Janet,
These days most printing firms produce the text pages from a pdf. The covers are a different
matter.
To make the pdf, set your page size the same as the book will be. Make the margins at least 10mm
with no text in them. Produce a pdf from Open Office. This will of course not have any
publishers info or ISBN unless you are Doing it Yourself in its entirety.
The cover is an entirely different problem but can be solved the same way with a bit of
ingenuity in the design. Calculating the spine width is the main problem, but a good printing
house will help here.
Roger Collett
Arrowhead Press
http://www.arrowheadpress.co.uk/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality."
Jules de Gaultier
----- Original Message -----
From: "Janet Jackson" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, November 28, 2008 3:21 AM
Subject: Linux software to design books?
> Need some help here.
>
> Because I don't fit into any of the pre-existing categories, it looks like
> I'm going to have to self-publish the dratted thing. My book manuscript,
> that is. "Coracle: 98 poems", my first (and long overdue) collection.
>
> I've made the manuscript using OpenOffice.
>
> What I don't understand is how you get from a manuscript to something that
> can be given to a printer to create a workmanlike edition, a sturdy
> paperback with the name and title on the spine. Presumably one uses some
> kind of book design software. I prefer to work under Linux, although I can
> use Windows if I must. What do people use? All suggestions welcome.
>
> Janet
> --
> I'm looking for writing-related paid work! Performance (my poetry, yours or
> someone else's); any kind of writing including technical or corporate;
> ghostwriting; editing; teaching creative writing, poetry or performance;
> selling books; literary administration... whatever. All leads appreciated.
>
> Janet Jackson <[log in to unmask]>
> www.proximitypoetry.com (Poetry)
> www.myspace.com/poetjj (Includes occasional arts & culture blog)
>
> The Line Mine, bulletin board for Perth poetry & spoken word:
> [log in to unmask]
> groups.yahoo.com/group/thelinemine
>
> Breastfeeding info & help: www.breastfeeding.asn.au
>
|