AboutBill Frank Expertise I help authors become publishers. I'm a self-publishing consultant with resources in editing, graphic design, printing, distribution and marketing. I can help you turn your manuscript into a published book. I identify the best distribution channels for your book. I also help you build a marketing plan to sell the book. I specialize in non-fiction books and I take fiction books on a selective basis.
Experience Book layout and design; book printing; channels of distribution and book marketing.
Organizations Publishers' Marketing Association. Book Publicists of Southern California.
Education/Credentials MBA in Marketing and Finance. BA in Economics.
Expert: Bill Frank Date: 1/30/2008 Subject: Typesetting Software
Question What is the best and easiest typesetting software to learn to set up a book for BookStore Standards...Thanks..
Answer Dear Angie. Thanks for your question. The critical part of your question is in the assumption about setting a book to "bookstore standards." Any program can create a book that would sell in a typical bookstore. What's important is not the program one uses, but the skill of the operator to design and layout the interior text pages. I've seen books in bookstores that I know were typeset in Microsoft Word, one of the world's most common word processing programs. I've also seen books laid out in Quark XPress or Adobe InDesign (two high-end layout & design programs) that looked amateurish.
If you're going to typeset your book yourself, I'd recommend using a program with which you're familiar.
One word of caution about do-it-yourself book design. Use a professional to create your book's cover. The cover is the packaging that sells your book. Despite the adage, book buyers DO buy a book by its cover. Don't skimp on the book cover. Spend the money to have it professionally designed.
