Odd Pages

As you organize the chapters of your book, it looks nicer to have them each start on the right hand side of the page. In order to do that, they need to have odd page numbers on them. The standard way to number pages is to have the even numbered pages on the left and odd numbered pages on the right. You might need to insert a blank page at the end of a chapter in order to start the next one on the right side. Or an idea that I like better is to have a few pictures or documents that you were going to leave out of the book ready to be placed on these extra pages.

The title page and table of contents should also be placed on a right hand page.

Chris Stevenson cs@sgenealogy.com www.sgenealogy.com

Alignment

What kind of look do you want for your book? The justification that you choose will determine the look of your book. For history books there are two different justifications that look good, full or left. Full justification with both the left and right edges aligning straight up and down the page (like a newspaper column). Full justification will give your pages a clean orderly look but the spacing between words can sometimes look a little funny. With full justification, your headings could be either left, right, or centered on the page. Left justification has the left side aligned up and down and the right side is ragged. This gives a more conservative look to the book and the spacing between the words is consistent. If you have a book of poems, center justification will look great. The important thing is to choose one justification and stick to it. If you aren’t sure which way you want, look at a few different books to give you the feel of each style then choose the one you like best.

Chris Stevenson cs@sgenealogy.com www.sgenealogy.com

Repeat Design Elements

Create a sense of unity to your book  by adding a few visual elements that you like, and then repeating them throughout. Look through some of your favorite books to see what they have used on their pages, you may get some inspiration. Perhaps a decorative ornament under the heading of each chapter, or a decorative drop cap to start each chapter might give your book a special look. 

Chris Stevenson  cs@sgenealogy.com  www.sgenealogy.com