This is your manuscript as printed pages from your computer or a typewriter. 

There are a number of things to know in advance so that the print in your book looks well done. We scan your hard copy pages to create a master. The quality of the image it produces for your finished book is determined by several things.

Take one final look at Formatting Your Pages.

•Before printing the final "camera-ready" pages, we recommend you create a mock book of your manuscript for yourself (tape or staple pages back to back) so that you can see how pages will open in the finished book. Remember that certain pages "face" each other in an open book and if that is important to you, do the mock book now so you will know. You are likely to see problems at this stage that you wish to correct. If you have to correct problems you discover after you receive a book proof, there is a charge. So find errors now.

•Remember that when a book is "open" the odd-numbered pages should be on the right and even-numbered page numbers on the left. 

•Double-check the positioning of any intentional blank pages you have placed in your manuscript. Once you print the manuscript, lightly pencil in on the back of intentional blank pages "blank page" so we are clear that the blank page is to be included.

•If your manuscript pages are not numbered in sequence from 1 - the end so that we know which page goes where, lightly pencil on the back side the page number. If in your design, you have chosen not to number the first few pages, lightly pencil on the back side that page number. You know your book but it will be new to us. We want to be certain which page goes where.

NOW YOU ARE READY TO PRINT PAGES

•Use high quality paper so the ink from your printer absorbs well.

•Use a laser printer wherever possible. If ink jet, use ink jet paper so the ink absorbs well.

•Be sure your ink/toner is fresh and does not slowly become lighter on subsequent pages, otherwise it will appear this way in final book form. Print 25 pages, look them over, then print the next 25. While you are examining the ink, also verify that the text at the bottom of one page flows correctly to the top of the next page; words can drop out in printing from your desktop printer. If you see a problem early on, you do not have to reprint the entire book again and again.

•Make sure your printer is pulling the paper in straight; otherwise the text will appear slightly crooked in the printed book. Use a ruler to periodically check the text against the paper's edge.

•If your book is smaller than 8.5 x 11, it is best to position text exactly in the middle of the page, top to bottom, left to right. This accommodates the scanning that will be required.

•Print on one side of the page only. Your finished book will be printed on both sides of the page.

•Do not give us the only copy of your manuscript.

•If your camera-ready manuscript contains photos on the pages you print off, be aware that when we scan your pages to create a master, the photos will lose a bit of resolution.

•Be aware that you can send us the actual photos. Read Easy Book. 

•If you are sending a disk with an already formatted photo section for us to position in your book once we scan the manuscript pages, we need to know where to place it. So include instructions. For example: "Place the photo section immediately following page 125." 

•If you have created a "photo section" on a disk or CD to be imported into the master file once the text pages are scanned, review Preparing the Disk/CD for instructions. 

If you have questions, please submit them on our Question Form. We respond quickly.

Top