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Writing and Publishing, Part 33:
Becoming your own publisher:
Design and Manufacturing Techniques Continued:
Our Book Manufacturer:
Once we have a book designed at the application level, we will
need to create output files for the manufacturing process. The
kinds of files and the details of their creation will depend to
some extent on the book manufacturer we choose. I have already
pointed out that our book manufacturer is one of our few allies
in this business. The closer we can work with these people the
better are our chances of having an attractive, successful book.
Just as in anything else, not all book manufacturers are created equal. Choosing one can be a crap shoot, but there are some things to look for. I have already offered my thoughts on this in part 25. Now, I will just say that I have been disappointed by three different manufacturers so far. It is to be hoped that I have learned some things along the way. I expect to do better on the next go round.
The important thing to know is that every aspect of your book's creation must finally be coordinated with the book manufacturer. Each manufacturer will be slightly different in their requirements. These differences have to do with the equipment they have, the suppliers they have chosen, their internal procedures, and the skills of their staff.
So, I repeat, don't put off the selection of a book manufacturer. As soon as you know you are going to publish a book, start the selection process. In this, price is important, but other considerations could easily outweigh a small price difference. As I have said, look for cleanliness above all. Then, watch out for any signs of carelessness. If they brush off your questions, brush them off.
Once you have selected a manufacturer, use them as a resource. Ask questions and coordinate everything you do with them. If they offer an inexpensive seminar, by all means, take them up on it. Also, insist on a plant tour. There is much to learn from these experts. There are many things they can help you with. Here are a few.
Paper stock selection:
This will depend on the kind of book you are producing. If your
book is a simple text job, there will be a range of paper stocks
to select from. If you have a number of internal graphics, you
may want to select a coated stock to strengthen them. In a coffee
table, full color type of book, there are other paper stocks to
consider. Your manufacturer will have standard stocks for all
of these needs and they can make recommendations based on their
experience. It is best to use their standard papers because they
buy in volume to give you a good price. Also, since the paper
will be in stock, there will be no backorder delays.
File submission:
Each manufacturer will have their own specifications for how files
are submitted and created. Some prefer to work with application
files. Others will insist on Postscript (PS) files or Portable
Document Format (PDF) files. I am at the point where I will not
work with a book manufacturer who cannot handle PDF files. Of
course, they should be able to handle a job no matter how we present
it, but PDF is the best way. I will insist on it. Even so, each
manufacturer may have slightly differ specifications for creating
these files, depending on their equipment and procedures.
I addition to the text files, each manufacturer will have criterion for how graphics files are handled. The ones I have worked with so far all wanted to have backup copies of each graphic for reference. Then, if a problem occurs, they have something to check.
Fonts:
If you have been living in the "Gee Wiz" world of Microsoft
and True Type fonts, you may have some difficulty here. It will
have to do with document portability. So long as you have remained
within your own environment, fonts were not an issue. As soon
as you try to cross platforms, fonts become a big issue. I don't
pretend to understand all of the ramifications, but True Type
fonts do not cross well. That's all I need to know.
This may be the best reason for using PDF with embedded fonts. I want to make sure that my document will look the same when my book manufacturer prints it as it did when I printed it on my desktop. To assure this, I must use fonts that can be embedded reliably. In this case, that means Postscript, Level 1 fonts. As you might expect, unlike True Type, Postscript fonts are not free.
Other services:
You book manufacturer should also be able to provide or recommend
other services. I have said previously that I pass my cover color
separation problems on to my book manufacturer. They can also
offer tips on how to scan photos and even provide the scanning
service where necessary.
It is important to pay attention to and work closely with your book manufacturer. This will assure that the job will run right the first time. You will have no delays and excess costs. Remember, the printer must stop the job if stuff is wrong or missing. This screws up his schedule and yours. In a worst case, you may have to redo the whole prepress to get it right and get it back into the queue.
When you submit a request for quote to a book manufacturer, you will usually get back a nice bundle of paper. It will contain the bid to be sure. It will also include a run down of all the things they can do for you and all of the things they expect from you. Do not hesitate to use your telephone if you don't understand something. This is a good test for the book manufacturer. If they brush you off now, you are ahead of the game. You won't waste anymore time with them.
Next time I will discuss the actual file creation for the book
manufacturing process.
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