Month: January 2024

If you are planning on publishing your book and you want to publish your book in paperback or in hardcover then this blog is for you.

This blog will help you understand everything you need to know about paper quality and the different types of paper stock and most importantly GSM.

This blog will not only be interesting but also very important for new authors who have never published before.

You might be an excellent author and you might have the best manuscript in the world but you also need to pay attention to the quality of the paper as well. It will determine your publishing costs.

This is very important from the perspective of any author but even more so a self-published author as they are themselves the investor and publisher.

Before we go into the different types of paper stock, we need to understand why paper stock is important in the publishing industry.

This Is Why Paper Quality Is Important for Publishing

Paper quality is very important for publishing simply because the better quality of paper you utilise will directly affect the quality of experience of your readers.

This is because when a reader is purchasing your book, they are making an investment. The only way to make them feel that they had a good experience is to have a good quality book with a paper that feels nice and high quality.

The other reason is simply if they buy a good quality book then it is going to last them longer which means they will get a return on their investment.

But there is also a trade-off, which means the higher quality of paper you are going to use will directly affect your royalties and profits because a higher quality paper is going to cost more.

So, you are going to have to balance the need for having high-quality paper and also making sure you make a profit.

So, let us understand the different types of paper based on different classifications starting with GSM.

What Is GSM In Book Printing?

While we can talk in simple terms and tell you all the different types of papers but it is important to understand what they are called technically.

We use special terminology called GSM. It’s simply Grams Per Square Metre. GSM helps us grade paper into different quality based on paper density.

This is one of the simplest ways to grade paper and will help you understand how much material is there in the paper per metre square.

This is also one of the things readers notice because if they simply pick up a book and notice that the paper is not very thick then that is an automatic indication of bad quality.

That means they are accustomed to thinking that high-quality paper is high GSM.

That is why we need to understand the different types of GSM for paper stock as we find out the most common GSM measurements.

Most Common GSM Grades for Books

 

80 GSM Common Opaque

This is the most common type of paper and you are going to get this for everything from novels to timetables and books that are very affordable.

Most paperbacks are made from this category of paper and it is simply so that the price can stay low.  You do not need heavy ink for this kind of paper.

This is because both sides of this paper can handle print and stay legible.

This is a non-coated paper which means you do not get any extra textures that you might find with higher GSM premium papers.

80 GSM Bookwove Cream/White

This is one of the most common types of GSM utilised for creating novels and you have probably picked up this kind of novel.

Let us help you understand the feeling of picking up a novel with 80 GSM Bookwove. Do you remember ever picking up any novel (probably the cheaper novels sold beside streets and train stations) and being surprised by the fact that they do not weigh a lot?

Then it is Bookwove.

These novels might look big but they do not have any weight to them. That is exactly what Bookwove paper is. It can improve the volume without increasing the weight.

100 GSM Common Opaque

This is the second most popular category of paper used for book printing and this is the 100 GSM normal non-coated paper.

This means while you are not getting any glossy or matt finish with this paper but it is much more premium compared to 80 GSM paper.

This is utilised for books that have text as well as illustrations. This is because 80 GSM is simply too thin for illustrations and that is why the bare minimum used by the industry is 100 GSM when it comes to illustrations.

100 GSM Recycled

If you are someone who cares about the environment then this is the perfect paper for you because this is a fairly new addition to the different types of papers commonly used during printing.

The thing about recycled paper is that it is not just about the feel-good aspect of the paper being morally good but there is also a real purpose of that paper.

Since it is recycled paper and it is completely up to luck on what kind of blend you get, you are never going to have a uniform paper mixture which means every page of your novel is going to be unique.

Sometimes the pages might be cream colour and sometimes they might be white or yellowish-white etc. Since there is a custom feel to these papers, they will truly make your book feel premium and one of a kind.

115 GSM Matt/Gloss Coated

We are now entering the territory of premium papers and while this is not the best kind of paper out there but this is certainly something that can be considered better than the previous choices.

This is a kind of coated paper which means you can get a glossy finish and/or a matt finish. And you can print any kind of pictures and illustrations and expect great results.

This is the best kind of paper if you do not want the book to weigh a lot but you also want it to be high quality. This paper is just in the middle.

