written on and off for many years. I wrote poetry at school.
Later I produced articles on subjects I enjoved. such as local history and natural
history, for county magazines and newsletters. Like many creative writers, I
started writing short stories and eventually began to sell them. It is a slow
learning process. helped by reading widely and being critical of your own work.
It helps immensely if you can get feed-back from other writers. There are local
writers’ groups, even postal or on-line groups. which share work and offer
friendly and helpful criticism.
When I was ready to move on from the short stories to a novel, I
realised I was in an entirely different ball game. As I was in full-time
employment and free time was limited, I decided to take a novel writing course
by correspondence. There are many excellent courses offered in the writing
16
© Rex Merchant
magazines and newspapers. If you can ask someone who has completed such a
course. for a personal recommendation you may save yourself some heartache.
I took the novel writing course offered by the Writers News and
wrote most of the first draft of my first novel -°The Faerie Stone’ - under the
guidance of one of their expert tutors. When I look back over those early chapters
and the red ink they attracted. I realise just how much I had to learn!
There are courses offered on article writing. poetry. short stories and
every other form of creative writing. Many of the other correspondence schools
offer equally excellent tuition, as do many adult education departments in
schools and colleges. You will be spoiled for choice.
For two years after completing the correspondence course. I attended
a writers’ group run by the adult education department in Leicester. There I
shared work on a weekly basis with several other experienced and published
writers. They were a kind but critical audience and just what I needed at the time.
I find writing a factual book is nowhere near as difficult as writing
fiction. It is simple to visualise the task I am writing about, and to jot down in
sequence. what needs explaining. Once I have a framework of headings. I find I
can expand that to a full description.
If I find myself describing a particularly intricate process, I make
notes on the process as I actually perform it. That way. nothing important gets
overlooked.
Once the details are written down. critical reading and editing should
put the description into understandable English.
Editing your work.
You may feel that your finished manuscript is perfect. I have read of
experienced writers who send their work straight off to the publishers the very
day they finish writing it. I’m afraid I am made of weaker stuff!
I find my first draft always has innumerable errors in style,
vocabulary and content. These errors are not immediately obvious, especially just
after completing the work.
It is sound advice to put the manuscript away and get on with
something else for a time. I find a month's break is usually enough time for me
to distance myself from the work and return to it with a critical eye. When I look
at the work again, I replace my writer’s head with an editor's.
17
© Rex Merchant
Read the manuscript aloud to yourself. [t's amazing how errors in

construction and wrong vocabulary show up when you do this. Reading aloud to
an experienced writing group can be equally. if not more, revealing.
I check for correct English and check for punctuation, grammar and
style. I also check that I am following the usual conventions in the layout of the
text.
For guidance on some of these points I use “Write Right!” by Jan
Venolia ISBN 0 946537 57 7. as a quick and easy reference. I also find ‘Eats
Shoots & Leaves.. by Lynne Truss. published by Profile Books - ISBN
1861976127 - an excellent reference. The writing magazines advertise many
more. equally useful. books on the subject.
18
— ee ee Eee eee
© Rex Merchant
The ISBN
If vou look on the back of nearly any book you will find an ISBN
near the bottom right hand side. This used to be a 10 digit number but has been
replaced by a 13 digit number starting with 978.
You may, if you wish, apply for an ISBN - International Standard Book
Number - for your book. but it will add cost to vour publication. An ISBN is not
mandatory and is entirely your choice. It is possible to apply for an ISBN at a
later date if the publication becomes popular and it becomes worthwhile.
There are advantages to having an ISBN for vour book. The title will
be added to a list of books published and circulated to the book trade. Many
orders for your work can be generated by this listing alone. It is free advertising
for the availability of your book. It will also be listed online.
Most bookshops use the ISBN in their ordering and stock control
systems, as it is a number unique to each publication. If you wish bookshops to
handle your publication. it would be wise to apply for an ISBN. If the publication
is for restricted distribution: for instance. a family history intended for your
family members only or a publication for a particular club, group or society. an
ISBN is not desirable or necessary
if you do register for an ISBN, you are liable to supply six free
copies of the work to the Legal Deposit Libraries.
Supply to the Legal Deposit Libraries.
As soon as you have published your book send one copy to :

Legal Deposit Office
The British Library
Boston Spa, Wetherby
West Yorkshire LS23 7BY
You may be contacted in due course by the Deposit Libraries

Agency, which represents the other five national deposit libraries. Send those
five free copies when you receive that request.
The mysteries of the ISBN
ISBN’s are issued to any new publisher at the time the publisher
announces their first book to the ISBN Agency. For the sake of completion I will
explain how it works.
19
© Rex Merchant
The ISBN consists of a number. 13 digits in length, and is divided into

five parts. From Jan 1“ 2007 every ISBN starts with the prefix 978. This addition
to the 10 digit number was necessary because they were running out of numbers!
1. The new 978 prefix.
2. The group identifier.
This varies in length and identifies the national language.

geographical or other area in which the book concerned. is published. The Group
Identifier for the UK is either ‘O° or “1.
3.The publishers identifier.
This second part of the ISBN varies in length. It is unique and

identifies you as the publisher. My identifier is 902474
4. The title number.
This part of the ISBN identifies the particular book. This number
varies with the issue number of your book and brings the length of the ISBN up
to 12 digits. Thus your first book will have a title number of 00. the second one
01, the third 02 etc. This book was my 26th title and had the number 25 as the
title digits.
5. The check digit.
This last part is always one digit in length and acts as a check for
safeguarding against wrong orders in the book trade. Put simply: a computer can
detect almost any error of transposing the ISBN incorrectly. by calculating and
checking this last digit. Thus the complete ISBN has 13 digits.
I’m sure that sounds complicated. An example will make it much clearer.
This book’s ISBN is 978 1 902474 250
20
© Rex Merchant
Calculating an ISBN
The ISBN agency issue the new 13 digit ISBN. ready calculated in batches
of 10. But for completion I have described the way they are calculated.
ISBN’s must contain 13 numbers. The last digit is calculated on a

modulus of ten. This means that the whole number will become part of a
specified calculation and the answer must be divisible by 10 to give a whole
number
If that sounds complicated I will run through the calculation used to
obtain my ISBN for this book. It was my 26th publication (the 25th publication
after the original one, which was numbered 00. so this one is numbered 25).
The first 12 digits of the ISBN for the book are 978 1902474 25. We now
need to calculate the check digit.
This is where the fun starts! Add up the alternate digits of the root
number. reading from right to left.
Sepa! edi Mar0 pacesa eatin eer: ie Mi
That is 5+ 4+4+0+1+7 to giveatotal of 21.

