Seven Steps for Creating a Grade A Book Interior
By Chris Olsen
As noted in my article, Eight Steps for Creating a Grade A Book Cover, of the more than 4 million book titles released each year, the majority of self-published books don’t meet industry standards for production, including cover design. Most independently published books also don’t measure up for content, which includes interior design and typography—all are elements critical to the author’s success.
Here are seven steps for creating a grade A book interior, again using Angie Mizzell’s memoir, “Girl in the Spotlight,” as an example:
1. Consider the cover design.
Book design typically starts with the cover, and the style and theme of the cover are reflected in the interior design as well. Since the cover of Angie’s book was simple and clean, it was important to reflect a similar look and feel in the interior with simply laid out pages and minimal embellishments and special characters.
2. Select the typeface/fonts.
As with the cover, the fonts selected for the book’s interior must be licensed for publishing. Font size, like trim size, affects the number of words on the page and the number of pages in the book. For blocks of text, serif fonts are easier to read. Times New Roman is one of the most widely used typefaces in publishing. For optimal readability, print books typically feature a 10- to 12-point font. For Angie’s book, we used Garamond, which is also a popular serif font, in 12-point size.
3. Ensure the leading and kerning are appropriate.
Leading is the space between lines of text and kerning is the space between letters and words. Both influence your book’s readability. Aim for line spacing that is 1.5, which is easier on the eyes. Most modern, professionally designed fonts (like Times New Roman and Garamond) automatically adjust the spacing between specific letters to improve appearance and readability. The line spacing in Angie’s book was set at 1.5.
4. Consider the format and margins.
Professional book designers consider formatting for running heads, chapter headings, page numbers, etc. To meet publishing industry standards, margins must accommodate the gutter, which is the blank space between the facing pages of a book and allows for the binding. Adjust the inside margin so it is wider than the outside margin. For Angie’s book, we set the inside margin at 1 inch and the outside and bottom margins at .625 inch. The top margin was set at .875 inch to accommodate running heads.
5. Ensure formatting is consistent.
One of the keys for meeting industry standards is ensuring formatting is repeated throughout. For Angie’s book, the start of each chapter featured the chapter heading. The running heads were a smaller font size and in all caps and alternated between the book title (on verso/left-side pages) and the chapter number (on recto/right-side pages). The page numbers were listed in the footer.
6. Include mandatory design elements.
To meet publishing industry standards, the interior design must include a title page, a copyright page and an author page. Angie’s book included these mandatory elements.
7. Add optional design elements.
Consider including non-essential elements such as a half-title page, table of contents, dedication page and acknowledgment page. While we opted not to include a half-title page or table of contents, the interior of Angie’s book included a dedication and acknowledgments.
Final Thoughts
Publishing platforms and various apps offer free tools for typesetting and laying out book pages. However, even minor deviations from publishing industry standards can be a dead giveaway that a book was not designed by a publishing expert and can make audiences question the author and publisher’s credibility. If you don’t have a design background, and you have the means to do so, consider working with a professional designer. Grade A book design has the power to influence booksellers’ decisions about stocking your title, and readers’ decisions about what to share in reviews.
To learn more about Angie and her memoir, “Girl in the Spotlight,” follow @angiemizzell on Instagram and visit www.angiemizzell.com.
About the Author
Chris Olsen is a book designer, publisher, educator and the author of “Whyography: Building a Brand Fueled by Purpose.” The founder of Publish Her and Publish Her Story, Chris has helped thousands of women tell their stories and publish their books.
About Publish Her
Publish Her is a female-founded publisher dedicated to educating authors and elevating the words, writing and stories of women. We are passionate about amplifying the voices of women of color, women with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ+ community. We aim to make publishing an attainable, exciting and collaborative process for all.