Print layout question. Chapters starting on odd pages?

[Masha du Toit]

I'm doing the layout for the Createspace version of my book.

I've seen a people say that the "professional" way is to have all your chapters start on odd pages, even if that means having a blank facing left page if the previous chapter does not end on the left page.

I've looked at the books I own and some are like this, others not.  Also - one or two of my chapters are very short - interludes, really, about two pages long - and forcing the start on an odd page feels strange!

Any strong opinions about this? 

When I do start my chapters on odd pages, it makes an enormous difference to the page number too. Not sure if that should be a consideration.

[Terrence OBrien]

I don't know what professional means, but I did do the odd page (right hand page) thing. I had 16 chapters, and that resulted in eight instances of an added blank page at the end of a preceding chapter. If you do go that route, using sections for chapters will help if you want that first odd page for each chapter to have different heading and page numbering layout. I had never used sections, but they can be very helpful for that kind of layout. You might also find the added pages from starting on an odd page can be offset by adding just one more line to each page. Depends on how long the book is.

The number of pages governs the minimum Amazon allows you to price the book. More pages means higher price.

[CraigInTwinCities]

Masha,


You can do either and be in good company.

The "every chapter starts on an odd-numbered, right-hand page" approach to layout is a classic. Personally, I love it and I use it in MY books.

However, as a cost-cutting measure, some publishers have abandoned that, with many indies following suit.

Few people complain, either way. So it's up to you.

Fact: In the average 300-page, 30-chapter novel, eliminating the blank pages necessitated by the "every chapter starts on an odd page" design conceit can save you an average of... about 12 pages. Sometimes as many as 18.

If you have shorter, more numerous chapters (ala James Patterson who averages 120+ short chapters per novel), it can save a lot more pages. Like, 40-60 pages.

So you have to decide, based on the number and length of your chapters, and the number of pages it would save you, whether you want to use the odd-page chapter-start design, or not.

Either way, there are plenty of people doing both methods. It's up to you.

[Masha du Toit]

Thanks Craig and Terrence.

I'm using Indesign not Word, so it's quite easy to make these changes.  (Not really, since I stupidly already put in all my illustrations and if I make new page breaks the text ends up overlapping the images  )

I do like the "classic" look of starting on odd pages only, but I'm not sure it works for this particular book.  It helps to have some idea of what people expect though!

[Decon]

Just looked at my bookshelf and it is a bit of a mixture. Older books seem to have blank pages as do all my hardbacks, but all my modern paperbacks run straight through, apart from one that judging by the large font size, the publisher needed to make it appear a longer page book.

I think at the end of the day it is down to cost v style and the choice is yours.

[Masha du Toit]

Thanks Dekon

I'm a little worried that if I do this (start chapters on odd pages) there might be a perception that I was trying to "pad" the length to make the book seem thicker - the book is short - 40 000 words.  At the moment without chapters starting on odd pages, the page length is 165.  Cant remember what it was with the odd pages start, but it was noticeably longer.

Interesting that more recent books are less likely to "run through" rather than start on odd pages. I noticed the same thing from my collection.