130 GSM Matt/Gloss Coated

We are now entering the coffee table book and comic book territory of paper because this is one of the finest paper stocks you can ask for and this is simply just too good to only print text.

However, this is still not the best kind of paper if you simply want a photo book and you can also print text on this paper and have it look very good.

However, if you are planning on printing a novel and if the novel has no illustrations or only a few illustrations then you simply do not need the whole novel to be 130 GSM.

Having said that it is completely up to you what you want to do with your book but it does not make business sense to use this level of quality for printing text.

However, if you are writing a non-fiction book that has illustrations then this can be a very good choice of paper.

This is also one of the most common types of papers to be used for children’s books.

150 GSM Matt/Gloss Coated

We have now seriously entered the territory of photo books because this is a kind of quality that you hardly need with novels.

If you decide to print your novel with this quality of paper then it will become unnecessarily expensive for your readers.

However, if you want to print your college yearbook or your autobiography or your family memoir full of images then this is a good quality of paper to do so.

150 GSM is also excellent as a poster book paper as you will be able to print high-quality images and illustrations.

However, if you only have a few illustrations in your book and you want them to look nice then you can use a few pages of 150 GSM only for the part with the illustrations and then use regular 80 or 100 GSM paper on the other areas for regular text.

170 GSM Matt/Gloss Coated

We finally come to the most premium quality of GSM used for book publishing. There are even higher grades of paper but this is the highest-grade paper commonly used for books.

This grade of paper is quite expensive if you compare it to all the other options because it is simply the best and ensures the best kind of durability for your book no matter if it is a photo book or a novel.

However, you are never going to find a novel with this kind of paper because this is practically photo paper and can be excellent for illustrations and photos.

We hope this blog will help you understand everything you need to know about the different grades of printing paper.

We also hope this will help you choose the perfect paper for your books the next time you decide to publish them.

And if you feel like you want a demo of the different kinds of GSM and paper stock used in publishing when it comes to a legacy publisher then we are here for you.

We are Orange Publishers and we are the fastest-growing and most popular legacy publishing company in India and we can provide you with a demo of the different types of paper stock we utilise for printing at our office.

We would love to publish your books for you and all our operations are in-house. We welcome you to visit our website to find out more.

Common Paper Stock FAQ

 

What GSM paper is best for books?

It all depends on how much you are willing to spend on your books because if you plan on publishing a novel and you want it to be affordable then you can very well utilise 80 GSM.

However, suggest you not to go below 100 GSM.

Similarly, if you want to print a coffee-table book with a lot of pictures and images and you need the prints to be high quality then you need to publish them in 150 GSM glossy coated paper.

It all depends on how you want to use the book and what kind of book you are publishing.

What type of paper is best for books?

Uncoated 100 GSM paper is very good for books and we are talking about a paper that is affordable and that also gives the book a good weight and feeling to touch.

However, this is a very subjective question because if you want the experience of your readers to be amazing then you should invest in more higher quality paper.

And if you want the experience of your readers to be amazing in the form of affordability then you can even get away with 80 GSM paper.

It all depends on your perspective of what kind of book you want for your readers.

Is 80 GSM paper good for books?

80GSM is more than perfect for books and the best part about it is that it is affordable and a majority of novels and books published in the world are done with 80 GSM paper.

It is just durable enough to be in a novel and it does not really need to be as durable as a school textbook where the student might need to read the page multiple times.

If handled with care then any 80 GSM book can last decades.

How do I choose a GSM paper?

GSM stands for Grams Per Metre Square and it is basically the density of the paper. If you need that paper for tissue manufacturing then anything below 50 GSM will be alright for you.

If you need to print newspapers then 30 to 50 GSM is usually the preferred choice. And if you want to publish books and magazines then 80 GSM to 100 GSM is usually used.

But then again if you want to publish something with a lot of images then we would recommend anything from 130 GSM to 170 GSM.

And finally, if you need business cards then 300 GSM is utilised most commonly. Now you need to decide what you want to use that paper for.

Welcome to today’s blog where we bring you one of the most informative but also exciting blogs where you not only get to learn about book publishers but also get to understand the book market for a particular region.

