How to Self-Publish
You must submit two files:
- The Cover
- The Book Block (the printed pages of the book)
Files submitted for print must be PDF files.
Copyright
To self-publish or print a copyrighted work, you must either own the content or have permission from the copyright holder. Printing public domain works, open documents, and single, personal-use copies of electronic books with proof of purchase is also allowed.
In all cases, a Copyright Compliance Agreement must be filled out and submitted before any books can be produced. A downloadable PDF version of the Copyright Compliance Agreement is available.
Trim Size & Page Count
Book production limitations:
- 2 pages minimum
- 800 pages maximum
- Book width between 2” - 8.4”
- Book height between 2” - 10.7”
Pages print double-sided on portrait, letter-sized (8.5”x 11”) paper. One PDF page prints on each side of a sheet of paper, so a 40-page book contains 20 sheets of paper. Pages may be printed single-sided by request. If you would like content printed on only one side of each page (e.g. only on the right-hand pages, with left-hand pages left blank), please specify that when placing an order.
After binding, books may be trimmed to a smaller size. Please be sure that the page size in the design files matches your desired trim size of the finished book. The maximum trim size is 8.4" by 10.7", so files submitted at 8.5 x 11 will be trimmed slightly after binding.
The Cover
The cover design is at the discretion of its creator with regard to our guidelines. Covers are printed in full color on matte, satin, or gloss cover stocks.
Design
The Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing cover calculator and template is compatible with our process and will provide the dimensions for designing your cover and a downloadable PDF template. You can use any software to design your cover, but please export the design to a PDF and submit the PDF for printing.
Margins
We recommend keeping a .5" margin on all sides for any text on the cover. Constrain textual content within this border. Avoid crowding the edges of the document to ensure none of your content falls outside the printable area or is trimmed off.
It is best to have graphic elements (background, images, etc.) extend 0.125" beyond your desired desired trim size. "Bleeding" the content off the page allows the printed content to run edge-to-edge, rather than having white, unprinted borders.
Fonts
Like the book block, make sure that the fonts used on the cover are easily read and contained within the margins and the spine. We do not recommend adding spine text for books with fewer than 100 pages.
Please keep font files, as well as a record of the fonts used and where they were obtained (if from an internet source). Publishing services staff may ask for these files or records.
InDesign Template
If you are using Adobe InDesign to create your cover, please visit the InDesign Resources page for instructional videos and a downloadable cover template script that can generate an InDesign document with the correct trim size and margins depending on the number of pages in your book.
The Book Block
The book block consists of the front matter, core matter, and back matter. Essentially, the book block is everything between the front and back covers.
Margins
Make sure there is at least a 0.5 inch margin on all sides of your page. We recommend the inside margin be slightly larger, 0.625 or 0.75. The larger interior margin keeps the text from being hidden in the spine gutter.
Font
There are two basic font categories: serif and sans serif.
Serif fonts are much easier to read over long periods of time, especially for print media. This font family is characterized by the “flags” (called serifs) at the ends of each letter’s stroke. Times New Roman, Garamond, Palatino, and Century are some examples of serif fonts.
Sans serif fonts can look more clean and modern when used in conjunction with serif fonts. This font family is characterized by its lack of “flags” at the ends of each stroke. They are harder to read over extended periods of time but are better displayed on screens for digital media. Examples of sans serif fonts include Lucinda Sans, Verdana, Arial, and Tahoma.
The standard font size for books ranges from 10 point to 12 point type.
In addition, single spacing may be difficult to read over an extended period of time. We recommend line spacing anywhere from 1.08 to 1.5.
The PDF File
Make sure that the page size of your PDF file is the same as your desired trim size. Please export your book interior and cover files to PDF when submitting a book for printing.
Images
Be sure that images are at least 300dpi resolution and are saved as a standard image file such as JPEG, PNG, or (non-animated) GIF. For the highest quality image reproduction, use TIFF image files.
Image files should be the same size or larger than the size they will be printed. Larger images can scale down without a loss in quality, but enlarging a small image will result in blurry and/or pixelated image reproduction.
Books can be printed in B/W, color, or a mix of both. Color printing is available for an additional $0.10 per color page. Sometimes images that appear B/W are actually a CMYK composite of black. Be sure to convert any intended B/W images to grayscale before placing them in your document.
Booklet Design Tips
Since booklets are made from sheets of paper printed double-sided and folded in half, there are four pages printed on one sheet of paper. Keeping this in mind, the total page count for booklets should be a multiple of four. The exception to this would be if the booklet has a cover that is only printed on the outside, in which case, the interior pages should be a multiple of four.
Since pages are folded in half (17 x 11 sheets are folded to 8.5 x 11 and 11 x 8.5 sheets are folded to 5.5 x 8.5), booklets should be designed with a portrait orientation. The maximum width for booklets is 8.5", and the maximum height is 11". If a landscape orientation is desired, the maximum width is still 8.5" unless the pages are rotated so the binding is at the top of the page rather than at the side..
Guide for Publishing and Book Design Basics
For further information about standard elements of book design, please reference our publishing guide: