Need HELP/home publishing

[agentangel]

:eek: OK, I have decided to try a different angle on getting short booklets into small book stores. My 12-yr-old daughter also writes, and I don't want to wait for some big publisher to "maybe" give us a contract "someday." If that happens, GREAT. If not, at least we will be getting our books out there.
So, here's my problem... In "Microsoft Word", HOW can I get the format and printing correct??? The books will be standard size printer paper, folded over once, and staple bound. I have tried printing in "landscape", because "portrait won't give the proper printout. Also, I do realize the pages won't be automatically in order by page number, and I've also tried two columns, but I am completely LOST! Everytime I print, the pages don't print out in a format that can be folded in half, for staple bound books. Any ideas will be HIGHLY appreciated.

Thanks!
Bambi

[DrRita]

Bambi,
Unfortunately Word will not get you the product you want. I am not sure if there's some publishing shareware out there but you either MS Publisher or Adobe PageMaker will do the page layout in the order you need. There's probably other software too that does the same thing, organize your booklet. You can also check into having a comercial printer just print the pages. I did several picture books on my own printer and they worked out well. I bound them with a comb binding . But the bad thing is unless you use a laser printer, copier or more permanent ink, if the pages get wet they will run with regular inkjet ink. So you need to consider that too.

I'd calculate the cost of having a printer print the pages vs you buying paper, ink and software. Maybe it would be better if you just bound them yourself. It's a LOT of work, I'm telling you. And then there's always the mistakes. Those almost can't be avoided either.

Here's a couple of links--I've never used these so can't vouch for them
http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/software/PagePlus/default.asp
http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/software/tp/freedtpsoftware.htm

[patches]

:eek: OK, I have decided to try a different angle on getting short booklets into small book stores. My 12-yr-old daughter also writes, and I don't want to wait for some big publisher to "maybe" give us a contract "someday." If that happens, GREAT. If not, at least we will be getting our books out there.
So, here's my problem... In "Microsoft Word", HOW can I get the format and printing correct??? The books will be standard size printer paper, folded over once, and staple bound. I have tried printing in "landscape", because "portrait won't give the proper printout. Also, I do realize the pages won't be automatically in order by page number, and I've also tried two columns, but I am completely LOST! Everytime I print, the pages don't print out in a format that can be folded in half, for staple bound books. Any ideas will be HIGHLY appreciated.

Thanks!
Bambi

Hey Bambi,

Try an older version of Corel WordPerfect. I think version 6 formatted to print out in paginated form. You set up your document with the page size, odd and even pages, headers, footers, ect and it will print it out like a book without having to link text blocks.

If you can't find one on ebay, and you are determined to learn how to do your booklet. Try this.

You need the following materials:

paper

8 1/2 x 11 index stock can be found at staples or office depot

xacto knife or utility knife

light blue editing pencil (it won't show up on photo copies)

a metal ruler (preferably shows picas) can be bought at any art supply store that supplies serious artists.

wax (this is a wax that is repositionable and is used for paste up of newspapers) can also be found at art stores

a brayer (this is a roller almost like a wallpaper roller)

a wax melting pot (you can use one for those glue sticks)

a paste brush (has to be stiff)

a hard board to tape your pages to (something you aren't afraid to get wax or tape residue on)

some cardboard (to use when cutting your text out)

Now, write your text in columns as wide as the page that you want or set the margins in until the text is as wide as one page.

Take a sheet of paper and mark off in blue pencil where you want your margins to be. Remember that you want at least a half inch for each page where the staples go. So, on your layout board, you will have a one-inch block in the middle of the board. You will probably want about 1/2 inch on the outside margins and the same for the top and bottom.

Wax the back of the paper that you printed out the text on. Flip it over onto the cardboard and using a ruler and knife, cut out your text and fit it in the margins on your layout board. Don't use the brayer until you know for certain that you have the text positioned exactly where you want it.

Also, print out a page of folios. Those are the page numbers and the text that goes into your headers. They too, have to be cut out and pasted into the layout board margins.

Once you have your pages layed out to your satisfaction, you can go to any office supply store that supplies do-it-yourself copies with double sided copies.

The tricky thing is the pagination. When you lay out your pages, in book form, make sure your pages are in the correct order before you copy them.

I used to make up a dummy and write the page numbers in so that while i was working, I didn't make a mistake.

This is actually a very satisfying way of creating a booklet. If you make a mistake, you don't have to worry about printing out the whole page again. Simply cut it out, rearrange it and brayer it.

I attached a sample layout for example. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

Steph

[agentangel]

Thanks so very much to all of you for the ideas!

