In the first part of this two-article series about the factors involved in publishing a book, aspects involved in the actual writing of the book, including come up with an idea and working with an editor to write the manuscript were covered. This second article will continue with the to-do list for creating a good book starting with writing the synopsis for the front and back covers of the novel.
• Prepare copy for the front and back cover.
The amount of synopsis information needed can be determined by the type of book you are writing. With a paperback, text may only be needed for the back cover. If you’re planning on a hardcover book with a dust jacket, text will be needed for the back cover, as well as the insides of the cover flaps. Electronic books don’t have a cover so cover copy is not needed but you may need to provide a synopsis of the book to the company who will sell your book.
• Design the cover.
Eye-catching cover art for a book is just as important as a clever title in arousing a reader’s interest in a book. Once a writer has decided on a designer, the process of designing a cover should take just a few days depending on number of corrections of redos requested by the author as well as lag time between the author and designer in communications.
• Design the interior of the novel.
Often the interior design of a book is completed by the same company that takes care of the cover design. For internal pages, a designer will generally format the text and layout each page of the book as it will appear in the printed or electronic copy. Authors should budget about a week for book layout. As with cover design this time may vary based on number of corrections needed and lag time in communication between the author and designer.
• Develop a marketing strategy.
Putting together a marketing strategy is something that should begin as soon as a writer begins his book. One of the aspects a writer must decide about his book is the audience to which he is writing. It is this same audience to which he should market his book. Once he has his target audience identified, the author can determine how best to reach that audience. If the writer is working with a publisher, the publisher will assist with this marketing strategy as the publisher has just as much invested in the book as the writer does.
• Procure a copyright, ISBN and barcode.
For authors who self publish, they are responsible for getting their own copyright, ISBN and barcode for their books. This may be a service the publishing company provides for those who work with a publishing company. The copyright will need to be gotten through the Library of Congress and can be done either while the book is still in manuscript form or after it has been published. According to the Library of Congress, it may take as long as 90 days to receive a copyright certificate. The ISBN is a thirteen-digit number, like a serial number, that identifies a book’s title, publisher and other information. Authors can apply for an ISBN online at www.MyIdentifiers.com and receive an ISBN almost immediately. Bowker Identifier Services, the company that runs the ISBN numbering system can additionally assign a bar code to go with an ISBN.
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