Guides

The Parts of a Book: Front Matter Order Every P...

The front matter order every publisher expects: half title, title page, copyright, dedication, table of contents, and more, plus what is required versus optional.

Your Proof Copy: The 15-Minute Inspection That ...

Always order a physical proof before publishing. Use this quick checklist for margins, gutter, running heads, page numbers, chapter openers, image quality, and cover alignment.

Hyphenation and Justification: The Settings Tha...

How hyphenation and justification make book text look typeset: justified text with hyphenation on, Word's hyphenation settings, avoiding rivers and loose lines, and when ragged right is fine.

Bleed: Does Your Book Interior Actually Need It?

A plain-English guide to bleed for self-published books: what it is, why most text interiors do not need it, when you do, and how vendors specify 0.125 inch.

Formatting a Children's Chapter Book: Friendly ...

How to format a children's chapter book for new readers: larger type, shorter lines, generous leading, inviting chapter openers, and simple illustration placement basics.

Page Count and Spine Width: What Your Cover Des...

Spine width equals page count times paper thickness, so your interior must be final before the print cover is built. Learn why, how cream and white paper differ, and where...