Book Design Tips...

[Richard Sutton]

From time to time I post longer articles dealing with Book Design subjects for Self-Published Writers and other authors who would just like to know a bit about the whole production thing... yesterday I posted about Text Typography. Here's the first couple of paragraphs and a link follows to the full post if you have an interest.

Text Fonts: Book Design Choices Don’t End With The Cover…

I had a conversation with a client today regarding their choices for the font chosen for the text of the body of the novel being produced. While I can certainly understand how a writer doesn’t want to extend the production questions and decisions beyond those most immediately important, I think it’s all too common for the decisions about the inside of a book to take a back seat to the cover. It’s certainly the less exciting part of the creative process of bringing a book to market. Since most writers work in Word or one of the various compatible software suites, the choice of text type can seem to be just an automatic kind of thing. Just a one more default fill-in. In my own experience, however; the choice of the font used for text can be critical to the success of the book. It’s an important consideration that I think, really deserves its own segment of the entire book marketing process. Here’s where my thinking begins: a book is a consumer product. In order to make it appealing on the shelf (online or in a bookstore) it needs an effective cover (product packaging) to attract and hold the potential buyer. However, the design of the book itself ventures into an area so constantly exploited in modern product marketing — the idea of user friendliness.

Product engineers and designers spend a great deal of time insuring that the typical target consumer’s experience using their product will be enjoyable. Hopefully, good enough to generate a word-of-mouth recommendation and/or a repurchase of future offerings. For a publisher, the user friendliness of their product can be enhanced through the selection of an easy to follow page layout, easy to locate Tables of Contents, glossaries and other reference material and a well-targeted text font. Choosing the right text font can make sure your reader will be grabbed by your words, not by their struggle to read them. Legibility is a critical component of a successful, well-designed book. Taking the time to effectively tailor the text font to your target reader goes a long way towards making the reading experience seamless and transparent, even fun, rather than the chore we all remember from High School Textbooks.

Read the full post here...
Comment and discussion is always good for the tired brain...

 

[Jason Byrne]

From time to time I post longer articles dealing with Book Design subjects for Self-Published Writers and other authors who would just like to know a bit about the whole production thing... yesterday I posted about Text Typography. Here's the first couple of paragraphs and a link follows to the full post if you have an interest.

Text Fonts: Book Design Choices Don’t End With The Cover…

I had a conversation with a client today regarding their choices for the font chosen for the text of the body of the novel being produced. While I can certainly understand how a writer doesn’t want to extend the production questions and decisions beyond those most immediately important, I think it’s all too common for the decisions about the inside of a book to take a back seat to the cover. It’s certainly the less exciting part of the creative process of bringing a book to market. Since most writers work in Word or one of the various compatible software suites, the choice of text type can seem to be just an automatic kind of thing. Just a one more default fill-in. In my own experience, however; the choice of the font used for text can be critical to the success of the book. It’s an important consideration that I think, really deserves its own segment of the entire book marketing process. Here’s where my thinking begins: a book is a consumer product. In order to make it appealing on the shelf (online or in a bookstore) it needs an effective cover (product packaging) to attract and hold the potential buyer. However, the design of the book itself ventures into an area so constantly exploited in modern product marketing — the idea of user friendliness.

Product engineers and designers spend a great deal of time insuring that the typical target consumer’s experience using their product will be enjoyable. Hopefully, good enough to generate a word-of-mouth recommendation and/or a repurchase of future offerings. For a publisher, the user friendliness of their product can be enhanced through the selection of an easy to follow page layout, easy to locate Tables of Contents, glossaries and other reference material and a well-targeted text font. Choosing the right text font can make sure your reader will be grabbed by your words, not by their struggle to read them. Legibility is a critical component of a successful, well-designed book. Taking the time to effectively tailor the text font to your target reader goes a long way towards making the reading experience seamless and transparent, even fun, rather than the chore we all remember from High School Textbooks.

Read the full post here...
Comment and discussion is always good for the tired brain...

This is a worthwhile read — and the degrees I got in animation and video game design were heavy in graphic design and typography, so I always pay a lot of attention to that, especially for things like "handwritten letters" in my books — I'll use two very similar fonts within the same words, make individual letters slightly larger or smaller, to mimic natural handwriting.

