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Questions about publishing a paperback on CreateSpace
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Once you have your files uploaded you can order a proof copy before you approve it for distribution. I'm afraid I can't help with the ISBN question because we get ours free in Canada so I have my own. Everything I have read on ISNBs however says that you should have your own, otherwise you aren't considered the publisher of your book, Createspace would be. I don't think you can do a pre-order, or I couldn't see any way to do it. Once you approve your proof and release for distribution it takes several days to show up on Amazon (I'm still waiting for mine to appear). It shows up in the Createspace store in less than a day.
I've used Creatspace for my only book so far. I had no idea what I was doing though but I pushed through it. I think they give you copy to proof and then send it off. I would recommend said ISBN number. It's easier if you decide to use Amazon and stuff. Not sure about the preorder since I never tried it.
The ISBN number DOES indicate the publisher of the work, but that's true of traditional publishing, also. It has nothing to do with copyright, and does not change the authorship.
You can do your final on a proof copy and if there's problems, simply make your changes and order another proof.If you want to be the publisher, your own ISBN is mandatory. Otherwise, as Lisa said, Createspace becomes the default publisher of your book. You might also run into problems later if you want to transfer your book to another publisher since Createspace owns the ISBN, but I don't honestly know how that would work. Best investigate carefully.
I bought my own ISBN's from Bowker, so it's not an issue for me.
Can't help you on the pre-order, but Createspace does have help available.
Best of luck.
April wrote: "I'm almost ready to print my first "proof" copy of a paperback on CreateSpace. I've never done this before, so I have a lot of questions. If anyone who's done this before can chime in, I'd really a..."If you plan on doing a lot of publishing, you might want to buy a block of ISBN numbers (they're cheaper in bulk), but you should be fine using the free one provided by CreateSpace. All it represents is the publisher, not the author or holder of the copyright.
Jay wrote: "You can do your final on a proof copy and if there's problems, simply make your changes and order another proof.If you want to be the publisher, your own ISBN is mandatory. Otherwise, as Lisa sai..."
Jay is correct about the ISBN not transferring to a different publisher. You would have a different ISBN for a different publisher...but you still own the copyright (although some traditional publishers may have a contract that specifies themselves as having first publication and/or reprint rights.
Read any contracts carefully.
You have to pay for the proof copy, which I recommend, but after it passes Createspace's review for proper format, you can look at an online digital copy for free. Do this before you order the proof because it gives you a real look at the formatting, and you can correct any errors before you buy the proof copy. It could save you money. I've published several books through Createspace and I don't know the pros and cons of using their free ISBNs, but I use those and haven't regretted it.
Just to add, you buy the proof at cost (i.e. cost to print) not your listed price.
Thanks, everyone, for the great insights and advice. I've uploaded my interior file and cover file to CreateSpace. I'm reviewing the electronic form of the book on CreateSpace - and already noticed my inside margin needs to be bigger. That's important to know!!Thanks again for taking the time to share your experiences. I really appreciate it a lot.
April, just thought I'd chime in.1. If you use Createspace's ISBN you can't use the same ISBN with another distributor, even if it's the exact same format (i.e. trade paperback, same specs). For example Lightning Source won't let you use an ISBN tied to a book distributed through Createspace. I've run into this issue even with a self-purchased ISBN simply because I chose expanded distribution.
So I have a feeling it would be harder still to sort that out if you bought the ISBN through Createspace.
2. There is no pre-order for books option through Createspace like KDP has for e-books.
3. Additional proof copies are good if you want to give someone a copy for another pair of eyes, otherwise one is enough.
April, I'm on the same step you are. I actually received my proof copy in the mail and went over it today. I didn't come across any major or immediate errors that needed to be fixed but I did find a few little things here and there that I fixed that make me feel better going forward.I also forgot to add page numbers and when I tried to add them it messed up the formatting of my paragraphs pushing them further down the page and created 14 extra pages. I can't publish with 14 extra pages as I risk the chance of my cover not fitting properly because it was formatted to the original amount of pages I first gave to my cover artist.
To make matters more annoying, my About the Author page moved all the way down to the end making it a bit weird looking but I already submitted the files to Createspace so I have to wait until Friday to submit the correct way I want them.
Okay so that's been my experience over the last 24 hours and to answer your question, yes you should treat the proof as your last way to proofread your book. If you come across any major errors have them fixed and if you come across any small ones decide whether or not they should be addressed. I addressed all my errors just because I'm picky and wanted my work to be as spotless and perfect as I could get it, but that's just me.
As for your second question, I'd suggest going with Createspace assigning you an ISBN as it saves you money.
As for a pre-order I'm not sure, I'd say Ellison is right in the fact that you'd have to pay for them but I don't believe there is a place where people who know about your book can go and pre-order copies. I am actually going to give them a call and ask a few things I'm a bit unclear on, I'll let you know if I get any valuable feedback, best of luck!
Justin "I can't publish with 14 extra pages as I risk the chance of my cover not fitting properly because it was formatted to the original amount of pages I first gave to my cover artist."