Bambi

[agentangel]

_____You could always use MSPaint. It comes with every windows program. Should be under aplications. Anyway, open it. figure out where the text should lay on the paper. Click the text tool, past what you have and line it up. Then tell it to rotate the picture, and add what you need where it is needed. That would be the cheepest way to go. You may make two or three misprints, but it should all come together with ease.

!thumbsup! Thank you!
Bambi

[TheSpirit]

I can tell agentangel. I have the same problem. I decide to use printmast or myself. but their is another one called Printshop they are easy to use as well. You can do those 6x9 size booklets and add photos or graphics. However, depending on how updated your software is you my not able to save it as a pdf file like you would able to do 8x11 size binded book. To see and get idea one will look go to www.inthearmsofgod.com/Christianbooks.html and you can see my design books.

[Tachiko Aiba]

Lotus Word Pro is our friend. ^_^

[htack210]

You may not get Word to do as you wish, but you may be able to get your printer to do your bidding. Do your document in word, and then when you send it to the printer,see if one of the options is BOOKLET printing, and tell it you want two pages per printed page.

[Keith Wallis]

htack210: I don't think that'll get it printed both sides of the paper.

[paulchernoch]

Microsoft Word CAN do what you want. (It is your printer that may have problems.) I have used this feature and it works well. In help, read the instructions titled "Print a folded booklet". Here they are with some additional comments by me:

A. Set up your document as a booklet.
How?

When you create a booklet, it's best to start with a new, blank document so that you have better control over the placement of text, graphics, and other elements. You can add a book fold to an existing document, but you may have to reposition some elements once the book fold is in place.

1. Start a new, blank document.
2. On the File menu, click Page Setup, and then click the Margins tab.

3. In the Multiple Pages list, select Book fold.
If your document is not set to landscape orientation, Microsoft Word sets it to landscape.

4. In the Inside and Outside boxes, type or select the amount of space you want for the inside and outside margins.

If you need even more space along the fold to accommodate binding, type or select the amount of space you want in the Gutter box.

(My suggestion: 3/4 inch margins all around and 0.2 inch gutter.)

5. In the Sheets per booklet list, select the number of pages you want to include in a single booklet.
If the number of pages in the document exceeds the number of pages you select for a booklet, Word prints the document as multiple booklets.

6. Select any other options you want in the Page Setup dialog box.
For Help on an option, click the question mark , and then click the option.

7. Add text, graphics, headers or footers, and other elements to your document as usual.

B. On the File menu, click Print.

C. Set options for printing on both sides of the paper.

* If you're using a duplex printer (one that automatically prints on both sides of the paper)

Click Properties, and then set the options you want. If you have a choice of setting the page orientation and duplex options, select landscape orientation, and flip the document on the short edge or short side.

* If you aren't using a duplex printer

In the Print dialog box, select the Manual duplex check box. Word will print all of the pages that appear on one side of the paper, and then prompt you to turn the stack over and feed the pages again.

NOTE: Not every Printer supports "Manual duplex". If it does, then it will print all the sheets on one side, tell you when it is done, then you manually flip the pages over and refeed them, hit the continue button and it will print on the other side.

- Paul

[htack210]

htack210: I don't think that'll get it printed both sides of the paper.
It should if you set the printer to "booklet." and to "manual duplex." You'll have to flip the pages over yourself and feed them back into the printer a second time, but it will get both sides. :)

[ibrinkley]

It would be easier to go to Lulu.com and print the book yourself, just for you. You don't have to put it on the market. An average 200 page book in black & white is around $8.00 and you can buy just one. Average full color book with approx. 45 pages is around $11.00. I printed a children's story that I wrote and illustrated just for my grandchildren. Didn't plan to go any further with it but a guy on the internet said he would design my cover so now it's listed for the public. I'm waiting on the cover. Anyway, it was a lot of fun. You can even find a template to download to format it. I used 6x9 for black and white book and 7.5x7.5 for color book.

[Chas Schaal]

Thanks, Inez. I was not aware of Lulu. It gives me a great opportunity to write a special book for each grandchild for Christmas. The cost is less per book than I would spend on a gift. And rather more personal, I'd think.

[wgjones3]

A little late to the party, I know, but I think Adobe has replaced Pagemaker with InDesign.

[agentangel]

Hi!
Sorry I haven't been here in a while, but I wanted to thank all of you for the great ideas! I did buy a software program called "Clickbook." It was about 50 bucks, but does the job great. If anyone is interested, here's the link:

http://www.bluesquirrel.com

They offer a free 14 day trial. Anyway, all your input is greatly appreciated!!!

!thumbsup! Bambi