r/bookbinding • u/Rude-Committee7965 • 1d ago

Help? Book layout

I am a press operator/graphic designer at a print shop, primarily working with magazines and smaller saddle stitched books.

I’d like to expand my experience into novel(a) sized projects and was wondering where I’d be able to find people who might want their interiors typeset. I don’t care what kind of projects and I’m offering a free service but I haven’t gotten any bites in /Bookdesign (probably because people think it’s a scam tbh. Reasonable enough I guess)

I just want something to work with. I am a typesetter for smaller publications and want to learn more in the novel sized area. Maybe I could help someone out who has the know how to bind the books but might need help with the techy side of things if they’re doing a texblock

I glanced at the rules and didn’t see anything against this type of post so I apologize if I’m in the wrong 😬

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11

u/qtntelxen Library mender 1d ago

If you really don’t care at all what the project is, you might try r/Fanbinding — they’d be more weirded out if you did ask for money.

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u/Rude-Committee7965 1d ago

OH good idea!

5

u/ArcadeStarlet 1d ago

You might get some interest. I've occasionally found clients through this sub, but mostly it's fellow binders talking shop. I think the same is true for r/bookdesign.

You could try r/selfpublishing as another option.

I encounter some very dismissive attitudes about digital typesetting. You get the purists saying its only "typesetting" if you're using physical letterpress type. And the people who don't even consider it a task at all (you just copy and paste into Word and it's done, right? Who would need a professional for that?). I think because when it's done well its invisible, and people have no idea what widows and orphans, runts, rivers, stacks or h&j violations even are 🤣

So it can be an uphill struggle to even give those skills away for free sometimes.

If you just want a practice project, you could always make yourself some nice public domain classics via Project Gutenberg.

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u/Rude-Committee7965 1d ago

Thank you for the information. It’s a bit disheartening but good to know! I was wondering why free wasn’t drawing ANY bites. These are some good tips

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u/mishatries 1d ago

I SAW SOMEONE LOOKING FOR FORMATTING HELP AND NOW I CANNOT FIND IT. r/writing was where I think I saw it, but it could have been r/fantasywriting

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u/Rude-Committee7965 1d ago

I’ll have to got take a peak