I had the good fortune to share a presentation on book design with the very talented book designer Shannon Bodie of Lightbourne Graphics.

Shannon took on researching covers to demonstrate why some covers excel while others fall flat.

My part was to deal with interior design.

Rather than put together a demonstration of things to do or not to do, I decided to focus on the principles that guide interior design, no matter what kind of book is involved.

Here’s an edited version of the slides I used for the presentation. You’ll see my principles come down to:

1. Design for the reader
2. Observe the conventions
3. Be appropriate for your category or genre

Have a look. The IBPA Publishing University is a unique opportunity for indie publishers and authors who are thinking about publishing their own books to get up to speed with the latest developments in the industry, to get specific training in relevant skills, and to network with industry professionals and publishing peers.

Click the link to open the PDF, or right-click and “Save as . . .”