For authors, designers & indie publishers
Everything you need to turn a manuscript into a real book.
Trim sizes, paper sizes, spine widths, cover templates, ISBN tools, fonts and a directory of publishers, awards and literary magazines — 9,800+ reference pages built from open data and careful book math.
Today · November 1
What's new →On this day
- Helen Czerskiborn 1978
- Jessica Valentiborn 1978
- Louise Boije af Gennäsborn 1961
- Susanna Clarkeborn 1959
1945 — The official North Korean newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, is first published under the name Chongro.
More from November 1 →Trending on Open Library
- Atomic Habits James Clear
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad Robert T. Kiyosaki
- The 48 Laws of Power Robert Greene
- The Power of Positive Thinking and the Amazing Results of… Norman Vincent Peale
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone J. K. Rowling
New public-domain books
- The crew of the Dolphin
- Less than a bird
- "Blue for your eyes and brown for your hair"
- Double take
- Collected papers, Volume I
Poem of the day
Part of the Ninth Ode of the Fourth Book
Lest you should think that verse shall die,
Which sounds the silver Thames along,
Taught, on the wings of truth to fly
Above the reach of vulgar song;
…
Term of the day · Printing & prepress
The portion of a page where text and important elements are placed — inside the margins and safe zone.
Free calculators
All tools →Explore the reference
Popular trim sizes
All trim sizes →Guides
All guides →- How to Choose a Book Trim SizeA practical decision guide to picking the right trim size for your paperback or hardcover — by genre, page cou
- Book Spine Width Explained (with Formulas)How spine width is calculated for paperbacks and hardcovers, why paper choice changes it, and how to design a
- Bleed, Trim and Safe Zones: Print Files Done RightWhat bleed, trim and safe zones are, how much bleed printers need, and how to set up interior and cover files
- Paper Weight Explained: GSM vs PoundsWhy 20 lb bond and 50 lb text are nearly the same paper, how to convert GSM to pounds, and which paper weights
- ISBN Guide for Self-PublishersWhat an ISBN is, when you need one, how many to buy, free vs purchased ISBNs, barcodes and how ISBNs connect t
- Front Matter and Back Matter: The Complete OrderThe standard order of a book's front matter and back matter — what each page is for, which side it goes on, ho
- Book Interior Typography: Fonts, Size, Leading and MarginsPractical typesetting rules for book interiors — choosing a body font, type size and leading, line length, mar
Directory highlights
Publishers
Browse all →Literary awards
- Nobel Prize in Literature
- Pulitzer Prize
- Booker Prize
- Hugo Award
- Prix Goncourt
- Nebula Award
- Miguel de Cervantes Prize
- Hans Christian Andersen Award
Fonts for book interiors
Browse all →About this site
Leaf & Spine is an independent, free reference for people who make books. The numbers come from published printer specifications and transparent formulas — see how we calculate — and the directories are compiled from open data sources credited on every page.