Self-Publishing
from Home
How to start? Take an idea, theme, or some patterns you have designed, a computer, a few programs, and some time. What is next?
Your book idea could be based on a theme, or around some
miscellaneous patterns you have designed. Depending
on the format of the book you can have as few as 6 designs or as many as is
needed to fill your book.
Create the designs and write out the patterns. You will need to graph out the patterns to help describe how the pattern is made. This can be done by freehand or using various programs on the computer.
The answer to some of these questions will be personal
preferences. You will want to keep
things simple to start with. Today
almost everyone has access to a computer and some basic word processing programs
to type the instructions for your book.
What are the resources at your fingertips?
Computer
Word processing program
Basic draw program
Scanner or digital camera
Many of us either have computers or have access to a
computer. You will want a computer that you are comfortable with.
You will want something that has speed and room for pictures, diagrams,
and graphics as well as their programs for creation and editing.
Word processing programs such as Microsoft Word or Corel
Word Perfect allow for the importation of graphics into the document and will
allow the words to wrap around the graphic.
These programs contain grammar and spell check tools to aid in the
writing process. Most word
processing programs will save the document in various formats, such as a
postscript format to out-source the printing of the finished document.
There are many graphic programs available on the market. Get a program that best suits your needs and expertise. I use two programs. One is a simple vectoring program allowing me to draw out the pattern, and a second program for other details, processing the photographs and designs from my scanner and digital camera. You can spend as little or as much money as you want and still get a professional quality look.
Format of the book
Cover
Title page
Table of Contents
Introduction
including helps and abbreviations
Text including graphics
Sources
page (optional)
Author page
This is just an example of what the book will contain.
When we talk about format we must also consider the size of the book.
Will it be a standard 8.5 x 11 (US) or will it be half that size 5.5 x
4.25? You can set up your word
processing program to accommodate the layout you choose.
One other note here on the cover. Give the book a reasonable name.
Something that suggests what you will find in the book. Such as, Animal
Bookmarks, A Tatted Zoo. The title tells you exactly what you will find in
the book. Include a picture of a few of the items in the book on the
cover. These are all selling points for the book. Many times vendors
can only show the cover of the book in their catalogs. From the cover
alone, buyers must decide if this is a book worth buying.
Scanners are relatively inexpensive these days and are helpful in the publishing process. You can scan the finished piece or work in progress to add to the text of your publication. Scanners are also great for scanning the traditional photographs or slides taken of your work.
Camera: Conventional or Digital
I must say that when I first began I did not own a digital
camera. I already had a 35 mm
camera and was familiar with taking pictures of things. It is a Pentax K1000 with an 80 – 200 macro/zoom lens as
well as a standard lens. What is
available to you?
Today photography seems much easier with the use of digital
cameras. When getting a digital
camera, get one that will allow you to adjust the lens for extreme close
photography. Most digital cameras
today have programs or flash cards to allow you to load the picture instantly to
the computer. The convenience of
this feature is time saving. The
studio or stage can be set to take the photographs and remain set while you view
the images just shot. Using a
traditional 35 mm camera means waiting to have the film developed.
I have gotten creative in my home, by making the dinning
room the photography studio. Up
goes a white sheet for the background. Anything
around the house can serve as platforms and props for the pictures.
I also allow as much natural light as possible and use white halogen
lights as extra light sources. Most
lights are yellow and will give a yellow cast to all the photographs you take
whether you are using a digital or conventional camera.
Try using white halogens, or the new blue lights, and consider the
florescent lights that are white not yellow.
One other useful tool is the tripod.
It holds the camera at the desired distance and height and allows for
hands free movement to adjust lights, props or the tatted piece(s).
Will you be printing the project yourself on your home
printer, or will you out source your printing project?
Printing at home has some cost benefits from outsourcing.
Do a study in your area on the cost of printing your book at home or at
the local printing shop such as Kinkos, PIP, or Speedy Printing, etc.
These outsourcing companies save pennies per thousands of page copies.
This is good if you are going to print a large quantity and store it.
Outsourcing to a professional publishing company is a
viable option. This type of service
will not only print your book in large quantities, but bind it as well. The
costs for these services vary and can cost several thousand dollars up front.
Call around and get estimates.
If you plan on printing at home, a good quality color
inkjet printer will print an excellent publication.
The inks for inkjet printers are improving and becoming more water
resistant. If you plan on printing
large quantities of books over time, you may want to consider a good color laser
printer. The initial cost of a
laser printer can be pricey, but the quality and look of the finished product is
premium, in my opinion.
Please take the time to think about the paper you will be
using to create the books you print. Use
a quality paper. A 24 lb paper with
a 92 or 94 brightness is an excellent paper for the laser or inkjet printers.
Use the miscellaneous and poorer grades of paper for printing email and
other things. Use inkjet paper in
the inkjet printers and laser paper in the laser printers.
Using the wrong paper in the wrong printer can cause damage to the
printer and result in costly maintenance.
Binding and Finishing:
There are several types of bindings you can choose
depending on the dimensions and thickness of the book and preferences and
whether you will print at home or outsource.
Staples, wire combs, spiral wire, and plastic comb bindings are a few of
these options. Machines and supplies for these types of bindings are
available either at or through the office supply store. These machines require
little maintenance and are available in the manual or electric versions.
How many books will I
publish? What is
reasonable? What should I charge?
These are excellent questions and must be considered when publishing a
book. Here is a formula that
has worked for my predecessors and me.
This is just a guideline and in no way represents a concrete rule.
Cost to print and bind a single book
+ other materials + 30% = Wholesale Cost
Wholesale x 2 =
Suggested Retail Price
Copyright
A lot can be said regarding copyrights and many different
interpretations are available. Take
the time to research your specific questions and concerns.
You are creating a legacy, which can be maintained long after you are
gone.
Regardless the format, your work should be registered with the Library of
Congress and the office of Copyrights. It is an important thing to do and the fees are nominal.
You will have make to two submissions depending on the work.
Make one submission of the work for text content and the second for
graphics and photographic content.
Distribution
You are entering a market that is highly specialized and sometimes very
small compared to the commercial scale. This
is called a niche market. The
Internet has brought our world to our doorstep.
It is easier now to access and research various shops and catalogs to
sell our finish product. Begin with
the mail order catalogs in which you buy your lace supplies.
Send them a complimentary copy of the finished work announcing its
availability including wholesale prices, suggested retail prices and shipping
and handling fees.
Do not discount your local community shops where you might
be teaching. An example would be
the local bead shop. Also
look at international mail order catalogs, such as Roseground Lace supplies in
England and Tat’s All, or Trillium Lace in Canada.
They are very happy to represent your works in their country.
Do your homework. Take
the time to research all your options and find programs that will suit you and
your computer.
Set goals that you can achieve within reasonable timeframes. Publishing your own works whether from home or
professionally, can be very rewarding and worth all the time and effort you put
into it.
Sources: Programs
Corel Word Perfect
http://www.corel.com
MS Word
MS Publisher
http://www.microsoft.com
JASC Paint Shop
Pro
http://www.jasc.com
Arts and Letters: Express Draw
http://www.smrsoftware.com/express.htm
Printers
http://www.hewlitpackard.com
http://www.okidata.com
Copyrights
http://www.loc.gov/copyright