6 Tips For Getting That Story Out of Your Head and Off to the Book Printers!

Millions of people every year think about writing a book. Unfortunately, very few follow through with this dream because the process of writing a book and publishing it is often tedious and drawn out. In reality, one must only know the steps to take and accomplishing this goal can be as simple as baking a cake!

• To begin with, you must plan your central idea. You’ve had a story brewing in your mind for some time; now it’s time to elaborate on it. What events will lead your story from beginning to end?
• Create an outline from these events, placing them in an order that allows your story to flow. A step like this not only helps guide the story, it will keep you on track while you write.
• Develop your characters. You should know your main characters inside and out. Who are their best friends? What are their families like? What are their ages, appearances, backgrounds, and dreams?
• Write your first chapter. Starting off with immediate action will pull your readers into your story right away. Character backgrounds and introductions should come later, as a natural part of the story and the way it flows.
• Complete your first draft, following your outline as your embellish each event. Read back through the book to make sure the plot, characters, and dialogue all seem realistic. Make any adjustments that are needed.
• Have a friend or family member to read your book. Ask them to make sure the characters, setting, or plot are fleshed out enough. Once any modifications are done, your book is completed and ready to go off to the book printers!

Now what? Today, more and more writers are choosing to self-publish their work through book printers rather than go through the tedious process of finding a professional publisher. The average publisher takes 3-6 month to respond to a query letter and another 3-6 months to respond to a manuscript. Why wait all that time when you can get your book printed immediately? Professional book printers like CMYK Graphix Inc. can get a writer’s book into print mere weeks after it’s finished. The results of your work will be seen quickly, without unnecessary waiting, uncertainty, or rejection letters. For more information, contact the expert book printers at Cmykgraphix.com, call them at 1-800-698-2071, or email them today.

Book Printers – Six Tips for Choosing the Right One

It may seem like any easy task to choose a book printer who can get your lovingly written "baby" off your computer file and into print, but not all book printers are created equal! A book printer is much like anything else in this world – some are experts in their field and some should not even be in the field. It’s wise to sit down and list your needs before you go on the hunt for a publisher – that way you can find the company and printer who is the right fit for you. Picking the wrong publisher can mean frustration and higher costs to you, not to mention the chance of getting a low quality book out of the deal..

If you have never self-published a book before, it can seem like an easy process. You write the book and drop it off at the printer, and -presto!- you are an author. Well, it doesn’t quite work that way! The book (manuscript) needs to be put into an electronic form and it needs to be edited for errors in spelling and grammar. Someone has to do a layout and the cover art. You need to get an ISBN. There is the issue of storage of the printed work and the marketing and distribution of it. It also needs to be promoted unless you want to have 5,000 copies sitting in your garage, not to mention many other factors that go into the creation of a successful self-published book.

Authors who want to self publish their works should consider short run book printers. The beauty of short run book printing is that the author can print just a small number of books and they can be done at a reasonable cost. Reprinting will be easy if you sell out your work because the manuscript is stored digitally. A short runs printing is around 25 to 1,500 copies. You can set a budget that determines the number of books to be printed. You can save money by doing your own editing and short run book printers can get you your books in just days or weeks of your printing order. And even though you think your book is great, short run printing lets you take on minimal risk while you test the market to see if it is as good as you think it is.

So, how do you narrow down the field of book printers?

• Contact several book printers to get ideas of the range of services they offer, their prices, and how well they work with their customers.
• Get references and contacts for authors whose works they have published. They should be happy to have you speak with other clients.
• Follow up on those contacts! Find out the good, bad, and ugly of the book printers you are considering.
• For best comparison, try to talk to the authors who had books of similar length (number of pages), size of print run, and similar pre-print and post-print services.
• Find out the turn-around time for that particular book printer.
• Factor in quality when comparing the prices among the different book printers. You don’t want to save money and end up with poor quality.

For more information about printing your book, contact the expert book printers at Cmykgraphix.com, call them at 1-800-698-2071, or email them today.

Printing Your Own Book? SPAWN is a Great Resource!

The Small Publishers, Artists, and Writers Network (SPAWN) is an organization for writers and publishers. Recommended by Writer’s Digest in their list of 101 best sites for writers, SPAWN’s website is an invaluable resource. SPAWN provides opportunities for everyone involved in publishing, including information resources, research sources, directories of publishers and printers, and links to the media. SPAWN is a nonprofit organization whose members include: publishers, authors, illustrators, photographers, editors, book manufacturers, printers, booksellers, artists, and publicists.

Membership in SPAWN offers many great benefits. Members gain access to an E-mail discussion group, which creates opportunities to question and discuss publishing with experienced writers and publishers. The market update tool informs members what’s happening with magazine and book publishers, while also listing opportunities for freelance writers and artists. SPAWN members get their own webpage and profile, which are viewable by anyone online. Additionally members have their names listed in the SPAWN catalog advertising their works and services, and gain eligibility to attend SPAWN book festivals.

