When I started out as a book designer, I had one kind of client: book publishers. Whether they were trade publishers, academic presses, private presses, religious presses, nonprofits, or small independent presses, every client was a publisher of some kind. No one else...
The realization came to me a few years ago, in a flash: maybe they just don’t care. You see, for years as a working book designer, I’d been used to diving into an extensive design process for each new book project. Using variations in fonts, layouts,...
Picture this: you pick up a book and open it, only to discover that every page is exactly the same, a tall rectangle of text extending close the edge of the page and without interruption. There are no spaces between paragraphs because there are no paragraphs, no...
Book typography can get a bit complex at times, although good book pages usually end up looking quite simple to the reader. One common task you encounter as a self-publisher is selecting typefaces, whether you’re designing your own book or using an author...
“We have to have a meeting,” I said to Jill. “What’s up?” “I’ve finished the book, and it still doesn’t have a title. How can I get this book out the door without a title? I can’t do the cover . . .”...
