13 Tips for Choosing the Best Cover and Binding Materials
It also helps to:
8 Know the end-user.
For example, [for] teachers' editions … we often spiral bind them so they will lay flat. Also, teachers can fold the book in a way that allows them to easily carry the book around the classroom.
For our book clubs, however, we saddlewire bind the paperback editions. Parents need to be able to afford to purchase a book collection for their children, so we manufacture a product that can be sold at low price points for this market.
9 Think about safety.
We never film-laminate board books because very young children have a tendency to chew on the books, and the lamination comes off. This is obviously a safety concern.
10 Know library preferences.
If you are selling products to libraries, be sure to meet the market needs. We sell many of our trade products to libraries and often manufacture separate Reinforced Library Binding editions."
Jennifer Jerome, Production Manager, Columbia University Press, New York City
Publishes: Trade, academic and monograph books with core disciplines in areas such as Asian studies and social work.
"In terms of binding materials:
11 We almost always choose between adhesive and Smyth.
And, between the two, we almost always choose adhesive over Smyth, simply because it involves a faster, smoother and oftentimes less expensive process. And it used to be that everyone went with cloth covers for all their books, but now everyone is predominantly using paper.
I would also advise other production managers to:
12 Research printer prices.
It comes down to how much money you are willing to spend. Then, find out from various printers what it would cost to publish a book with all the bells and whistles, with a few bells and whistles, and with almost no frills. Once you have this information, you can better choose which materials are right for your book and your budget.