Today’s region is going to be Pune. It is a hub of economic activity and it is certainly a hub for publishers and publishing activity as well as readers.

That is why we bring you the top 10 book publishers in Pune. When we say the top 10 book publishers, we do not only mean the publishers in Pune but also the publishers with the biggest market presence and popularity in Pune.

These are some of the most reliable publishers to work with in Pune. However, this is our list and our opinions and we would love to hear what you think about this list and if you want to add anything to the list in the comment section.

This blog is not only going to help you understand the publishers and what they do but also understand the book publishing market in Pune as it stands right now.

So, let us begin this informative blog and help you understand the top 10 book publishers in Pune and we are sure this blog will help you choose your next publisher as an author.

These Are the Top 10 Book Publishers in Pune

Orange Publishers

The number one name on our list is Orange Publishers because they are a legacy publishing company which means they have been in the industry for a long time.

They are one of the most popular publishing companies in Pune and they are on the top of the list because they are simply perfect in every sense.

They publish nearly every kind of book as well as audiobooks and ebooks and everything they do is in-house.

They do self-publishing as well and all their operations are in-house, which means you are only going to get the finest quality and also the assurance of that quality.

The best thing about Orange Publishers is that they publish in every genre and every language we highly recommend their services.

Website – https://orange-publishers.com/

Contact Number – +91-9830050132 | +91-9830330809

Contact Email – [email protected]

Address – Ground Floor, 98, 37-A, Gopal Lal Tagore Road, Sarat Kanan Pally, Nainan Para, Baranagar, Kolkata, West Bengal 700036

APK Publishers

The second name on our list is not really that old and legacy when it comes to publishing because they are a dynamic company and they are new.

While they do not have the experience but they have their track record and excellent quality of service to make up for it.

This is a publisher that understands its audience and while they only publish in English but they make sure they publish exactly according to the needs of their clients.

They are primarily focused on first-time writers and if you are a first-time writer then you can definitely check them out because the founders of this publishing company are also authors.

If you are into supporting new publishing companies in Pune then you should try them out.

Website – https://apkpublishers.com/

Contact Number – +(91) 982 279 6490

Contact Email – [email protected]

Address – 5/301 Ved Vihar, Paud Road, Kothrud, Pune-411038

3. Vishwakarma Group

When it comes to regional publishing companies in India you can find very good names and Vishwakarma Group is one of those groups with an amazing publishing company.

This is a very good place for English, Hindi and most importantly Marathi publications. They self-publish which means you can publish your own materials as well.

Along with that they also have a very good collection of books for you to look at and purchase. They offer a very streamlined and good quality service.

You can definitely try out their services.

Website – https://vishwakarmapublications.com/shop/english/

Contact Number – +91-20-24525541

Contact Email – [email protected]

Address – 34A/1, Suyog Center, 7th Floor, Gultekadi Marketyard Road, Giridhar Bhawan Chowk, India Pune: 411037

Sunidhi Publishers

At number 4 we bring you a very homely company when it comes to book publishing because Sunidhi Publishers is exactly that.

It is founded by two very passionate people who are very hard-working and have established a brand right here in Pune.

They pay a lot of attention to detail and publish in English but mostly in Hindi and Marathi and that is why if you want to get your books published with them in regional languages then it is a good option.

They have quite a respectful number of books published under the names with a lot of authors publishing for the second and the third time.

While they are not as old as Orange Publishers or other names on the list but the 8 years they have been in the market have been excellent and you can definitely trust them.

Website – https://www.sunidhipublishers.com/index.php

Contact Number – 020-24457118

Contact Email – [email protected]

Address – ‘Anandashram’, 22 Budhwar Peth, Bajirao Road, Near NMV High School, PUNE- 411002

Mehta Publishing

At number 5 we have a very popular publishing company that is actually very popular in Pune and all over Maharashtra.

They have been publishing for a long time and they have quite the level of experience you expect from it proper regional publishing company.

They publish a lot of things which can include science textbooks and nonfiction books as well as historical books and even religious books.

They are also really good when it comes to children’s literature and even sports books.

They are really good but the reason they are at number 5 is because they are not as refined as the other names in the list. This might be due to the fact that they do a lot of publishing and they do not have a lot of time for that.

