This summer, we went to the Art Institute of Chicago to see the Van Gogh exhibit. It was fabulous. We were dazzled by more than seventy-five paintings and drawings by master artists Vincent van Gogh, as well as Georges Seurat, Paul Signac, Emile Bernard, and Charles Angrand. While we were enjoying the paintings, we saw a book…
Great sources of advice on book marketing you may never have thought of are podcasts by book marketing experts. I listen to several podcasts, including Mark Dawson’s The Self-Publishing Formula. Here is his advice from episode #382: “You must market your book with Honorée Corder.” Honorée Corder is the author of more than fifty books. On…
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…