 

[Nicole Wilson]

Interesting - this is honestly something I never considered in depth. I chose Arial for my short stories that are self-published, but only because I thought it was a nicer font to look at and the decision only lasted about fifteen seconds.

 

[Jason Byrne]

Interesting - this is honestly something I never considered in depth. I chose Arial for my short stories that are self-published, but only because I thought it was a nicer font to look at and the decision only lasted about fifteen seconds.

For a thriller in a contemporary setting? That's fine. A sans serif font like Arial is more pleasant on a computer screen than printed; a serif font like Times New Roman is more pleasant printed than on a computer screen.

 

[Nicole Wilson]

For a thriller in a contemporary setting? That's fine. A sans serif font like Arial is more pleasant on a computer screen than printed; a serif font like Times New Roman is more pleasant printed than on a computer screen.

Actually I don't think any are thrillers. One's suspense, one's action, and the other is a children's superhero story. But they do all happen in present day. And yeah, I like Arial much better than TNR on-screen.

 

[KG Christopher]

@Jason Byrne , I did computer science, and now, as a senior developer 'architect' I spend about 50% of my time and effort contemplating UI and user expericence. I thought I was leaving that all behind @Richard Sutton when I deceided to write and get published, but now it looks like I will have to consider these points.

The whole self publishing path seems like it will take up quite a lot of time. I am sure I will have further questions.

 

[Jason Byrne]

@Jason Byrne , I did computer science, and now, as a senior developer 'architect' I spend about 50% of my time and effort contemplating UI and user expericence. I thought I was leaving that all behind @Richard Sutton when I deceided to write and get published, but now it looks like I will have to consider these points.

I bounced around jobs — factory line packer, road construction flagger, file purging clerk, call center customer service, furniture warehousing, now technology warehousing. And one day I got sent to courier a video camera out to DC Office of Cable Television. At the Fourth of July company cookout, I got in late and all the tables were full, and the company CTO and I ended up sitting at the last one. I told him how amazed I was at seeing one of our client sites for the first time — and being in a major television studio for the first time — we got to talking about my history and training and degrees in Animation and in Video Game Art, and how as a hobby I had taught myself some programming to mod Morrowind, and as it turns out he wants to develop a new major branch of the company in GUI design and has been desperately looking for someone interested and qualified. So, five months later and the company move done and over with, some time in the next few days or weeks I'll be apprenticing with the Systems Integrators to move up into that role, and then they'll be sending me back to school to learn programming, so I can cross-over into doing some of the work of the Systems Engineers as well, as well as work with the CTO on trying our hand at GUI design.

Bouncing around all those shit jobs and working the last few years in warehousing, I didn't think I'd end up ever doing anything with the computer science I learned, either. I've just built a castle, giant, and dragon from my books in 3d for fun, in the past six years. But it has a way of coming back around! And doing book covers has definitely made me dust off my graphic design.

 

[KG Christopher]

You never know what skills are going to be useful in life, congratulations on the new role

 

[Jason Byrne]

The whole self publishing path seems like it will take up quite a lot of time. I am sure I will have further questions.

It will! Because you are doing the full time job of author, another full-time job of agent, and also editor, marketing... you get the idea. It's entrepreneurship — you have the power to make every single decision — for better or worse.

 

[Jason Byrne]

You never know what skills are going to be useful in life, congratulations on the new role

I'm not quite there, yet... I still work in the warehouse. But it's a sure-thing now, enough that I can talk about it without thinking I'm jinxing it.

 

[Nicole Wilson]

I bounced around jobs — factory line packer, road construction flagger, file purging clerk, call center customer service, furniture warehousing, now technology warehousing. And one day I got sent to courier a video camera out to DC Office of Cable Television. At the Fourth of July company cookout, I got in late and all the tables were full, and the company CTO and I ended up sitting at the last one. I told him how amazed I was at seeing one of our client sites for the first time — and being in a major television studio for the first time — we got to talking about my history and training and degrees in Animation and in Video Game Art, and how as a hobby I had taught myself some programming to mod Morrowind, and as it turns out he wants to develop a new major branch of the company in GUI design and has been desperately looking for someone interested and qualified. So, five months later and the company move done and over with, some time in the next few days or weeks I'll be apprenticing with the Systems Integrators to move up into that role, and then they'll be sending me back to school to learn programming, so I can cross-over into doing some of the work of the Systems Engineers as well, as well as work with the CTO on trying our hand at GUI design.

