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Welcome to Self-Publish-Books – friendly advice and help for book self-publishers
Some background history
What Self-Publish-Books has to offer today
Our Commitment to RNIB Talking Books Service
Introduction – first steps towards self-publishing
International Standard Book Number – ISBN
Supplying your manuscript
How big is your copy
Cover Facts
Text Pages – Design and Cost Considerations
Text Pages – Paper Information
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Factors affecting book pricing
Testimonials – what our customers think of us
About Free Author’s Page
About MyLiveBook
Contact information
Further contact details
Privacy statement
So you’ve finished writing your book!
. . . . or at least, you’re nearly there, or perhaps you’re just beginning and you want all the relevant details to hand about self-publishing before you start.
We have the experience and knowledge to design and produce your book and to help you self-publish. The Gilmour family have been involved in design and printing for four generations since 1906. Douglas Gilmour has over thirty years’ personal experience in the business.
We hope that you find our website useful. Please feel free to contact us, without obligation, if you have questions regarding any aspect of book design, production or self-publishing – we are here to help.
Let us take the pain out of self-publishing for you!
Make your book stand out from the crowd!
In addition to quality design and production, myLiveBook lets potential buyers view sample pages of your book in a real time, online, page turning simulation – just like turning the pages of a real book. Plus get a free author’s web page to help promote your book.
We hope and trust that you will find our website informative. We have tried to present it in an easy to follow way on our full website – a bit at a time – not all on the page at once as it is on this text only version.
Self-Publish-Books / Gilmour Print design, produce and deliver printed books to satisfied customers – authors, publishers and self-publishers – all over the UK. We produce paperback (limp bound) books with full colour gloss or matt laminated covers and hardback (case bound) books with either full colour dust jackets or full colour printed paper covers; all books can have black and white text, with the option of photographic plate pages in sections or can be full colour throughout. On our website authors wishing to have their book designed and printed will find friendly helpful advice and information. We aim to provide the best of services to authors. So if you are considering self publishing a book please feel free to contact us, without obligation, for a quotation for your book, or for advice – we will be happy to help.
Let us work a little of our magic on your book.
The Gilmour family have been involved in design and printing for four generations since 1906, when James Gilmour, water colour artist by hobby and lithographer by trade, started a printing business, Gilmour & Lawrence Ltd, at 2 West Regent Street in Glasgow.
From then until World War II their main line of business was the publishing and production of books and fine art calendars, as well as general commercial printing.
After the War, when demand for fine art calendars diminished, the company concentrated on the other aspects of its business expertise, becoming well known for their attention to detail and the high quality of their printing work.
During the latter part of the 20th century they were increasingly involved in the production of quality financial and annual reports for prestigious investment companies.
Investment in the latest technologies to stay at the forefront of printing has always been important.
In the late 1980s the company was bought over by a larger concern for their electronic typesetting expertise and financial institution customer base.
Since 1994 Douglas Gilmour, great-grandson of James Gilmour has been carrying on the family tradition in Gilmour Print.
Today, Gilmour Print provides a fully comprehensive service to those who wish to publish their own book.
As professional book designers and producers, we offer the complete service from receipt of your manuscript – we offer advice, design your book after discussion with you, through to supplying the printed finished publication.
We are happy to talk to you at length about your book, offering help and advice to guide your decision-making in the right direction, so that your book is produced in the way you envisage or hopefully even exceed your expectations. We will always stay in communication so that, at every stage of your book, you are kept informed. Experienced in typesetting and design
We are experienced in all aspects of typesetting and design. Douglas Gilmour of Self Publish Books (a division of Gilmour Print) has over 35 years’ experience in all aspects of printing and self-publishing, both full colour and mono book production. He is well placed to offer advice and make suggestions to help you reach the decisions required regarding self-publishing of your book, having assisted many happy clients over his time in this industry.
While you have the responsibility to sell your book, we offer help in two ways. Firstly, through MyLiveBook, you can showcase selected pages of your book in an animated page turner, allowing potential customers to look inside your book before they buy. Secondly, our author’s web page lets you give potential purchasers a chance to read a bit about you and your book(s). Both these facilities are free when we design and print your book. Even if you have a website of your own, these additional pages can help drive more traffic to your website and boost your position on search engine pages.
Dealing with one completely integrated supplier will help take the pain out of the production of your book.
Let us take the pain out of self-publishing for you!
Self-Publish-Books have made a commitment to donate £10.00 to the RNIB Talking Books Service from every book order completed and paid for.
The RNIB Talking Books Service is available to those who love books but have difficulty with reading printed material. For over 65 years this quality service has been bringing literature to those who would otherwise be unable to enjoy a good book. Thousands of titles are available for all ages, the list increasing by several hundred on a monthly basis.
For more information on the RNIB Talking Books Service or to make a donation please click here to visit their website.
First things first – we are not book publishers. We are a graphic design and print production management company with the expertise and experience to guide and assist you to self-publish your book. We can assist you through all the stages of book self-publication other than writing your book and selling it, although we can give you access to a couple of free marketing tools, namely, MyLiveBook and Free Author's Page.
We can design and lay out the text, design and create the cover artwork, help you decide the type of book – paperback, hardback or coil / wiro bound, the type of paper for text and the cover material. We can help you obtain your ISBN number if you wish and can create the barcode for you if required.
In short you write and you publish – we create the book professionally for you. Let us help you with your first steps!
From your text and where applicable, from your digital photographs, after discussion with you on what impression you wish to create with the book and any ideas you feel strongly need to be incorporated into the design, we will produce the design / artwork for your book and will send you an electronic (PDF) proof by email for checking. You do not need to worry if you need to make amendments, we will happily continue to send you amended proofs until you are happy for the book to go to print.
If we are also handling the printing for you, once the PDF proof is approved, you will receive an actual printed proof as a final check before going to print. What should I do first?
Once you have written your book, you want to know roughly how many pages it will make in the printed version so that you can obtain costings for printing it. Page count – learn more. (Requires javascript to be active in your browser.)
You will also need to decide how your book is to be bound – paperback or hardback with dust jacket. Covers – learn more. (Requires javascript to be active in your browser.)
The type of paper you want it printed on is another consideration. Type of paper – learn more. (Requires javascript to be active in your browser.)
