Packaging isn’t everything, but it’s not chopped liver either. A mediocre or downright shoddy book can look lovely with a sophisticated design on quality paper. But even a beautifully laid out quality piece of work can be cheapened if printed on inferior text stock. Knowing a few basics about paper for books can help you ask for (and maybe even get) what you want.
Text stock (the paper for your book’s inside pages) typically comes in weights of 50-pound (also called 20-pound publishing bond) and 60-pound (also called 24-pound publishing bond). The larger the number, the heavier and less see-through the paper. Papers also come in different textures, including smooth, vellum (which has a cottony feel) and linen (which resembles linen cloth), and with different levels of shine, including matte and gloss.
Similarly, cover stock comes in different weights (70-pound, 80-pound, 100-pound—each heavier than the corresponding paper weights), different finishes (matte, vellum, linen, glossy, metallic) and different colors.
How’s that for confusing? The whole paper/cover business gets a lot clearer when you can see and feel your options. So if you’re planning to self-publish your book, ask to see samples of paper for your book or at the very least head to a good paper supply store to check out the differences for yourself.
For more information about print-on-demand in general and (with apologies for the shameless plug) Incubation Press in particular, check out www.incubationpress.com. In the meantime, happy writing and happy publishing!
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