my advice is to do everything everyone said, but I actually prefer slightly pregnant joints, because by the time they are established and going strong, you are right at the weed payload in the center !

i am not a great roller, but what I find helpful is to roll it up, then(ok, this is kinda gross) just lick it all over and kind of press it into the shape you want if its a lil wierd looking. just run a lighter up and down a few times, it dries out and gets nice and firm. I also prefer a 2 ply joint. i use 2 papers because it makes them firm, prevents holes in the paper, and just looks so much damn better. I roll a joint, and then just lick the side of it, place the wet side down on a new paper, and just roll it right up. looks amazing and smokes very well.