I have a confession to make. You might say that I’m a book designer who is in a committed relationship with the printed book, but I find no shame in experiencing a casual rendezvous with eBooks. Don’t judge.

In the past, I would lug home manuscripts like an old burro to mine for that perfect cover concept, that is, until I was introduced to an eReader. So now I no longer throw my massive paper girth around apologetically on buses, planes and trains. The eReader’s portability is flattering to any body shape – slimming and stylish. When I stand on a crowded platform, people seemingly steal envious glimpses at the little device held in my hands. It shouts, “Hey big fella, what do you think of my large reading list?” And it tickles me to think of curious onlookers wanting to know what my jacketless read is. For these reasons, I am liberated by the eReader.

MORE…

Traditional book publishers have been timid when it comes to working with graphic novels. Why the hesitation? Perhaps it is because the process and presentation is different from what they are used to dealing with. So many pictures! So few words! Where to start?? Who does what?? The important thing to remember is that as with all books, a team is available to make the project the finest it can be.

The pictures and words in a graphic novel are equally important and as such, both should be treated with the same amount of attention and care. Not used to working with images or artists? That’s where your friendly neighbourhood Graphic Designer can lend a hand. Designers have a deep appreciation for the language that is created through the relationship between carefully selected images and minimal text. Our ability to analyze and communicate with other visual thinkers makes Designers valuable assets when it comes to graphic publishing.

MORE…

As a rule, a book cover should offer an evocative image (perhaps two), a come-hither wink to the prospective buyer. “Look at me,” the cover should say. “Aren’t I the most attractive book in the store? Don’t you want to take me home?”

Now there are as many ways to define attractive as there are people with opinions, but one can assume a few standards. The image should be colourful, it should be in focus, and if possible there should be some sort of “eye contact.” (If that contact involves locking orbs with a cuddly animal or a chiseled Hollywood star, so much the better. But that’s children’s books and celebrity bios, an entirely different discussion.) Designing a hockey book tends to be challenge when faced with these criteria.

MORE…

As a Production Manager, I don’t often get to stretch my design fingers. Sure, I might get to tweak a bit of type or adjust a layout, but that’s the extent. So at the start of 2010, I asked if I could throw my hat into the ring and design something for the upcoming fall 2010 list. Given the number of titles we produce in a given year, our VP Creative Director, Scott Richardson, told me I’d be more than welcome to help out.

I chose a title called On the Proper Use of Stars by Dominique Fortier, an English translation of a Québecois novel (Du bon usage des étoiles). To be quite candid, it was simply because I liked the title - I had no clue what the book was about. To my amazement, it turned out that the book covered three areas I find fascinating: naval exploration, the 19th century, and the arctic (one way to sell me on a book is just to tell me that it involves people on boats!). In specific, it’s a book that’s framed around the doomed Franklin Expedition. When I sat down with the editor to discuss ideas, she wanted a simple image and elegant type. I had to avoid the trappings of most historical novels: overused type being the main one (I once heard a designer claim that only books involving pirates should ever use Caslon Antique). The premise was that it’s a book in a historical setting, but it’s far more of a modern piece than historical pastiche. MORE…