• Self-Publishing
  • Author Blogging
  • Sitemap
  • Fonts/Typography

The Book Designer

Practical advice to help build better books

  • Home
  • About
  • Articles
  • Contact
  • Shop
Home » Straight from the Master: Masterson on Book Design & Production

Straight from the Master: Masterson on Book Design & Production

by Joel Friedlander on December 30, 2009 10 Comments

Click to order (affiliate link)

Many smart self-publishers already own the “bible” of the business, Dan Poynter’s Self-Publishing Manual. But another iconic resource is available to self-publishers who decide to take on the design and production of their own books.

Of course, the book I’m referring to is Pete Masterson‘s Book Design and Production: A Guide for Authors and Publishers (ISBN 0-9669819-0-1). This 320 page, large format paperback is the best resource available for anyone who needs to understand the nuts and bolts of book layout and production.

Masterson is the proprietor of Aeonix Publishing, and has operated several book design, printing, and typesetting businesses. He managed printing, graphics and book production staff for NASA’s Ames Research Center, and is now an independent book design and production specialist who also consults and acts as a “book shepherd” for clients.

Two, Two, Two Books in One

Book Design and Production is actually two books. The first 196 pages are devoted to:

  • a survey of the history of the book
  • a review of the book design and production process
  • detailed instruction in setting up book files in Adobe InDesign
  • extensive advice on selecting a printer and understanding printing contracts
  • the elements of book typography
  • information on scanning of photographic subjects for good reproduction
  • advice on how to hire a designer to do the book for you
  • and information on many other aspects of book production

There are many type samples, screenshots of procedures, templates for book page layout, sidebars with background information and stories from the author’s experience in the book business, as well as occasional cartoons on graphic arts-related topics.

The second half of the book, almost 100 pages, is what you would have to call the mother of all book production glossaries. From 10baseT to Zoom box every conceivable term you might run into in the course of designing or producing a book is explained in detail.

The Glossary is followed by a Resource and Bibliography section, also helpful for self-publishers. Altogether, Book Design and Production is a terrific value at the current Amazon.com price of $19.77. Any one piece of advice in this book is likely to easily repay the purchase price.

Format and Design

The book is a large format 7-3/4″ x 10-7/8″ which Pete has used judiciously. It’s interesting to see the way he’s given his pages much more generous margins than we’re accustomed to in most contemporary books, and the large bottom margin calls to mind the way books were laid out by master typographers early in the history of printing.

The large format makes the book feel easy and generous to work with, and the margins invite making notes on the page, if you’re the kind of person who does that. The overall design shows the author’s familiarity with typography, but is basically serviceable without much typographic elegance. Your eye might wander a bit on long paragraphs of the very wide measure the book is set on, but mostly the book gives up its information easily.

You might think that because the book was published in 2005 it would be out of date, but it isn’t. Although the versions of InDesign and Word that Masterson refers to in the text are a few generations old, the book holds up surprisingly well. This is likely because it concentrates on basic principles that haven’t changed that much over time.

A Patient Teacher

Pete is also the president to the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association (BAIPA). Each month the first hour of the BAIPA meeting is devoted to questions from the attendees, and this is often used by newcomers to ask basic questions about printing and publishing.

Pete presides at these sessions, patiently explaining about ISBNs, copyright, discounts, digital printers, vanity presses, book reviewers and anything else that gets asked.

Pete’s patience and wealth of knowledge come through in Book Design and Production. It’s a book you’ll refer to over and over again.

Takeaway: If you plan to design or produce your book yourself, get Book Design and Production now—you’ll find it invaluable.

Filed Under: Book Production, Book Reviews Tagged With: BAIPA, Pete Masterson

journal marketing

Comments

  1. Nakia R. Laushaul says

    July 10, 2010 at 6:17 am

    Joel! JOEL.. You don’t know how long I’ve been scouring the internet in search of the perfect book on design and layout. I am discovering an interest for typography that I didn’t even know I had, now I know why I was born with a keen eye. I love your site. I mean LOVE it!! On my way to Amazon to purchase this book!!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Self-Publishing and Distribution: Jacqueline Simonds of Beagle Bay … | Self Publishing Companies says:
    December 7, 2010 at 9:00 pm