You can even find best-selling names when it comes to Mehta Publishers. We definitely recommend them.

Website – https://www.mehtapublishinghouse.com/

Contact Number – +91-20-24475462 / +91-9545000513

Contact Email – [email protected]

Address – 1941, Sadashiv Peth, Madiwale Colony, Opposite Telephone Exchange, Bajirao Road, Pune – 411030 (Maharashtra), India

KSagar Online

If you are looking for a very popular and reputable academic literature publishing company with a lot of demand and a lot of experience then this is a very good option for you.

This is because they have been publishing for a long time and publish on nearly every kind of academic topic.

They mostly do competitive exams textbook publishing but you can even find them publishing novels but they are experts at textbook publishing.

They have worked with a lot of reputable institutions. While it is not very clear how easy it is to publish with them but if you want to buy their books then you can definitely check them out

Website – https://ksagaronline.com/

Contact Number – 9545567862

Contact Email – [email protected]

Address – Nuten Classic, 639, Narayan Peth, opp. NMV Primary School, Appa Balwant Chowk, Pune, 411030

Goyal Foreign Language Books

At number 7 we have something very unique because we bring you the only publisher in the list that primarily publishes in foreign languages.

While big names on the list like the top few names might publish a foreign language book once in a while but they primarily do native languages.

The unique thing about Goyal Books is that they primarily publish books in French and German as well as Spanish. They also do Japanese and Korean.

They are among the few rare publishers that also do Italian and Portuguese as well as Arabic and Russian. But if you want, they will publish it in English for you as well and also Hindi.

This is why if you have wanna publish your book in foreign languages then they are the best option

Website – https://goyalpublisher.com/

Contact Number – 9650597009

Contact Email – [email protected]

Address – Der Buchladen at MMB, Pune 14/3B Boat Club Road, Pune – 1

Sharp Publications

At number 8 we have a publication that has been in the industry for a long time if we consider and compare all the names on the list because they are among the few to be in the industry for nearly 25 years.

Sharp Publications primarily publishes study materials and textbooks and even reference books for some of the most renowned universities in Maharashtra.

They supply their study materials to Pune University as well as Mumbai University and even other universities in Mumbai and Maharashtra.

That is why if you are expecting them to publish fiction then they might do it but that is not their specialisation.

That is why if you have educational book publishing needs then you can definitely contact them.

Website – https://www.sharpmultinational.com/about

Contact Number – +91-8390848833

Contact Email – [email protected]

Address – Office No. 2,3 & 4, 2nd Floor, Radha Krishna Apts, 535 Shaniwar Peth, Pune – 411030

Wings Publication

And at number 9 we have a publishing company that is quite popular in Pune and all over India because they are quite renowned when it comes to self-help books.

They do publications for fiction and nonfiction books and they are also very good when it comes to self-help books and motivational books.

They are run by two doctors who are really passionate about what they do and you can expect a very good quality of service if you publish with them.

They do every kind of medium and format you can think of and they also publish in nearly all the official languages of India.

Website – https://www.wingspublication.com/

Contact Number – +91 86000 05100

Contact Email – [email protected]

Address – #B3, Shiv Villas, Behind J. W. Marriott, Senapati Bapat Road, Pune 411016, Maharashtra

Himalaya Publishing House Pvt ltd

The last name on our list is a strictly academic publishing company and that is why you cannot expect them to publish everything you want such as fiction and nonfiction.

While this is strictly not the type of publishing company we are featuring in the list but since they have such a good presence in the Pune market along with a good reputation for textbooks that is why they are on the list.

This publishing company publishes books for competitive exams and other kinds of textbooks.

You can expect everything from banking to engineering books as well as commerce and management books and much more.

While you need to contact them to understand the publishing situation but you can definitely try out their books.

Website – himpub.com

Contact Number – 7498213372

Contact Email – [email protected]

Address – ‘Ramdoot’, Dr. Bhalerao Marg, Girgaon, Mumbai – 400 004, Maharashtra, India

We hope this blog will help you choose the perfect publisher for all your publishing needs in Pune and it is very important you choose the perfect publisher for yourself according to your needs.

That is why you should take all the time in the world to decide which publication to go with and which publication will align with your vision and idea of books.

