Print or Web?

[Reverend]

With the print-on-demand places, would I have things like a copyright and an ISBN?

[over40artist]

You'd have the copyright, and I'm presuming all major book-on-demand publishers can provide an ISBN, though that may be a separate fee. There's tons of research on these subjects via Google or Yahoo.

Good advice, Jay!

[Reverend]

The only one I'm familiar with is Lulu. I just checked and it appears as though they do offer ISBNs.

[Sir Real]

Well, WELL thought out.  I'm really liking the concept!!!

[jaylynch]

You'd get an ISDN (either from ISDN or thru the print-on-demand place)....You would print (c) 2009 Your Name somewhere on the first 3 pages of the book. When the book is published, You would fill out copyright forms and mail the form to the Librarty of Congress, Copyright office along with $60 , or whatever the fee is these days, and copies of the book (I think they will accept digital copies for something like this)  You would use form TX., which is downloadable from the Copyright office website.

You would need an isdn in order to sell thru Amazon or Barnes and Noble or any of the websites where people order current books from.

[Reverend]

Thanks, again, Jay!

This is all very encouraging. While I have an extensive background in copy editing and layout/design, I've never actually published anything before. For some reason, I assumed it was a lot more complicated and expensive, but after performing a cursory search, I see that it's not. I just have to make sure that the printer I choose does quality work.

Now I'm inspired to really get down to business with this. I have e-mails, letters, notes and databases scattered all over the place. It's time to start tying this all together.

I've already commissioned a famous someone to do the front cover, which I'm very excited about!

[jaylynch]

But if you go the dustjacket route, make sure you settle on the size and proportions of said dustjacket before the famous someone starts drawing the cover.

If he does the cover before the proportions are determined...and it turns out that the book will have to be printed in different proportions, you will have to adjust his cover proportionally in photoshop...and odds are it would come out looking strange.

[jaylynch]

....The thickness of the spine and thickness of the cover board would be a factor in determining the size of the dustjacket.   So once you know the # of pages and the paper stock...have the outfit that is making the books send you a blank dummy copy the exact size and #or pages as the real book...and from that you can ascertain the precise dust jacket size.

[Reverend]

It's going to be A4, though I'm not sure that I'm going to go the hardcover/dust jacket route yet.

[zonker]

I found a downloadable book (legal) that might be usefull.

Digital Prepress for Comic Books
http://comics.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=12210&affiliate_id=228463