Self Publishing: How The Dimensions Of Your Book Affect Your Marketing
It’s critical that you, as a self-publishing author, undertake to learn 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 a small number of 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 utilized for books with a lot of photos, music books that contain sheet music, or workbooks and educationial 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.
Perhaps the most important factor in book publishing (especially self-publishing) is the appearance of the final product. A book of 200 pages is substantial enough in size to include the title on the spine and to measure up, side by side, with other books. If you have a low page count, choose the smallest dimensions you are comfortable with. A difference in one-half of an inch in page size roughly equals ten pages. In other words, reducing the size of your book (either vertically or horizontally) by a half-an-inch, will add about ten pages to your total page count.
Are books with more pages more expensive to produce? It all depends upon the marketing decisions you make. As a self-publishing author, you have to watch how your marketing budget is spent. Factors that contribute to the overall costs of printing a book can include: how they are bound, if they include color, the type of paper used and the number of books ordered. One rule of thumb to remember: more pages means more money. You should never compromise the quality of your finished product to save printing costs. Don’t “leave things out” just to save money. Write the book you want to write or your marketing efforts later, will suffer. If you are self-publishing, there are other ways to save on printing costs. The quality of the finished book is not the place to start!
A book’s finished size is a factor in it’s sales numbers. As mentioned earlier, 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, we recommend a smaller size. Self-published business books and self-help titles can benefit from a smaller size as they are often carted around in backpacks, luggage, and carry-ons. Think about your target market and how they will be using it. Make it easy for your readers to get the most out of your self-published title.
Shipping prices tend to vary by carrier so make sure you compare prices and stay up with the latest fee increases. As a self-published author, it may be wise to choose a printer who will ship your books for you so you can concentrate on promoting your book.