    […] Today I’m interviewing Jacqueline Simonds &#959f Beagle Bay, inc. I met Jacqueline &#959&#1495 Twitter, and b&#1077&#1089&#1072&#965&#1109&#1077 she is t&#1211&#1077 distributor &#959f Pete Masterson’s Book Design and Production for Authors and Publishers. […]

    Reply
  2. Self-Publishing and Distribution: Jacqueline Simonds of Beagle Bay Books, Part 1 — The Book Designer says:
    December 1, 2010 at 12:01 am

    […] Today I’m interviewing Jacqueline Simonds of Beagle Bay Books. I met Jacqueline on Twitter, and because she is the distributor of Pete Masterson’s Book Design and Production for Authors and Publishers. […]

    Reply
  3. BAIPA: At a Publishing Group Meeting — The Book Designer says:
    November 15, 2010 at 12:03 am

    […] & A is run by the president of BAIPA, Pete Masterson. Month after month he patiently answers questions, often the same questions. Here are some that got […]

    Reply
  4. Wild Writing Women: Lisa Alpine and Carla King at BAIPA — The Book Designer says:
    June 14, 2010 at 12:02 am

    […] Independent Publishers Association (BAIPA) got underway with a spirited Q & A session lead by Pete Masterson. Meeting attendance has increased recently to the point that we no longer had space for the tables […]

    Reply
  5. Indie Bookstores & Indie Publishers: Are We On The Same Page? — The Book Designer says:
    April 12, 2010 at 12:04 am

    […] hour of Q & A from those who chose to show up at 9:00 a.m., orchestrated by BAIPA President Pete Masterson. The questions ran from how to get on a bestseller list to printing with Createspace, Lulu and […]

    Reply
  6. How to Copyright A Book — The Book Designer says:
    March 11, 2010 at 12:06 am

    […] currently the president of BAIPA (Bay Area Independent Publishers Association) and the author of Book Design and Production for Authors and Publishers. With his permission, I reprint his response here: An interesting historical note. Shortly after […]

    Reply
  7. Self-Publishers Ask Questions at an Independent Book Publisher Association Monthly Meeting — The Book Designer says:
    February 13, 2010 at 5:46 pm

    […] first hour was devoted to questions and answers, moderated by President Pete Masterson, author of Book Design and Production for Publishers. And just as usual, it was a mixed bag of questions, which I present here for your enjoyment. The […]

    Reply
  8. Q & A at an Indie Publishing Group Meeting — The Book Designer says:
    January 9, 2010 at 11:23 pm

    […] even the coffeepot had finished its business. Pete Masterson, President of BAIPA and author of Book Design and Production, presided over the meeting. I particularly like the Q&A part of the meeting and never miss […]

    Reply
  9. Tweets that mention Straight from the Master: Masterson on Book Design & Production — The Book Designer -- Topsy.com says:
    December 30, 2009 at 4:54 am

    […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Walt Shiel, Joel Friedlander. Joel Friedlander said: From the Master: Book Design & Production by Peter Masterson: http://ow.ly/R0zA | You need this […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Join Me & Subscribe!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Topics

  • Audiobooks
  • Author Blogging 101
  • Book Construction Blueprint
  • Book Design
  • Book Printing
  • Book Production
  • Book Reviews
  • Contributing Writers
  • Cover Design
  • E-Books & Readers
  • Editorial
  • Guest Posts
  • Interior Design
  • Interviews
  • Journey of a Book
  • Legal Issues
  • Marketing
  • Podcasts
  • Project Focus
  • Reports
  • Reviews
  • Samples
  • Self Publishing Basics
  • Self-Publishing
  • Social Media
  • Training
  • Video
  • Webinars
  • Writing
  • Home
  • About
  • Articles
  • Contact
  • Shop
  • Self-Publishing
  • Author Blogging
  • Sitemap
  • Fonts/Typography
Terms of Service
Privacy Policy
Comment Policy
Guest Author Guidelines
Why?
"Writers change the world one reader at a time. But you can't change the world with a book that's still on your hard drive or in a box under your bed. This blog exists to help you get that book into people's hands."
—Joel Friedlander

Copyright Marin Bookworks © 2021

For permission to reprint articles from this site, please contact [email protected]

Marin Bookworks 369-B Third Street #572 San Rafael, CA 94901