Book formatting KDP etc.

[BobBKK]

I know of BKK companies but as a long shot thought I'd ask about CM. Not interested in downloaded stuff (been there done that) but rather a more personal service. Probably will have to use BKK but someone might know of someone here. Thanks in advance.

[donnacha]

Why would the physical location matter?

Just find an expert online who does this for a living. These days, the vast majority of agencies with physical locations are mostly just a front for outsourcing the actual work to someone online anyway - that goes for design, code, marketing, architecture, copywriting, accounting, video-editing, even legal work.

I am not talking about using Velum etc, you have already ruled out using software to do it yourself, but there are literally thousands of people online who will happily charge you money to provide "a more personal service" using the same software. Follow the recommendations on the self-publishing forums to find someone with a good track record.

Just out of interest, what would constitute a more personal service from your point of view? Advice on factors other than formatting?

Edited July 18, 2019 by donnacha

[BobBKK]

11 hours ago, donnacha said:

Why would the physical location matter?

Just find an expert online who does this for a living. These days, the vast majority of agencies with physical locations are mostly just a front for outsourcing the actual work to someone online anyway - that goes for design, code, marketing, architecture, copywriting, accounting, video-editing, even legal work.

I am not talking about using Velum etc, you have already ruled out using software to do it yourself, but there are literally thousands of people online who will happily charge you money to provide "a more personal service" using the same software. Follow the recommendations on the self-publishing forums to find someone with a good track record.

Just out of interest, what would constitute a more personal service from your point of view? Advice on factors other than formatting?

Normally it might not but I wanted to print off 30 copies for friends and reviews etc. (postage is horrific). I might still decide just to do what you suggest but was just wondering.

 

Tried several on Fiver and not a great success just thought if I could phone it might make it easier.

[donnacha]

Yes, my impression is that the vendors on Fiverr are essentially just offering a way for people to use a Vellum template without having to pay $249 to buy their own license. It is a nice little side-business for the vendor but, sadly, the low-pricing ethos there is not geared towards providing the additional expertise you seem to want.

Regardless of where in the world the files are created, there are dozens of print shops in Chiang Mai, all competing on price, who will print and bind them for me. My impression is that, for a relatively low number of copies, Chiang Mai is pretty much as cheap as you will get anywhere in the world (China is only cheaper if you are doing industrial-level printing, creating hundreds of copies).

You only need to email the print-version file to the print shop, they will do the rest, come back after a few hours to pick up your books. Most offer the spiral binding that businesses and students tend to favor, but some may also offer the adhesive "perfect binding" used to create paperback books.

I highly recommend first printing out one unbound copy and reading it yourself. When reading print, there are almost always a few small errors that your eyes somehow miss when reading on a screen.

It is worth asking - before finalizing your print order - whether your friends and reviewers might actually prefer the ebook version, which you can simply email to them. I have noticed a surprising number of regular readers, even those who might previously have been bibliophiles, have come around to the greater convenience of ebooks. If half your recipients would prefer the ebook, well, that saves you five thousand baht and a few trees.

Edited July 19, 2019 by donnacha

[BobBKK]

9 hours ago, donnacha said:

Yes, my impression is that the vendors on Fiverr are essentially just offering a way for people to use a Vellum template without having to pay $249 to buy their own license. It is a nice little side-business for the vendor but, sadly, the low-pricing ethos there is not geared towards providing the additional expertise you seem to want.

Regardless of where in the world the files are created, there are dozens of print shops in Chiang Mai, all competing on price, who will print and bind them for me. My impression is that, for a relatively low number of copies, Chiang Mai is pretty much as cheap as you will get anywhere in the world (China is only cheaper if you are doing industrial-level printing, creating hundreds of copies).

You only need to email the print-version file to the print shop, they will do the rest, come back after a few hours to pick up your books. Most offer the spiral binding that businesses and students tend to favor, but some may also offer the adhesive "perfect binding" used to create paperback books.

I highly recommend first printing out one unbound copy and reading it yourself. When reading print, there are almost always a few small errors that your eyes somehow miss when reading on a screen.

It is worth asking - before finalizing your print order - whether your friends and reviewers might actually prefer the ebook version, which you can simply email to them. I have noticed a surprising number of regular readers, even those who might previously have been bibliophiles, have come around to the greater convenience of ebooks. If half your recipients would prefer the ebook, well, that saves you five thousand baht and a few trees.

Thanks. The book was published before in USA in ebook format and paperback but the publisher has all the docs (of course) now I want to expand the book and re-publish myself. I'm just looking for a one-stop service that can take my Word doc, cover and illustrations and give me a kindle and print on demand ready product. I have contact several but it ain't cheap!