Things to Consider

When you are planning your long stitch binding there are several things that you want to consider:
How many long stitches in your spine
Whether your cover will have a fold over flap
If you have a flap, what kind of closure will you have.

Spine Stitches

There is no one way to sew a long stitch binding.  As you look at reference materials and browse the internet and Pintrest you will see many examples.  You will see spines with just two long stitches in each signature.  You'll see spines with linking stitches that run across the head and tail of the spine with one long stitch in each signature.  You will see the long stitches gathered by a bead or button in the centre.  The only constant is that there will be a long stitch (or more than one) on the spine, attaching the signature to the cover.  

The Cover

You will need to decide if your cover is going to have a fold over flap or not.  It does not have to have one to be a long stitch binding.  This is simply a design choice that you are going to make.  The size of the flap is also up to you.  Whatever you think is appropriate to the fabric you are using for your book.   If you are making a flap you will need to make a closure of some sort.

Closures

You can use buckles, belts, hair bands, appliques, toggles, clasps, buttons, ribbons, elastic etc.  The possibilities are as boundless as your imagination.

I've used buckles and elastic and belts with great success.  Here are a few additional examples of journal closures.

A silver plastic buckle

This is a leather applique with a decorative cord wrapped around it.  The cord is also used as a design element on the flap.

This journal has a soft flannel cover that sticks to itself.  The edge of the flap is shaped and flower on the flap fits over the one on the cover (just -- I would allow more room next time)

The back of the journal shows that the spine has a bead on the long stitches.

Shows the cover opened.

Here are some links to good videos for sewing the long stitch with the link stitch:

Sea Lemon    (She is using two long stitches on her spine instead of the one we will be doing)

Dark Child    (This is quite long, the measuring starts at about 7 min and then the sewing starts at 15 mins.  The rest is how he prepares his paper and leather.)