How many books do you require?
If your book is going to be sold in bookshops you will also need an International Standard Book Number (ISBN). See next section.
An International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is simply a product code, used by publishers, booksellers and libraries for ordering, listing and stock control purposes. It enables them to identify a particular publisher and allows the publisher to identify a specific edition of a specific title from their product range.
You only need an ISBN if you plan to sell your book in shops or if you wish to distribute it to libraries.
Some companies, such as so called ‘vanity publishers’, may offer to supply an ISBN free as part of their service but you should note that if you do not buy the ISBN yourself from the UK Agency then you are not the publisher and you may find yourself in a situation where you do not have control over what happens to your book.
If you are self-publishing and decide that you need an ISBN then you should buy it yourself.
International Standard Book Numbers are issued in the UK by Nielsen UK ISBN Agency. Unfortunately the minimum quantity available is 10 ISBNs which currently cost £118.68 including VAT.
For further information you can visit the UK ISBN Agency. It is quite a large website dealing with other areas than ISBN so to make life easier we have provided three links for you below:
FAQs for new (self-)publishers
FAQs for existing (self-)publishers
Once you have an ISBN for your book, we can convert it into barcode for you and incorporate it into the cover artwork. From January 1, 2007 ISBN numbers are 13 digits long. However if you happen to have leftover 10 digit ISBNs from a previous project we can still use them as it is an easy matter for us to convert to 13 digits.
An ISBN makes a book look “more real” but perhaps it is not worth the money if you don't really need it.
If Self-Publish-Books are to design your book, you should provide your text unformatted, that is without attempting to lay out the pages the way you expect that they will appear in the finished book.
This applies for example to typing headings all in capitals – it is much easier to capitalise a heading if the design warrants this than it is to do the reverse to a heading that has been supplied as all capitals.
The one exception to this rule is where you want an extra paragraph space. In this situation you should insert this extra blank line. This is often used where, for example, there is a movement of time or location but it is not a new chapter.
You can supply your manuscript by email attachment or on CD or DVD.
Do
• Leave the text ragged on the right.
• Indent each new paragraph that you want to be indented with one tab space.
• Add an extra line return only where you want extra paragraph space.
• Apply bold and italic where required.
Do not
• Insert headers, footers, or page number.
• Use forced page breaks.
• Justify the text.
• Use tabs, except at the beginning of each new paragraph that you want to be indented.
• Use more than one space between words and sentences.
• Design the pages.
• Use the Enter or Return key at ends of lines – only at ends of paragraphs.
• Use hyphens to break words at the end of lines.
• Use ALL CAPITALS.
It will be assumed that you own the copyright to the manuscript supplied and that, where applicable, you have obtained written permission to use material referenced from work other than your own, and have made suitable acknowledgement in the text. Similarly, it will be assumed that you have ensured that there is nothing libellous in your manuscript.
For more detailed information on copyright visit the UK Copyright Service: Click to visit the UK Copyright Service
If you are in any doubt about issues of libel in your book you should take legal advice or at the very least check out what information is available on one of the many writers’ forums on the internet.
This is the text from our Online Copy Counter. If javascript is active in your browser please click here to use this tool
Our Online Copy Counter calculates how many characters (inc. spaces), words and paragraphs are in your manuscript. Copy, or drag the selected text from your word processor to the form far right.
Check that you have all the text in the box, ie the last word should be the last word of your manuscript.
Some word processors and operating systems have a limit on how many characters can be copied. If all your text does not go in when you copy and paste try dragging the selected text over rather than copy and paste.
Once you know the number of characters, including spaces, in your manuscript, you can go to the Page Calculator for an estimate of the number of pages that will be in your book.
Don’t worry about the size of the text box – a scroll bar will appear when the text overflows.
To calculate how many pages are in your manuscript: Go to page count calculator. (Requires javascript to be active in your browser.)
Cover information at Self-Publish Books
Every cover is individually important and should be designed accordingly. At self-publish-books.co.uk we do not use stock templates for cover designs.
After discussion with you, the author, we will design an eye-catching cover which will hopefully help your book stand out from the crowd.
If at a later date you have other titles and you want them to all look as if they come from the same “stables” then this can be incorporated into the design, creating a set of individually designed covers that have a common style.
Having spent a great deal of time on writing your book, you want a cover that reflects the content of your book. The cover needs to draw potential readers in and make them want to open the pages of your book.
This depends on what level of design input is required for your cover:
A simple photograph with text – Level 1 design.
A simple graphic with text – Level 1 design.
Something with a bit more design work – Level 2 design.
A collage of images to create an impression of the story subtly merged. The example here has twelve photographs in the final design – Level 3 design.
To view the above examples please click here. (Requires Javascript to be active in your browser.)
If you are planning on designing your own cover and are looking for inspiration, there are lots of examples available on the internet. Here is one such site: Book Cover Archive
How thick will the spine be? Visit our spine thickness calculator. (Requires Javascript to be active in your browser.)
Paperback or Hardback (Case Bound)?
Please note that library photographs are not included in the cover price. These are charged extra. Our photo library of choice is www.istockphoto.com
Current cost is £10.00 per photo. If you supply photographs for us to scan the charge is £8.00 each. If, however, you supply digital photographs there is no additional charge for photographs. Digital photographs require to be of a suitable resolution for printing. (A minimum of 266dpi, preferably 300dpi, at printing size, but don't worry about this, we can discuss technical details with you later.)
As previously stated every book is designed individually, but from a pricing perspective, the cover will fit into one of these three categories.
The Pricing section has a form where you can contact us for a quotation. (Requires javascript to be active in your browser.)
The two main types of binding are paperback (also known as limp bound) and hardback (also known as case bound).
Paperback
Paperback books have a soft cover usually printed full colour on 260gsm to 300gsm board and laminated one side with either gloss or matt lamination. We would recommend gloss lamination as it is more durable – matt lamination marks very easily as the matt effect is achieved by a microscopic rough texture on the surface which is easily marked by handling.
Hardback
Hardback books can be finished in two ways.