Multiply this answer by 3. Thus3 X 21= 63%
Now add together all the digits left out of the first addition.
That is2+7+2+9+8+ 9 to give a total of 37*.
Add the two *totals together. 63 +37= 100
The check digit is the smallest number, which can be added to this total
(100) to give an answer exactly divisible by 10. In this case the number is already
exactly divisible by 10, so the answer is 0. Thus my complete ISBN is
978 1 902474 250
When printing the ISBN above the barcode on the back of a book, it is
usually printed in OCR-A font.
Z1
© Rex Merchant
Applying for an ISBN.
If you need an ISBN for your book, contact the UK ISBN agency :-
www.isbn.neilsenbook.co.uk
isbnagency@neilsen. com.
Include in your application a copy of the title page and the title page
verso (The back of the title page). The title page bears the Title, Author and
Publisher. The verso bears copyright information. publishing history (If this is
not the first edition), publisher’s statement and ISBN. The publisher's statement
states clearly who has published the work and must match exactly the
information given on the application form.
The agency will supply you with a minimum of ten numbers. a log of
all the subsequent numbers. a booklet explaining in detail the ISBN system and a
form to register the publication with Nielsen Bookdata who list books in print to
the book trade. ( Neilsens do prefer this registration form to be filled in and
transmitted online as part of an E-mail.) If you intend to issue further
publications. each one will be given the next ISBN in your allocation. The
agency supplies a logbook with all your ISBNs ready calculated for vou.
It is best if the form is sent at least three months before your publication
date.
At the time of writing this book the cost for a block of 10 ISBN is
£118-68 including VAT.
22
© Rex Merchant
Producing the Text of the Book
It will save time and effort later if you decide on the type and the size of
font and the layout you intend to use for your finished book, before you write
it. but don’t worry if you have already completed the writing, as it is possible
to sort out all of those details on the computer, at a later time.
Choosing a Font.
Choose a clear and easily read font. This book is written in Times
New Roman. which is a popular font for book printing. Explore your computer
font menu and compare the results with the professionally produced books you
admire. The size of font will determine how many pages your book occupies.
but the first consideration must be the ease of reading. The main body of this
book is printed in Times New Roman, 10 point, as it is intended for an adult
readership. Children’s books often use a simpler font with no serifs, and they
favour a larger size print. such as Arial 14 point.
To differentiate headings or chapter titles from the main text it is
usual to print those larger or in a different font. In this book I have used Times
New Roman Bold 10 point for the headings.
For chapter headings in some of my novels I have used other fonts
to provide a decorative and arresting heading. There are innumerable fonts
available on the modern computer. Choose carefully and do choose one which
is easy to read. Don’t mix too many different fonts in one book as this tends to
irritate the reader.
Line spacing
Most writers produce their original manuscripts with double

spacing, as this is the layout usually specified by publishers and agents. The
copy of your book you will use for printing will need to have single spacing.
Editing layout.
The details of text layout are entirely up to you. but there are
conventions that are worth noting. The average reader will have certain
expectations formed by books previously read and may not take kindly to a
revolutionary new book layout.
ip)
© Rex Merchant
There are different wavs of tackling the editing of your text. For a novel
it may be easier to write the whole book in a simple font such as Arial then
convert the text and chapter heading when editing, to Times Roman or
whatever you choose.
For a text book where there may be frequent headings it may be
easier to use the finished fonts as you write.
I work towards a single spaced A4 version of my book with all
the spacing correct and the headings in the fonts I intend to publish.
I find some adjustment is always needed when the A4 portrait
version is converted to 2 x A5 pages side by side on an A4 landscape sheet.
This work mainly consists of tidying up headings. which have been left on the
previous page. making sure there are few sentences split over two pages.
(Known as widows & orphans in the printing trade!) and adjusting for the
inclusion of typed page numbers at the bottom of each A5 page.
Chapter headings.
Chapter headings are usually in a larger. and sometimes a

different. font from the body of the text. My novels are printed in 10 or 12
point Times Roman, and the chapter headings in Dom Casual 14 or 16 point or
Macintosh SF. Usually a new chapter is started a few lines down a new page.
leaving some blank lines above the heading. Often each new chapter of a novel
is started on a right hand page, even if that means leaving a blank. left-hand
page before it.
I personally do not follow that last convention. You will find
many modern paperback books ignore it to save paper. For some of my text
books I use Times Roman 10 or 12 point for the body of the text. Times
Roman Bold 16 point for my main headings and Times Roman Bold 14 point
for subheadings.
The Layout of the Front Pages.
Title page.
This page bears the official title, including subtitle if applicable.
and the author’s name.
24
© Rex Merchant
Copyright page. (Verso of Title Page)

This page has several sections. (I have used the details
from one of my publications to illustrate this. where applicable.) It bears the
copyright mark. The year published and names the copyright holder(s). (This is
the author(s) in Self-Publishing.) For example: Copyright © Rex Merchant
2000.
Title & publisher page.

This page repeats the official title and adds any details or extra
explanatory wording to the title. This page also names the publisher and the
copyright holder.
Dedication.
This page makes up the fourth page. which is necessary for
method two of binding.
Most authors like to dedicate their work to someone.
You could use this 4th page to write a prologue. print a map, a
decorative pattern or just leave it blank. The choice is yours.
Details of Copyright Page.

Examples:-
The date first published and any subsequent editions published.

First Edition 2000 ISBN 1902474082. Revised edition 2007. ISBN
9781902474113
The Publishers name. address. telephone number. fax number, email etc.
Published by Rex Merchant @ Norman Cottage.
89 West Road.
OAKHAM
Rutland. LEIS 6LT. UK.
Wording asserting your rights over the copying and reproduction of the
book.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or stored
in an information retrieval system other than short extracts for review
purposes or as cross reference, without the express permission of the
Publisher given in writing.
25
© Rex Merchant
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication notification.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data. A catalogue record
of this book is available from the British Library.
The ISBN number

ISBN I 902474 082 and 9781902474113
Declarations on liability.
Examples :
For fiction.
All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to
real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
For factual books.
NB. The author has thoroughly researched the material published in

this book but he can accept no responsibility for errors, omissions or
inaccuracies contained in it. No liability can be accepted for any loss or
expense incurred as a result of relying on the information contained in this
book.
Acknowledgements of trademarks etc. This section is used to

acknowledge any person or organisation that helped produce the book. e.g.
photographers, artists, other authors who gave permission to use material under
copyright. This section could warrant a whole page or more and is often put at
the back of the book.
Any other information you wish to impart. E.g. “This book is printed on
100% recycled paper.’ “All profits from this publication go to ‘The Out of
Work Writers’ Guild’
Typeset, printed and bound by Rex Merchant @ Norman Cottage.

Graphic designs by RPM Arts Rutland Ltd. ‘Windows® XP’ is a trademark
of Microsoft®
The example on the next page shows you how these elements might
make up the copyright page.
26
© Rex Merchant
Copyright © Rex Merchant. Original edition published 2000

ISBN 1 902474 082.
Revised edition published 2007. ISBN 9781902474113
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or stored

in an information retrieval system other than short extracts for review
purposes or cross reference, without the express permission of the Publisher
given in writing.
First Edition 2000

Published by Rex Merchant @ Norman Cottage
89 West Road
OAKHAM. Rutland LEIS 6LT UK.
normancottage@yahoo.co.uk
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.

A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library.
Typeset, printed and bound by Rex Merchant at Norman Cottage.

