What to Expect When Working with a Layout Designer
If you are self-publishing, chances are, you will hire a graphic designer to convert your Word manuscript to a print-ready InDesign file. InDesign is expensive Adobe software that makes your novel look like a book instead of a printed-out stack of manuscript pages. In managing dozens of layout projects over the years, I have noticed a few common misconceptions about what this process involves. It creates needless stress for everyone involved. Here are a few pointers that will help you set healthy, realistic expectations up front.
Layout takes four to five weeks to do well. I’ve worked with designers for ten years, and the ones who say they can do it faster always miss things, and the time it takes to fix them is greater than the time it would have taken to do the job right in the first place.
Edit first. All big revisions must be made before the book is laid out. InDesign is not like Word, where things wrap around to the next line automatically. Book layout in InDesign is more like hanging the book letter-by-letter, page-by-page, on boards of a fixed size.
Make design decisions early and don't change your mind. The number of pages depends on the font, spacing, size, and design of the book—all of which will be decided up front, using templates. Once you choose a template, any changes later on will be time-consuming and costly. (See aforementioned note about big changes.)
Hire the same designer for cover design and interior layout. The final cover design depends on the layout--specifically, the number of pages. The more pages in the book, the wider the spine design must be. Also, the type of paper you choose for the pages will affect the spine width.
Choose a printing company early, along with your book size and paper quality. Ensure that the designer has access to all these specs at the project’s outset. It will prevent costly changes later on.
Hire a proofreader after the first draft of the layout is finished, and have him or her proof the book as a print-ready PDF file. I can recommend a very good proofreader. She will catch embarrassing mistakes as well as problems with the layout, and you’ll be grateful.
Inspect the product carefully. When you get your printed galley from the printer, look at it from all angles. Is the text aligned? Do the cover colors look right? Do the cover colors and design align with the edges of the book? When you open the book in the middle, is the text closest to the spine easy to read (i.e., you don’t have the wrench the book open, do you)? Is it missing a copyright page? Are the headers and table of contents accurate? Are there blank pages in the book?
I will guarantee that by the time you are finished with the self-publishing process, if you do it right, you will be tired of looking at your book. You will have done the work of an entire publishing team, mostly by yourself. Resist the urge to hurry. It's one of life's ironies that the final steps of a detailed process can sink the whole project, leaving a trail of embarrassing errors and cut corners.
Take your time, and you'll have a book that you'll be proud to share with the world.