Option one: an outer sheet is printed full colour (usually 130gsm silk) plus lamination (gloss or matt) and glued to the outside of the stiff board covers and spine, folded in at all edges of the book and end papers are glued across the inside of the covers and the first and last blank leaves of the book, covering all the folded in edges. This is known as a printed paper cover (PPC).
Option two: a non-woven cloth-like material (Wibalin) is glued over the outside of the stiff board with end papers on the inside. The outside of the book can be foil blocked if required. Normally a full colour printed (usually 130gsm silk) plus lamination (gloss or matt) dusk jacket is wrapped around the outside, tucking in about 70mm inside the cover. The dust jacket is optional.
The sections of pages in a hardback bound book traditionally are sewn together before being glued in. Modern adhesives are now so good that from an economically they tend to be only glued, particularly when printed digitally in small quantities. For more information on this see the frequently asked questions page.
There are several factors that affect the number of pages your book will make. Most are quite obvious:
• Typeface. Examples of different book typefaces. (Requires javascript to be active in your browser.)
• Size of text. Examples of typesizes. (Requires javascript to be active in your browser.)
• Line spacing (leading to use the technical term). Examples of how line spacing affects appearance of the page. (Requires javascript to be active in your browser.)
• Character spacing. Examples of how character spacing affects appearance of the page. (Requires javascript to be active in your browser.)
• Page margins. Examples of how changing margins affects appearance of the page. (Requires javascript to be active in your browser.)
• Page size. Page size grid. (Requires javascript to be active in your browser.)
• Don’t forget to add any extra pages eg prelims, index etc, including blanks that are not part of the word count.
Whilst the choice of typeface is a matter of personal taste, it should be mentioned here that generally speaking it is better to use serif text for body copy rather than san serif. Because serif text has more detail in the individual characters, it makes for easier reading, as the brain has more information on which to base reading decisions. You might think that this would require more effort but in fact it is less tiring to read serif text in a book.
The difference between serif and san serif text:
Any calculation, no matter how sophisticated the formula used, must be viewed as an estimate.
The page count calculator requires you to choose the nearest approximate style to your requirements.
Click here to go to Online Page Count Calculator. (Requires javascript to be active in your browser.)
Opacity is probably the most important factor in book paper. If you can see what is printed on the other side of a page while you are reading the opposite side, it would interfere with your vision. For this reason book papers bulk more and are therefore more opaque than papers used for general printing.
For books with text only or line illustrations our wove papers are ideal. If there are photographs then it is important to use a ‘coated’ paper – our Hi Bulk Matt will reproduce the photographs more sharply than the woves.
All papers listed on this page are specifically for books. Other papers are available. Please contact us if you require further information.
A good quality slightly off white, woodfree book wove. 80gsm volume 17.5. FSC accredited. *
A woodfree, high white offset paper, 80gsm volume 13.2. FSC accredited (totally chlorine free). PEFC accredited. *
A good quality cream, woodfree book wove, 80gsm volume 17.5. FSC accredited. *
A good quality, white, matt coated art for plate pages and full colour printing, available in 90gsm, 115gsm, 130gsm 150gsm and 170gsm, volume 10. Pulp is bleached using an elemental chlorine free process (ECF). PEFC accredited. *
FSC certified papers
FSC is an international, non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world’s forests identifying products that contain wood from well-managed forests, certified in accordance with the strict environmental, social and economic standards of the Forest Stewardship Council.
PEFC certified papers
Pan-European Forest Certification – PEFC works throughout the entire forest supply chain to promote good practice in the forest and to ensure that timber and non-timber forest products are produced with respect for the highest ecological, social and ethical standards. Thanks to its eco-label, customers and consumers are able to identify papers manufactured from sustainably managed forests.
ECF papers
Elemental Chlorine Free papers are made from pulp that has been bleached using oxygen, chlorine dioxide or other chemicals rather than pure chlorine, which is today considered the worst bleaching method for the environment.
If you are producing your own artwork then the Paperback Spine Width Calculator tool will work out how wide you need to make the spine to accommodate the number of pages depending on which paper you choose. Click here to use the Paperback Spine Width Calculator. (Requirs javascript to be active in your browser.)
If the spine width is less than 4mm you need to choose a thicker weight of paper. This calculator is for use with slot / notch bound unsewn paperback books. If your book is too thin we can saddle stitch bind it. Please contact us for details.
Q: What if my book is too thin for slot / notch binding?
A: We can saddle stitch the books. (Wire staples into the centre of the spine.)
Q: Are you a publisher? / Will you publish my book?
A: We are not publishers; we design and produce the book for you. You, the author, publish your book yourself (‘self-publish’). We can give you advice and help you with marketing tools such as Free Author’s Page and MyLiveBook. You have to finance the production of your book, market and distribute it. We will produce a quality product every bit as professional as a conventionally published book but you have the benefits of self-publishing and have control over your own book when you publish it yourself.
Q: Are you a ‘vanity’ publisher?
A: No, we are designers and book producers. When you self-publish with Self Publish Books you as the author will retain all rights to your book and will own all the copies which will be sent to you immediately they are bound. Any moneys you make from your book are yours.
Q: What exactly is self-publishing?
A: If a publisher asks the author to pay money to have a book published, this is vanity publishing.
Conventional publishing houses do not ask for payment; they pay an author to allow them to publish his/her book.
Between these two options is self-publishing. The author, after writing the book, creates his/her own imprint (and by so doing they now have their own publishing house) eg The Joe Bloggs Press, buys a batch of ISBNs, finds a designer/printer to produce the books and upon delivery sets about marketing his/her own book. Sounds easy when said in one sentence but there can be a lot of work involved if you follow the self-publish route. In saying that, it is a lot less daunting now that you can create your own website to help you market your book.
Q: What reasons are there to self-publish?
A: You will have control over all aspects of your book.
You may be confident that you know there is a market for your book and therefore that you will get all the money generated from the sales.
Or you may feel that although the market for your book will be small and that a publishing house will not be interested in taking up the book for publishing, you still want to produce the book in a small quantity for your own satisfaction.
Q: What are the benefits from going through a conventional publishing house?
A: They will give you editorial advice.
They will proof read your copy.
They will market your book.
They will distribute your book to bookshops and libraries.
Q: Who are Self-Publish-Books?