Cover design and graphics by Erica Merchant.
Note: The author has thoroughly researched the material published in

this book but he can accept no responsibility for errors, omissions or
inaccuracies contained in it. No liability can be accepted for any loss or
expense incurred as a result of relying on the information contained in this
book.
at
© Rex Merchant
nn nnee EEE EEE UUEE EERE
Illustrating your book
Illustrations can greatly increase the cost of publishing a book but

some books would be incomplete without them. When I planned my
Taxidermy Textbooks I experimented with black and white photographs and
line drawings because either will reproduce well with a laser printer. I settled
for line drawings because they are far clearer for the reader to understand in a
textbook. With a modern digital camera or a good scanner it is possible to
include photographic illustrations. These are best printed at 600dpi if they are
detailed.
If you must use high-class colour or photographic reproductions,
the cheapest way would be to get them printed professionally as a separate
item and bind those pages into the book yourself. A professional printer will
quote you a price.
If you intend to produce several books with colour illustrations, it
may be economical to invest in a colour laser printer to print these pages.
When I wrote and published in 2010 'The Spalding Bird Museum ' - a history
of this establishment. I invested in a colour laser printer for the 16
photographic illustrations included in it.
For simple black and white line illustrations I take photographs of
the procedures I wish to illustrate and base my line drawings on those
photographs. The drawings are scanned and made into double A5 format pages
using Serif® Page Plus software or Microsoft Word ®. These softwares also
enabled me to add text to my diagrams, on the computer.
For very small numbers of books with illustrated pages it could be
cheaper to produce master copies of those pages and get them photocopied.
For convenience and to avoid confusion. I prefix the numbers of
the illustrated pages with the word FIG. (short for figure). You could resort to
using Roman numerals. The sides of the A4 landscape sheets must be planned
with the configuration: Fig 4 & Fig.1 on the front and on the reverse Fig.2 &
Fig. 3. In the case of Roman Numerals. a 1V & 1, 11 & 111 configuration, the
same as the text pages if you are using method two for the bookbinding.
You can print the illustrations in a separate print run and add them
into the printed pages as you fold and collate those or you can incorporate the
illustration in the text in Word ®.
28
© Rex Merchant
There are numerous other software packages that could be used for this
work. It would be possible to produce the illustrated pages using Sierra® Print
Artist for example.
Binding your own books
I have experimented with various methods of bookbinding to produce

paperback and hardback versions of my books. Eventually I settled on three
methods that satisfied my needs. All three are similar but the layout of the
printing differs considerably as does the amount of work needed to produce the
printed pages.
Method One - the simplest way. Print the text onto A5 paper and bind
these individual sheets into a book.
Method Two - Print the A5 pages side by side onto A+ landscape paper.
fold these sheets in half to produce four pages of text before binding them into
the body of the book.
Method Three - Produce a stapled booklet.
Method One - A5 Pages
The simplest choice for the layout of your printed text is to print onto
A5 paper with odd numbered pages on one side and even pages on the reverse.
Page numbers are added from the /nsert menu in Word®.
This method is by far the simplest for producing a book using
most methods of binding - but it cannot be used for Stapled Booklets.
A word of warning! When I started bookbinding experiments with the
cold glue method I found the single pages produced by using A5 paper did
tend to produce several loose pages because the area glued is so small, that is
why I turned to a folded A4 page with two A5's produced by the folding.
However, by using a better glue and the use of the saw-cut method of
embedding thread or string into the book spine this problem might be
eliminated.
The method of sawing the pages and embedding the thread is
illustrated .at the end of this book.
29
© Rex Merchant
As so many of my earlier books have been successfully produced

using the A4 paper size. I give both methods of working in detail. should you
wish to follow them.
Method Two - Four A5 pages on A4 paper.
Converting your A4 manuscript to AS layout.
(I am assuming you have your manuscript already written. The

chances are it is on A4 portrait page layout. If vou have not started to write on
the PC you can write the book straight onto A4 landscape pages divided into
two A5 upright halves and save vourself some work.)
This method of binding needs the A5 pages to be printed side by side on
a landscape A4 page with a suitable central margin (the gutter) and suitable
right and left margins. To convert the A+ manuscript. load the manuscript in
Word® onto your computer, then use File, Page Setup, Paper Size and convert
to landscape layout. You can add page number in the centre of the page. if you
have not already done so. Then use Co/ummns on the menu bar to convert this
single column layout to double columns. This gives text on two A5 pages per
A+ landscape sheet. This is done on the reverse side of the A4 as well.
This layout will almost certainly not be suitable for printing until
you have adjusted the margins at the sides and in the centre. Because you will
be cutting and pasting pages to put them in the right order for binding. each
text page must be identical in working area. so that they are interchangeable.
Time spent getting this right at this early stage is essential.
The side margins must be wide enough to allow some paper to be
removed by the final guillotining. This cut will depend on the size of the card
used for the cover.
The centre margin must be wide enough for the pages to be opened
without obscuring the print.
For my last novel bound in this way, I used side margins of 26mm
each and a centre margin of 30mm. For this book I set the margins similarly.
When you have set the margins, print a trial page. Reverse the paper and
print another page on the back of the first page. Check the margins are even by
holding the page up to a bright light to compare the two sides simultaneously
The results may vary from printer to printer, so check the measurements on
30
© Rex Merchant
pages produced on the laser printer you intend to use to print the book. Finally.
choose four full pages and cut and paste the fourth page onto the first page to
check that they coincide exactly in size and there is no loss or gain of text
between the pages.
Don't forget to reverse this last process before you carry on with the
work!
When you have completed this first part of the layout satisfactorily.
make a copy. Always back up your work at every stage.
Page Numbering.
Windows® will print the page numbers on the centre line of your
landscape paper if you require them. These numbers are only useful for
collating the pages as they will be positioned in the centre of the gutter and not
visible when the book is bound. To my knowledge Windows® will not
automatically print a progressive page number on each A5 page of your book
in this format. 3
I type the number in the centre of the A5 page as I come to the
bottom of each page in my final editing. I finish the page at a logical place,
such as the end of a sentence or paragraph. and shift the remaining text onto
the next page then I print the page number on the last blank line. I use the
centre of the line for my numbering. I edit and number the entire book on
screen as a single process.
Page layout for binding using A4 paper.
It is possible to print and bind using single sheets of A5 paper

printed both sides - odd pages on one side and even pages on the reverse.
These are then glued together as shown below. I have found the single sheet
edge does not always take the glue well and some pages are loose. From this
experience I preferred to use a folded A4 sheet of paper as the folded edge
gives a bigger area to take the glue.
When you fold the landscape A4 sheet in half to produce four A5
pages, the numbering is not correct for printing. The sequence needed to use
this binding system is as follows:-
Page 4 and Page | on the front of the sheet and pages 2 & 3 on the
reverse. This sequence continues throughout the whole book. Thus the next
four pages will be laid out as 8 and 5 on one side of the A4 page and 6 & 7 on
the reverse.
31
© Rex Merchant
To produce this sequence you will have to cut and paste page 4 in the place of
page 1. Similarly every fourth page on the landscape A4 sheet will be cut and
pasted in the place of each first page on that sheet. The easiest way to
accomplish this is to view the pages at 25 % magnification. when all four
views can be seen side by side on screen.
The whole document will be laid out thus:
Pages 4&1 then2 &3
Pages 8&5 then 6 & 7.
Pages 12 & 9 then 10 & 11.
Pages 16 & 13 then 14 & 15.
Pages 20 & 17 then 18 & 19. etc.
This sequence is continued to the end of the book leaving blank
pages if necessary to make the number of pages divisible by four. You can use
this blank page or pages at the end of the book to advertise your other
publications or show your publishing logo.
Print a copy to check.
If vour laser printer will duplex print that simplifies matters. Mine
will not. so [ print one set of odd pages. reverse the papers in the tray and print
a set of even pages. | find paper tends to curl with the heat generated in the
laser printing. This can cause problems on the second printing. There are steps
you can take to minimise this; the most important are listed below.
1. Make sure the moisture content of the paper you use is as low as
possible. The printing trade use a heat box to treat each batch before they use it
to drive out any moisture content. I made a simple heat box by wiring a 20watt
light bulb into the base of a suitable, lidded, wooden box and fixing a wire
mess shelf above it. to hold the paper. I leave the paper over the heat for an
hour just before use. to reduce the moisture content to a minimum.
2. Make sure the sheets of paper are stacked neatly and uniformly. I use
a wooden paddle to tap the edges into place. Before the second printing I leave
the pages for a short time under a weight to cool and uncurl before putting
them back in the printer's sheet feed.
© Rex Merchant
Collating the pages.
Fold the pages so that they run in correct number sequence and
check them thoroughly for errors. The pages are folded so that the side with the
two consecutive numbers goes inside. At this stage vou can use the pages as a
loose-leaf book for checking. You should adjust any spacing problems. double
check spelling and numbering. and look critically at the layout and fonts.
Take your time and check the book at least three times with a long
break between checks. I usually leave the pages for a dav or so between
checks. This proof reading stage is very important.
If you find the work is just not up to standard and there are too many
errors. all is not lost. You have your A4+ copy disk and you have all the
experience you have gained. Try again.
You must aim to get it night at this stage. Once you have
published, only minor adjustments to the text are possible.
Method Three - The Stapled Booklet
Stapled booklets are the simplest books to produce. There are

