Comments on: Self-Publishing Basics: 5 Layout Mistakes that Make You Look Unprofessional http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2009/09/5-layout-mistakesr/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=5-layout-mistakesr Practical Advice to Help Self-Publishers Build Better Books Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:48:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Andy Conway http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2009/09/5-layout-mistakesr/#comment-19002 Andy Conway Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:18:58 +0000 http://www.thebookdesigner.com/?p=16#comment-19002 Using a tab or em space in the opening paragraph of a chapter is the one that really grinds my gears. I discovered this typesetting feature while poring over books as a teenager and cannot understand why people much older seem to have never noticed it. Using a tab or em space in the opening paragraph of a chapter is the one that really grinds my gears.

I discovered this typesetting feature while poring over books as a teenager and cannot understand why people much older seem to have never noticed it.

]]> By: Dixie Jones http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2009/09/5-layout-mistakesr/#comment-18268 Dixie Jones Sat, 17 Dec 2011 01:03:05 +0000 http://www.thebookdesigner.com/?p=16#comment-18268 I assume the directives about odd/even, blank, and left/right page layouts apply only to printed books. Are there similar or different considerations for e-books in how page numbering or part opening pages should be handled? I assume the directives about odd/even, blank, and left/right page layouts apply only to printed books. Are there similar or different considerations for e-books in how page numbering or part opening pages should be handled?

]]> By: Chrystine Julian http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2009/09/5-layout-mistakesr/#comment-16166 Chrystine Julian Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:33:36 +0000 http://www.thebookdesigner.com/?p=16#comment-16166 The way many people use full justify is one of my pet peeves. Too often they click the full justify button in a book or document and feel they have done a good job. The problem is that most word processing programs only adjust spaces between the words, which often results in large white space gaps in the text. I find that distracting and difficult to follow. It reminds me of something done with refrigerator word magnets. Maybe it is because I am old enough to remember doing this on a typewriter, but my preferred option is to pretend that I do not have a full justify button. I know it is time consuming, but I feel it is worth the effort to adjust the font spacing, condensing or expanding to fill each line and wrap words into a line to fill the space. While many paragraphs will look “okay” by just clicking the full justify button, they look better if you adjust the character setting first, and I feel it is a must for text with the large white gaps. Once that has been done, clicking on the full justify button results in a near perfect look. The way many people use full justify is one of my pet peeves. Too often they click the full justify button in a book or document and feel they have done a good job. The problem is that most word processing programs only adjust spaces between the words, which often results in large white space gaps in the text. I find that distracting and difficult to follow. It reminds me of something done with refrigerator word magnets.

Maybe it is because I am old enough to remember doing this on a typewriter, but my preferred option is to pretend that I do not have a full justify button. I know it is time consuming, but I feel it is worth the effort to adjust the font spacing, condensing or expanding to fill each line and wrap words into a line to fill the space. While many paragraphs will look “okay” by just clicking the full justify button, they look better if you adjust the character setting first, and I feel it is a must for text with the large white gaps. Once that has been done, clicking on the full justify button results in a near perfect look.

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