A: Self-Publish-Books is the internet marketing name of Gilmour Print. Based in the West of Scotland, we design and produce books for clients all over the UK. We also design and produce leaflets, catalogues and brochures.
Q: Why should I use Self-Publish-Books to produce my book?
A: See the Testimonials Section for what some of our many satisfied customers have to say about us.
We provide a bespoke book design and print production service with more than 30 years’ experience in the book printing trade.
We are helpful, friendly and pay a great deal of attention to detail. We take pride in what we do. Our many satisfied clients come back to us time and again.
Q: What sort of books do you produce?
A: Paperbacks and hardbacks in a variety of sizes and styles for a wide range of self-publishing authors – paperbacks with black text and colour covers, perhaps with colour plates or full colour throughout, hard backed (case bound) books with full colour covers, or with full colour wrap around dust jackets. The text can be black or have colour sections or be full colour throughout. It doesn’t have to be in English. We can produce books in other languages as well.
Q: What is the minimum quantity of books I can order?
A: If the quantity of books is small the books are produced digitally. We can produce one copy if you wish but most authors, when only wanting a small quantity, will usually order five or more copies. Depending on the number of pages and the content of the book, once the quantity reaches 259 to 300, it is possible that it will be more economical to produce the books by conventional offset litho printing. The quality of digital printing today is such that you would be hard pressed to be able to see any difference in quality between digital and offset litho printing.
Q: How much will it cost to produce my book?
A: There are many variables involved in a book price . . .
Are you supplying a print ready PDF or do you wish us to produce the artwork?
How many pages?
What size is the page?
Is it paperback or hardback?
Is the text black or full colour?
The list of options is almost endless.
Contact us with details of your requirements or to discuss pricing, without obligation.
Q: What about the cost of reprints?
A: If we have produced artwork for your book, then this will not be charged again for the reprint.
For digital printing there are also setting up costs involved on the digital press which will not be charged again as long as the annual charge for holding your book (currently £15 plus VAT per title) is paid each December. Amendments to artwork will be charged extra and digital press setup may also be charged if book is amended before reprint.
Reprints of litho printed books will be reprinted at time of reprint, but again if we have produced artwork on the initial run, this will not be charged again at reprint.
Q: How long will it take to produce my book?
A: If your book is required for a specific deadline we will always do our best to meet this and let you know before we start.
Under normal circumstances a standard paperback novel will take about two to three weeks at the most to produce artwork to the final stage (depending on how quickly you come back with amendments). Printed proof copy usually takes a further week to ten days and final print run a further week to ten days.
Q: Do you proof read my manuscript file?
A: No, we expect you to have checked it before you send it to us. It is always a good idea to get someone who is not involved with the book to proof read it so that it is looked at with a fresh eye.
We will check your file for spacing and punctuation problems. We find no matter how thoroughly authors have checked their words, that there will often be spaces at the start of paragraphs that should not be there or spaces in front of question marks or full stops. We have a set of standard checks that we run through to sort these out when we are laying out the text.
Q: Can I supply my own artwork ready for printing?
A: Book design requires a certain level of skill and so for a book to look professionally typeset requires experience. As long as you realise that the design appearance is your responsibility, you can supply high resolution, print ready PDFs to our specification. See also cover artwork and cover photography.
Q: Can I supply my own cover photography or illustrations?
A: We will be happy for you to supply your own cover illustrations or photography as long as it is of suitable quality and resolution.
A digital photograph should be a minimum of 300dpi at the size at which it is intended to be used. Digital photographs cannot and should not have their resolutions increased from the original. If you intend to manipulate photographs in Photoshop, you should let us see them first to assess suitability.
Digital line illustrations should ideally be 800 dpi at the size that will be used.
Q: Can I supply my own complete cover artwork?
A: Yes, as long as you follow our specifications and your artwork is produced to suitable quality. See section on website on supplying cover artwork.
Q: How much allowance should I make for the spine?
A: This is dependent on the number of pages and the thickness of the text paper. If you are supplying your own cover artwork but we are creating the text page artwork, you should create your cover in a manner that will allow you to make adjustment to the spine width if required. We will confirm the spine width once the text pages are complete.
Q: I have an ISBN but how do I make the barcode for the cover artwork I am supplying?
A: The simple answer is – you don’t. Email us the ISBN and we will have the barcode ready to drop into your artwork when you supply it.
Q: Will you sell my books for me?
A: No, selling and marketing your book is down to you.
We give you a free Author’s Page where you can tell the world about you and your books and also a free MyLiveBook page where you can bring your book to life by showing sample pages in a real time, online, electronic, page turning, digital document.
Q: Do I need an ISBN?
A: If you are going to sell your book through book shops then you need to obtain an International Standard Book Number (ISBN). See the page on ISBNs for detals of where to obtain these. If you are using an ISBN we will supply the barcode for the cover.
Q: Do we need to meet face-to-face?
A: You are welcome to visit us by appointment. However, it is not necessary. We have many customers for whom we have produced books, that we have never met in person. All necessary communication was achieved successfully by email and phone discussion. You can read what some of our customers have to say on the testimonials pages.
Q: In what sizes do you produce books?
A: A Format 175mm x 111mm (6.875" x 4.25")
B Format 198mm x 129mm (8" x 5.25") (standard paperback size)**
A5 210mm x 148mm (8.25" x 4.875")**
C Format 222mm x 143mm (8.75" x 5.625")
Demy 229mm x 152mm (9" x 6")
Royal 235mm x 191mm (9.25" x 7.5")
Crown Royal 280mm x 210mm (11" x 8.25")
A4 297mm x 210mm (11.75" x 8.25")
** These are the two most popular sizes.
Q: Can I have colour plates in among my black and white text pages?
A: Yes you can. If the colour pages are all in the one place in the text it is cheaper than spreading them through the book.
Q: If I am providing my manuscript in a word processing file for you to create the artwork what font style and size should I use?
A: If we are producing your artwork, you can use any typeface and size that you find convenient. We will change them to suit the design. You should use italics and bold text where you want text to appear this way in the finished book. You should only place a line return at the end of each paragraph and not in the middle of sentences.
If you wish to have some paragraphs indented at the first line but not all paragraphs then you should place a tab keystroke at the start of the paragraphs you wish the first lines to be indented.
