You have finally made the exciting decision to write a book. You sit down at your desk, drafted outline at the ready, when a thought occurs to you – how long should this book be? Is there even an industry standard for book lengths? These thoughts can be confusing and overwhelming. Fortunately, we’re here to provide some clarity on this murky subject. Why are book lengths important? Even though the average reader might not have an in-depth idea of what happens during the publishing process, they still foster expectations of the books they want to read. For each genre, readers have a preconceiv ..read more

Proofreading is a very important step in the publishing process. This is your final chance to ensure that your book is in tiptop shape. Scanning through your book might cause a few errors to slip through…though fear not for we are here to help! Why can’t we proofread it electronically? Proofing a printed copy is usually done after you have already done it electronically. The purpose of proofreading your printed copy is to ensure that there are no elements in the design that you don’t like. With the printed proof; we can ensure that the size of the book is correct, that the margins are in the r ..read more

WeTransfer is a website that allows you to temporarily share files or folders with others. Let’s take a look at how to use WeTransfer. Step 1 Type ‘WeTransfer’ into Google. Click on the first link that pops up. When you click on the link, you will be taken to WeTransfer’s home screen. Step 2 At the top of the box, you will see an ‘upload files’ option, click on the plus button on the left of it. Step 3 The browser for your computer documents will pop up. Go to the file you want to upload and click on it. The files name should be displaying in the textbox at the bottom, like in the ex ..read more

Different genres have different expectations from their readers. For these expectations to be met, the author must follow certain rules to satisfy the readers. Let’s look at how you should be writing for your genre. Fiction In fantasy novels, readers heavily rely on their imagination. Your job as a fantasy writer is to ease this process as much as possible with descriptive language. Take the time to flush out the world you want to create thoroughly. The book cover is crucial to set the tone of the book. If your book has darker themes, for example, a Lovecraftian novel, it is best to have a da ..read more

The first thing someone sees when they have a look at your book is the cover. This is the very first chance you have, to make a good impression, which is why it is very important to do it right. Colour psychology in covers, is an effective marketing tool that will help you grab your audience’s attention as soon as they see your book. What is Colour Psychology? Each colour has a different psychological effect on you. It can make you feel more drawn towards a product, or it can do the exact opposite. This means that even the colour you choose for your book will impacts your audience’s decision ..read more

Want to know what to do after publishing your book? It is now time to get that book out into the world for people to enjoy your masterpiece. This may seem a bit overwhelming, but there’s no need to worry! Lift-Off with Preflight Books, we know exactly what to give your book wings and help it soar. What is the lift-off service? The lift-off service is a way for us to help you, the author, sell the book you worked so hard on! We use our platform and expert knowledge to advertise your book. What lift-off services do we offer our authors? There are two different lift-off services at Preflight Book ..read more

Kindle Direct Publishing is an e-book self-publishing service that is hosted by Amazon.com. It is an easy and fast way to launch your e-book, and there are many great options to market your book on Amazon. KDP puts the author in control of their own book, budget, and more. When launching a new book, marketing is the most important strategy for gaining new readers. KDP offers a wide range of marketing options with easy accessibility. Marketing options There are many options to market your book on Amazon. It is up to you to decide which option suits your book and your budget. KDP Select KDP Sele ..read more

So you’ve just completed your manuscript, how exciting! The next step is sending your work off to have it published and printed, but wait – which of the available book sizes should you choose? Should you do a custom size? What in the world is going on? Do not fear for Preflight is here and more than happy to help you pick the perfect book size for your soon-to-be stellar work! What is trim size and how do you pick one? Book size is referred to as the trim size, as it describes the height and width of the pages that need to be cut for your book. There are several factors that come into play whe ..read more

Learn How to Leave Comments and Proofread a PDF  Editing, design, proofreading and printing are all part of the publishing process. After editing, we are done with Microsoft Word. Design and typesetting are done in Adobe InDesign or similar software. From here, your typeset book is exported as a PDF document. Any corrections or proofreading at this point should be done using Adobe Acrobat Reader. This might seem daunting, but not to worry, we’ll teach you how to markup a PDF!  What Does Adobe Acrobat Reader Look Like?  After opening your PDF file, you will see a panel at the to ..read more

Whether you are self-publishing your book or going the traditional publishing route, editing is one of the first steps in the publishing process. Microsoft Word is the most popular word processor on the market. It is industry standard for editors to use Track Changes to edit your document. As such, understanding how to use Track Changes is an important skill for any author. Luckily, Preflight Books has you covered! What are Track Changes? The Track Changes function is exactly what it sounds like: the function tracks every change that is made to your document, including who made those changes a ..read more