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BINDING PAPERBACK BOOKS BY HAND
by Chet Novicki (author of The Perfect Binding Handbook: Making Trade Paperbacks by Hand and EasyHardcover Bookbinding).
So quick and easy, in fact, that just about anyone can hand bind a 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" trade paperback, of any number of pages, in as little as five minutes. And so inexpensive that the finished book will cost as little as $1.50 a copy to make, even if you only make one copy. And the results? Astounding. Assuming you do a good job designing the cover, your hand-made book will be virtually indistinguishable from those published by the major book companies. I mean it - this is not hype. Unless you tell them, most people won't know you made it yourself. Honest. They won't be able to tell the difference! This is unbelievably easy to do and the results are totally professional.DID YOU KNOW THAT PERFECT BINDING PAPERBACK BOOKS BY HAND IS QUICK, EASY AND INEXPENSIVE?
Not much. Some glue, which you can get at any hardware store. Some 8 1/2" x 14" covers, suitable for printing by inexpensive home computer printers. A hand binding press helps a lot, but is not absolutely essential. And, of course, directions. Until now, some of the needed items were difficult, if not impossible, to find. I searched for a reasonably-priced hand-binding press for a long time and NEVER found one, which is how I ended up designing and building my own. The legal size (8 1/2" x 14") cover stock used by this system also can be difficult to locate, especially if you live in a small town and/or only need a few pieces. So back in 1997, when I wrote The Perfect Binding Handbook (the first book ever published about making paperback books by hand) I also set myself up - through my company, GIGABOOKS - as a source of these difficult-to-locate items. Now you can get the big three items - a hand binding press, cover stock, and directions - at a reasonable price, all from the same source. Anything else you need can be purchased at any hardware store.
Think of it. Novels, short stories, poems, family histories, memoirs, recipe collections, your children's artwork - the list is endless. Anything that can be put on paper can be turned into a real book. You can even become a small publisher, if you wish, testing titles by publishing them on demand before committing to a big print run. NOW ANYTHING THAT CAN BE PUT ON PAPER CAN BE MADE INTO AN ATTRACTIVE, PROFESSIONAL-LOOKING, PERFECT-BOUND, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" TRADE PAPERBACK.
YOU CAN ALSO USE THIS METHOD TO MAKE PAPERBACK BOOKS OF JUST ABOUT ANY SIZE YOU WANT.
In fact, Gigabooks sells inexpensive hand-binding presses that will bind books from as small as 2" x 3" (51 mm x 77 mm) up to 8 1/2" x 12" (217 mm x 320 mm) in size. Follow the links below for more info.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, FOLLOW THESE LINKS.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN TRADE PAPERBACKS - A short article with directions on just how to do this.
TESTIMONIALS - See what others are saying about this remarkably easy method.
FAQS (Frequently Asked Questions) - Many common questions are answered here.
ABOUT US - Who, what, and where we are. How to get in touch with us.
THE BOOK - The Perfect Binding Handbook: Making Trade Paperbacks by Hand, by Chet Novicki. Now with a whole new section on invisible staple binding - gives you two methods of making professional-looking paperbacks. Everything you need to know is in this book.
THE BOOKLET - Easy Hardcover Bookbinding: The Booklet, by Chet Novicki. Companion to The Perfect Binding Handbook. Turn your paperback book, or any paperback book, into a beautiful hardcover book, complete with printed covers and spine.
PRESSES - Our new models will bind books up to 2" thick. We have two different sizes to choose from. One of them is just right for you. The large model can handle both US size paper and the A-4 size used in most other countries. It can bind books (or just pages) up to 8 1/2 inches x 12 inches (217 mm x 320 mm).
COVER STOCK AND SELF-ADHESIVE LAMINATING SHEETS - A variety of cover stock in the hard-to-find 8 1/2" x 14" and 11" x 20"sizes, plus self-adhesive laminating sheets in sizes for bookbinding.
PHOTOS - Like photos? This page has links to all our photos.
CLICKBOOK - Find out more about this great printer utility. Download a free trial copy.
HOW TO ORDER - Prices, Shipping and Handling charges, etc. Order online via our secure server.
OUR ORDER FORM - Print out this .txt file for convenience in ordering by mail.
CREDIT CARD ORDERS - Go directly to our shopping cart system.
E-MAIL US - Comments, questions about binding, whatever. Send them to us by clicking here.. Please mention the word bookbinding in the subject (or something so I know it's not SPAM).
WHY LAMINATE? There are several reasons why you may want to add lamination to your covers. This short article discusses those reasons.
HOW TO QUICK-BIND JUST ABOUT ANYTHING THAT HAS AT LEAST ONE STRAIGHT EDGE - A quick and easy way to bind loose pages, multiple-page printouts, etc. Perfect for printing out and binding e-books, so you can read them away from your computer. Takes about a minute and costs less than a buck!
LINKS
IN-PERSON AND LONG-DISTANCE CONSULTATIONS WITH NAOMI ROSE, BOOK DEVELOPER. Are you called to write something wonderful, but aren't sure how to get started, put the pieces together, or see the light at the end of the tunnel? Expert guidance in developing the book(s) inside you. Lots of very good information, including a newsletter. Naomi has over 30 years experience in the publishing field as an editor, writer, consultant, and book developer. Her uniquely helpful book, STARTING YOUR BOOK: A Guide to Navigating the Blank Page by Attending to What's Inside You, is available from her online bookstore. All copies are bound on her Gigabooks press!
FOR A GREAT PERSONALIZED CHILDREN'S BOOK SOFTWARE BUSINESS, please visit www.Awesome-Books.com
LOOKING FOR IDEAS FOR YOUR NEXT BOOK? Check out Creating Nonfiction Ideas that Sell, by James R. Thomson.
TAKING A CONCEPT AND FOLLOWING A DREAM - See how one woman is developing a new career, the Gigabooks way.
CAROL HEADY, ILLUSTRATOR, WRITER, ARTIST - Recording art and memories in hand made book for family and friends is rewarding and satisfying. All Carol's stories are true and her artwork tells a story. Check out her books that are all bound using the Gigabooks system.
A GIGABOOKS SUCCESS STORY - See how a labor of love resulted in a publishing contract.
MORE LINKS HERE
E-mail us. Got a gripe? A comment? Questions about making your own books? Send them directly to Chet. Make sure to put the word bookbinding in the Subject block - that way your message won't get overlooked as I sort through the ton-and-a-half of spam I get every day.
This entire site, including all pages, Copyright 1997-2008 GIGABOOKS. All rights reserved. Send snail mail to: Gigabooks, P.O. Box 653, Ft. Meade, FL, USA 33841.