Why Publish? You may have information that you want to reach a select audience.
Or you may have information that can be profitably sold. Or perhaps you want a tangible result
of your creative or historical research efforts. You’ve written a manuscript and now you want
to publish it. We are pleased you have come to us! We've produced books for many happy writers
for over 20 years. An in-house consultation where we can show you samples and discuss your
project at length will determine the most effective results.
But first, some definitions of what printing and publishing really is. Grelind Printing & Design can edit,
proofread, typeset and design the book. We show you page proofs and make revisions until you give final approval. Then we print and bind in a variety of styles and methods. We are skilled in evaluating your project and budget to obtain the book style best suited to your needs. What we do not do is buy your manuscript, mass produce and distribute it, and pay you royalties. If that is what you want, then you need to solicit any number of large book publishers in markets such as Chicago or New York to gain acceptance.
Where to begin...
First, we need the manuscript in hardcopy and electronic form if possible (a Word file is acceptable)
with all pages numbered. Then we discuss your desired style, quantity, color, size, type of binding,
and other design criteria, so that we can develop a cost analysis. Every book is a custom project for us,
so we have no standard price to print a book.
Once we have defined your design style, and you have accepted our quote, we begin the creative
process. The appearance of your book is directly related to its sales potential. We give your book an individual style and creative graphic presentation to enhance the subject and make the contents enjoyable reading. We will provide a complete set of hard copy pages and a cover design. Careful proofing ensures the creation of a book which is excellent in purpose, style and content. We encourage you to have another person review your proofs for extra accuracy. If you have provided hard copy ready to print, you should already proofed and edited to your satisfaction. All pages will be numbered and front copy should be prepared ( table of contents, foreword, acknowledgement, bibliography, and index if desired). A short biography and photo of the author is suggested for use on the book cover. We then create full color covers that demand attention.
About Photos, Illustrations and Credits
Photographs must have credits if not owned by the author. If electronic, photo files must be of high
resolution. Files and photos must be labeled or marked in alpha or numeric order to be placed in the manuscript in the correct order. Captions should be incorporated in the text and list the corresponding code. We will scan hard copy art, or convert electronic files and place into the manuscript to illustrate your text. When obtaining photos, please request actual photos, not photocopies or low-res scans, as these do not reproduce well.
About Copyrights and ISBN Numbers
At this time, it is a good idea to prepare a copyright form and consider applying for an ISBN
number if you do not already have a set of numbers. For additional information, see the
links page
for appropriate websites. Only the author or those deriving their rights through the author can rightfully claim copyright. We can assist you in securing these items but you must own your own. Beware of vanity press or publishers that use their numbers and only give you a few copies of your book. They typically will own your material and you will have to pay for additional copies.
And, finally...the Printing Process
There are standard book sizes that make use of the paper efficiently, but sometimes a design requires an unusual size. Then there is the paper weights, ink color choices, binding, and cover finishing. Most books of 60 pages or fewer will be collated and saddle-stitched. All books 60 pages or more are collated
and perfect bound in soft or hard cover, or coil bound. We will help you determine many of these options.
More Questions?
How long does it take? Books have a wide variety of specifications which affect the time to produce.
When we know the specs, we establish a tentative timetable. We need all materials to begin and time must
be allowed for you to review your proofs. Then the printing and binding processes usually requires 3-6 weeks.
This process can typically take from 2 weeks to 2 months.
Will you edit for me? We provide two options: technical which is a thorough reading to clean up grammar,
punctuation, spelling and form; or style and content review which includes both technical along with
suggestions to rewrite any text. However, we typically do not do the revisions, we encourage the writer to
revise before we accept the final manuscript.
What software is best? We recommend Word unless you are comfortable with Quark or InDesign
professional graphic software. Word files will be converted into Quark files and incorporate the photos or
art at that time.
What about changes or additions? We realize not all information is absolute. Of course it is more cost
effective if you do not make “author’s alterations” but these are a fact of publishing. We proofread all copy
we typeset. Printer’s errors are corrected at no charge. Author’s alterations are charged at hourly rates.
Discuss these costs at the first page proof stage.
What about color? We can print all black, black and color or all color. It does change the cost
considerably to use color.
Is there a payment plan? Yes, we ask for one-half down, balance on delivery of books. We accept credit
cards. We will charge sales tax, unless you provide a resale tax number.
What is the cost of reprints? We can easily estimate the cost of reprints with the original quote. After
the books are printed we archive all negatives and electronic files, and 3 or more samples. However, original
art, manuscript and photos are returned to you. Although the cost of reprints are generally less than the first
printing, there are reprint minimum costs. We encourage ordering plenty of books to begin with to avoid
reprints, unless the books sell very well!
For More Information www.isbn.orgwww.copyright.gov