How to get it on paper
Your book is printed by Lulu, a real printer and not a shop of ours. We give you the two files, ready to go; you choose where and when to print it, and you pay the printer what it costs. Here are the steps, one at a time.
Before you start
This takes about fifteen minutes the first time. If you would rather we did it for you, write to hello@heirleaf.com and we'll look into it: we are working on being able to post it to you without you having to do any of this.
Ask for your two files
On your book's screen, press «Send me the files». They arrive by email, usually the same day. There are two and not one, because the printer asks for them separately:
- The inside: every page of your book.
- The cover: front, spine and back in a single piece, with the spine already worked out for the number of pages your book has.
Create your Lulu account
Go to lulu.com and create an account. It is free, and keeping your book there costs nothing: you only pay when you order a copy.
Choose these options, exactly these
This is the step that matters. Pick anything else and the price won't be the one we showed you, and the cover may not fit, because it is worked out for this size and this binding.
- Book type
- Print book
- Size
- A5 · 5.83 x 8.27 in (148 x 210 mm)
- Binding
- Paperback
- Interior
- Black & White, Standard
- Paper
- 60# Cream
- Cover finish
- Matte
Upload both files
The inside first, the cover after. Lulu checks them and tells you if something doesn't add up. If it says the cover is the wrong size, don't upload it again: write to us and we'll make it afresh.
Order a copy
Look for the option to buy a copy for yourself, not the one to publish it or put it on sale. Your book is yours and doesn't have to be in any shop.
What about hardcover?
Not yet. A hardcover is built differently — the board is wrapped and the spine is worked out another way — and we would rather not hand you a file that doesn't fit. We are on it.
What to look at when it arrives
- The spine. The name should sit in the middle, not creeping onto the front or the back.
- The margins. The inner one is wider than the outer one on purpose: that is what lets you read without forcing the book open.
- The black of the text. It should be black, not washed-out grey.
- The paper. It should look cream, not white. If it is white, the wrong paper was chosen.
If something goes wrong
Write to hello@heirleaf.com and a person will answer. The copy is sold by the printer and not by us, so returns are theirs — but if the problem comes from the files we gave you, that is ours, and we will remake them without arguing.