If you wish to have some paragraphs with an extra line space before, then you should add this in your file.
If you have some paragraphs which you wish to look different from the main style, eg correspondence letter or a paragraph that is a quotation then you need to inform us of this and mark them in an appropriate manner. It is probably better to discuss this with us before proceeding.
Q: How should I format my manuscript file for you to do the artwork?
A: If we are producing your artwork, you can use any typeface and size that you find convenient. We will change them to suit the design. You should use italics and bold text where you want text to appear this way in the finished book. You should only place a line return at the end of each paragraph and not in the middle of sentences.
If you wish to have some paragraphs indented at the first line but not all paragraphs then you should place a tab keystroke at the start of the paragraphs you wish the first lines to be indented.
If you wish to have some paragraphs with an extra line space before, then you should add this in your file.
If you have some paragraphs which you wish to look different from the main style, eg correspondence letter or a paragraph that is a quotation then you need to inform us of this and mark them in an appropriate manner. It is probably better to discuss this with you before proceeding.
Q: What is the position with using reference material that is copyrighted to someone else?
A: You must obtain their permission in writing to use the material and they must be credited. This applies to text and photographs.
If we are supplying library photographs for use in your book, these come from sources who have given permission for the use when purchased.
For more information on UK copyright visit the UK Copyright Service: Click to visit the UK Copyright Service
Q: If I am writing about a real situation can I be sued for libel?
A: If what you write is true, then no. Alternatively, if you are writing about actual events but in a novel, then, the more details of names, personal details and places that you change, the better. Either way, if you are in doubt you should consult a solicitor before publishing.
Q: Will you design my book and then let me take it elsewhere for printing?
A: Yes, we are happy to design your book, lay out the text and provide you with a high resolution PDF for artwork for you to do do with as you wish.
You will have to let us know of any specific settings that your PDF requires.
Q: Are books subject to Value Added Tax (VAT)?
A: If you supply artwork and we produce your books there is no VAT chargeable. If we design your book, create the artwork and produce the finished books then again there is no VAT chargeable on the finished product. If we design your book and supply you with a PDF for you to have the book produced elsewhere then there would be VAT chargeable at the standard rate on the artwork, but whoever produced the finished book for you would not charge VAT on the book production.
Q: What are the difference between perfect, PUR, burst, notch and slot binding?
A: With perfect binding and PUR (Poly Urethane Reactive) binding, the spine edge of the pages is ground off leaving a rough edge for the adhesive to key to.
Burst bound books have perforations down the spine edge of the folded sheets, which are folded in 4, 8 or 16 page sections. The adhesive penetrates in through the perforations giving added strength to the binding.
Notch and slot binding are two names for the same thing and are similar to burst binding except that instead of perforations, slots are cut into the spine edge allowing for better penetration of the adhesive.
PUR is stronger than perfect binding but with modern adhesives perfect bind is still good. Burst bound is on a par with PUR and notch / slot binding is looked on as the strongest glued binding.
All our paperback books are currently slot bound where the quantities are over 100. With smaller quantities the binding method will depend on the book.
There are several factors which affect the cost of producing books; the main ones are listed here.
Minor factors
• Type of paper used.
• Page margins.
• Type size.
• Typeface used for text. (Different typefaces are slightly different set widths and so will slightly vary the page count.)
Hopefully, having looked through our website, you will have a clearer idea about what you require for your book. Please feel free to contact us if you require further clarification.
When you are ready for a quote you can either phone us on 01294 850217 for a chat or email us or click here to use the form to email us. (Form requires javascript to be active in your browser.)
Call us for advice or for a design and or printing quote, without obligation – we will be happy to help.
“Working with Gilmour Print on the production of my book has been a most satisfying experience. Every query or problem was dealt with promptly and efficiently with helpful advice being given regarding layout, colours used as background and photographs. The end result is very pleasing and I can thoroughly recommend them.”
Sue Martin
Author of Geum
Publisher – Plant Heritage.
Book information: 210mm x 148mm, 64 pages, 130gsm gloss plus cover 300gsm gloss, gloss laminated one side, full colour throughout.
“Thank you for all your hard work on the Geum book; everyone involved is very pleased with it.”
PJ Henderson, Treasurer
Kent Group Plant Heritage.
“Having previously had my fingers burned badly by a ‘vanity publisher’, it was great to be able to use someone I felt from the start that I could trust – Gilmour Print. No need to go through rejections from publishers, I was able to realise my dream by publishing ‘How to rush slowly . . . ’ myself. Douglas Gilmour designed the jacket and the text layout, offering advice on what to do and what not to do and I was delighted with the end result. The personal touch made all the difference.”
Agnes Stevens
Author of How to Rush Slowly . . .
Publisher – The Laid Back Press.
Book information: 190mm x 129mm, 148 pages, 80gsm book wove, mono text; cover 260gsm silk, printed full colour, gloss laminated one side.
“Gilmour Print provides an excellent service. Douglas Gilmour is extremely helpful and willing to provide advice. Prices are immensely reasonable, and deadlines are met. The quality of the printing and binding of the finished product is very good. I could not have asked for more.”
Arbuthnot
Author of The Antonym of Melancholy
Publisher – Democritus Press.
Book information: 210mm x 148mm, 314 pages, 100gsm smooth white uncoated, mono text; cover 300gsm gloss, printed full colour, gloss laminated one side.
“I am very pleased indeed with the book which is receiving many favourable comments. You can rely on Douglas Gilmour to come up with lots of ideas for a modern design.”
Brian Fearns
Author of The Echinopsis Hybrids of Abbey Brook Cactus Nursery
Publisher – Plant Heritage.
Book information: 210mm x 148mm, 104 pages, 130gsm gloss plus cover 300gsm gloss, gloss laminated one side, full colour throughout.
“The books arrived this morning while I was in London. It looks absolutely great and I am so pleased with it. Thanks for making it look so good and for getting it to us so quickly. Well done!”
Margaret Easter
Author of The Thyme Handbook
Publisher – Plant Heritage.
Book information: 210mm x 148mm, 84 pages, 130gsm gloss plus cover 300gsm gloss, gloss laminated one side, full colour throughout.
