Check your book is ready to print

Run through this list before you build a proof. Each item links to the guide that helps with it. If everything is ticked, your book is ready for Prepare and proof your book.

If you're a writer, you can help with the first item by finishing your stories. The owner or an admin does the rest.

Your stories

• The stories you want are finished. Only finished stories go into the book. Drafts stay out until they're finished. See Finish a story and Which stories go in your book.
• Chapters and stories are in the right order. The order in the Content view is the order they print. See Change the order of chapters and stories.

The design

• The title and author are right. They go on the cover and the spine. See Edit your book's title, author and details.
• You like the colour and the cover. If you use a cover photo, choose a large, sharp one. See Choose a colour theme and Design your cover.
• You've decided on a contents page and a blurb. Both are optional. See Edit your book's title, author and details and Add a blurb page.
• Names on stories are how you want them. You can show who wrote each story, or leave names off. See Edit your book's title, author and details, and Credit a story to someone to change whose name a story shows.

Photos and length

• Photos are big enough to print sharply. Small photos from messages or social media can look soft on paper. See Get a good print.
• The book is the right length. A printed book can have 32 to 532 pages. If yours is longer, carry on in a new volume. See Book volumes.

Your plan

• The project's plan is active. Printing pauses while a plan has ended. Only the owner can renew it.

Then build a proof

When the list is done, go to Print in the Book tab and choose Confirm and build proof. The proof shows every page exactly as it will print, so you can catch anything this list missed. See Prepare and proof your book.