Guest Posts

Part of blogging is meeting other bloggers, and I’ve been very fortunate to be able to write for several other blogs. I’ll post links here to the guest posts. That way, if you see a topic you’re interested in, but you didn’t see my article on the other blog, you will be able to scoot over there and read it. It’s worth it, I promise.

Editor Unleashed

November 5, 2009
Book Design: Beauty in the Details
“A good book design enhances the flow of the author’s ideas to the reader, while doing nothing to impede that flow. Then reading becomes an effortless movement in which the words themselves disappear and the mind is fully engaged with the subject matter at hand.”

Self-Publishing Review

December 30, 2009
Deconstructing Bembo: Typographic Beauty and Bloody Murder
“The design of Bembo was a clear attempt to bring the humanist script of the finest scribes of the day to the printed page, without slavishly following the more formal lettering of the day. It would later serve as the chief inspiriation to Claude Garamond, among others. Typefaces based on his work include Poliphilus, Cloister Old Style, Aetna, Aldine, Griffo Classico, Dante, and Adobe Minion.”

January 6, 2010
Self-Published Design Review: Prelude to a Super Airplane by Brian Spaeth
“Covers of books have a lot of work to do, since they are the “face” your book presents to the world. At the same time, they are like a small billboard that has to communicate vital information quickly and economically.”

January 10, 2010
Self-Published Design Review: Waiting for Spring by R.J. Keller
“It’s awfully difficult when designing your first book to really understand how little ornament is needed on book pages when you have good typography and a solid page layout.”

January 18, 2010
Self-Published Design Review: Jillian’s Gold by Levi Montgomery
“A book with alternating text streams is always a significant challenge to the book designer, and I want to acknowledge the work that has gone into this design.”

January 31, 2010
Self-Published Design Review: Stay by Moriah Jovan
“All in all, Stay is an accomplished and elegant design from a self-publisher. It suits the book well and demonstrates the author’s attention to detail and shrewd selection of typefaces. A nice job all around.”

March 1, 2010
Self-Published Design Review: The Fiddler’s Gun by A.S. Peterson
“The Fiddler’s Gun is clearly a cut above most self-published book designs. From the great care in the typography to the special effects achievable only through offset printing, to the quiet readability of the pages, the author has succeeded in creating a beautiful vehicle for his novel, one that can stand beside most any book from any source.”

The Creative Penn

April 3, 2010
Podcast: Book Design With Joel Friedlander
“Marin Bookworks, is based in Marin County, California and helps authors and publishers get to market on time with a great looking, properly constructed book. Joel’s fantastic blog, TheBookDesigner.com is packed with resources for writers and publishers.

The World’s Strongest Librarian

April 10, 2010
Book Review: If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland
“If you love the way that writing isn’t really about writing at all, but about finding the truth in your life, then you will love this book.”

Sirius Graphix

June 2, 2010
More Than Word: Essential Programs for Book Design
“From a simple word processor to a whole suite of specialized and integrated software, you have here everything you would need to produce the quickest DIY book, to the most complex illustrated coffee table book.”

Write Non-Fiction Now!

June 14, 2010
9 Book Design Tips for Authors
“You’re writing to be read. Every other consideration ought to be secondary to getting the reader your information in the best possible way for them to consume it.”

There Are No Rules

March 30, 2011
How to Get Reviews for Self-Published Books
“Book reviews can be very effective in spreading the word about a good book. Nothing sells books as well as word of mouth, and you can get people talking about your book if you can bring it to their notice. Book reviews will do that for you.”

A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye

October 14, 2011
Should Authors Be Salespeople?
“In its simplest form, that’s what marketing is. Going where people who might be interested in your book hang out and communicating with them about the subject of your book. It’s not asking people to buy your book, and it’s certainly not trying to “sell” them your book.”