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…
I recently designed a memoir for Bonnie, a first-time author who originally printed only enough copies of her book for her family and friends. Now, she wants to publish it and make it available to the public. If you are a first-time author who is ready to publish your book, you have many publishing options,…
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…
A first-time author (I’ll call him Joe ) hired me to design his suspense novel. He requested ebook, paperback, and hardcover versions. He had purchased an ISBN for each format. (Each different edition of your book needs a separate ISBN to identify it—one for the ebook, a separate one for the paperback, and another for…
The little brown book was the final touch and “show stopper” to a project that started in August 2021. My client, Jan, showed me an existing pocket-sized prayer book, The Rule of the Secular Order. The cover was laminated on a red-paper stock with gold-foil stamping. Jan had an upcoming conference in August 2022 and hoped…
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…
Follow the Leader was a kid’s game from my past. Wikipedia explains how it worked: Players first chose a leader or “head of the line,” and the remaining players (the followers) all lined up behind the leader. Then, as the leader moved around, all the players mimicked the leader’s actions. These days, I follow the leaders in book marketing. These are experts…
My friend Sherry saw my Facebook post about the St. Louis Publishers Association’s webinar, “How to Publish Your Book.” I teach a segment on book design. Sherry was curious because she would like to write a book. Here are the questions she asked about book covers. Q. Do you read a book from cover to…
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…