Monthly Archives: February 2020

Why does your non-fiction book need an index?

Why does your non-fiction book need an index? Non-fiction readers expect to find an index in the back of your book. They also expect your information to be completely accurate. You can hire fact checkers and indexers through PPG to help you accomplish this.

Why does your non-fiction book need an index?

Why does your non-fiction book need an index?

So, what exactly is an index? Why would anyone look for one at the back of your book if it already has a table of contents at the beginning? Tia Leschke (2010) explained it perfectly with this comment, “A good index is a roadmap to information. It leads readers to all the information on a particular subject, and it also leads readers to related information that might interest them.”

Why does your non-fiction book need an index?

A non-fiction book’s table of contents can direct readers to whole sections of a book where they might find a particular topic of interest. An alphabetized index takes it a step further. It allows readers to pinpoint the exact pages within the book where specific names or terms can be located. For example, an author might want to refer back to a specific detail in a book that discusses “print-on-demand (POD)” technology, but he or she may not recall exactly which page that detail is on. The quickest way to find it is by referring to the index at the back of the book where all the possible pages are indicated together in one place beside that term.

Indexes in Ebooks?

With ebooks, usually the index isn’t even shown as part of the “Look inside” feature on an online store. So, the lack thereof wouldn’t prevent someone from buying the ebook. That said, readers who read your ebook in the past may want to review it again in the future. Perhaps, there is a certain name, phrase, or event they want to reference again. But they can’t quite recall the word(s) they’re looking for. This is the perfect example of a time when they will refer to the index to trigger their memory. Case in point, indexes can be as helpful in ebooks as they are in paperbacks and hardcovers.

PPG’s Indexing Process

The indexing portion of PPG’s publishing process is completed after the author has approved the interior design of the book. From there, the approved .PDF is sent to the indexer to complete the index in MS Word format based on this final word placement. That MS Word.doc is then returned to the designer to pop into the back matter of the book. From here, the first physical proof of the book is printed. It’s then sent to a professional proofreader for yet another once over with yet another fresh set of eyes. Attention to detail is critical in the book publishing process, and we make sure every section of every book receives equal attention to detail by our qualified team.

Make no mistake, many non-fiction readers will scan through the index at the back of a book before making a buying decision on that book. If they’re unable to find the specific information they’re looking for, they won’t make the purchase. That’s how important an index is, so be sure you include one in your non-fiction book.

You might consider syndicating this content on your own blog. If you do, make sure to attribute the original source so neither of us gets dinged on the SEO front. You can do that by including this line at the bottom of the article: This content first appeared on the PPG Publisher’s Blog and has been republished here with permission.
As a user of this website, you are authorized only to view, copy, print, and distribute the documents on this website so long as: one (1) the document is used for informational purposes only; and two (2) any copy of the document (or portion thereof) includes the following copyright notice: Copyright © 2020 Polished Publishing Group (PPG). All rights reserved.

6 Important Questions to Ask a Book Publicist

6 Important Questions to Ask a Book Publicist

6 Important Questions to Ask a Book Publicist

Book publicity can be an incredibly valuable service to authors, and it has a price tag to match. So, it is important you understand that value ahead of time. Here are 6 important questions to ask a book publicist before hiring him or her.

  1. Will you read my book? That sounds like an odd question to ask an organization you’re hiring to help you promote yourself and your book, doesn’t it? But it’s an important question to ask. In my experience, many publicity firms won’t read your book unless you insist on it. Perhaps, they don’t need to. Ask them for clarification about this.
  2. What are your prices? Ask for a price list of all their program options, and ask what services are included in each program.
  3. What additional costs are involved in this process: do you want additional postage fees sent to you upfront and/or throughout the campaign for sending out review copies; how many physical review copies do you want mailed to you ahead of time; do you send these review copies out to low-ranking individual bloggers or to high-ranking relevant media outlets?
  4. How many of the interviewers you book for me will actually go through with the interview? Do any of them cancel at the last minute, after receiving the free review copy, and then post that book on Amazon for sale? (Believe it or not, this happens. And, yes, you’re right—it’s unacceptable.)
  5. Do you expect to include my personal phone number and email address on the press release you send out to the media? Will you share that press release publicly online via your website and/or any other websites? How do you protect each author’s privacy in this regard?
  6. Will your firm find relevant and recognized media outlets who are willing to accept any guest posts I’ve written that link back to my own blog?

Start with those six questions and see where they take you. You’ll learn a lot about the firm you’re dealing with through them. Make your decision from there.

You might consider syndicating this content on your own blog. If you do, make sure to attribute the original source so neither of us gets dinged on the SEO front. You can do that by including this line at the bottom of the article: This content first appeared on the PPG Publisher’s Blog and has been republished here with permission.
As a user of this website, you are authorized only to view, copy, print, and distribute the documents on this website so long as: one (1) the document is used for informational purposes only; and two (2) any copy of the document (or portion thereof) includes the following copyright notice: Copyright © 2020 Polished Publishing Group (PPG). All rights reserved.




Print-on-Demand (POD) Limitations [Endsheets Endpapers Endleaves]

Some clients come to PPG wanting us to help them design and publish hardcover books they can also sell online. This is possible. But there are limitations with print-on-demand (POD) books, particularly when it comes to endsheets endpapers endleaves. You can only produce this feature using a traditional offset printing press and manual binding process. In this post, I’ll touch on why this is the case.