On top of publishing and writing related benefits, SPAWN members have the opportunity to participate in the organization’s member health plan. While not insurance, the health program provides discounts of 20-60% on health, dental, vision, and chiropractic services.

SPAWN’s collection of writing resources is an invaluable tool for any writer and anyone who is doing their own book printing. In addition to the member benefits, SPAWN features books and articles  on writing, publishing, book marketing, copy rights, legal issues, and illustrating. There are further resources for writers interested in editing and self publishing their work.  The site maintains a list of book printing companies, book services, legal services, and links to other organizations that might be helpful to writers.

If you are a writer or are printing your own book, consider becoming a part of SPAWN and participating in their mission to promote art and literature, encourage creative expression, and connect with those interested in the arts.

For more information about how to SPAWN or for more information on self-publishing, contact the book printing experts at http://www.cmykgraphix.com, call them at 1-800-698-2071, or email them today.

Book Printers – Pick the Right One For Your Book

For writers interested in self publishing their works, the world of book printing has many options available. Before choosing a publisher, it’s important to understand your needs and find the company that is right for you. A poor decision will cost you significantly more or result in a poor quality book.

Authors who intend to self publish should consider short run book printers. Short run book printing allows the writer to print a small number of books at a reasonable cost. The manuscript is generally stored digitally, making reprinting easy. Short runs are typically between 25 and 1,500 copies. Among the many advantages of short run book printing are control and cost. Short run printing allows you to set a budget for your printing, receive copies of your book in days or weeks, and proof it yourself. Small printing runs allow you to test the market with little risk. You also have the opportunity to test different market distribution methods to see what suits you best.

Some short run book printers offer print on demand service. With print on demand, you market your book, take orders, and have copies printed as needed. Not all short run book printers offer print on demand service, however. Some require minimum runs of 25-100 books, although sometimes they will allow print on demand service once the minimum threshold is met.

Authors who choose short run book printing must weigh the cost effectiveness of different size printings. As the number of books printed goes up, the cost per unit drops significantly. Print on demand service typically requires a set up fee, plus the cost per unit. Unfortunately, the cost per unit for print on demand printing (usually between $4 and $15), does not scale down with higher volume.

If you’ve decided to opt for short run book printing, it’s time to start investigating potential book printers. It’s best to contact multiple service providers to get quotes based on the specifics of your book. When asking for a quote, be sure to inquire what that particular book printers turnaround time is. You also may want to consider asking for a sample of their work. When comparing prices, be sure to factor in quality. You will not want to settle for an unattractive, poor quality product so you can save a little money.

For more information about printing your book, contact the expert book printers at Cmykgraphix.com, call them at 1-800-698-2071, or email them today.

Book Printing Information

Despite the modern trends of blogging, Twitter, and other instantaneous internet based communication, books have not yet gone out of style. They have broad appeal across generations, don’t require any special equipment or technology, and offer a comforting feeling that only hard copy printed material can offer. Authors looking to have their books printed must navigate the complex waters of book printing.  Transforming your manuscript into a printed book involves a long decision-making process that will greatly affect the success of your book.

The first consideration is to choose the size of the book, which reflects its purpose. Mass market paper backs are just 4.25” by 7”. Bigger sizes are appropriate for trade books, handbooks, fiction, manuals, textbooks, and coffee table books. You must also decide between a  softcover or hardcover exterior. Though hardcover is more expensive, a laminated hardcover finish greatly enhances the appearance of a book.

Once you’ve picked a size, the next factor is the book printing method. The most popular methods of book printing are lithograph printing and digital printing. Lithograph printing involves a printing plate mounted to a cylinder which produces outstanding quality text and images. Unfortunately, it is relatively expensive for shortruns. Digital printing  is less expensive for smaller quantities and recent technology advances have made its quality comparable to lithography.

Another determining aspect of your book is its binding. There are a number of standard types of binding. Perfect book binding glues the outside edge to create a flat bound surface, which is great for books and other material. Saddle stitch and side stitch binding utilizes staples in the fold, which is appropriate for booklets and brochures. For hardcover books, the highest quality binding is casebook binding.

Perhaps the most important decision you must make relating to printing your book is the design of the cover. The spine and cover of a book must be eye catching, interesting, and aesthetically appealing in order to get noticed on the shelf. The design is critical in attracting the attention of consumers and directly affects whether they will notice your book and investigate it further. Design can be the ultimate make or break factor in the commercial success of your book.

For more information about book printing, contact the book printing experts at Cmykgraphix.com, call them at 1-800-698-2071, or email them today.