limitations on the use of this method. The maximum number of pages in the
booklet is about 70 pages. Not every type of subject lends itself to this simple
format. Subjects such as a small poetry anthology or a textbook are suitable
for stapled binding. I publish a booklet - 'Care of the Longcase Clock’, which
suits this format well.
The A4 pages are printed, folded in half with the cover on them
then stapled together. The layout of the pages is crucial - for instance the first
printed page of text must have the first page and the last page on it. There is
software available to do this layout for you but a little ingenuity makes the task
simple. Using scrap paper, staple together the correct number of blank pages
for your finished book. Number the pages in pen or pencil in the correct order
then take the booklet apart. You will now have the page layout for your own
booklet.
Your pages will have to be cut and pasted onto A4, landscape
pages, which are set up on your computer as two A5 pages side by side, in the
correct order.
If this is too much trouble there is available Make a Booklet
software which will do this for you at the touch of a button.
23)
© Rex Merchant
Make-A-Booklet™ software is available from

Paper Direct.
Nuffield Road.
Harrowbrook Industrial Estate
Hinckley. Leic’s. LE10 3DG.
Once you have collated the printed pages and folded them with the
cover folded on top of them, you can staple them together by using a long
reach stapler - available from most stationers.
The cover for a booklet is a simple A4 piece of card printed with the
front and back cover side by side as two A5 prints. There is no printed spine on
a booklet.
Making the book cover for a paperback book.
This information on paperback book covers applies to both methods one

and two for printing pages. | have mentioned card for covers earlier in this
book. I will now discuss it in more detail.
The printing trade grade card and paper thickness by weight. The
weight is expressed in grams and is the weight of a square metre of the
material. Cover card needs to be at least 160g weight. I prefer to use 200g or
220g card. Check that your printer will handle the thickness you would like to
use.
Use a card with a smooth surface. I tend to use white card because
it is cheaper and because I can add colour with my printer, but my first novels
were printed on ivory coloured card. which I then considered added to their eye
appeal.
The size of card I use to make my cover is A4 and is based on an
AS size page. The height is 210mm. The width is 2 X 148mm = 296mm, plus
an allowance for the spine width. (Which depends on the number of printed
pages).
If you are satisfied that a black and white cover is good enough for
your publication, print it on the mono laser printer and you will have no
problems. I prefer to use colour printing. Because colour laser printers are
more expensive to use, I decided to use my Inkjet printer, but this has the
disadvantage that the print is not waterproof. Later in this chapter I cover the
waterproofing methods I have used to overcome this problem.
© Rex Merchant
Designing the cover.
Design your cover to fit in with modern trends. Today. illustrations are
used extensively on book covers.
If you are publishing a textbook. it should be apparent from the
cover what the book has to offer the reader.
In the case of this book I used the title - ‘Self-Publishing Books' -
because that was exactly the brief I set myself when I started to write it.
For my taxidermy books, I scanned photographs of my taxidermy
work and used those on the covers. The titles, e.g. 'Fish Taxidermy' or 'Animal
Taxidermy’ should be self-explanatory.
You could commission a graphic artist to design your book cover.
It will obviously add to your production costs. The alternative is to design your
own book cover. My advice would be, take a look at the latest books in your
local bookstore or library: get a feel for the latest fashion and try to interpret it
for your own book. bearing in mind the limitations of your DTP production
methods.
Covers are designed to persuade the browser to pick up the book
and buy it. Nowhere is this truer than in the fiction market.
The front of the cover.
The software I use to design my covers, is Sierra® Print Artist,

which came free with my colour printer. There are other software packages
equally as good. Make sure your chosen software package will allow you to
import your own pictures to use as graphics. It is also important that you can
alter the size of pictures and fonts and overlay them. Also make sure you can
alter the orientation of text and pictures - for example, the spine of the book
will need the author’s name and the book title to be printed vertically down the
centre of the page.
Do make the front of the cover clear. Don’t make it too cluttered
with text and graphics overlapping. Remember that the cover of a textbook
should tell at a glance exactly what the book is about. Fiction titles give more
scope for intriguing the reader, but it is still important he/she can tell what type
or genre your book fits into.
The front cover usually bears the title, the author’s name and any
other brief wording which will help sell the book. As an example, I have
included on this book cover the fact that I won a National Award for Self-
Publishing.
35
© Rex Merchant
ST
The back of the cover
The back of the cover is used to explain in more detail what the
book contains. and what it will do for the reader. This is often referred to as the
‘blurb’. In the case of a novel it is usual to whet the reader’s appetite but not
give too much away about the plot.
When you get favourable reviews, you can add these to the back
cover. One of the big advantages of Self-Publishing in small batches. is the
ability to react quickly to new opportunities or even to correct errors that may
have escaped the first editing. You can adjust the cover design accordingly
before vou print a new batch.
The back cover also bears the ISBN number and bar code (If you
have one). the publisher’s details, possibly the retail price.
The barcode.
Barcodes are used by most bookshops to aid pricing and for stock
control.
There is online a website that produces barcodes free of charge. or
for a small donation.
http://www.terryburton.co.uk/barcodewriter/generator/
It is also possible to produce your own bar codes by using

software such as Labels Unlimited®. Bar codes are generated from the
ISBN’s. The bar code is the same number as the new 13 digit ISBN. I scan the
Barcode into Sierra® Print Artist and incorporate it into my book cover design
using that software.
The ISBN booklet supplied by the agency gives guidance on
barcodes as well as ISBN’s. The barcode along with the ISBN is printed at the
bottom of the back cover. The rules also cover the type of barcode image and
the size. (Barcode type EAN 13 is the standard one for books. That
specification is more or less identical to the American Universal Product Code
— abbreviated to UPC).
The size rules for book barcodes state that the original ratio of
height to width must be maintained and a size range of between 80% and 200%
of original size is used. The EAN is printed as numbers below the bar code in
case manual processing is necessary. For those of you who want to delve
deeper into bar codes for books, there is a publication available from the Book
36
© Rex Merchant
Industry Communication (BIC). 39-41 North Road. London N7 9DP.