And if you do decide to publish with us then it would be an honour to give shape to your dreams in the form of a book and publish it for the world. We welcome you to visit our website to check out everything we do.

Today we have something exciting for you because we are going to be talking about the world’s second-largest book fair with a food fall of nearly 30 lakh visitors.

We are going to talk about why you should definitely visit the Kolkata Book Fair this year.

This is not just because we are also going to be there at the Orange Publishers book stall no. 59 hall no.2, near gate no. 3, but because there are other amazing reasons to be there.

The 47^th International Kolkata Book Fair – Boi Mela 2024 will take place from January 18^th to 31^st at the Boimela Prangan in Salt Lake.

So, let us find out why book lovers should definitely visit the Kolkata book fair this year.

Reasons Why You Should Visit Kolkata Book Fair 2024

All The Books You Can Imagine

Kolkata is a book lover’s paradise in general and already has one of the largest book markets in the world and this can give you an idea of how the world’s second largest book fair is going to be.

When you visit the Kolkata Book Fair you can expect thousands and thousands of some of the most diverse books from every genre nearly every major language in the world.

The book fair has more than 1000 stalls and now imagine every stall having nearly a thousand books.  That will give you an idea of the scale of the operations.

You can expect books from all the 22 official languages of India and even international languages. There are in fact international stalls dedicated to every country that wants to put out their books in the book fair.

You can find books from classic literature to books that will help you prepare for the upcoming UPSC exams. You can expect computer programming books and you can also expect a book about the history of computers.

You can use your wildest imagination and you will still fall short of comprehending the scale we are talking about.

The Kolkata Book Fair is so popular in fact that many international tourists schedule their tour dates so that they can come in time to visit the book fair.

It is a book lover’s paradise but it is also a paradise for everyone who wants to be an author because if you can manage the put your book in the book fair then you are already on your way to success.

Interact With the Actual Authors

The best thing about the Kolkata Book Fair is not the thousand stalls of books or the huge area of operations but something even more special.

The Kolkata Book Fair will not only host your favourite books but also your favourite authors and that includes an entire schedule full of talks and discussions and events.

But most importantly authors. Yes, you will get to meet your favourite authors in person right when you go to buy their books.

This is such a big deal that even authors schedule their book publishing according to the Bookfair timings so that they can launch the new books and sign the first few copies for their fans.

You can get to listen to them talk and take part in debates and ask all the questions in the world to your favourite authors.

When we say authors will not only mean national authors who are national icons but also international authors because this is an international event.

You get to have sneak peeks of their future endeavours so that you can always stay up to date on their work.

You can even look for apprentice work because some publishing companies also carry out hiring drives and some authors are also looking for assistance but that is a rare phenomenon.

That is why this book fair is so special because you can simply get your favourite books on Amazon or in a book store but you can only meet your favourite authors in the Kolkata Book Fair.

But you must make sure to match the schedule so that you get to be there when your favourite people talk.

Excellent Cultural Events

While the name is the International Kolkata Book Fair but it is not just about books because it is primarily about culture and that culture can be found in song and dance and events and discussions and literature.

That is why, when you visit the Kolkata Book Fair you will get to experience different kinds of cultural events that showcase not only the culture of Bengal but the culture of India.

You can expect art exhibitions but you can also expect something like live music performances. You can expect a showcasing of handicraft artists and their works.

You can get to take part in different cultural events and you can get to look at some of the best culture Kolkata and India has to offer.

Along with that, the Kolkata Book Fair will also make it possible for you to meet cultural icons and we are not just talking about authors.

You can meet nearly everyone from actors to singers and directors and people who are very impactful in the cultural space such as thinkers and intellectuals.

You can even get to engage in conversations with them during these cultural events and if you are really into these kinds of encounters then this is going to be perfect for you.

A Lot of Food

The International Kolkata Book Fair can easily be called the Kolkata Food Fair because of the endless number of options you get when it comes to food.

We were actually resisting the urge to add this to the previous point about cultural events because food is definitely a very important cultural event and marker.

This way this point is specifically there for food so as to understand the scale of options and operations when it comes to the Kolkata Book Fair.

