You and I have been working together and your sample book layout is complete. You’ve been pulling together the final files to send to me. Here’s a simple checklist of what I need before I can get started on your full book interior design and layout:
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Your final book manuscript
You’ve sweat over it, you’ve proofread it, you’ve gotten it professionally edited and proofread. And now your final book manuscript should be supplied for design:
In Word (doc or docx) format with any comments or changes from the editor or proofreader accepted or applied. If there are any comments or highlights in the file, they should relate to design and layout and not be questions for the editor, etc.
In PDF format (exactly the same as Word file, but different file format.)
Please make sure that your manuscript has been professionally edited and proofread. I will tell you if I see major text problems or typos in your manuscript while I am designing, but I do not check your file word by word. Changes after full layout are charged at my hourly rate and should be limited to fixing minor typos, not removing or rewriting entire sections of your book! Read more about editing and proofreading here and please don’t skip this vital step! It doesn’t make you or me happy if your book needs 15+ hours of changes after layout because you have to rewrite it after it has been designed!
Images or graphics
Any and all images or graphics for your book should be provided:
In high quality (usually a big file size means higher quality, but not always! I will check your images and let you know if the quality is high enough for printing.)
In a folder (ie: not just placed into your Word file.)
Clearly labeled (your file names or folder structure should make it clear which image or graphic should be used where.)
If you are not familiar with transferring files digitally, check here for ideas for how to transfer heavy files.
If you need some of your graphics to be redrawn or edited, the quality of the files themselves is less important, but the draft graphics need to be legible enough that they can be retyped or redrawn as needed. Read more here about how having graphics in your book redrawn to match one another can make your book more understandable and more professional.
Instructions or notes
Any instructions that aren’t part of the manuscript or images but need to accompany them should be provided by email or in a separate document. This may be something like a list explaining where things go, or any visions you have for order or layout that are not clear from looking at the manuscript.
Any updated information that affects design and layout
Make sure to tell me any details that have changed since you initially filled out my book project questionnaire. Because there is sometimes a long break between the time when you fill out my questionnaire, and when your book is ready for full layout, some details might have changed. Please take a look at the questionnaire again and see if anything might have changed since you filled it out. In particular it is important for me to know if there has been a change or update to the:
page size
printer (print on demand or traditional, etc.)
final product (hardcover, softcover, etc.)
desired look or style.
Recently a client of mine told me after full layout that her image-heavy book was going to be printed with Amazon KDP. If I had known this, I could have helped her to realize that Amazon KDP only prints books in particular sizes and her book’s chosen size, 9x10”, is not one of them. Her whole book had to be reformatted to 8x10” instead of 9x10”, which added a significant charge to her bill and delayed her publishing date.
Not quite ready for full design and layout, but have another book-related question? No matter where you’re at in your book writing or self-publishing process, you can fill out a free consultation form here and get some direction!