entitled ‘Bar Coding for Books’.
Bar codes on books always start with the numbers 978 (the official
Book Prefix). This number is the same as the 13 digit ISBN in use since
January 2007.
The complete barcode should look something like this.
eo oe ae oe
The spine of the book.
The spine of the book is that part printed vertically in the centre of
the cover. It is the only part of your book visible when it is stacked on a
bookshelf. It is only a small area but it matters. Make good use of the spine to
clearly identify your book. Usually author’s name and title are printed in as
bold lettering as the limited space will allow. Sometimes the publisher’s logo is
included. Print the spine so that the writing looks the right way up when the
book is laying down with its front cover uppermost.
The inside of the cover.
You can use the inside of the front cover to print details such as
the author's biography and include advertising for your other books on the
inside of the back cover.
You can print the inside cover in black & white, on a laser printer.
My layout is planned on Sierra® Print Artist, exactly as I plan the outside of
the cover.
© Rex Merchant
To save work you can leave the inside of the cover blank and
design the back pages and back cover of your book to include all the details
suggested above.
Preparing the cover for use. (Fig. 5)
The cover is made from a suitable thickness of card. (Some weight

between 160g and 200g.) The card is cut to wrap all around the book — height
210mm, length 286mm. The A4 size of card allows for the removal of a small
amount of book when the final guillotining is done - usually a maximum of
5mm off the top edge. 5mm off the bottom edge, and an allowance for the
spine width off the long edge of the printed pages.
When you have printed vour first copy of the text on 2 X A5 ona
folded landscape A4 sheet. to carry out the final editing. you can put the pages
into the gluing clamp to estimate the size of the spine. Use callipers or dividers
and transfer that measurement directly onto the book cover.
You will need to press two grooves into the printed card. one each
side of the spine. A further groove — the fold groove - is impressed to the
outside of each spine groove. about 6mm away from it. These fold grooves
help the cover bend open and provide a guide for applying glue to the cover.
(See diagrams 5 & 6.)
I use a blunt knife with a rounded end and a small T square to
impress these grooves into the front side of each cover.
The next task is to waterproof the cover. The waterproofing
method I prefer to use is to apply a thin film of waterproofing spray from an
aerosol. At present I use Humbrol® Crystal Clear Acrylic Spray Coating.
which seals and protects card very well. It is an ozone friendly aerosol. being
CFC free. and it dries in minutes. Do read the notes on the can before use. I lay
out my batch of covers side by side on sheets of waste paper, in a well
ventilated room. I spray with a smooth fast motion to cover the colour printing
but not soak the card. Too much spray could wet the card completely and make
it transparent, even when dry. Allow time to dry undisturbed.
I’m sure there are other sprays available which would do just as
well. A little experimenting would soon tell.
When the waterproofing is done, I bend the card inwards at the spine
grooves to give the correct shape for a book cover. I then bend the card
outwards at the fold grooves. as if the cover was opened on the book.
I use a rule or straight edge to ensure accurate creasing. The cover is
now ready for gluing onto the text pages.
38
© Rex Merchant
Binding the book. ( Fig. 2 & 3)
If [have used AS5 single sheets of paper to print my book. I now tap the
pages loosely onto a hard surface to make sure all the edges are evenly
together, then place the bundle into a wooden clamp for gluing. (see below for
details.)
If I have printed my pages in pairs of A5 size. (on the A4
landscape paper as per method two) I fold and collated them in the correct
order. adding any pages of illustrations as I work. I now clamp them prior to
gluing.
Using the Clamp (Fig. 1 & 3.)
Tap the pages loosely on a firm surface, like a tabletop, until all
the edges to be glued are exactly together. Holding it tightly. lower the bundle
into the open clamp. which is stood on a firm surface and raised slightly by
two pieces of 2mm card — one under each end. (See Fig. 3. These pieces of
card allow the spine part of the book to protrude slightly past the edges of the
clamp. This helps the glue to soak between the edges of the pages and ensures
a good joint.)
Hold the pages upright and tap them along the top edge to make
sure the spine edges are all pushed flat against the table. Tap the sides of the
pages to ensure the book is level at the sides. Once the pages are in place,
tighten the wing nuts on the clamp to hold the pages firmly then visually check
the spine of the book to ensure every single page is level and there are no gaps.
Any irregularities show up as darker lines. When you are sure all is perfect,
tighten the wing nuts finger tight.
NB. THIS VISUAL CHECK IS MOST IMPORTANT.
Gluing the spine. ( Fig. 4.)
Use a small paintbrush. Cover the spine of the book completely

with PVA paper glue. Keep the glue on the spine only, not on the sides of the
top and bottom pages. Make sure the whole spine is completely covered and
the glue soaks into the creased edges. Use just enough glue; too much may
crinkle the paper.
© Rex Merchant
When the glue is touch dry. holding the pages firmly but still
flexible. saw the grooves into the spine to take the strengthening threads. The
depth of the saw cut should be only about | to 1 1/2 mm. Apply the threads
and paint more glue over them to ensure they are firmly fixed. When this glue
is touch dry you can loosen the wing nuts and withdraw the book into the
clamp. Tighten the wing nuts again to compress the spine to the same width as
the pages. The spine was slightly splayed out because of the cardboard spacers
this pressure reduces the slight fan shape to a flat profile. Remove the book
from the clamp when the glue is dry and you are ready to apply the book cover.
At this stage. if you are binding a paperback book, trim the threads level with
the edges of the book block.
Applying the cover. (Fig. 6, 7 & 8.)
Bend the cover inside out to display the inside of the spine area
and the fold areas. Paint glue onto this area. Paint a reasonable laver of glue
along the spine and a thinner layer along the two 6mm spaces between the
spine grooves and the fold grooves. Do not overglue these side areas or the
glue may spread onto the front and back pages of the book and stick them to
the cover. Place the book block onto the glued cover. making sure it is the right
way up and the pages are level with one edge of the cover — vou can choose the
bottom or the top edge but do be consistent as this helps to ensure the
guillotining process is accurate and uniform. Hold the cover tightly in place
and replace the whole book in the clamp. pressing the book block down into
the cover. Do not use the card spacers under the clamp this time.
Check visually that there is not a gap between the cover and the
book spine at either end. If there is a gap. loosen the clamp and pull the cover
edges towards you, at the same time pushing the pages of the book down.
Tighten the clamp to finger tight. This will hold the book together while it
dries.
Ensure there is a good glue joint between the spine of the pages
and the cover. by running your thumb or finger along the outside of the spine.
Rub from the centre of the spine towards each end. applying firm pressure to
force any excess glue along the spine and out at the ends. Don’t worry about a
little exuded glue, it will be removed with the guillotine.
Leave the book to dry overnight in the clamp.
40
© Rex Merchant
The Final Check.
When you remove the book from the clamp. check for loose
pages. If you have done the job properly. all the pages will be firmly and
immovably glued into place. However. accidents do happen. especially when
one is new to a process. If a loose page is found. all is not lost. Remove the
page and open the book flat at the correct place. Run a very fine line of glue
along the folded edge of the page. — I use the handle of a thin paintbrush to do
this. Replace the page, pushing it well into place and place the whole book
under a weight or back in the clamp to dry.
Check also that the covers open cleanly by bending them open at the
fold grooves. If you have used the correct amount of glue there will be no
problem. If there is adhesive where it shouldn't be. ease the end pages apart
from the covers.
Binding a book in hard back. Figs. 11 & 12
When I publish a paperback book I sometimes produce some hard back

