Book Production

Below is a Step by Step Guide to Book Production with JOP.

When you have finished your manuscript

Have your work proofread/edited by an experienced editor, or use an online editing tool – we recommend the website Pro Writing Aid or give us a call and we would be happy to refer you to a local editor.

This is an essential part of the process to ensure that your work is the very best it can be.

Decide if you prefer to design the book and cover yourself, or to use one of our professional designers.

Ask for a print quote

To give an accurate costing, we need the following information:

Size of the book (A4, A5 or custom size), portrait or landscape.

Number of Pages (extent). Each side of a piece of paper equals 1 page. Be sure to allow for title page, copyright page, table of contents, glossary, index and any other pages outside the main body of text. Covers are counted as 4 pages – front, back, inside front and inside back. Extent can be estimated and we can requote if extent is revised later.

Quantity We can quote on several different amounts to help you decide which is the most cost-effective. You can then work out a unit price if you intend to sell your book.

Paper weight The weight (thickness) of the paper stock affects price and finished thickness of the book. We have many stock samples at our office and you are welcome to come in, see and get a feel for them.

Colours If your book has some colour pages and some black and white, please count the colour pages and

include the number in your quote request.

Laminating For the cover, choose gloss or matt or no laminating. This is a matter or personal choice.

Binding Perfect bound (books over 40 pages) this is what a typical soft cover book looks like, where the pages are glued together then glued to the cover, saddle stitched (maximum 40 pages, pages must be multiples of 4) saddle stitch is a printing term used to describe books that are stapled down the spine, or wiro bound (sometimes used for memoirs).

Design If JOP is designing your book we will estimate design time based on the information given in your quote request. If more time is needed after the book is in production, we will contact you before going ahead. If less time is needed we will adjust your invoice accordingly.

Supplying print-ready files

“Print ready” means that no adjustments are to be made when your files are placed in our design software. Please note that we do not make changes to print-ready files supplied. If changes to content or design are required you will need to make the adjustments and resupply the files. If JOP have to make changes for any reason, design time will be charged and your quote/invoice will be adjusted accordingly.

Print-ready files MUST be high-resolution PDFs with 2.5mm bleed. Please make sure that fonts are embedded when making the PDFs.

Do take care if you are using software such as Canva. PDFs supplied using Canva have been problematic when the files are printed. Flattening layers, ensuring fonts are embedded, and checking that the files are the correct size with bleed will help.

The number of colour pages must match the number specified in the quote. All black and white pages must be a true black and white, not a four colour mix. If the numbers change your quote/invoice will be adjusted accordingly.

If you are intending to retail your book, an ISBN number should be included on the copyright page and a barcode on the back cover.

Supplying files for JOP to design

If you have a design concept, book a time to come in for a consultation with one of our experienced designers. We strongly recommend this, as it can save a lot of time when your book is in production. The print quote can also be set out during the consultation, you can choose your paper stock and ask any questions about the process. It is a great opportunity to meet the designer who will be working closely with you throughout the process and taking care of your book.

Text should ideally be supplied as a Word document. You do not need to spend a long time formatting your text

– your choices of fonts, colours or other design elements can be discussed in the consultation. Your designer will format your text in our design software as part of the process.

Note: Microsoft Publisher files are not compatible with our design software.

Photos, graphics, logos etc must be supplied as separate files, not embedded in the Word document.

We are just a phone call or email away, so just get in contact with us and we will be happy to clarify anything.