“I was very fortunate. A friend recommended Gilmour Print. I discovered a company which gives a personal service. Phone calls are answered by a real voice. If you do have to leave a message, your call is returned promptly, as are e mails. This is a company which takes pride in paying attention to detail, and offering help and making suggestions through the different stages. I am in East Anglia; Gilmour Print could have been next door. This is old-fashioned service with modern technology at its best. What’s more, costs are extremely competitive.”
Penny Young
Author of Two Cocks on the Dunghill
Publisher – Twopenny Press.
Book information: 210mm x 148mm, 394 pages, 90gsm book wove, mono text; two full colour plates; cover 260gsm silk, printed full colour, gloss laminated one side.
“I bless the day that I saw Gilmour Print in Yellow Pages. I saw among other things that they printed technical manuals. Via their website, I sent details of my book for a quotation. I receive a reply the same day – a Sunday! The service was professionalism at its best; no late or cancelled meetings, quick and expert advice and the feeling given that my book was all that mattered. The book production has received high praise; from booksellers words such as ‘splendid’, ‘beautiful’, ‘excellent’ and from readers who wrote to me with comments – many praised the clarity of the photograph reproduction. I need only quote from one letter: ‘As a former professional librarian I know a well produced book when I see it – and this is first class.’”
Michael Bragg
Author of RDF1 The Location of Aircraft by Radio Methods 1935 – 1945
Publisher – Hawkhead Press.
Book information: 210mm x 148mm, 448 pages, 90gsm book wove, mono text; 32 page plate section, 130gsm gloss printed mono; case bound; dust jacket 130gsm gloss, printed mono, gloss laminated one side.
“We very much wanted to let you know how greatly we appreciated all of your contributions towards our book – it really was a labour of love on all of our parts! We do understand that this is not the regular process of book production and are fully aware of your commitment and generosity of spirit over and above the call of duty. We are grateful for your involvement.”
Illustrated by Dorothy A Deighan
Music by Richard Robertson
Woman – a collection of poetry, paintings and accompanying music CD.
Publisher – Blanefield Publishing.
Book information: 210mm x 148mm, 32 pages, 170gsm gloss; case bound with dust jacket 130gsm gloss, gloss laminated one side; printed full colour throughout.
“Gilmour Print recently contributed immensely in the production of a small children’s story-book (for the grandchildren). I would like to thank Douglas Gilmour for his advice on layout, editorial tips and general presentation of the finished product, also prompt delivery of book, with special thanks from grandpa, the author. Who knows, there may be a sequel and if so, there would be no hesitation in returning to Gilmour Print.”
Jean Fitzpatrick
Author’s wife The Little Cakesaurus
Publisher – House of Fitzpatrick.
Book information: 210mm x 148mm, 40 pages, 100gsm smooth white, mono text; cover 300gsm silk, printed full colour, gloss laminated one side.
“In the last couple of years, I have had the pleasure of working with Gilmour Print, both in my own capacity as a writer and on behalf of other authors I work with, and I cannot praise Mr Gilmour’s standards highly enough. At all times his organisation has been accommodating, honest and direct. They make the author aware of what can and cannot be done, they offer invaluable advice on how improvements could be made to presentation, they are tolerant of any last minute requests, they keep in constant touch regarding developments, their prices are very reasonable and they deliver on time. What is more, and possibly most important, they offer the personal touch.”
Quincey Riddle
Author of The Great Dessert Raid of 1882
Publisher – Poison Pen Publishing.
Book information: 210mm x 148mm, 252 pages, 100gsm smooth white uncoated, printed colour and mono; cover 300gsm silk, printed full colour, gloss laminated one side.
“Special thanks are due to our printer, Douglas Gilmour (Gilmour Print), who has worked closely with all of the authors in the series (five so far) and has been unfailingly patient and understanding throughout.”
Katrina Clow
Chairperson
Plant Heritage Publications Committee
Publisher – Plant Heritage.
Book information: various books, 210mm x 148mm, 40 pages to 104 pages, 130gsm gloss; cover 300gsm gloss, gloss laminated one side, full colour throughout.
“Gilmour Print provided me with a rare commodity these days – service with a personal touch. From front-cover planning and design to the proof reading stage, the company supports its customer in a quietly professional way; what you see is very much what you get and what you get is reliability with a congenial integrity.”
Ken Pratt
Author of Hunting Captain Henley
Publisher – Ken Pratt.
Book information: 190mm x 129mm, 546 pages, 90gsm book wove, printed mono; cover 260gsm single sided silk, printed full colour, gloss laminated one side.
“Our latest three books were linked to their own MyLiveBook page on self-publish-books.co.uk so that buyers could see the book before they bought. The pages were dynamic and illustrated the full colour nature of our plant titles, resulting in unprecedented sales in the first weeks of publication.”
Genevieve Melbourne Webb
Executive Officer Plant Heritage
Publisher – Plant Heritage.
Book information: various books, 210mm x 148mm, 40 pages to 104 pages, 130gsm gloss; cover 300gsm gloss, gloss laminated one side, full colour throughout.
“I just saw your magnificent page previewer (MyLiveBook) of my book. I love the sound of the turning pages! Thanks so much. Everyone is being so complimentary.”
Penny Young
Author of Ups and Downs along the Black Sea in the reverse footsteps of Xenophon
Publisher – Twopenny Press.
Book information: 210mm x 148mm, 234 pages, 90gsm book wove, printed mono; cover 260gsm single sided silk, printed full colour, gloss laminated one side.
“I was looking for a small number of a medium sized books to be printed for my own personal use. I was a complete novice and had no idea how this could be done. Douglas Gilmour simply took over from there. He quickly understood the requirements, gave practical advice, and began work on the project before I had even reached home. I was kept up to date on a regular basis and given pointers as to what the finished article would look like. I had the final say on all matters, and we didn’t go to print until I was entirely satisfied with the final product. The outcome was higher than my expectations – and didn't cost as much as anticipated!! I have no hesitation in recommending Douglas’s expertise to anyone with a similar project in mind.”
James Kirkwood
Author of Over & Out
Publisher – Dalcumly Press.
Book information: 210mm x 148mm, 176 pages, 100gsm smooth uncoated; cover 300gsm gloss, printed, full colour, gloss laminated one side.
