Many people want to tell their stories. I recently designed a medley of memoirs. Self-publishing and printing are excellent ways to accomplish this and reach the perfect readers. The following memoirs were written by first-time authors whom I guided through the design and book-production process. What design elements are generally used for the cover of…
A team of three educators contacted me to help them publish their curriculum, a project management book for middle-school students. This was their first foray into publishing. Their requirements: editing, ebook publishing, an attractive cover design, and file formats. I replied, “I’m a book designer, not an editor, but I’m happy to recommend editors I’ve…
The Winter Celebration flier was intended for the employees of a corporate DEI Council (Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion) 1) The client provided a Word doc with a rough hierarchy—what comes first, second, etc.—as well as hyperlinks to register for the event. There were no graphics; it was up to me to create a festive and inviting flier.…
It takes a team to create a children’s book. In this case study, the team consisted of an author, an illustrator, and a book designer, all of whom worked collaboratively on the project. First-time author, Jon Ferry, commissioned me to design his book, Across the Battlefield: A Pawn’s Journey. He wrote, “I am nearing the point…
First-time authors have a goal—like a map destination—but on an unfamiliar road. I asked author Charles J. Pearson the following question: “As a first-time author, what did you learn about the book design process?” Here is what he told me: “The visual impact of a book design is both complex and comprehensive. The book cover, front and…
Editor Katherine Pickett referred me to an author who was publishing a memoir of love and war. JimLaurie is a former NBC news correspondent who covered the wars in Cambodia and Vietnam. His book tells the story of the last-minute rescue attempt of a woman he loved that occurred right before the fall of Saigon. The rescue failed. Before we…
Here’s a book cover case study to illustrate that point. Cherita, a first-time author, contacted me about my book-design services. First, I wrote her a contract that included a cost to design the cover. She responded, “I already have a book cover, so I won’t need that service.” I deleted that cost from my estimate. …
The annual report cover for the Society of the Sacred Heart began with an amaryllis watercolor painting by Sister Donna Dolan. “We are struck by her amaryllis surrounded in darkness. Image-wise and symbolically, it just feels right for the cover. Donna is working on getting us a high-resolution image, but this is what we’d like…
Why you need a book designer for your children’s book Publishing a children’s book? Use a book designer to make it visually appealing and easy to read before the artwork begins. Case study: Channon, a first-time author, hired an illustrator who had little knowledge of book design. How did I know? 1) The artist/illustrator (?) did not leave adequate space for the story…
My expertise is graphic design. I am not a writer. But, I know when a sentence is not a sentence. Case in point: A CEO rewrote the text in his brochure. This CEO is not my direct client; my contact is a project manager who handles the creative jobs for the CEO’s company. [Let’s call…