Self Publishing: How The Dimensions Of Your Book Affect Your Marketing
It’s very important that you, as a self-publishing author, educate yourself about the details of having your book printed including choosing the proper size. Some printers will print and trim your book to almost any size but most stick to three or four common sizes. These are 5″ by 8,” 5.5″ by 8.5,’” 9″ by 6″ and the “standard page” size of 8.5″ by 11.” The largest size is usually reserved for books with a lot of photos, music books that contain sheet music, or workbooks and education materials.
The final page count must be at least 120 pages in order to include the title of your book on the spine. When self-publishing, don’t forget this important point! Even at 120 plus pages, you’ll probably be limited to using a 6- or 8-point font on the spine-probably too small for the title of your book to be read across the room. And a book this size will look a bit small compared to other books in the market.
Probably the most important thing to highlight in book publishing (especially self-publishing) is the final appearance of your masterpiece. A book of 200 pages is of sufficient size to include the book title on the spine and to compete with other books. A low page count project should utilize the smaller dimensions. A difference in half an inch in page size equals approximately ten numbered pages. Put another way, reducing the size of your book (either vertically or horizontally) by a half-an-inch, will add about ten numbered pages to your total page count, giving it more body, more weight, which equates to value.
Are books with more pages more expensive to print? Not necessarily. As a self-publishing author, you have to keep a close eye on how your money is spent. There are many factors that contribute to the printing costs of a book. For example, how they are bound, if they include color, the type of paper used and the number of books ordered. All things remaining the same, more pages means more money. But as an author, you should never compromise your book to save printing costs. In other words, write the book you want to write-don’t “leave things out” just to reduce printing costs. If you are self-publishing, there are other ways to save on printing costs.
A book’s size is a factor in it’s sales numbers. As mentioned above, larger-sized books are usually photo galleries, work books or books containing sheet music (e.g., a music book has to be large enough to be read when placed on a music stand). If your book is mostly text, a smaller size is recommended. Self-published business books and self-help titles can benefit from a smaller size as they are often carted around in backpacks, luggage, and carryons. Think about who will be buying your book and how they will be using it. Make it as easy as possible to get the most out of your self-published title.
Shipping prices vary by carrier so make sure you compare prices and stay current with the latest fee increases. As a self-published writer, it may be smarter to choose a printer who will fulfill and ship your books for you so you can focus on promoting your book.
