- 1). Decide on the final size of your published manuscript. For example, the standard size for a mass market paperback is 4 inches wide by 7 inches high. A standard hardback is 6 inches wide by 8 inches high. If you don't mind the odd size, standard printer paper is 8 1/2 inches wide by 11 inches high.
- 2). Format your word processing file to meet the dimensions of your final book. Make sure your left margin is no less than 1 inch wide.
- 3). Format your print job, keeping in mind considerations such as front and back pages, page numbering, and paper size.
- 4). Assemble your printed pages as they will be arranged in the final product. Measure the width of the stack of pages.
- 5). Cut your cardstock to the dimensions needed for a cover. This will mean a single sheet as high as your pages are high and as wide as twice the width of your pages plus the width of the stack of pages. You may wish to make the cover width an extra 1/8 inch wide to account for folding.
- 6). If you need to use multiple pieces of cardstock to make a large enough cover, overlap each piece by 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch.
- 7). Use your hole punch to put a minimum of two holes in the left margin of your printed pages. Punch four holes in the cover at appropriate places.
- 8). Design a cover for your book the same size as your cardstock cover. This design should include the front cover, back cover, and spine. You can have different designs for each of these three panels, or one design that flows over all three.
- 9). Print the cover on your full-page label paper. If you have access to a color printer, use color for the cover. Laser printers produce a higher-quality print job, but not so much so that they're worth buying just for this project.
- 10
Attach the cardstock cover to your printed manuscript using brads, which are brass fasteners designed to hold together hole-punched manuscripts. These are available at office supply stores. - 11
Peel off the back of your printed cover and attach it to the outside of the cardstock cover.
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