The Art of Putting Page Numbers in Your Newest Book
Follow this advice to start mastering the art of putting page numbers into your book.
Once your latest novel manuscript has been accepted for publication, there are two essential elements you will need to consider. The first is the artwork that will illustrate the story you’re trying to tell, and the second is how you will insert your page numbers. Follow this advice to start mastering the art of putting page numbers into your book.
Ensure Proper Placement
First of all, make sure that the page numbers are being placed in the correct spots. Pages on the right side of the spine must always have an odd page number (1, 3, 5, etc.); likewise, all pages on the left should have an even number (2, 4, 8, and so on). The right side is known as recto, and the left side is known as verso. However, if you do not follow this guideline, then it will contribute to your book not looking as well-made as it otherwise would be.
Exclude Front Matter
While the front matter is an important part of your book, you should not give these pages any actual pages numbers. They don’t constitute part of the main text, after all. That’s why when you open up a book you find in the bookstore or library you will notice that the foreword, copyright page, table of contents and the dedication page will either have roman numerals on them or won’t have any numbers at all.
Avoid Inside Margins
If page numbers or artwork are too close to the inside margins, then that presents a problem when the book needs to be printed and bound. Unfortunately, doing this might cause the numbers to bleed onto the spine and be hard to see. Page numbers can be at the top or bottom of each page but should either be near the corners or centered on the bottom.
Avoid the Edges
Although it is recommended to put the page numbers in the corners of each page, you need to be careful. The pages might have to be cut down to their actual size, which means that if the numbers are too close to the edges, they might be lost in the process. If this is the case, the entire page layout might be thrown off, so it’s best to avoid the edges entirely. Attempt to place the page numbers about ⅜” away from the edge.
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