As far as other formatting issues, If you did your book in WORD before converting to the PDF format, you should not have any issues in formatting when you simply added page numbers. If you do, they can be fixed before the conversion. Keep in mind, better to turn page numbers on before you write your book, but then, a lot of things are seem more clearly in your rear-view mirror, hence the term, 'live and learn.'
14 extra pages won't distort your cover to resize it. Recalculate the size needed, and if you don't have a program that will do the resize the cover, send it to me and I'll help you out, no charge.
morris.graham@sbcglobal.net
As far as other formatting issues, If you did your book in WORD before converting to the PDF format, you should not have any issues in formatting when you simply added page numbers. If you do, they can be fixed before the conversion. Keep in mind, better to turn page numbers on before you write your book, but then, a lot of things are seem more clearly in your rear-view mirror, hence the term, 'live and learn.'
14 extra pages won't distort your cover to resize it. Recalculate the size needed, and if you don't have a program that will do the resize the cover, send it to me and I'll help you out, no charge.
morris.graham@sbcglobal.net
definitely order a proof copy for final review. Do not trust the downloaded proof for cover appearance. I was disappointed in how dark my cover printed when I got my first proof, even though it looked fine on my computer screen. I just lightened it some and re-uploaded then ordered another proof. It looked great on the second try.
I've noticed that art work does look better online than in print. I went with matte covers at first, and found out that, for me at least, glossy looked much better in print. It's a matter of taste, I'm sure.
Three books using CreateSpace. Recommend ordering proofs as you'll see things you didn't see on your electronic device, or paper if that's what you use. I ordered copies of Halfway to a Southern Heart and the last batch cover was more pink than I previously received without any changes on my part. Not sure what that is about. I also would go with glossy cover. Have used both a white and cream paper, they're both okay but I probably favor the cream. Overall, happy with the service.
Status: I submitted my interior file and cover file. They are reviewing them now. As soon as that's done, I'll order a couple of proof copies to review. (Patiently waiting.... waiting.... waiting....) Very excited.
April wrote: "Status: I submitted my interior file and cover file. They are reviewing them now. As soon as that's done, I'll order a couple of proof copies to review. (Patiently waiting.... waiting.... waiting....."Waiting is the hardest part, lol.
Good luck!
I didn't have to wait too long. The interior file and cover file were approved overnight. I have ordered three proof copies, and they should be here on Wednesday! I'm so excited, I can't stand it!The 5-day wait will give me time to focus on writing, which I sorely need to do. I've been obsessed with the paperback for several days and got absolutely NO writing done on my WIPs.
Thanks, everyone, for your kind support. I really do appreciate it. Setting up the book in CreateSpace was a little nerve wracking, but now that the process is mostly done, I realize it is very easy to do.
Thanks again!! :)
I received the three proof copies of my paperback from CreateSpace today. Wow, I am amazed at the quality. These paperback books are indistinguishable from any you would find on a bookstore shelf. That's amazing.I have some formatting adjustments to make (need bigger margins all around), and need to decrease font 1 point and increase leading 1 point. I am uber picky about formatting! Like obsessively so. But I'm having tons of fun doing this.
Just remember that when you hit approve your book goes live and is immediately available for purchase on CS. I found that out a few hours ago..I thought there was. publish button and forgot it published the minute I hit approve proof.
April wrote: "I have some formatting adjustments to make (need bigger margins all around)"Just be wary of making the margins too big; bigger margins = higher page count = more expensive book. Even with thin margins the minimum price for mine was about $15. Food for thought. Good luck!
Justin wrote: "Just remember that when you hit approve your book goes live and is immediately available for purchase on CS. I found that out a few hours ago..I thought there was. publish button and forgot it publ..."Thanks for the warning, Justin. I didn't know that. I will stay away from the CS website until I'm ready to upload a new print file. Then I'll have to wait for another proof copy to come, then proof that. It's a time consuming process when you're as obsessive about it as I am. I have a ruler out and am measuring sixteenths of inches. LOL
Joe wrote: "April wrote: "I have some formatting adjustments to make (need bigger margins all around)"Just be wary of making the margins too big; bigger margins = higher page count = more expensive book. Ev..."
Thanks, Joe. I am increasing the margins, but decreasing the font size, yet increasing the leading. The end result is that my page count is going up, unfortunately, for the reasons you mentioned... higher print cost. Right now my "retail" price for the paperback is $11.99, so I do have some room to move the price up a bit, but I hope I won't have to. I want to keep the retail price down as low as I can and still have a positive royalty.
It's a strange oversight that you can now pick a future publishing date for Kindle books and take pre-orders, but not (yet?) with Createspace. And the weird thing is, the button you push to publish it looks like you can set a future date. What is that about?
My cover is ready, as is the interior of the book.
1. I still need to do a final "review" of the paperback before I release it to the world. Can I order one copy of the book (a proof copy), and use that to do my final proofreading on?
2. What do you recommend about the ISBN number? Should I let CreateSpace put one on there? Should I use their "custom ISBN" number for $10? Or should I use one of their other options?
3. Can I do a "pre-order" on a paperback through CreateSpace? I'd like to try that, if it's possible through CreateSpace.
Here's the cover: http://aprilwilsonwrites.com/images/v...
Thanks for any help... :)