copies as a limited edition. These books. numbered and signed by the author,
sell at a premium.
Making a hard back book is a simple step from the paperback
version. After you have glued the spine and sawn the grooves in it, glue in
pieces of jute type string - this is a string made from several strands that can
be split and fanned out. The strings should overlap the spine each side by about
{" to 2". A piece of scrim. which overlaps about the same amount, is also
glued over the spine.
When the glue is dry, apply endpapers. Endpapers are made from a
thicker grade of A4 paper, which is often decorative or coloured. (If you feel
really adventurous you can produce your own unique endpapers by marbling a
suitable grade of thick paper). The A4 endpapers are folded in half and glued
onto the front and onto the back of the book. Glue is applied to a strip of about
1/4" along the fold edge and this is applied to front and end pages of the book,
laying it as close to the spine as possible.
The ends of the strings are frayed over the end papers to lay flat against
them, and glued onto them. The scrim is glued and spread over these strings.
4]
© Rex Merchant
The area of the end paper covered with scrim is then covered with a
strip of paper. which is glued over it. This reduces any bulges. which would
show in the endpapers. The spine area is now covered with a layer of paper
which is glued onto it over the scrim. Once this glue is dry the book is
guillotined to size to form the book block.
The next stage is to make a cover for a Case Bound book. I
describe this process below but more details can be found online on sites
detailing the Book Binding Trade or in any good bookbinding book.
Hard back book covers are usually made with a bookbinding cloth
finish. The dimensions for the cover are based on the size of the book once it
has been guillotined. Measure the book block and add on 1/4" to the height and
subtract 1/16" from the width to find the dimensions for the front and back
cards. These cover cards are cut from a stiff card. The spine card will be the
same height as the larger cards but is usually made of a thinner card than the
covers. The width of the spine card is based on the thickness of the book block.
but make it 1/16" narrower.
Lay the cards onto the book cloth as shown in Fig 12. Allow a 1/4"
between the spine and the other cards, and allow 3/4" of cloth all around the
cards. for turning in.
Draw in pencil around the cards so that you can reposition them
later. Remove the cards and spread book binding glue all over the inside
surface of the cloth. Place the cards onto the glued surface and smooth down to
ensure there are no air bubbles. Cut the corners off the cloth as shown in the
diagram, allowing the thickness of the card for turning in the corners.
Turn in the top and bottom cloth and smooth in onto the cards.
Using a knife blade. press the excess cloth down at each corner before turning
in the sides. Allow the cover to dry before finishing the binding.
Once the cover is dry the book block can be glued into it. Deal
with one cover at a time. Cover the top layer of the first end paper with glue
taking care not to get glue onto the pages of the book - you can insert a piece of
scrap paper between the layers of the endpaper to avoid this. Insert the book
block into the case by pushing it up against the spine. positioning it centrally
then close the book cover over it, Open the cover and smooth the endpaper
against the cover to expel any air bubbles. The back endpaper is dealt with
similarly.
When the book block is glued into the case. the whole book is put
ina clamp or under a heavy weight to dry.
42
© Rex Merchant
There are certain refinements that can be added to a hard bound

book to make it more desirable. At the stage when you have the book block
prepared but before you insert it into the hard cover. you can glue a decorative
head band to it and you can glue a ribbon book mark to the spine.
The professional bookbinder usually titles the book with gold
lettering but this means having a set of brass letters and gold leaf. an expensive
luxury for the amateur bookbinder. How you title your books is a matter of
choice. I usually print a title on my computer on white paper. cover it with
adhesive film to protect it then glue it onto the book front cover and the spine
area.
Guillotine the book to size.
A standard hand guillotine will not cut a book accurately. however I

have successfully trimmed narrow books of fifty pages or so by cutting off the
excess with a very sharp scalpel. Hold a metal rule firmly on the book and cut
the pages a few at a time by drawing the blade across the book. Trim the edges
by the amount you allowed in the printing.
To get a perfect finish. especially on a thicker book, the trimming
must be done with a motor driven guillotine or a substantial, professional hand
guillotine. For your books to compete with the work of the large publishers,
they need to have a perfect finish.
Motorised guillotines can be bought second hand for as little as
£300. If you feel this is too big an expense for your small operation, you can
farm out this one operation in the production of your books.
You can approach a local printer and agree a price of a few pence
per cut to trim all your books. Take them to the printer in batches to get them
trimmed economically. Allow for this cost in the calculation of the book’s
retail price.
I
© Rex Merchant
Selling your book
Without the backing of a large publishing organisation you will

have to undertake all the marketing work yourself. You must get maximum
publicity for your new book to ensure the public knows it is available. Only the
quality and suitability of the work will ensure they buy it. but you can ensure
they are aware of it. The list below gives many examples of the methods used
by successful Self-Publishers. myself included. to publicise our work.
Produce a flyer.
I always design and print a three-fold leaflet advertising my book -

usually an A4 landscape page divided into three equal printed sections. I use a
picture of the book on the front section. along with the title and an
announcement such as:-
Rex Merchant’s new fantasy novel. ‘The Tomatoes of Time’ ISBN

9781902474 007.
{Inside the leaflet I reproduce the blurb I have printed on the back
of the book cover and added a printed order form. On the reverse I usually list
all the books I have in print. I distribute these leaflets at every opportunity.
Networking.
Most people have a network of friends and acquaintances at work

and at leisure - the members of your writing class, night school. workforce etc.
As examples, I can quote the retired president of a local professional
association who advertised an anthology of his short stories by including a
flyer in one of the group's newsletters. Similarly. the representative of a
building materials wholesaler who persuaded most of his retail calls to display
a small stand of his books on their counter tops.
Do let people know by every means possible, that you have
written and published a book. This alone may account for the sale of several
hundred copies.
© Rex Merchant
If the business you work for. or used to work for before you retired. has
a house magazine, it may be very pleased to do an article on your
writing/publishing hobby. Prepare a press release for them. Include details of
your job that will interest your fellow workers. Advertise your book in the
article.
Throw a launch party.
Arrange a launch party. either at home or at a local hall. Invite everyone

who may be faintly interested. Serve wine and some nibbles. Tell them about
the book and offer it for sale, signed by the author. One gentleman I know.
selis hundreds of his books this way. He half-jokingly told me that no one
gets out of the party without first purchasing a copy of his latest book! Don't
forget to invite the local press to the launch for a photo opportunity.
Issue press releases.
Write a press release telling about yourself and your new book.
Include the price and where to buy it. Enclose a good photograph ( Or jpg.) of
yourself holding the book. Most local newspapers will gladly use local interest
news. I have gained interviews on four local radio stations by the same
method. This is good free publicity.
Example: Press Release.
Local author Rex Merchant has just published his latest book
‘Self-Publishing Books' .which covers the writing and publishing of paperback,
hardback and E-books.
Rex has written and published several previous books. His second
novel, The Tomatoes of Time. was awarded the National Self Publishing
Award for Fiction in 1998.
He has used his experience of publishing his previous books to

produce this new guide for authors wishing to emulate his success.
‘Self-Publishing Books' by Rex Merchant. ISBN 978 902474 250.