“Gilmour Print has recently produced my book, Coffeehouse Footnotes, published by Twopenny Press. Douglas Gilmour has been excellent to deal with. He undertook exactly what was asked of him. The production was of outstanding quality, promptly delivered and reasonably priced. I would warmly recommend him to anyone wanting any printing work done.”
Peter Clark
Middle East Cultural Advisory Services
Author of Coffeehouse Footnotes
Publisher – Twopenny Press.
Book information: 210mm x 148mm, 248 pages, 80gsm book wove, printed mono; cover 260gsm silk, printed full colour, gloss laminated one side.
If we have designed or produced your book, as The Author you get a free web page that will let you say a bit about yourself. You can give us a potted history or a bit about how you go about your writing – whatever you think might be of interest to a potential customer – you can mention other books you have written or say more about your current book if there is not enough room far right.
You also get a free MyLiveBook sample page where you can bring sample pages of your book to life in a real time, online, electronic, page turning, digital document that looks, feels and sounds like a real publication. Potential customers can then see inside your book before they buy. A purchase is more likely to be made if sample pages can be viewed in a realistically presented way.
You can provide optional contact information. The email will be hidden in code so that it can only be found by real people, thus avoiding unwanted emails.
You may also have a link to your own website or to a website selling your book.
Both MyLiveBook Page and Free Author’s Page are created for you.
Currently we do not have facilities to sell your book for you online. We may do so at some point in the future if there is demand.
We can show contact information for you.
To contact the author please email:
theAuthor@his.mailserver.co.uk
or by post:
The Author
23b My Street
Mytown AB1 2ZQ
or telephone: 00000 000000
Peter Clark has had wide experience of living, working and travelling in the Middle East over the past fifty years. He is a writer – his books include Marmaduke Pickthall British Muslim, which was published in the 1980s and more recently Istanbul in the series Cities of the Imagination and Emerging Arab Voices One.
His latest book, Coffeehouse Footnotes, was designed and produced by Self Publish Books and is available from the publishers Twopenny Press.
Peter has also translated eight books from Arabic – history and fiction – including Grandfather’s Tale and Sabriya by Ulfat Idilbi, published by Quartet Books.
He is a cultural consultant, a trustee of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction and a contributing editor of Banipal, the magazine of modern Arab literature. Peter also writes obituaries for The Guardian and book reviews for the TLS and Asian Affairs.
Over the years, he has collected a PhD and an OBE. He is married, is a proud grandfather and is based in Frome in Somerset.
To contact the author please email:
or by post:
Peter Clark, Middle East Cultural Advisory Services, 71 Nunney Road
Frome, Somerset BA11 4LF
or telephone: 01373 300310
In the Middle East the trivial can often cast light on issues that may preoccupy the headlines. There were people – often Arab writers – whose lives and work were of significance, and should be known beyond their particular artistic and professional circles. All this part-time writing has occupied a territory between journalism and scholarship. Coffeehouse Footnotes helps shed light on these aspects of the Middle East.
Margaret Easter holds National Plant Collection® of Thymus (Scientific Status) and is an International Cultivar Registration Authority for Thymus (ICRA). She runs a backgarden nursery, LW Plants, in Harpenden – plants from a plantsman's garden.
She has gardened organically since the mid 1980s and the garden is planted for year round interest and for wildlife. She has been researching Thymus nomenclature since 1992 and it soon became apparent that it was a complete muddle!
Over the years she has been sorting out names, working in consultation with the RHS Advisory Committee on Nomenclature and Taxonomy.
The Thyme Handbook was published during summer 2009 by Plant Heritage. In December 2009, with the aid of a grant from The Finnis Scott Foundation, Margaret self-published the International Thymus Register and Checklist under her own imprint – Owl Prints. Currently an e-book The Big Book of Thyme is in preparation and will be published in summer 2010. It will be fully illustrated and include descriptions of all British, European and American thymes.
To contact the author please email:
or telephone: 01582 768467
Author’s website:
www.thymus.co.uk
The Thyme Handbook is for gardeners and nurserymen who love growing thyme and includes the cultivars and species readily available in the nursery trade in the UK.
In this book Margaret Easter shares her love of thyme with other gardeners who grow thyme and who would like to know more about it.
Brian Fearn English nurseryman Brian Fearn is the owner of the renowned Abbey Brook Cactus Nursery, Matlock, Derbyshire. An authority on succulent plants, he has grown and researched them since his youth. He has supplied plants to many countries around the world and celebrated the nursery’s Golden Jubilee in 2006.
A trailblazer in the conservation of succulent plants, he announced in 1962 that he would not deal in unpropagated wild collected plants and has championed the propagation and safeguarding of plants in cultivation ever since.
Born in 1937, Brian founded Abbey Brook while at Sheffield University where he received a BSc in Botany. His work on the genus Lithops aka ‘Living stones’ earned him an MSc in 1969 and also brought him international recognition.
He is the Holder of six Plant Heritage National Plant Collections® of succulent plant genera.He is also widely known – as far afield as Japan – for his work in hybridising cacti, especially Echinopsis since the late 1960s.
To contact the author please email:
or telephone: 01629 580306
or by post to:
Abbey Brook Cactus Nursery,
Bakewell Road, Matlock,
Derbyshire DE4 2QJ
or visit his website:
www.abbeybrookcacti.com
The Echinopsis Hybrids of Abbey Brook Cactus Nursery describes the story of Brian Fearn’s forty years’ work selecting and naming the 130+ best shaped and coloured, beautiful hybrids out of the 150,000 seedlings that he has flowered – fewer than one in a thousand. With glorious images in full colour of 107 hybrids, this is a book to relish even if you don’t grow cacti!
Sue Martin holds National Plant Collection® of Geum. She has been growing geums ever since moving to her present garden 20 years ago. This book is a result of her obsession with these plants and their history. The majority of cultivars available to gardeners today are described as well as a representative selection of species.
All the photographs of geums in the book were taken by Sue in her garden. Visitors are welcome to see around Sue Martin’s garden by appointment or on days when the garden is open under the National Gardens Scheme. May and June are the best times to see the geums in flower – there are in the region of 100 different ones planted throughout this attractive cottage-style garden.
