.pdf (Portable Document Format)

Virtually any file can be con¬verted into .pdf format, either by the native software or by any of a number of online companies. .pdfs are exceptionally stable, meaning that there is no concern over common problems such as reflow and font issues. We encourage all of our customers to provide us with a pdf if at all possible.

Reflow

This term describes the movement of text in a document from its original position. It is a relatively common problem that occurs when transferring a document from one computer to another. For example, reflow may cause a chapter that should begin on page 10 to move to page 11 or 12, thus pushing all following type out of position. It is most common to Microsoft Word documents and is the number one issue we encounter during the proofing process. The best way to avoid reflow is to have a document converted to a .pdf before sending it to us.

Layout

Quite simply, this is the style or look of your book. Layout includes page size, font choice and size, line spacing, margins, title page and copyright page design, tables of content, indices, paragraph style, headers, page numbering style, and any number of other options that affect the overall design of the body of the book. Though the options for laying out a book are virtually endless, the whole process is much less daunting than it may at first appear. Al¬most anyone with even limited computer skills can layout a book sucessfully. See our hints and tips section for some examples and guidelines that will help you with this part of the process.

Copyright

Obtaining a copyright registers your work with the Library of Congress and proves you are the creator of that work, thus protecting your work from unauthorized reproduction, and provides you with proof of ownership in the event it is used without permission. While it is not by any means mandatory to obtain a copyright, we strongly encourage our authors to do so. There is a flat fee of $45.00 plus the cost of shipping two complete copies of the work to be copyrighted to the Library of Congress, with a two page application form. These forms and instructions can be downloaded from the Library of Congress website at loc.gov if you wish to do it yourself, or we will be happy to do it for you. While there is some modern debate about the need for a copyright, it seems a small in¬vestment considering it is backed by well over 200 years of legal precedent and the right to ownership of intellectual property is one of the basic freedoms afforded to citizens of the modern world.

Poor Man’s Copyright

Most writers are familiar with the Poor Man’s Copyright, i.e. mailing to yourself a sealed copy of your work and storing it unopened against future challenges to ownership. There is much folklore surrounding the origin of this practice and ongoing debate regarding the efficacy of it within intellectual property law. While certainly it is not a detriment to your rights, no reputable publisher would advocate relying on it as primary proof of intellectual ownership, especially in lieu of a traditional copyright.

ISBN: International Standard Book Number

This is a 13 digit number that identifies your book along with the specifications required by most of the national and regional bookstores. As a publisher, we can assign an ISBN number to your work and register it with the agency that warehouses the information. When a bookstore either gets a request for your book or sells a copy, this is the number they use to locate it and track the sales. We provide this number at no charge.

Barcode

A barcode is necessary only if you plan to sell your book through national book chains. Encrypted in the barcode is the vital information about your book, such as title, author, price, ISBN, etc. Barcodes can be easily obtained by the author, or, for a fee of $25.00 we can provide it for you. This barcode is a digital file that we print on the back cover of your book. Rolls of barcode stickers are also available, but these give your book a less professional appearance and are the more expensive option.

Bind

To fasten sheets or signatures with wire, thread, glue. or by other means.

Saddle Stitch

Binding a booklet or magazine with staples in the seam where it folds.

Perfect Binding

A type of binding that glues the edge of sheets to a cover like a telephone book or a computer book.

Case Binding

Used on hard cover books.

Spine

The binding edge of a book or publication.

Recto

The right hand page of an open book.

Verso

The left hand page of an open book.

Bleed

Printing that goes to the edge of the sheet after trimming.

Process Colors (CMYK)

Cyan (blue), magenta (process red), yellow (process yellow), black (process black).

Crop Marks

Printed lines showing where to trim a printed sheet.

Stamping

Term for foil stamping.