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Does my self-published book have to have a subtitle?
No, a subtitle is not required, although many authors have both a title and subtitle.
Depending on your title and the type of book, you may or may not need a subtitle.
It should expand on the main title and add more detail about what the book is really
about. It is entirely up to you. (Note: Subtitles are punctuated with a colon, for
instance, "Title: Subtitle." Therefore, you do not need to include the
colon in the subtitle itself.)
Are there any specific punctuation or grammatical rules
for titles?
Run your title through a spell check to ensure there are no spelling errors. Of
course, it's fine if something is spelled wrong intentionally (for instance, Goin'
instead of Going). Also, in most cases, capitalize the first and last word, and
all "main words," or nouns, pro-nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs and
sometimes subordinating conjunctions (if, because, as, that, etc.) of the title.
Articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions (and but, if, or, for, nor), prepositions,
regardless of length, and the infinitive "to" are usually left lowercase.
No word should be all uppercase unless it is an acronym. Of course, it is up to
you and your preference.
Also, this should not be affected by any font or style choices that you wish to
make on your title page and cover. For the official title, listed in the AuthorCrossing
database, the title should be listed in a standardized style.
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Is there a proper way to list author names?
Your author name can be whatever you wish. Many authors use their real name, full
name, or first and last with a middle initial. While there are no set rules for
your author name, there are a few guidelines for specific titles. For instance,
if you wish to include a title, such as "doctor," choose either "Dr."
before your name, or "Ph.D" after your name – not both. Check proper
punctuation for any kind of title, whether or not to include periods, or whether
or not to separate with a comma.
Can AuthorCrossing translate my book into another language?
No, we currently do not offer a translation service. However, we can print your
book in a language other than English if you provide the text already translated,
provided the manuscript is submitted using an allowable font.
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Are there advantages or disadvantages to different book
sizes for black and white softcover books?
There are a few things to consider when choosing a book size for your black and
white softcover, most importantly, the type of book you are publishing.
The 6” x 9” and 5” x 8” books are standard novel sizes.
If your book is a novel or memoir, either size would fit your book nicely. If your
manuscript is short, you might want to choose the 5” x 8” size. If it
is long, choose the 6’’x9’’.
If your book is a poetry book and you are torn between a
6” x 9” and 5” x 8”, we recommend the 6” x 9”
size. The extra inch allows for a longer line of text, so that the lines of your
poems will have a better chance of reaching the end of the line before they are
broken prematurely.
The 8.25” x 11” book size is ideal for books
that lend themselves to a larger format such as: children's books, coloring books,
workbooks, technical guides, cookbooks, screenplays, genealogy books, scrapbooks,
books with many charts and graphs, and any other kind of book that just won't fit
into a 6” x 9” format.
Another consideration when choosing between the 6” x 9” and 5”
x 8” is the end price of the book. The production cost for these two book
sizes is the same, so the only difference is in page count. If you are trying to
produce a book at the lowest cost possible, go with the 6” x 9”. The
same manuscript will be more pages in a 5” x 8” format and fewer pages
in a 6”x 9” format. On the other hand, if you have a short book that
needs to reach the 48-page minimum requirement, choose the 5” x 8”.
If your novel has a few pictures that will be included, you
may want to choose the 6” x 9”. This will allow for a larger print area
so the images can be as large as possible.
Some people have a personal preference about how a book feels
in their hands. A 6” x 9” and 5” x 8” can create a different
feeling to a reader. A 5” x 8” is a little smaller, so might seem more
personal, secret or close to the heart. A 6” x 9” is a little larger,
and can be easier to manage, stands out on a shelf more and gives a slightly different
feeling. Go to a local bookstore and pick up a few different sizes to get a feeling
of the book in your hands.
Lastly, the 6” x 9” has advantages if you are
opting for easier reading. You can include larger font sizes and more line spacing
that might look awkward in a smaller sized book.
If you still can't decide between the 5”x 8” and 6” x 9”,
just remember that there's only an inch difference vertically and horizontally between
the two; you will most likely be happy with either one.
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Can my book be available in more than one book size?
Our standard publishing does not include more than one book size. If you wanted
to offer the book in more than one size, you would have to create two books through
the production process, just as if they were two completely different books.