There is an entirely separate section just for food when it comes to the Kolkata Book Fair where you can get almost everything that you can get in the city.

You can get Bengali classics and traditional dishes that are usually cooked in Bengali homes and served at special events such as marriage ceremonies.

However, you can also get fusion food such as Indo-Chinese food which is something very specific to the city. You can try out main courses as well as small portions of snacks when it comes to traditional dishes as well as Indo-Chinese food as well as all the other national and international dishes.

This is just the beginning because you can also find a lot of refreshment options in the form of juices and healthy snacks along with little appetizers that if eaten a lot can fill you up.

And it would be a crime not to mention the sweets. Nearly all the most popular and most renowned Bengali sweets establishments are there with all their offerings whether it is traditional sweets or a fusion between traditional and the modern.

And finally, we come to the favourite part of all the food which is going to be Mughlai food and specially biryani.

While the Kolkata Book Fair is primarily focused on books but if you do not read books and you just want to explore all the famous names in biryani in a single place then you should definitely visit Kolkata Boi Mela 2024.

Amazing Discounts and Offers

If you are looking for some of the most exclusive discounts that are never available online or in any other place then you should definitely visit the Kolkata book fair.

This is because a lot of authors choose to publish their books at the Kolkata Book Fair.

This means if you visit the Kolkata Book Fair then you will get to witness the launch of many books which might not be available on Amazon or in any bookstore at the time and will be exclusive to the Kolkata Book Fair.

You are going to witness authors launching their own books and it is not going to be a single event but it will be like hundreds of book launches all at once.

And you know what happens at book launches and special signing events, you get special discounts along with signed copies of the book.

That is exactly what you can expect at the Kolkata Book Fair because you are going to get some of the best discounts possible on books.

Along with that, you are also going to get bundle deals.

If you are really lucky then you can even win different contests and get free books but you must watch out for these contests and these special offers.

Supporting Regional Talents

If you love literature then you must also love supporting local talent and talented authors and that is exactly why you should visit the Kolkata Book Fair.

This is because the Kolkata Book Fair is actually the largest temporary launchpad for books in the country and the second largest in the world.

This means you are not only getting international bestsellers and renowned bestselling authors but you are also going to meet new authors who are publishing their books for the first time.

If you believe in supporting new talent then this is going to be the ideal place for you because every new talent out there in the literature world dreams of publishing their book in the Kolkata Book Fair.

That is why while you can get all your bestseller books online and you can obviously get them and bookstores but that will not help you support regional literature.

But the Kolkata Book Fair is a very rare and special opportunity for you to support regional literature by talking to these authors and supporting their work and buying their books.

Amazing Networking Opportunity

Let’s now come to the best thing about the International Kolkata Book Fair because if you are someone closely related to the publishing industry then this point is for you.

The Kolkata Book Fair is probably the best networking opportunity for authors and publishers and intellectuals alike.

This is because you cannot find a bigger conference of people related to books and publishing anywhere in the world other than the Frankfurt Book Fair.

This means if you live anywhere in Asia then this is probably going to be the biggest marketing and networking opportunity for you.

You will get to meet book publishers and authors from all over the world no matter the genre and no matter the language.

While this networking opportunity is good for publishers but it is most beneficial to authors and people who are planning on becoming authors.

You will get to talk to the publishers directly and talk about your publishing proposal and you can even take their contact numbers or even submit your manuscripts directly to them.

You can connect with fellow writers and authors and you can work on collaboration projects and it all depends on how much networking you want to do.

And let us now come to the most important reason why you should definitely visit the Kolkata Book Fair if you are a book lover.

The reason is simple. We are Orange Publishers and we are going to be there to welcome you to our stall.

We will be at bookstall no. 59, hall no.2, near gate no. 3. We will be there to greet you and we will be there to personally introduce you to all our amazing books.

We will interact with you and we will also have our authors interact with you. We are also going to be there if you want to publish your own book and we can even talk about that at our stall.

We are the fastest growing book publishing company in India and we also have one of the largest in-house operations where we do everything in-house right from the printing to the publishing as well as the marketing and creation of promotional material and much more.

We even take care of the book copyrights and we also publish everywhere on all platforms you desire and in all formats from paperbacks to eBooks and audiobooks and much more.

