Tag Archives: Design Tips

How to Obtain an ISBN Number for Self Publishing?

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In the book publishing industry there is one metric to distinguish between publishers and non-publishers. If you own an ISBN block, you’re a publisher or else you won’t be recognized. The International Standard Book Number  or ISBN number is the key value that identifies the publisher of a book in all of the online databases and inventory systems used worldwide. It is a 10-digit number that uniquely identifies books and book-like products published internationally.

A publisher or a printing agency generally takes into account the ISBN Number for your book but if you are into self publishing you need to get the ISBN Number all by yourself. There are over 160 ISBN Agencies worldwide, and each ISBN Agency is appointed as the exclusive agent responsible for assigning ISBN numbers to publishers residing in their country or geographic territory. For example the United States ISBN Agency is the only source authorized to assign ISBN Numbers to publishers supplying an address in the United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.

There is a common belief that getting an ISBN Number is difficult which is far from being true. If you are a publisher, e-book publisher, audio cassette and video producer, software producer or run a museum with publishing programs you can approach your ISBN Agency for an ISBN Number. If you are into self publishing getting an ISBN number for your book becomes necessary as without  it you won’t be able to list your book for online sales.

Getting an ISBN number isn’t however free. There is a small service fee to process all ISBN applications. Service fee will be mentioned in the application form. However you will require a new ISBN Number is required for a revised edition. An ISBN Number is usually printed on the lower portion of the back cover of a book above the bar code and on the copyright page.

Once you have applied to the ISBN Agency it takes about 15 business days for non-priority processing from the time an ISBN application is received at the agency. In some countries Priority processing takes two business days from the time an application is received at the agency. Express processing is 24 business hours. Priority and Express processing involves an additional fee.

PrintPapa is a company that offers Soft Cover Book Printing Option at low cost and low quantities. You can order 5 books if you want. There are 3 sizes to choose from and with various paper and cover option. We can also help you in the cover design. We also offer Booklets from 8 to 60 Pages, starting from as low as 25 qty.

How to design attractive covers for your book?

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It is popularly said “Don’t judge a book by its cover” but unfortunately people often tend to do that. So having an attractive cover for your book becomes very important. Although the content of any book is of prime importance, your book may never leave the bookstore shelf if the cover doesn’t grab the reader’s eye. But designing an attractive cover is more than just making it colorful.

There is a golden rule which says “Less is more” and while designing the cover of the book you need to keep that in mind. You have the liberty to play with color, graphics and text but you need to keep a few design tips in mind while designing the cover of your book:

Understand the Theme: It is important to understand the theme of your book and design a cover accordingly. A cover design should complement the content of your book. Studying the cover of books of the same genre is a good idea before you start designing your own. This will also let you the opportunity to design a cover that stands out among others.

Colors: Colors attract human eye more than anything else and also tend to have a psychological effect. If you are designing the cover of a romantic novel or comic strip playing with bright colors would be great, on the other hand for a serious book such as a murder mystery, darker colors are ideal.

Book Title: What ever the design of your book, the title should be center of attraction as it is the most important aspect of your book cover. Use fonts which are legible from a distance as most people tend to select books from a distance. Also the name written on the book cover spine should read the name of the book prominently as this is the only part visible in book stores.

Use Artwork Judiciously: The artwork on the front and the back of the book should complement the content of the book and not distort it. Misleading artwork should not be used to unnecessarily attract readers. Also using photographs which relating to the content of the book is a good idea.

 Study the Feedback: In case of a long run book if the performance of the book in the first run doesn’t meet your expectation be prepared to change it before it goes for the second printing run.

Print Papa is a company that has added value to the print promotions of their clients over the years designing and printing books, posters, booklets and brochures.

Improve On Your Label Designs

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Label designing and printing can help improve the brand image of the company as well as compliment the conventional marketing campaigns. Even though labels are minute affairs, to get it right can help you break directly into the consumer’s mind, breaking the barriers that often hinder positive progress of an online or conventional marketing campaign.

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A professionally designed label with effective visual appeal can help the brand or the product stand out from the crowd of rivals. It also helps build consumer loyalty and improve consumer retention. But none of these advantages can be actually attained without employing a professional printing agency for your label designs and development. A professional agency knows which designs will suit your product label best, which sizes will be ideal or even the placement that will best boost your marketing pitch.

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Here are a few tips to improve your label designs, at least from your end, before it is dispatched for printing:

  • Originality – It is always advisable to have an original style or content while developing your labels. This is because if your label seems nothing different from the other company labels or branding equipment, the very purpose of pursuing label marketing is let down. Try and innovate, experimenting with colors, shapes, sizes, textual copy and graphics.

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  • Visual Appeal – Someone gulping down a bottle of water (your product) may be enticed by a well-designed label on it – and you have found a new loyal consumer. This is what a visually attractive label can do. Use prominent text, well-balanced colors and try keeping the label neat. Most labels tend to be small in size and hence too much in too little space may render the label cluttered and ineffective from the perspective of design.

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  • Shapes and Sizes – Using the conventional shapes and sizes for label prints may ease printing or reduce costs but may not be as effective as a marketing tool. Try out different sizes for your products, choosing the size or shape that suits your product best. Innovative shapes such as rectangular with rounded corners or rhombus-shaped labels can help you stand out fashionably from the mundane and monotonous designs.

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  • Logo or Branding – Using the company logo or allied imagery within the label design is a great way to help promote your enterprise in an innocuous way. You can use the logo itself as a label (the way sports brands such as Adidas or Puma do), thus, building up a much better brand promotion technique than your rivals.

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  • Label Material – Before you decide to hire a printing agency, check the label print material they have to offer. Bad quality label prints not only showcase an unprofessional approach but also put off potential consumers who are interested in your product/ brand.
  • Themes – Selecting specific themes for your label designs is a great way to market your product. Not only do such labels make the products look contemporary, they also grab the attention of the consumers better. Themes such as Halloween, Christmas or even corporate styled labels can have a great appeal among target consumers.

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With these simple tips in mind, you can easily create a marketing miracle for yourself, with nothing but labels as your marketing collateral.