Bouncing around all those shit jobs and working the last few years in warehousing, I didn't think I'd end up ever doing anything with the computer science I learned, either. I've just built a castle, giant, and dragon from my books in 3d for fun, in the past six years. But it has a way of coming back around! And doing book covers has definitely made me dust off my graphic design.

Dude! Super cool! Congrats!

 

[Jason Byrne]

Dude! Super cool! Congrats!

Yay! Thanks. And I feel less like I've been dicking around for six years.

 

[Karen Gray]

I self publish. I format all my own stuff and I also specialise in typography. It's half the reason I went to college to be a graphic designer. It does take time to learn. The more you know the quicker you can format your MS but the learning process is steep. Great though. I love it. When I start a project I get focused and that could be me for hours on end. For someone with a very short attention span, formattingand typography hooks me like nothing else haha!

I have to say most of that article is common sense. Serif works best in print, sans Serif works best for digital the reason behind that quite literally is square pixels cannot create smooth curves, sans Serif will always look better on screen.

I have to point out that oftentimes it is the cover typography that really let's the book down and not the interior. I'very seenot lazy interiors but they have always been readable. Covers on the other hand particularly when put together by photographers as opposed to designers tent to lack the typographic flow that they need in order to catch the eye. That's why graphic designers get paid the money that they do, because we are the only bodies qualified in typography. Good typography should be invisible. Inside and outside the book.

Basically I agree that the interior design choices are just as important as the exterior, only it's harder to make a good job of the exterior than the interior xx

 

[Marc Joan]

I bounced around jobs — factory line packer, road construction flagger, file purging clerk, call center customer service, furniture warehousing, now technology warehousing. And one day I got sent to courier a video camera out to DC Office of Cable Television. At the Fourth of July company cookout, I got in late and all the tables were full, and the company CTO and I ended up sitting at the last one. I told him how amazed I was at seeing one of our client sites for the first time — and being in a major television studio for the first time — we got to talking about my history and training and degrees in Animation and in Video Game Art, and how as a hobby I had taught myself some programming to mod Morrowind, and as it turns out he wants to develop a new major branch of the company in GUI design and has been desperately looking for someone interested and qualified. So, five months later and the company move done and over with, some time in the next few days or weeks I'll be apprenticing with the Systems Integrators to move up into that role, and then they'll be sending me back to school to learn programming, so I can cross-over into doing some of the work of the Systems Engineers as well, as well as work with the CTO on trying our hand at GUI design.

Bouncing around all those shit jobs and working the last few years in warehousing, I didn't think I'd end up ever doing anything with the computer science I learned, either. I've just built a castle, giant, and dragon from my books in 3d for fun, in the past six years. But it has a way of coming back around! And doing book covers has definitely made me dust off my graphic design.

Jason - well done! Totally chuffed for you. Good luck with the move, and let us know how it goes.

 

[Chase Gamwell]

Yay! Thanks. And I feel less like I've been dicking around for six years.

As someone who also bounced between shite jobs before getting the good one (those jobs included a call center too)...congrats! That job sounds like it is going to be hella fulfilling!!!

 

[Jason Byrne]

As someone who also bounced between shite jobs before getting the good one (those jobs included a call center too)...congrats! That job sounds like it is going to be hella fulfilling!!!

Are you... me?

 

[Jason Byrne]

Jason - well done! Totally chuffed for you. Good luck with the move, and let us know how it goes.

Thanks Marc! Will do!

 

[Jason Byrne]

I self publish. I format all my own stuff and I also specialise in typography. It's half the reason I went to college to be a graphic designer. It does take time to learn. The more you know the quicker you can format your MS but the learning process is steep. Great though. I love it. When I start a project I get focused and that you'd be me for hours on end. For someone with a very short attention span, formattingand typography hooks me like nothing else haha!

I have to say most of that article is common sense. Serif works best in print, sans Serif works best for digital the reason behind that quite literally is square pixels cannot create smooth curves, sans Serif will always look better on screen.

