Technology of Self Publishing

If you are planning to self-publish a book, it’s a whole new world. Digital technology has revolutionized book publishing at every stage of the process- preparation of photos and other images, book layout and design, and the process of printing. This revolution has reduced the cost of printing. More important for those who wish to self publish, is that it is now possible to print just a few books, or even a single copy, of a hard cover, full-color book for as little as $50.

The digital technology most familiar to the majority of us deals with photos. Digital photo scanners have made it possible to convert traditional photo prints or negatives to digital images. [It’s important to note that if you are preparing photos for use in a book that they be scanned at a minimum of 300 dpi, which is much higher resolution than most default settings on scanners.] One a photo has been scanned into digital format software programs like Photoshop or Inkskape can be use to manipulate, enhance, correct, or transform the image or even to create computer art from scratch. These programs can scale or rotate images, reduce noise (like dust or scratches or de-speckling) improve resolution, remove unwanted images, add color depth, make adjustments, improve contrasts and improve flaws like “red-eye” images. These programs can transform relatively poor quality photographs to a level that is acceptable to print in a book.

Book designers make traditional choices like what type of cover – hard or soft, leather or dust jacket or a new plasticized cover called image wrap, and whether binding should be sewn or glued. But when it comes to the actual design work software programs – most notably Adobe In Design – are used to layout pages, place photos and illustrations and design covers.

Once designed a digital copy of the book is shipped to the printer where almost everything has changed. It used to be that most books were printed using letterpress or offset printing technologies. Printing plates were created and the book was printed. Today the digital data about the book is fed to a digital printer which uses laser toner or UV curing ink to print the book. The digital printing process dramatically reduces the initial set-up necessary to print a book.

The digital printing process has given rise to a technology known as print-on-demand. This technology allows a person to order any number of copies desired to be printed. Small runs of a handful of copies or even a single book can be printed at a moderate price in full-color. The printer retains the digital files so that additional copies can be ordered at a later date if desired. Commercial self-publishers like Amazon’s Book Surge or Exlibris use print on demand technology for authors who contract with them to publish books. Copies aren’t printed until they are sold. Even mainstream traditional publishing houses have begun to use features of print on demand technology to publish their books.