Why Typeset My Book?

Typesetting is the stage of your book production process between your original Microsoft Word file and the final printed book. Typesetting is the layout step, the design stage, where you choose and create the final look of your book and consequently it can be considered as one of the most important stages in the publishing process.

Real typesetting is an art and a craft that succeeds best when it is invisible! The layout of your book can be compared to the background music of a feature film. Its' primary role is to produce clear and accessible text but also it helps to enhance the readers' experience.

Some writers today are skipping print publishing altogether and going straight to e-books but many readers still love the look and feel of the printed page. Indeed, some writers do not feel they've actually produced a 'real' book unless they can hold the finished result in their hands and if that's you, you will need a typesetter to avoid disappointment......but why?

You could of course just print and bind your Word document. Word even has some basic typesetting features, but you can always tell a book that was printed straight from a Word file. Unfortunately, these books tend to look just like what they are....a printed out Word document!

This is primarily because word processing software is directly descended from the typewriter, not
a typesetting system. Word processing software was originally meant to mimic the look and feel of the familiar typewriter, partly to calm the anxieties of the secretaries and assistants who were being asked to switch to computers. The original word processors used 'mono-spaced' fonts
where each character took up exactly the same amount of space just as a typewriter did and although dramatically improved since those early days, MS Word still offers only basic control
over character spacing, kerning and tracking. There are also potential issues with hyphenation
and justification.

In contrast, modern typesetting software is derived from the original professional computer typesetting systems that replaced film based typesetting machines. Typesetting was an expensive business then and those who bought type for books and magazines expected a quality finished product. Virtually by default, typesetting software had to include complete control over spacing, kerning and tracking from the word 'go' in order to have any chance of commercial success.

Additionally, at Get Set Go we use 'premium fonts' - font sets that have been created and encoded specifically for typesetting applications, rather than 'system fonts' supplied as part of a software package.

Typesetting involves artistic decisions and careful massaging of text and graphic elements through the skilful application of software specifically designed for typesetting. In typesetting there are best practices, revered traditions and applied techniques that you may not even notice-but you'll definitely notice if they're missing or applied incorrectly!