You decided to put your thoughts to paper and have a manuscript that you deem worthy of publication. However, you do not want to pay a company to use expensive and proprietary software to make your book stand out among the rest of the books on a book store shelf or on Amazon. Here are 5 do-it-yourself design tricks that will save you money.
Templates
Use existing layouts and designs. For those that do not enjoy creating new designs, scour the internet for free book layout and design tools. Free tools such as Blurb can interface directly with Adobe InDesign and Lightroom. As well, CreateSpace allows you to download templates. Note that if you are a student, then there is a chance that you have Adobe InDesign and Lightroom at your fingertips for free or at a discounted price through your university.
GIMP It
Design your book from scratch. If you are the creative type who wants to start from scratch on your cover design, download free software called GIMP which is basically a free version of Photoshop. After downloading GIMP, your imagination is your limit. One place to begin could be with a high-quality photo that you have taken with an open-air photo booth.
Margins
Check and double check your words on the pages. Not only can you save money by doing most of the heavy-lifting for proofreading and editing, but you can also ensure that your book will be readable by conservatively setting the margins. There is nothing worse than reading a book that has words in the book’s crease.
Images
Your images must make sense. You should avoid putting an image or illustration in your book unless it is necessary for the reader to imagine the world that resides in your book. Limiting your images will save you money during the printing process.
Page Numbers
Use non-intrusive page numbers. Although the reader may constantly glance at the page numbers during while reading, this is not a facet of the book that should be remembered. Also, using less ostentatious page numbers will keep your reader’s attention on the words and also require less ink while printing.
While these five tricks are not miracle tips, taking these tricks on board with you on your journey to self-publish your work is sure to save you money. Now that you have these tricks at your disposal, go self-publish your manuscript while keeping your wallet happy!
