/publishing

Print Interior

story build . --format print --trim <size> writes print-ready HTML using CSS paged media: mirrored margins with a gutter, running heads (author on the verso, chapter title on the recto, blank on chapter openings), page numbers at the foot of chapter and back-matter pages, chapters starting on a recto, a raised initial opening each chapter, widow and orphan control, and a copyright page. A paged-media engine turns it into the PDF the printer needs.

Trim Size

Check the trim against the author's printers before choosing: every size here is widely offered, but hardcover, expanded distribution, and specific paper options vary by printer and size. Keep one trim across a series so the spines line up on a shelf.

Page Count Estimate

The metadata sheet (story build . --format metadata) gives an estimated page count. As a rough rule for fiction set in 11-12 point type:

The sheet's estimate, and the print build's gutter, already count the title page, contents, front and back matter, each chapter rounded up to whole pages below its heading sink, and the blank versos that chapter-on-recto leaves behind. Only the rendered PDF gives the real count; use it for pricing and the cover.

Render To PDF

The CLI bundles no PDF engine. Use one the author has installed:

• Paged.js CLI: pagedjs-cli dist/<file>.html -o dist/<file>.pdf (free; Chromium-based).
• WeasyPrint: weasyprint dist/<file>.html dist/<file>.pdf (free; Python).
• Prince: prince dist/<file>.html -o dist/<file>.pdf (commercial; free for non-commercial use with a watermark; check its current license).

Engines differ in their support for paged-media features. If running heads, the raised initial, or recto starts render wrong in one engine, try another before touching the manuscript. Do not hand-edit the built HTML: it is disposable and the next build overwrites it.

Printer Checks

Check the PDF against the printer's current file requirements. The usual list:

• Page size equals the trim size (no bleed for a text-only interior)
• All fonts embedded, with a license that allows embedding in print
• Even page count; some printers want a multiple of 2 or 4, and add blank pages if not
• Margins meet the printer's minimum, with a wider gutter for thicker books
• Images at 300 ppi, and grayscale for a black-and-white interior
• PDF standard the printer asks for (some ask for PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4; the author may need a PDF tool to convert)
• Chapters start on the right; no running head or number on blank pages or chapter openers
• Copyright page ISBN is the print ISBN
• Spot-check: a widow or orphan, a long word breaking a line, a scene break at the top or bottom of a page (a blank-line break can vanish there; confirm it shows a visible marker)

Cover Wrap

• A print cover is one image: back cover + spine + front cover, plus bleed on every edge.
• Spine width depends on the page count and the paper (white, cream, color; paper weight). Get it from the printer's cover calculator or template generator after the final page count is known. Each printer's paper differs, so a KDP cover and an IngramSpark cover for the same book can need different widths.
• Spine text usually needs a minimum page count (often around 100 pages). Keep text inside the spine safe zone.
• The back cover needs room for the barcode, usually lower right.
• Every page-count change after the cover is made means a new cover file.

Proofs

• Order a printed proof from each printer before release. Screen checks miss margins, gutter loss, paper tone, and cover color shifts.
• Read the proof for: gutter too tight to read, running heads, chapter openings, scene breaks, the copyright page, and front and back matter order.
• Record fixes as manuscript or matter changes, rebuild, re-render, and re-upload. Never patch the PDF by hand; the next build loses the fix.