Book layout via CS2 Indesign

Can anyone recommend a book or tutorial that clarifies how to layout a
simple book (a novel) using Indesign. It's in 110 x 176 mm format. The
interior is a few pages of copyright and other preamble (without page
numbers), the body of the novel (page numbered starting at 1), then a
few pages of other stuff at the end (without page numbers).

Just a flavour of the things I'm not completely clear on regarding
Indesign are:
- does this need 3 master pages, one each for the begining, middle, and
end?
- how to place the page number for the middle section so that its
exactly centred under the text (I can manually place it approximately
centred - but that doesn't feel quite right)

And a flavour of the general layout issues I'm unsure of:
- what to use for L, R, T, B margins? Are there industry standard
guidelines, etc
- there's no bleed required for the interior because it's just text
without a background, but approx 1/4 inch on all sides of the cover to
allow for trimming?

I'm sure thousands of people have been through this same learning curve
so I'm hoping someone's written it down as an end-to-end process,
perhaps even with templates, all the way to files on a disk for the
printer. If they haven't, then I will when I finally get through
this...

But meanwhile I'd be grateful for all suggestions.

In article <1127487672.053061.270990 RemoveThis @o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com>,
"Palmprint" <sales RemoveThis @palmprint.co.uk> wrote:

> Can anyone recommend a book or tutorial that clarifies how to layout a
> simple book (a novel) using Indesign. It's in 110 x 176 mm format. The
> interior is a few pages of copyright and other preamble (without page
> numbers), the body of the novel (page numbered starting at 1), then a
> few pages of other stuff at the end (without page numbers).
>

An excellent book on the topic is Book Design and Production: A Guide
for Authors and Publishers by Pete Masterson available through
Amazon.com (it will have to be shipped from the U.S.)


> Just a flavour of the things I'm not completely clear on regarding
> Indesign are:
> - does this need 3 master pages, one each for the begining, middle, and
> end?

InDesign is very flexible ... you can apply the "none" master page then
create an individual page as you wish. However, using several master
pages is usually quite helpful.

I usually create a "running headers" master page, a "drop folio" master
page (to be used on pages with a chapter opener or other pages where
running headers aren't appropriate), and other master pages as
necessary. (I should note that I usually place the folios (page numbers)
at the outside, top.)

> - how to place the page number for the middle section so that its
> exactly centred under the text (I can manually place it approximately
> centred - but that doesn't feel quite right)

To center the page numbers, create a text block the width of the text
area of your book. Then create a paragraph style with no indent and
select the "center" alignment. You can do this on a master page and
insert the "auto page number" glyph so that the page numbering will be
taken care of automatically.
>
> And a flavour of the general layout issues I'm unsure of:
> - what to use for L, R, T, B margins? Are there industry standard
> guidelines, etc

There are no exact industry standard, except the general provision that
the bottom margin should be the largest, followed by the _outside_, top,
and inside margins. (Take a look at an image of the Gutenberg Bible to
see an exaggerated example.) The margins do not include folios or
running heads. A running head is placed approximately 1 full line above
the top of the main text block. A folio is placed about 2 to 3 lines
below the bottom of the main text block.

> - there's no bleed required for the interior because it's just text
> without a background, but approx 1/4 inch on all sides of the cover to
> allow for trimming?

Covers are made in one piece (back, spine, and front as you look at the
page). I find it easiest to create a 'landscape' page with the
dimensions of the book and spine. (e.g. a 6 inch by 9 inch book would
have a cover of 12 x 9 inches plus the width of the spine.) Assuming a
spine width of 1/2 inch, then the cover page is 12.5 x 9 inches. 1/8
inch bleed allowance is made in the page setup dialog of InDesign (you
may need to click on the "more" button to show the bleed setting).

Then set the margins to zero and set the columns to "2" with the
"gutter" set to the spine width (1/2 inch). You have now neatly created
a template for laying out the cover. Bring in guide lines to create
margins for text on the front and back cover ... and don't forget to
allow the margins next to the spine! So, if you create a 1/2 inch margin
from an outside edge, drag another guide 1/2 inch from the edge of the
spine. That will keep elements reasonably centered. I usually drag a
guide to the center line of the front/back covers (this is simplified by
moving the 'zero point' to one side of the spine then the other since
spine widths are rarely so evenly measured as in this example).

>
> I'm sure thousands of people have been through this same learning curve
> so I'm hoping someone's written it down as an end-to-end process,
> perhaps even with templates, all the way to files on a disk for the
> printer. If they haven't, then I will when I finally get through
> this...
>
The book mentioned in the first paragraph takes you from finished
manuscript through finding a printer (including the various printing
options you might have). While it was written for the U.S. market, (so
the discussion of the printing Trade Customs only directly applies to
the U.S.) nearly everything in the book applies to most any
English-speaking country (and probably a lot of non-English speaking
countries that use Roman-style alphabets).