Such a rush to hold your book in your hands. It’s ready! Or is it??? These books all look great – right? Maybe from the outside. On the inside, there’s serious work to be done. And you can’t, can’t, can’t do it all on your screen or online.
On-screen proofing is not the answer
That’s a shame, because at least it you’re self-publishing with CreateSpace, Lulu, the two most popular self-publishing sites, they make it super-easy to upload your book’s interior and check everything online.
Createspace even offers a “Digital Proofer”… doesn’t that sound like a cool alternative to paying for a proof copy plus delivery, and then waiting the weeks and weeks (and weeks!) for delivery??? (We live in Israel; your shipping time may be less if you live closer to what Createspace considers the real world.)
Just say NO! To online proofing. Well, you don’t have to say no… it can be a valuable tool to find simple problems. But don’t use it as a substitute for actual proofing, with a hard copy.
Having learned from experience, I now order a hard-copy proof every single time. These three new books all arrived yesterday: Penguin Rosh Hashana, Yossi and the Monkeys, and Baby! Life before birth.
Why would you need a hard copy if you check it all very carefully on the screen?
