The task of redesigning the book cover for Corinne’s poetry collection, The Rings of Nature, was an exciting opportunity to breathe new life into the visual representation of her book. The existing cover, though depicting a scenic outdoor landscape, lacked the visual impact needed to capture the essence of Corinne’s poetry. The goal was to create…
When co-authors Bob Stuckey and Ken Cooper contacted me about designing their business book, The Control Catastrophe: Why your organization is wasting money and how to fix it, they gave me a brief description of their manuscript and identified their target audience—corporate executives, managers and supervisors. The Design Process I began my process by looking at other books…
First-time author James Gibson contacted me about designing his memoir, Just a Long Walk. I asked if his manuscript was finished and if it was professionally edited.* It was not, so I suggested that he contact Andy Doty (Editwright.com) for editing and book coaching services. Andy got the project and circled back to me to design…
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. …