Geum is selling fast. To buy a copy contact Sue Martin. Price £7.50 plus £1.00 p&p.
To contact the author please email:
or post to: Brickwall Cottage Nursery, Frittenden, Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 2DH.
Geum is a result of Sue Martin’s obsession with these plants and their history. The majority of cultivars available to gardeners today are described as well as a representative selection of species.
All the photographs of geums in the book were taken by Sue in her garden.
Scottish writer Ken Pratt is a graduate of Glasgow University's renowned Creative Writing Masters, and author of Hunting Captain Henley, The Taking of Battlemount High, The English Student, and The Persecution.
Ken, a Glasgow based journalist, was a finalist in the Guardian Award for International Development Journalism for his disturbing reportage from Uganda and DR Congo.
Born in Hamilton, Scotland in 1965, after school Ken went to Glasgow Uni, completing an MA in English.
On graduation he joined The Sunday Post as a trainee reporter and was one of the first journalists on the scene at the Lockerbie Disaster.
He also covered the Piper Alpha Disaster for The Post and was despatched on a number of foreign assignments including to Jerusalem during the First Gulf War and to The Soviet Union during the collapse of Communism. Ken also covered the World Cup in Italy as a newsman and the European Championships in Gothenburg before moving to The Sunday Sun in Newcastle as an investigative reporter. He then freelanced for a short period from South Africa near the end of the Apartheid regime.
To contact the author please email:
or telephone: 01389 890820
About the book – Hunting Captain Henley
His debut novel, Hunting Captain Henley, described as ‘a cross between Moby Dick and Heart of Darkness’ uses personal experiences and insights to explore a hidden narrative behind the reporter’s prose.
His second novel, The English Student, continues the theme as a disaffected foreign correspondent struggles to come to terms with his crumbling relationship and the dismantling of the UK.
Penny Young is a freelance writer and journalist and lives in Norfolk.
She served her apprenticeship as a newspaper reporter with the Westminster Press. Later she joined the BBC and became news editor for BBC Radio Northampton, leaving in 1991 to freelance for radio, television and the print media, both at home and abroad. She has travelled extensively, particularly in the Middle East, Turkey and eastern Europe.
Previous publications include Intrepid Arabia and the South of England section of the Lefties’ Guide to Britain published in 2005 by Politico’s.
In 2009, Penny set up Twopenny Press to publish Two Cocks on the Dunghill and in 2010 Ups and Downs along the Black Sea in the Reverse Footsteps of Xenophon was published. Both books were designed and produced by Gilmour Print / Self Publish Books.
Both books are available via the Twopenny Press website.
Visit www.twopennypress.co.uk
Two Cocks on the Dunghill – William Cobbett and Henry Hunt: their friendship, feuds and fights is an account of the extraordinary relationship between two leading radical reformers of the early 19th century, who spent their lives fighting for justice, human rights and a reformed, democratic House of Commons.
Ups and Downs along the Black Sea in the reverse footsteps of Xenophon. Onwards and upwards. That’s how the bicycle and I proceeded until we reached 6,950 feet, 2,010 metres. Sadly there were no Greek soldiers or Xenophon to kiss me. What I had to deal with instead was the longest road tunnel in Turkey at the time. I emerged, blinking, into a glorious and transformed world. Before me lay. . .
If you would like more information about Free Authors’ Pages or MyLiveBook please contact Douglas Gilmour.
To contact Douglas Gilmour, Self Publish Books, Gilmour Print
please email:
or post to: Gilmour Print, Irvinehill Farm, Stewarton, Ayrshire KA3 3EL
or telephone: 01294 850217
A bit about the free MyLiveBook service available to authors and publishers from Self Publish Books.
Bring sample pages of your book to life in a real time, online, electronic, page turning, digital version, that looks and sounds like a real book with MyLiveBook, complete with zoom feature to enable close scrutiny of text and illustrations, giving that little bit extra to help market your new book. It’s a free service from Self Publish Books, in association with Gilmour Print when we design and or print your book. Along with our Free Authors’ Pages it is one more free added value that makes it a good idea to use Self Publish Books to design and produce your book. See what some of our satisfied authors and publishers have to say on our testimonials pages.
These books have sample pages available via MyLiveBook:
Click on the name to visit their sample pages:
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Dr de Ath – Random Tales from Dodge
Peter Clark – Coffeehouse Footnotes
Margaret Easter – The Thyme Handbook
Brian Fearn – The Echinopsis Hybrids of Abbey Brook Cactus Nursery
Grandpa Billy – The Little Cakeasaurus
Ken Pratt – Hunting Captain Henley
Penny Young – Two Cocks on the Dunghill
Penny Young – Ups and Downs along the Black Sea
If you would like more information about Free Authors’ Pages or MyLiveBook please contact Douglas Gilmour.
To contact Douglas Gilmour, Self Publish Books, Gilmour Print
please email:
or post to: Gilmour Print, Irvinehill Farm, Stewarton, Ayrshire KA3 3EL
or telephone: 01294 850217
Have your book professionally designed. Our prices are very reasonable. Contact us now, without obligation, for a quotation.
You can contact us during normal business hours plus at evenings and weekends. If phoning and you don’t get an immediate answer, please leave a message – we always aim to return calls quickly as can be verified in some of our testimonials.
You can email files to us up to about 5mB in size. If you need to send us larger files please use mailbigfile – the service is free. Clicking on the red link will open page in a new tab. If you need to send several large files we suggest you combine them using proprietory compression software such as WinZip for PCs which is free or Stuffit for Apple Macs. This will save some time. Alternatively you can send a CD or DVD. These days faxes are less in demand, so we no longer have a dedicated fax line. If you need to fax us please phone first as we will need to connect the fax machine.
Hopefully, having looked through our website, you will have a clearer idea about what you require for your book. Please feel free to contact us if you require further clarification.
When you are ready for a quote you can either phone us for a chat or email us using the form at the right or click on the link in the bottom right of this page.
Call us for advice or for a design and or printing quote, without obligation.
We will be happy to help.
Self Publish Books / Gilmour Print
Any information you submit to us will be dealt with in the strictest of confidence. No details supplied by you will be passed on to any third party. Information supplied will only be used for the purposes of dealing with and responding to your communication.