Publishing your own book; designing and formatting

AMHERST, Mass. (Mass Appeal) - If you've always wanted to publish your own book, but weren't sure where to start, Kitty Axelson-Berry from Modern Memoirs publishing shared some tips about designing and formatting your book.

Designing and Formatting Tips:

Design is the process that determines the way your book will look and read. is the application of the design to each page of your manuscript.

Design defines the size of the book, its margins, the fonts, space between lines of text, and other details that determine appearance and readability. Design assigns a unique style to each element of the book so that titles, subtitles, main text, photocaptions, page numbers, and so on are pleasing, logical, and coherent. Book design involves dozens of variables, not unlike design of other structures.

Formatting is the application of the design to each page of your manuscript.

Formatting applies design to a manuscript after every element in the manuscript (for example, each chapter title and subtitle, each paragraph, each caption, each image) has been assigned its correct style. Implementing the design involves critical thinking and attention to detail.

Three design choices:

• Simple design: uses one simple font with variations in size and style (italic, bold, etc.).
• Classic design: uses two classic fonts with variations in size and style (italic, bold, etc.).
• Modern design: uses two modern fonts with variations in size and style (italic, bold, etc.).