So, mark the dates on your calendar and we will meet at the International Kolkata Book Fair 2024.

Today we are going to talk about a very important element of books as we will get to know how to write a book preface.

We will understand what is a book preface. We will understand the preface structure as well as important book preface writing tips. We will understand the nuances of crafting a preface and why writing a preface is an important part of the introduction to a book.

We will dive deep into preface elements so that we might understand the exact purpose of a preface along with preface examples.

All in all, this is going to be a very interesting blog about the preface writing process and will definitely help you with valuable writing book instructions.

So, let us look at tips for a perfect preface as well as the importance of a preface, but before we do that let us understand what is a preface.

What Does a Preface Mean?

A preface is usually an introduction that is found at the beginning of the book and it is written by the author and can talk about a lot of things.

The preface is primarily there to attract the readers towards the book by giving a little bit more context about the book.

The preface deals with a few important things and if you understand these important things then you will be able to write the perfect preface without even doing more research about it.

There is no standardised rule for writing a preface and it can be anything you want to convey as the author. You can talk about your experience on why you are writing the book.

You can talk about the value that this book is going to add to the lives of the readers, you can talk about the importance of this book to the mainstream world and how it has the potential to change the world.

You can go into the details about what’s in the book and you can get into details about the story as well as the historical setting of the book and anything else you want to include. You can acknowledge the people and institutions that helped you with the book.

There is a lot that can be done in a preface. You can even choose to not write a preface but if you write it, make sure you are honest

Yes, A Preface Is Different From A Prologue and A Foreword

One of the most common misconceptions out there is that a preface is something similar to a prologue and a foreword but that is not the case.

Let us explain what is the prologue and a foreword and compare them to a preface so that you might understand better.

Foreword

A foreword is also situated at the beginning of the book but the primary difference between a foreword and a preface is that a preface has to be written by the author.

A forward cannot be written by an author and it can be written by an expert or a critic so as to show that the book is actually critically acclaimed and approved by experts. It is a tool for legitimising the book

It is usually there to help with the marketing of the book.

Prologue

The primary difference between a prologue and a preface is that when you see the prologue you need to understand that is a part of the main body of the text.

Whatever is written in the prologue is a part of the text. It is not a commentary or an introductory statement like a preface or foreword.

The prologue is a part of the body of text and it is just an introduction and usually talks about the background of the story or it is usually written from the perspective of a character.

This helps start things and it usually helps the readers understand the background before the actual body of the text begins and helps readers get a little more context before they delve into the text.

Important Tips to Write a Preface

Keep Things Short

One of the mistakes new authors make is that they try to make the preface as long and detailed as possible.

They try to include every variable event that made them to write the book and while that is an amazing idea but it does not work with a preface.

When you are putting a preface in your book that means you want it just big enough for the readers to get interested in the main body of text.

That is why you should make sure the preface is a balanced mix of all the important points that you want to mention without it being too long.

You do not need to record all your thoughts in the preface.

Think It Is a Hook

If you are an author then you already know what is a hook and even if you do not know what is a hook let us help you understand.

When you are writing the preface you need to think of making it interesting. You can put in facts about the book and you can let out a few secrets.

All you need to do is to write something that will get the attention of the readers but you must make sure everything you say is true.

You just need your preface to be interesting for people to read it and for them to be interested enough to continue with the book.

Reason For the Book

If you want to keep it simple and if you do not know what to write in your preface then you can go by the safest route.

All you need to do is to tell the readers why you wrote the book. You can simply narrate your story on why you wanted to be an author and why you wanted to write this book.

You can keep it as authentic and as simple as possible and you do not need any bells and whistles for people to like the preface.

You should not worry about the preface too much as well because a lot of readers simply skip the preface.

That is why if you truly want to have a preface and you do not know what to write then a simple story about your writing life as an author is enough.

Write About Your Process

And if you want to do something simple but creative then this is an even better idea for you to do. All you need to do is simply help your readers become an author.

You need to introduce yourself and tell them how you wrote the book. You can talk about how difficult it must have been for you to start the book and how easy it got at the end.

You can talk about your entire writing experience and give them an understanding of how to write a book.