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Can I download a sample interior template for my book size?
Yes. During the production process, we will insert your manuscript into a template
to fit your book size; however, you can
download an interior template in Microsoft Word if you wish to set it up
first. The template is setup to meet our printer's specifications for the book size
that you chose. By using the template, you will be able to see exactly how the text
will fit within the margins in the finished version of the book.
Can I change the margins or page layout in the template?
No, do not change the margins, page layout or page size of the template. You can
format the manuscript in other ways, like line spacing, font style, font size, page
numbers, etc., but do not change the main aspects of the margins and page size or
it will no longer fit the specs for you book size.
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When I submit my manuscript for the book interior, what
kinds of file formats will AuthorCrossing accept?
Currently, our publishing wizard can only accept manuscripts in Microsoft® Word format. If your manuscript is written in a format other than Word (.doc or .docx file extension) please convert your document before uploading your manuscript in our uploading wizard. There are various other kinds of file formats we may accept manually. If you have already created your manuscript
using a program other than Microsoft Word, please contact a customer service representative
for more details. Click here to Live Chat now.
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What are the basic technical requirements for black and
white books published DIY through AuthorCrossing?
Book Requirements:
We will help guide you through our quick and easy publishing process to meet the
book requirements for a published book. Here are some general guidelines to explain
particular details you could see during your book's production process:
All books must fall within the minimum and maximum page requirements for the selected
book size. The minimum and maximum are as follows:
5 inch by 8 inch book: minimum is 48, maximum
is 740
6 inch by 9 inch book: minimum is 48, maximum
is 740
8.25 inch by 11 inch book: minimum is 48, maximum
is 828
The total page count of all books must be divisible by four. We will add blank pages
to the end of the book if necessary to meet this requirement.
The last page of all books must be a blank, left facing page. We will add blank
pages to the end of the book if necessary to meet this requirement.
All books must be formatted within the margins required for the book size of your
choice. We will reflow your manuscript to fit the margins during the production
process. For your own ease of formatting, you can download a template with the margins
already set, or you can adjust the page set up on a standard 8.5''x11'' page. If
you wish to personally adjust the margins, here are the requirements in Microsoft®
Word:
5 inch by 8 inch book: Page size: 8.5x11''/
Top margin: 2.25'' Bottom: 2.25''/ Left margin: 2.38''/ Right margin: 2.38''/ Header:
2''/ Footer: 2''/ Gutter: 0.13''
6 inch by 9 inch book: Page size: 8.5x11''/
Top margin: 1.75''/ Bottom margin: 1.75''/ Left margin: 1.88''/ Right margin: 1.88''/
Header: 1.5''/ Footer: 1.5''/ Gutter: 0.13''
8.25 inch by 11 inch book: Page size: 8.5x11''/
Top margin: 1''/ Bottom margin: 1''/ Left margin: 1.13''/ Right margin: 1.13''/
Header: 0.75''/ Footer: 0.75''/ Gutter: 0.13''
You can put your manuscript into our downloadable template prior to uploading your
manuscript for formatting purposes, but this is NOT required.
The images in the interior or on the cover of all books must be high resolution.
We suggest 300 dpi (dots per inch) or higher at the size they appear in the book
for the best results. Any images lower than 72 dpi will not be accepted in your
manuscript. Images must be embedded in your manuscript, not linked.
The interior of all books will be printed in black and white with the option for
full-color printing in CMYK color mode on the cover. No text or images can be printed
inside the cover.
All books must have fonts embedded, which AuthorCrossing does for you when the interior
book file is created. However, if we do not have access to a particular font, we
will use a different font to replace it.
All books must have a copyright page with AuthorCrossing publisher information listed.
If you purchase Retail Channel Distribution through Ingram, an ISBN will also be
included on the copyright page and the back cover. We will insert the copyright year (i.e. "© 2008 John Smith"), which must be within one year of the current year.
The width of the spine on the cover must correlate directly with the number of pages
in your book. We will calculate the spine width for you, or you can use our spine
calculator to determine the exact measurement if you are designing your own cover.
Only books that are 80 pages or more can include text on the spine of the book.
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