5 Tips to Finish Your Book

1. Choose a format and a tool. You don’t need high-end design software to get great layouts and pages set for printing specs. Blub has a variety of web-based and desktop tools for any skill level. The tool you choose depends on the format that fits your book need. Check out this chart to help you choose your format and tool.

2. Organize your content. You have more content than you know! But if you’re like most of us, your photos and captions are stretched across phones, social media, and desktop archives. Your next step is to gather everything in a single folder, and put the photos in order by renaming them. That way, when you import your photos to your tool, they are roughly in the order they’ll appear, page to page. This really speeds up the process, because you’re set up to make the autoflow feature accurate.

3. Lay out the pages. This may feel like the most intimidating part, but it doesn’t need to! Most of our tools offer templates with pre-designed layouts that you can use page after page. In BookWright, you can completely customize the layouts to make the most of your particular photos. Don’t forget page numbers, title pages, and end pages. Take a look at some helpful tips on choosing a book design and fonts to get some inspiration.

4. Proof your book. Proof and then re-proof. It’s hard to catch errors and typos when you’ve been staring at them on a screen. Consider ordering a PDF or sharing a preview before you order a copy with someone who can be another set of eyes. You’ll want to look for photo alignment, grammar, spelling, and duplicate content. You’ll be happier with your gift and more likely to make your deadline when you don’t have to order another copy because you find too many errors after it has arrived.

5. Add the finishing touches and place your order. Choose paper type, cover type, and your upgrades—including end sheets and logo placement. You can order your book with different variations of these, depending on the recipient. Maybe long-distance friends would like a fixed-layout ebook, while close family will want to unwrap the deluxe edition. Place your order with the shipping speed that best matches your timeline. Holding that finished project will make you wonder why you ever hesitated to make one in the first place. We can’t wait to see what you’ll make next.

Have a tip to share for new book-makers? Share it in the comments, below!