Available price £9.00 (post free) direct from the author at 89 West Road,
Oakham, Rutland. LE15 6LT. Or it can be ordered through bookshops.
45
© Rex Merchant
Make your press release concise and to the point. Bear in mind
that a busy newspaper office will probably print the information verbatim as it
will save them time and effort. so make sure it is grammatically correct and
covers all the information you want included.
Enclose a good photograph of yourself holding the book. and
enclose a copy of vour flyer. These days a sharp. standard size. colour
photograph will be adequate. You can email a jpg with a copy of your press
release direct to the newspaper office if they will accept this format.
If the newspaper is willing. you can give them a copy of the book
to be reviewed.
I have donated a few free copies of my books to the newspapers
and the local radio stations to be given as prizes to their readers/ listeners. I
sometimes suggest a suitable competition such as a simple question to answer.
Make the question easy.
For example to advertise a new fantasy book I suggested to a
magazine. the following question:
H G Wells wrote a famous book about Time Travel. Was it entitled?
A. — The Washing Machine.
B. | The Time Machine.
C. The Love Machine.
(The answer is of course, B — just in case you were wondering!)
This free advertising always generates a lot of interest and
publicity for my work.
Most areas have a County Magazine. I send a copy of my latest
book with a Press Release to my local County Magazine for them to review it.
Local book shops.
Bookshops will stock your book if they are convinced they can
sell it. If you have managed to get a lot of publicity from the local press and
radio, tell the shops about it. Suggest they buy a few copies to cash in on the
demand you have created.
These days with a slump in bookshop sales the buyers will
probably ask you to let them have your books on a sale or return basis.
Because they are getting the books and paying later for any they manage to
sell. there is a tendency for them to over-order and ask for too many copies.
46
© Rex Merchant
This could mean you have many returned books and they may be damaged or
soiled. [t is sensible to supply the quantity you feel they will sell and tell them
you will supply further copies when they need them.
Bear in mind that book sellers will expect a discount on the cover
price of your book as they have to make a living too. I usually allow 30%
discount and send the books post free. Be aware that some of the largest chain
bookstores might ask for 80% plus. You must decide if you can afford to deal
with them.
If you get on well with your local bookshop. a book signing may
be arranged, when you can meet your readers and sign and sell your new book
to them. Again this will depend on the interest and publicity you have
generated.
I produce my own posters on my computer. advertising my books.
Bookshops will often mount a display of your new work to coincide with the
publicity, especially if there is suitable free show material available to them.
Craft fairs.
Craft fairs can be a good place to sell your books. Mount an

interesting display of the books using your posters. Don’t forget to stress to the
members of the public that they are meeting the actual author. Offer to
personally sign and dedicate any books bought. Some Self- Publishing authors
sell the majority of their work this way. Much depends on the subject of the
book. Novels and children’s books sell well at fairs just before Christmas. | am
told poetry books have also sold well at these venues.
Always have your flyers on display on your stand. People take
them and may place an order later.
Talk to interested groups.

Groups are always looking for speakers. You must target suitable
audiences for your talks. I have regularly given talks on taxidermy to the
Young Farmers and to Natural History Groups. I always display my taxidermy
books at these talks. Of course, you may also be paid for the talks.
I know of a lady who self-published an anthology of her poetry. She

gave talks to women’s groups such as the WI and Ladies Luncheon Clubs. Her
books sold well at such talks.
47
© Rex Merchant
Writers' Groups would welcome a talk if the subject of your book is of interest
to them. especially if you have Self-Published the work.
Writing articles.
If vou have researched and written a book on a specialised subject.

writing articles based on your book can be a good way of promoting the work.
Writing articles for the specialist journals is one of the best ways of promoting
your work. Usually your name and the book are mentioned in the article.
Blow your own trumpet’
When you get an award or a good review, use it to generate more interest in
your work.
I quote my reviews on the back of my books. As I produce my own covers it is

only a few minutes work to add such quotes to subsequent printings of my
covers.
When I won the National Self-Publishing Award for Fiction. all the local
newspapers that had originally published articles on the launch of the book.
were pleased to print details of the award.
I redesigned the cover of the winning novel to prominently advertise the

award.
Local libraries.
Approach your local public libraries. Many have a showcase to

advertise local authors. Many arrange book readings when authors are invited
to read a little of their work to the public. This especially applies to children's
books.
48
© Rex Merchant
The ISBN spin off.
When you apply for an ISBN your book will be announced to the book
trade by the bibliographic service. This advertising is free. Many orders can be
generated this way. I have sold many taxidermy books from this advertising
alone. Your details will also be put online by many of the larger book sellers.
The internet.
The World Wide Web is fast becoming the best way to advertise
your books. If you have a computer. consider getting your own Home Page to
advertise your books. It need cost you nothing but a little time and the cost of
your phone calls. to reach a vast audience.
There are many internet servers who offer free space on the
internet. This book is not the place to explain the details. but there are
innumerable computer books that teach you how to plan your own web pages.
If you publish your work as E-books the internet sites will
advertise your book as available and will include also a picture of the cover.
Paying to advertise
Paid advertising will be the most expensive option open to you to

bring your book to the notice of the buying public. If you can target your
audience accurately and your book is capable of selling nationally, this can be
a very effective way of selling.
If your book has local interest your local newspaper may be the
best place to advertise. if you consider the appeal of your book is wide enough
to carry the expense.
A final word.
Don’t be shy of courting publicity. If you were being published by

one of the top publishing houses they would expect you to do book signings,
interviews. talks, photo opportunities, and anything else legal to generate sales. °
You owe it to yourself to be successful, so do likewise.
49
© Rex Merchant
I
The Illustrations.
SS SSE eee
© Rex Merchant
THE CLAMP
The clamp consists of two identical pieces of planed wood with a

layer of polythene tacked onto them to prevent sticking. Two bolts go
through the pieces of wood and clamp them together using two wing nuts.
Each clamp is about 45mm deep, 18mm wide and 300mm long.
The bolts are 100mm long and set 250mm apart.
The clamp is made to hold an A5 page lengthways between the
bolts.
Fig. |
© Rex Merchant
TAPPING THE LOOSE PAGES LEVEL
Tap the book pages onto a hard surface like a table. to make them even. A
wooden paddle can be used to make sure the top and side edges are as even
as possible
Fig. 2
© Rex Merchant
PLACING PAGES INTO CLAMP FOR GLUING
Place a piece of 2mm card under each end of the clamp to lift it
from the table. Place the pages into the clamp and tap them down
thoroughly. Make sure the bottom edges are all flat and even.
The pages will protrude 2mm below the edge of the clamp. which
allows for the glue to penetrate better.
Check the spine of the book is perfectly flat and even before
tightening the clamp finger tight.
Fig 3
© Rex Merchant
GLUING THE EDGES OF THE PAGES
Paint the PVA book binding glue along the lower edges of the
pages using a small paintbrush. Make sure the glue soaks into the spine
area. Avoid getting glue on the sides of the paper.
Because the pages stick out by 2mm the glue will seep between
them slightly.
© Rex Merchant
PUTTING THE SPINE CREASES IN THE COVER
Using a blunt knife and a T square as a guide, indent the spine

lines and the fold lines into the top surface of the card cover. Do this before
spraying the waterproofing onto the cover.
Fig. ‘5
© Rex Merchant
GLUING THE COVER
Bend the cover back to reveal the spine and fold areas. Brush PVA
book binding glue onto these areas, avoiding getting any glue on other parts
of the cover.
The spine area should have more glue on it than the fold areas,
otherwise glue could spread onto the end pages of the book when it is
clamped.
Fig. 6
© Rex Merchant
PLACING THE PAGES ONTO THE COVER
Place the book onto the cover making sure it's right way up! Push
the spine of the pages hard onto the cover making sure the top edge of the
pages is level with the top of the cover as this facilitates accurate
guillotining later.
Fig. 7
© Rex Merchant
PLACING. GLUED BOOK INTO THE CLAMP
Push the block of pages down into the glued cover, making sure it
fits snugly against the spine. Do not use the 2mm card spacers at this stage
as the book must be level with the jaws of the clamp.
Tighten the clamp finger tight.
Squeeze excess glue from the spine of the book by running your
thumb along it from the centre towards each end. This ensure a good joint.
Don't worry about any extruded give as this will be removed by the
guillotine.
© Rex Merchant
SAW CUTS ACROSS THE SPINE.
Three or four saw cuts are made across the spine at regular
intervals before it is glued. Cut about‘ Iimm-to |’ 1/2mm deep. These cuts
will allow the glue to penetrate better and will take the strengthening
threads. Bl AMatoh, 154 iad
The cuts are filled with fibrous string or cord and can be used to
attach the book block to a hard cover in hard'case‘bookbinding.
Even in paperback binding the cords ensure'a sound gluing.
2' Fig. 9
© Rex Merchant
STRINGING THE SAW CUTS
a UN
it
The saw cuts are filled with cord or fibrous string.

