putting the finishing touches on your work...
Now that you are completely satisfied with the CONTENT of your work, you must now think about its aesthetics, or its physical appearance and beauty. You know the phrase, "You can't judge a book by its cover"? Well, although you're not supposed to, people ALWAYS do it! So, you have to make sure that your project is pleasing to your future readers' eyes! But, you also want to make sure that each decision that you make is purposeful and meaningful!
things to think about...
- What is the COVER of your project going to look like? What words/images will be on there?
- What IMAGES, if any, do you want to include alongside your writing in order to support it?
- Will you be using different FONTS for certain things? (e.g. chapter names, headings, subheadings)
- How will each PAGE look? (For example, will the writing be double-sided? Will the pages be numbered?)
- How will you BIND everything together? (e.g. staple papers together, hole-punch and put it in a binder, buy a scrapbook album and decorate it yourself, buy glossy paper to use, get it professionally bound, paste writing into a blank book, etc.)
- Will you have a table of contents?
- Will you have a dedication page that goes in the beginning of your piece?
- Where will you place your author's note? In the beginning? In the end?
more professional-looking binding options
If YOU are willing to spend a little more on the aesthetics of your IWP, take a look at some of these options:
Staples (http://www.staples.com/)
At Staples, you can buy a pack of glossy paper or card stock paper to use for your work. You could also purchase sheet protectors, binders, and report covers to make your work look more professional!
Bare Books (www.barebooks.com/books.htm)
Bare Books is a website that sells hard cover blank books for as low as $1.75 per book.
FedEx Kinkos (http://www.fedex.com/us/office/binding-finishing-laminating.html)
FedEx Kinkos offers professional services. If you bring your work directly to a store or upload your writing online, they will be able to professionally BIND your work, either with staples, spirals, or with black strips. Go directly to the store or call to find out rates.
Staples (http://www.staples.com/)
At Staples, you can buy a pack of glossy paper or card stock paper to use for your work. You could also purchase sheet protectors, binders, and report covers to make your work look more professional!
Bare Books (www.barebooks.com/books.htm)
Bare Books is a website that sells hard cover blank books for as low as $1.75 per book.
FedEx Kinkos (http://www.fedex.com/us/office/binding-finishing-laminating.html)
FedEx Kinkos offers professional services. If you bring your work directly to a store or upload your writing online, they will be able to professionally BIND your work, either with staples, spirals, or with black strips. Go directly to the store or call to find out rates.
