Dalriada Books Ltd

达则兼济天下,雅能独善其身

达雅书局     自费出版     English     Resource Centre     Typesetting DIY     UK Book Industry     Site Map      
LaTex Memoir Class
Typeset Your Own Book
Typographers’ terms
中文排版软件介绍
排版DIY
如何排版诗集
版面与排版基础知识
FAQs
生僻漢字及偏旁排版
TexWorks+LiveMesh
Typeset your own books in Latex:
 
Latex has three basic document class, article, book, and report. Many latex book templates we can find on the internet are ready for math or science, as for fiction authors, we don't need to typeset math equations or a lot of fancy graphics, so it's quite simple to typeset your book.
 
All you have to know are some basic knowledge, such as how to start a document for book, what is the options for a book, etc. The basic code for a book as follow:
 
documentclass{book}
begin{document}
 [your text]
\end{document}
Every latex document starts with documentclass []{}, end with \end{document}. Here we are going to typeset a book, we just start the document with Documentclass[options] {book}. Latex has default options for a book.
 
Default option for a book are: 8.5x11, portrait, 10pt, both sides, on column, start chapter on right page,  Equation numbering  on right, displayed equations centred, open bibliography compressed.
 
Other options for book: a4paper, a5paper, b5paper, letterpaper, legalpaper, Executive size landscape, 11pt, 12pt, oneside, twocolumn, notitlepage, titlepage, openany, draft, fleqn, leqno
 
Below are the full list:
  • papersize: 8.5x11, a4paper, a5paper, b5paper, letterpaper, legalpaper, Executive size
  • paper orientation: portrait, landscape
  • body text font size: 10pt, 11pt, 12pt,
  • print side: both sides, oneside
  • columns: one, two
  • start chapter on left: No, Yes
  • Equation numbering, On right, On left
  • Displayed equations: Centred,  Flush left
    Open bibliography: Compressed, Open
 
As for fiction book, there are no math equations, we just ignore those options like openany, draft, fleqn, leqno.
 
So, If you want typeset a book with several lines of simplist code:
 
documentclass{book}
begin{document}
 [your text]
\end{document}
 
Your book will be printed on size 8.5x11 paper, body text font size 10pt, print on both sides, and chapter start on right page, etc.
 
If you want your book printed on 14 paper, and fontsize 12pt, then change the options like this, use semicolon to separate two options:
 
documentclass[a4paper, 12pt]{book}
begin{document}
 [your text]
\end{document}