I have to point out that oftentimes it is the cover typography that really let's the book down and not the interior. I'very seenot lazy interiors but they have always been readable. Covers on the other hand particularly when put together by photographers as opposed to designers tent to lack the typographic flow that they need in order to catch the eye. That's why graphic designers get paid the money that they do, because we are the only bodies qualified in typography. Good typography should be invisible. Inside and outside the book.

Basically I agree that the interior design choices are just as important as the exterior, only it's harder to make a good job of the exterior than the interior xx

Betcha everyone can go to their current Twitter feed right now, and won't have to look for for horrible cover design. Ima give it a try.

 

[Karen Gray]

Betcha everyone can go to their current Twitter feed right now, and won't have to look for for horrible cover design. Ima give it a try.

Ain't that the truth!

We actually have a wall of fame and wall of shame (like Top Gear's "cool wall") at college and we sit and critique designs that we love and ones that we hate. Brilliant learning tool

 

[Jason Byrne]

Okay, have to give a shout out to @AmalieJahn — the first cover I scrolled onto was pretty good:

Had to go a ways, but @stone_rik doesn't do it for me with The Man in the Blue Fez:

Then there's @tonybertauski with Jack:

 

[Karen Gray]

Okay, have to give a shout out to @AmalieJahn — the first cover I scrolled onto was pretty good:

I disagree. The brilliant illustrations have been compromised by the bad typography. The image and the text are fighting for the lime light. Good typography is invisible. Her name should be above or below not through, and if she made the titles either smaller or removed the black surround and had simple text the image would be a strong feature and make a far more pleasing cover... you get me?

 

[Karen Gray]

Here is an example of fantastic colour pallet and a striking design ruined by horrendous typography. Please note. These are the official covers. Just because you have a big name doesn't make you correct. Certainly doesn't here... every single book in the series is this bad. Cringe The late great Robert Jordan will be turning in his grave

 

[Chase Gamwell]

Are you... me?

I dunno man...is your name Bond, James Bond?



Either way, that first job after a stint of crappy ones is like a fantastic breath of fresh air. For once, you can just let go of all the doubt and just breathe.

 

[Chase Gamwell]

@Karen Gray Why is that type face so terrible? I thought those designs looked kinda nice...

 

[Karen Gray]

@Karen Gray Why is that type face so terrible? I thought those designs looked kinda nice...

There typography ruins the image. Never ever ever use type to "fill space" The designer has completely compromised the graphic by splaying words over it in a haphazard fashion. When looking at typography the recipient (lets just call them the customer or client) should follow a smooth path left to right and back, flowing down the page. The one thing a client's eyes must never do when looking at a piece of work is jump about the page. Good typography should be invisible. I can photoshop one or two of these to show you what I mean if you like?

 

[Jason Byrne]

Here is an example of fantastic colour pallet and a striking design ruined by horrendous typography. Please note. These are the official covers. Just because you have a big name doesn't make you correct. Certainly doesn't here... every single book in the series is this bad. Cringe The late great Robert Jordan will be turning in his grave

Oh thank God — I saw the covers before I read your post, and I was like, "oh, I hope she's not showing these as examples of good work..."

I thought the same thing about the Amalie Jahn covers — they just weren't as bad as I expected the first thing I saw to be.

 

[Karen Gray]

Oh thank God — I saw the covers before I read your post, and I was like, "oh, I hope she's not showing these as examples of good work..."

I thought the same thing about the Amalie Jahn covers — they just weren't as bad as I expected the first thing I saw to be.

I even see how bad my own typography used to be. It's MILES better now. you onlt have to look at For King and Country's original title text to see the enormous difference...

Same font, same words different placement. MILES BETTER

 

[Jason Byrne]

I dunno man...is your name Bond, James Bond?

View attachment 632

Either way, that first job after a stint of crappy ones is like a fantastic breath of fresh air. For once, you can just let go of all the doubt and just breathe.

I don't know, but a lot of people make "hey it's Jason Bourne" jokes, so that's something, at least.

 

[Chase Gamwell]

I don't know, but a lot of people make "hey it's Jason Bourne" jokes, so that's something, at least.

At least they don't follow those up with corresponding "MATT DAAAAAAAAMON" jokes...

 

[Jason Byrne]

At least they don't follow those up with corresponding "MATT DAAAAAAAAMON" jokes...

I never thought of it that way — you're right.

"I'm RONERY... so ronery..."