Digital Book Printing Limitations [Endsheets Endpapers Endleaves]: taken from https://www.bookmobile.com/book-production/hardcover-book-printing-know-how-printed-endsheets-and-endpapers/

As you can see above, one side of each folded piece of paper is glued to the insides of the front and back covers. This is what creates endsheets. It is a careful manual binding process that must be completed by a person. As such, it can’t be done by a POD printer. Digital POD printers are designed to mechanically print and bind individual books quickly.

POD Limitations [Endsheets Endpapers Endleaves]

Here’s another POD limitation. As I discussed in a past post regarding book trim sizes, digital printers can only handle certain paper sizes and weights. Because of that, you’re limited to certain book trim sizes, binding types, and paper stocks/colours if you wish to sell POD books online (which most of us do nowadays). Digital printers simply cannot handle the thicker paper stock that is used to create printed endsheets as illustrated below.

A Possible Solution to Have it Both Ways

When it comes to your book binding options, it is possible to produce a POD case-wrapped hardcover. But you cannot print anything on the inside of POD book covers. Nor can you insert endsheets with a different (thicker) paper stock than the book’s interior pages.

If you wish to have a traditional case-wrapped hardcover book created with printed endsheets inside, you can have this. A traditional printer in your area can print it for you. You just won’t be able to sell it online. You’ll have to sell those books direct. That said, you can also hire one of our graphic designers to produce a second POD version of your book that can be sold online. It will be almost identical to the traditionally-printed book; but the interior paper will be thinner, and there will be no endsheet included. It’s up to you.

You might consider syndicating this content on your own blog. If you do, make sure to attribute the original source so neither of us gets dinged on the SEO front. You can do that by including this line at the bottom of the article: This content first appeared on the PPG Publisher’s Blog and has been republished here with permission.
As a user of this website, you are authorized only to view, copy, print, and distribute the documents on this website so long as: one (1) the document is used for informational purposes only; and two (2) any copy of the document (or portion thereof) includes the following copyright notice: Copyright © 2020 Polished Publishing Group (PPG). All rights reserved.




How Much Does It Cost to Publish a Book?

How Much Does It Cost to Publish a Book?

How Much Does It Cost to Publish a Book?

One of the first questions every author has is: how much does it cost to publish a book? Well, that depends. What type of book do you wish to publish (e.g., ebook, paperback, hardcover)? Where and how do you want it distributed (e.g., online and/or traditional distribution networks)?

For a full list of the questions you should be asking and answering for yourself, I recommend you click on this link and read through it. Once you’ve done that, you’ll know which of the two below options most applies to you and your particular book project.

How Much Does It Cost to Publish a Book Economically?

The fact is, traditional book publishing methods don’t work well for everyone. More and more, I come across people who want to publish a book for all kinds of different reasons—to promote a business, fulfill a lifelong dream, commemorate a special occasion, et cetera—and they want it done quickly (e.g., within four to six weeks), and with a minimal upfront investment.

These are the people who would rather utilize online algorithms to grow their readership than spend any amount of money on traditional forms of book promotion. These authors also want full control over their own creative processes and release dates, and they’re fine with selling their books online only.

For a long time, I resisted this idea. I held to my belief that it’s impossible to produce a quality book within such a short time period, and especially without the support of a full professional publishing team. But then, one evening, while I was researching bestselling strategies for authors, I came across a Forbes article that began to shift my thinking. I learned the strategies today’s top independent authors are using to self-publish and sell massive quantities of books online. With this step-by-step program designed specifically for do-it-yourselfers, your only cost will be copy editing. That’s it, that’s all.

How Much Does It Cost to Publish a Book Professionally?

For those of you who wish to produce a professional-quality book than can be sold both online and through the traditional book supply chain, you’ll require the support of a full book publishing team behind you. Here is a list of the various costs associated with hiring such a team. These prices may vary depending on whether you use a project manager or hire your own editors, designers, et cetera, to work with directly. But it will give you a pretty good idea of what to expect.

Average Price Breakdown Per Service
Individual Services (all in CAD) Timeline (Weeks) Average Prices
Copy editing per word 2 to 4 From $0.03
Proofreading per word 2 From $0.02
Stylistic editing per word varies From $0.04
Substantive (structural) editing per word varies From $0.06
Indexing services per word 3 From $0.02
Ghostwriting per hour varies From $50 to $75
Copywriting per hour varies From $25 to $75
New ebook cover design 1 From $250 to $500
New paperback/hardcover cover design 1 From $1,000 to $1,500
New paperback/hardcover interior design and layout 2 From $2,500 to $3,000
New paperback/hardcover cover design and interior layout combined 2.5 From $3,500 to $4,500
You might consider syndicating this content on your own blog. If you do, make sure to attribute the original source so neither of us gets dinged on the SEO front. You can do that by including this line at the bottom of the article: This content first appeared on the PPG Publisher’s Blog and has been republished here with permission.
As a user of this website, you are authorized only to view, copy, print, and distribute the documents on this website so long as: one (1) the document is used for informational purposes only; and two (2) any copy of the document (or portion thereof) includes the following copyright notice: Copyright © 2020 Polished Publishing Group (PPG). All rights reserved.