Change For Dollars

Self-Publishing on a Budget: Desktop Publishing and Do-It-Yourself Bookbinding

(NOTE: This is Part II of the Self-Publishing series.)

Congratulations, you’re officially an author!  Woo-hoo!!  Now you want to become a published author!  But of course!!

You, however, can’t afford to invest thousands of dollars on P.O.D. (Print on Demand) or Vanity Publishing.  Neither do you have the money to pay a wholesale bookbinder for their services.  You’re also not in the least bit interested in devoting the time and effort necessary for securing a reputable literary agent who will hopefully land you a financially beneficial publishing deal.  What are you to do?

Well, you can always do everything yourself, especially if your book is a small book or a booklet.  Doing everything yourself is called desktop publishing.  It’s book publishing from the comfort of your home!  What do you need to do?

For starters you’ll need a decent computer and printer.  It certainly would help if you had at least average computer (and software) skills or would be willing to upgrade your (software and) computer knowledge.  If you have the foregoing you’re half way to the book publishing finish line!  Excited?  You should be!

Next, assuming you already have the computer and printer, you’ll need to make about a $100-$500 investment on your bookbinding equipment and materials.  You’re quick, simple, and inexpensive binding options include:

1. *A Saddle-Stitched Binding Stapler (for booklets) or a
2. **GBC Binding Machine or a
3. **GBC Twin Loop Wire Binding Machine or
4. ***ClearView Clear Overlay GBC Baby (Note)Books (8.5″ x 5.5″ Half Size Binders) or
5. ClearView Clear Overlay 8.5” x 11” 3-Ring Notebooks or Binders.

*A Saddle-Stitched Binding Stapler is only for booklets.  All that’s required to bind your books are the stapler and the staples.

**For both machines you’ll need to purchase Combs/Spines in order to bind your books.

***In this case you’ll need a 3-hole paper puncher or drill in order to bind your books.  Purchase the ClearView Clear Overlay notebooks because they allow you to slip your book cover and book spine under the overlay.

Please refer to the previous post—Desktop Publishing and Wholesale Bookbinding versus P.O.D. or Vanity Publishing—for information about printing your book and book cover.

There are other, more costly, do-it-yourself bookbinding options available to you like perfect binding.  While perfect bound books look more professional, doing this type of binding yourself will also be more time consuming, if not potentially messy.

Whichever type of binding you decide to go with you will want to start small.  Print and bind a limited amount of copies at first.  See how quickly you sell those copies.  Then print and bind more books.

You can also print 1 copy as a sample to show prospective customers and take preorders.  Whatever you do, much success to you published author!

Here’s to your Change For Dollars!

© 2010 Tair Ta’ir, H.H.B.M., and BE! of the 144,000 Publishing.  Self-Publishing on a Budget: Desktop Publishing and Do-It-Yourself Bookbinding is copyrighted.  Please do not reproduce without permission.

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