Formatting from Lulu.com - Writers Forum

Rabid Euphoria · 12-09-2007, 05:55 AM

Has anyone else gotten this? I signed up in case I use it and for formatting they have templates for various sizes. It's crazy how much length it can add to a work. I've written 240 pages in regular 8 x 11 and when tranfered to 6x9 for hardcover it is now at 322 pages. It's crazy to think that I've written that many pages as it would appear on a novel. I even turned the font from 12 to 11 which would make about a 15 - 20 page difference. includes margins, spacing, page numbering etc.

Read the hints for using them (like page break) as it really helps the formatting staying constant all through out. They have over a dozen formats for whatever you need.

If you haven't, just sign up and it's either in help for formatting or you have to start a project to obtain it. Well worth the five or ten minutes it may take.

If you get it, view it in 75% zoom and it shows two pages side to side, how it would look in your hands.

Mike C · 12-09-2007, 05:58 AM

Unless you actually have some interest in using Lulu's services, what would be the point?

Rabid Euphoria · 12-09-2007, 06:05 AM

Aren't hardcover books generally the same cover size/page size? So I've got a template to set it up for a page that size, instead of 8x11. I'm sitting here thinking of finishing around 280 pages when in novel form, depending on margin specifics etc and fine tuning would, would be in length. It's much easier than trying to figure it out yourself. At least this way if you intend to send it to publishers you'll have a general idea of length in book form as opposed to 8x11.

It's nice to know that when I cut parts and change things I don't have to worry about dropping significantly in length. I wanted it to be about 300 in novel form and is looking to easily clear that. Here I was thinking I'd have to write another thirty or forty pages just to make 300. SPARTA!!

Non Serviam · 12-09-2007, 07:35 AM

Formatting for Lulu.com is a technical challenge that I had fun overcoming.

You can do it in a word processor if you're good at that and if the book doesn't have any illustrations. Don't print a book in Times New Roman or Arial--they're not good book fonts. TNR is good for newspapers because it lets you get lots of words into a column--very narrow font. But I suggest you use Caslon or Garamond for large blocks of prose.

Don't use the word processor's default line spacing, shrink it or it won't look like an offset printer's book. Do set up mirror margins correctly. Do devote some attention to kerning--there are special ligatures for "fi", "fl", and so on that it's a good idea to use.

Ideally you want to use a proper layout program rather than a word processor.

Lulu hardbacks are excellent quality, as good as an offset printer. The softcovers are a tad on the flimsy side.

Rabid Euphoria · 12-09-2007, 06:38 PM

I don't know what you mean by kerning.

As for font, I love Garmond, it looks awesome but for my novel I've chosen Goudy Old Style. I feel it matches the content well.

Non Serviam · 12-10-2007, 09:13 AM

Wikipedia has a tolerable definition of kerning:

Kerning - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It's important--it's one of the key signatures of a professional typographic job. If you don't kern, many readers will have the feeling that something's "off" with the typesetting (although they usually won't know why).

Look at this word: Affiliation.

That would look off if printed, for two reasons. First, the gap between the capital "A" and the first "f" is too large, and second, because of the way the combination of letters "ffi" appear. Do you see how the dot over the "i" seems to vanish? It could be even worse in Goudy Old Style because the dot over the "i" would overlay part of the "f".

By kerning, you'll adjust the gaps between letters and the ligatures to make them look correct.

Non Serviam · 12-10-2007, 09:32 AM

I'll explain how to do it in Word. (If you use a different word processor, the technique will vary.)

I don't have Goudy Old Style on this machine, so I'll use Garamond as an example.

Open your document in Word and go to "insert" --> "symbol". Select Garamond as your chosen font. Scroll right down to the end (past all the Russian symbols and so on) and you'll see two ligatures right at the end for "fi" and "fl". Use them to replace the combination of letters "fi" and "fl" (using the find/replace tool) throughout your document. Save it.

Then select all the text in your document. Set the font size to 11.5pt exactly. Go to "format", "paragraph" and "line spacing". Set the line spacing to 12.5pt exactly.

Then go to "tools" --> "options" --> "compatibility". A short way down, you'll see a check box called "Do full justification like Wordperfect 6.x for Windows". Check this box. (What it does is it enables the processor to squeeze words slightly, as well as expanding them, when justifying--you'll get smoother text justification and your capitals will be more likely to be kerned correctly).

Set whatever other options you like. Personally I recommend drop caps at the start of each chapter--they make your text look more professionally laid-out--but it's up to you to make it look pretty. Do set the mirror margins with a 1/4" central gutter and 3/4" from the edge of the page to the edge of the text.

Then save it. Google for the Cutepdf editor, download it for free, and use it to turn your Word document into a .pdf. Check it carefully by printing it out and reading it.

Then you're ready to go to print, assuming you don't have any illustrations to add.

jesterscourt · 12-10-2007, 12:46 PM

I don't plan on publishing stuff on Lulu at the time being, but the whole idea does interest me so this was an interesting read. Thank you.

ClancyBoy · 12-10-2007, 07:13 PM

Lulu let's you print from pdf files too.

That means if you have Adobe Illustrator you can do anything you want with the format.

Just imagine the possibilities.