(Fibrous string is used in hard back book binding).
Allow the string to overlap each side by an inch or two. Make sure
the cord goes right down into the cut. Paint a layer of glue over each cord to
seal it in place.
Fig. 10
© Rex Merchant
GLUING SCRIM TO THE SPINE
GHUIS 2o
Scrim is glued over the spiné‘to-trengihen it if you intend to

produce a hard back book. The scrim should overlap the spine area by an
inch or so each side, the same as the fibrous threads.
Be careful to get glue only on the spine area.
Fig. 11
© Rex Merchant
THE COVER FOR A CASE-BOUND BOOK
r || | SPINE
CHRD
ia ihe
Paint glue evenly all over the inside of the book binding cloth.
Place the cards as shown, using your pencil marks as a guide.
Cut off the corners, allowing a space equivalent to the depth of the
card. This will be turned in and cover the corners.
Turn the top and bottom 'giued cloth over the card, making sure it is
firmly glued to the cards. Before you turn in the side cloth. press down the
allowance you left to protect the corners of the card.
Once the cloth is glued to the card, turn over the cover and press out
any air bubbles or creases with a clean cloth. Place the completed cover in a
press or under a heavy book to aliow it to dry thoroughly.
Figg.
© Rex Merchant
Other Titles by this writer.
Fantasy Fiction Pee
The Faerie Stone ISBN 9781902474012

The Tomatoes of Time 9781902474007 ~
The Pied Punch & Judy Man 9781902474069
Oswald Gotobed & the Cambeach. Ghost 9781902474199
The Archdruid of Macclesfield 9781902474090
Historical Fiction }
i
4
St. Anthony's Piglet 9781902474175! |

Deeping Fen 9781902474243 2 hd
Bits & Pieces -Anthology of publishShert-Stories-&- Lyi

TICS
9781902474120
Non-Fiction tA
Animal Taxidermy 9781902474137

Bird Taxidermy 9781902474144
Fish Taxidermy 9781902474151... . ny agyo Hie ines outs
Taxidermy Trophies 9781902474168. . SRI eReD
Traditional Taxidermy 9781902474122. ae ae od
The Spalding Bird Museum 978 33H ‘

, ne
© Rex Merchant
Alphabetical Index
Reference and page number.
AS layout on A4 paper 30
Advertising 49
Article writing 48
Barcode 36
Binding 29
Binding equipment 29-34
Booklets 33
Chapter headings 24
Clamps Fig. 1
Cold glue binding 29
Collating pages 33
Computer 9
Copyright page 25-27 we
Cover applying 40 & Fig6,7&8
Cover back 36
Cover design 35
Cover front 38
Cover inside 40
Cover preparing for use 40 & Fig.6
Craft fairs 47
E-books 6
Editing 17
Flvers 44
Fonts 23, 24
Front page layout 24
Guillotining to size 43
Illustrations 50 et seq.
Inkjet printers 9
ISBN 19
ISBN check digit 21
ISBN group identifier 20
ISBN publisher identifier 20
ISBN title identifier 20
Laser printer 9
Launch party 43
Legal deposit libraries 19
© Rex Merchant
Local book shops 46

Local libraries — 48
Networking — 44
Page numbering 31
Paper 12
Ring and comb binding 11
Sales due to ISBN 49
Scanner 9
Selling books 46
Spine of book 37 & Fig. 4
Talks to groups — 47
Thermal binding = 11
Title & publisher page 24
Tools and materials 13
Waterproofing covers: inkjet print 15,&38 |.
Why self-publish 8
Writing the book 20
© Rex Merchant
Self-Publishirig‘Books
4
sen
1;@;; Rex Merchant

SelfePublishinig Books
|:@ Rex: Metchant

En
© Rex Merchant
21018
1£9.00 MER 070.593
: xX 122000
ICL0
Libraries London
of City
SELF PUBLISHING BOOKS
This latest edition covers the whole field of self-publishing, |

including the production of EBooks online. There has never
been a better time to become a Self- Published writer. The
author has many years experience in this field with 15 titles on
his current list. Anyone can successfully publish their own
books following his example.
The Author
Rex Merchant was educated at
Spalding Grammar School and
studied Pharmacy at Leicester. He has
written all his adult life. Since
retiring from pharmacy he has set up
his own publishing imprint and has
written and published over 24 titles.
His work includes novels, textbooks,
short stories, articles and song lyrics.
Rex lives and works in Rutland, the
smallest and one of the most
beautiful of English counties.
Price:- £9.00
ISBN 9781902474250
Published by
Rex Merchant
tee
9 !"781902"'474250! > Norman Cottage

6

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SELF-PUBLISHING

070. Rex Merchant

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INDEX — (Alphabetical Index at the back of the book)

MULE OUNICEIOU sa erpecr te oecoser cv ccocccé ncteloosuniccs Page 3

Options open to Self-Publishers................. 6

The tools & materials needed for

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VM MEMBE POUL NOOO oo pet ccascosarssepravessassovecss 16

MTMOES aes rscseesteri reccisrecerrersednssccsesesees 19

Supply to the Legal Deposit Libraries.............. 19

The Mysteries of ISBN........... mopedbet

PADDY UNS LOU AIETSON co 5cdscsecs

Producing the Text of the Book.............+..++. 23

Layout of Front Pages. 0.035 0 ccccccccocccssesecsees 24

Title & publisher page........c:ccsecceseseeesessssees 25

Illustrating your Book..............sceeeceresesevees 28

Binding the DOOK...............ccccccsrescessecssescssssorosees jes

Making the Book Cover............seecesceseeeeeee 34

Using the Clamps si2t.sccccccsccocccnsesevacce

Selling your Book... .. ccs sv<...4.c.0ccseeseverees

Alphabetical index ......... At end of book.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ( At back of book)

Fig. 1.... The Clamp.

Fig. 2... Tapping loose pages level.

Fig. 3... Loading pages into clamp for gluing.

Fig. 4...Gluing edges of pages.

Fig. 5...Placing creased in the cover.

Fig. 6...Gluing the cover.

Fig. 7...Placing book into cover.

Fig.8...Gluing complete book together.

Fig 9..Saw cuts across the spine.

Fig.10.. Stringing the saw cuts.

Fig11..Gluing Scrim to the spine

Fig.12...Cover for a case-bound book.

You keep full control of the process.

You make more profit per book.

Many authors are published on a contract which pays at the most

You control quantities published.

By following my methods you can produce only one copy of the

Self-Published works provide a unique sales opportunity.

Many writers are in the habit of giving talks to interested groups. I

Self-Publishing may be the only option.

In many writers’ opinions, Self-Publishing is the logical way

Options open to Self-Publishers.

The tools & materials needed for Self-Publishing.

Successful and profitable desk-top publishing is only possible

The computer that [ use is an ordinary desktop PC capable of

Most computer owners will have a printer. but it is often an Inkjet

My original desktop scanner was bought in 1997 for £60. A

There are several options open to the self-publisher for binding a

The simplest and cheapest type of book to produce is a stapled

Thermal binding is used for small publishing runs of business reports

Ring & comb binding

Cold gluing. (My preferred binding method.)

I experimented with several methods of binding and came up with a cold

What about paper?

Papers vary in translucence as well as weight. Dark diagrams may

‘White’ paper varies enormously in colour from bright white to

Curling is common when paper is subjected to heat in a laser printer.