You can talk about the mental state that is needed to write a novel and you can even give them tips on how to write a book efficiently.

This should be definitely in conjunction with the topic of the book but this will definitely be an interesting preface.

Key Points About The Preface

Formatting the preface is simple and easy and all you need to do is to keep in mind a few important things and you will have a good preface.

The most important thing you must keep in mind is that you should not have any room for creativity in the preface. This means no wacky fonts and no indention in the first paragraph.

It is also a safe thing just to keep the title as it is and keep it as ‘Preface’. If you feel confident enough then you can replace the genetic title with anything you like.

You must also make sure not to start the numbering of the book from the preface. If you do not want to put numbers then that is alright but if you really do want to put numbers for the preface then Roman numerals it is.

And if you want to know how to format that text then you can use any kind of regular formatting from any software.

Relevance Of Preface in Ebooks

One of the most common questions we get asked is whether a preface is relevant or even needed for ebooks and the answer is definitely yes.

All you need to do is to make sure you select the start page as the preface page. This is very important because if you do not do this then the software is simply going to skip the preface and start with the body of the text.

That is why you need to make sure that the body of the text starts with the preface and that it is selected.

In a regular paperback or hardcover copy of a book, you need to think about all the other important sections such as the title page and the copyright page and contents and acknowledgements and much more.

But these usually get skipped on ebooks along with the preface. That is why you need to pay special attention to make sure the preface is selected as the first page if you really want people to read it.

We hope this blog will help you understand what is a preface and why it is so important. You might still have a few questions regarding the length of the preface and for that, a few paragraphs is enough.

You can definitely go for one or two pages but that should be the maximum size of the preface. And if you are someone still worried about the perfect preface then we are here for you.

Just like we are here for you for every other publishing need because we are Orange Publishers and we are one of the most reputed legacy publishing companies in India.

We are among the very few publishing companies with all our operations in-house which means everything from the printing to the publishing to the copyright and much more is done within our walls ensuring quality and safety.

We will also help you with everything miscellaneous such as your very own author’s website or even the preface and much more.

We would love to hear from you and you also love to see you visit our website to check out everything we do.

Common Book Preface FAQs

What is the first part of a book preface?

While there is no standard practice out there and no set rules for what you should include in the preface but let us tell you what happens usually.

Authors usually introduce themselves and express their gratitude towards the readers and also talk about why they decided to write the book.

This is what happens 99% of the time and that might look like a lot but when you consider the number of books published then the remaining one per cent is when you get to see all the unique types of preface.

If you want to stick to tradition then you also can take the path of the 99% of authors and simply introduce yourself and talk about the reason for writing the book and even talk a little bit about the contents of the book.

How do you write a good preface for a book?

If you want to know how to write the perfect preface for your book then all you need to do is to be honest with your readers.

You need to keep it short and talk to them as directly as possible and tell them why you wrote the book.  You need to have a polite tone and express gratitude for everyone who helped you with the book and you need to help them understand what the book is about.

You need to make sure that the preface is so interesting that people actually pick up your book to read it later on. And finally, you do not need a lot of creativity in the preface and you need to make sure it is simple.

If you do all that then you have a good preface in your hands.

What comes under preface?

A well-written preface can actually be broken down into its basic elements and doing so will help you understand how to write the perfect preface.

It should basically be an introduction to the author as the author communicates directly to the readers and expresses gratitude towards everyone who has helped the author write the book.

A good preference should also contain the reason why the author set out to write the book in the first place and on the topic of the book the preface should also contain bits and pieces of the book.

It is very important that you do not give out spoilers when it comes to the preface but you also make sure that it has a lot of hooks.

While fiction and non-fiction book preface might be different to an extent but in order to understand that difference you need to do some actual research and read a few popular fiction and nonfiction books with prefaces.

What comes after preface?

There is no definite answer to this because the structure of any book may vary and that is why some books may have the preface at the end and after that, the primary body of the text will start.

In other books, you are going to find the table of contents after the preface and there is nothing wrong with it too. In other books that need illustrations, you might find maps and illustrations after the preface.

And other books might even have a brief introduction before the primary body of text. It all depends on how you want to organise your book.

But when it comes to numbering the book, you should not use Arabic numerals for the preface.