Archive for the ‘Design’ Category
5 Keys to Great Fiction Book Covers
May 18th, 2010 by Terry DuganThe BelieversPress blog features Q & A sessions with the experts we work with, answering questions that you’ve asked. Have a question? Click the link in the sidebar to submit it!
You asked,
What is the key to a fiction cover that customers will pick up?
As publishers and designers, we’re always trying to figure this one out and are never quite sure we do! But noting what has worked in the past, looking around in bookstores, reviewing best-seller lists, talking to fiction readers and being fiction readers ourselves, we can identify a few keys, some obvious, some perhaps not.
Romance
Romance defined broadly is a sense of adventure, of being carried away into another life and another world. By means of imagery, typography and design, the cover must elicit a taste for the beauty or intrigue or terror or warmth or tension of the author’s imaginary world. We want the reader with an affinity for a particular kind of fiction to pick up the book, feel his pulse quicken, and say, “Yes! I want to go there.”
Simplicity
It follows that whatever atmosphere is being depicted by cover art must be clear and simple, quickly apprehended. Usually it’s less about getting all the characters, settings and props crammed onto a cover than focusing on one element of the story that captures the feeling of it: The murder weapon and a torn piece of paper. A rose with a fallen petal. A glowing window in a cabin, a face turned away…tired motifs, but you get the idea! Uncluttered layout and design help here too. Our lives are busy and messy and we’re attracted to visuals that are airy, light, orderly and clean. That’s part of shelf appeal.
Genre Accuracy
The cover must match the genre. If it’s a romance, don’t make it look like a thriller. Of course, audience is important here too. There are books, for example, that men will never pick up regardless of the universality of the content. So the cover must fit with the content and the audience.
An Air of Mystery
Being clear about genre and accurately conveying the “romantic” atmosphere of a story doesn’t mean you give it all away. Some element on the cover that raises a question or seems slightly out of place can work to generate interest. Why is that Amish grandmother wearing headphones? Well, probably not.
New, New, New
Try to be unique. Avoid same old overused fonts (I’m talking about you, Papyrus) and tired motifs (see above). Be approachable but fresh!
What is a bad book cover, anyway?
April 15th, 2010 by Torrey SharpThe BelieversPress blog features Q & A sessions with the experts we work with, answering questions that you’ve asked. Have a question? Click the link in the sidebar to submit it!
You asked,
Everywhere I go, I read that a bad book cover can really harm your book sales. I need to know, what’s a bad cover?
A bad book cover design is one that is poorly executed, inappropriate for the content, or in no way unique. Basically your first reaction is one of distaste over intrigue. A poorly executed cover does not reflect great typography, great composition, a great image, or a great concept. An inappropriate cover does not take into account the actual content of the story, the key emotion or essence of the story, the genre, the author’s brand or the competition. A cover that is not unique in any way causes consumers to yawn, be confused, or simply pass by quickly.
However, let’s face it, design is subjective. Everybody has their own personal preferences and aesthetic. And most of us are not qualified to be effective design critics. The question is less about what we personally like and more about what design solution best reflects the content, the genre, the author’s brand, the format of the book, the sales channel, etc. There are a lot of things to consider. This is why hiring the right designer is of utmost importance. Look for a designer that has a book portfolio you think is amazing–reflecting successful books in the marketplace. Find out who the most noted book cover designers are. Look at their work, see how they solve problems. Walk through a bookstore and take note of the covers you most like and the designers who worked on them (most covers will have this info on the back cover, back flap or CIP page). Purchase a few books on prominent designers. Learn some basic design lingo. Here are some great resources:
Books:
Chip Kidd: Book One, Work: 1986- 2006, Rizzoli, ISBN-13: 978-0847827855
By It’s Cover: Modern American Book Cover Design, Princeton Architectural Press, ISBN-13: 978-1568984971
Blogs:
http://www.faceoutbooks.com/
http://bookcoverarchive.com/
How to bulk up your page count
March 25th, 2010 by TheDeskThe BelieversPress blog features Q & A sessions with the experts we work with, answering questions that you’ve asked. Have a question? Send it to info@believerspress.com and we’ll get you an answer!
You asked:
My book is essentially finished, but it’s not quite as long as I want it to be. Are there any ways to “bulk up” my book without making it noticeable?
Here are four areas to consider when looking to increase your page count:
1. Additional editorial elements the editor or author should evaluate:
Be sure your book has the following, which take at least 2 pages each (blank left and the right-hand text page):
- Dedication page
- Table of contents (unless it’s a fiction book)
- About the author
- Acknowledgments
2. Author-generated stretching “tricks”
Additional possible elements that can be added to the book:
- Introduction/Preface and/or:
- Foreword – Is there someone in your field or subject matter that could write a foreword for your book? Even a few paragraphs can add two pages to the book.
- Could your book be organized by “parts”—maybe each part or section contains three chapters. Each “Part” page will add two pages (part pages are always right hand and then the blank left)—you would want at least two parts of course.
- Are there areas where you quoted someone that you could turn into a block of text ? When quoting other sources, separate the quote from the main text with a new paragraph, space before and after and indenting.
- Can some of your points or subjects within one paragraph be changed into numbered or bulleted lists?
- Do you have headings and subheads throughout your document? Often, the chapters can be outlined using these, giving a reader direction and pieces of your subject at a glance.
- Are discussion questions possible? – on a separate page at the end of each chapter
- What about a Reader’s Guide? These are especially popular for fiction books.
- If subject warrants, how about an Index of Scriptures or Topics?
- Have you included a page or two of further research ideas or links?
- A “recommended reading” or “for further reading” book list?
- An ad page – Do you have previous books you could advertise on a page? Or, if you belong to an organization or support a charity, that is connected to your book in some way, you could insert their information in an ad format.
3. Interior design and typesetting directives
The designer doing your interior layout has several options to increase your page count. Be sure to inform them that you need to “stretch” your book. Any or all of these options can help:
- Add a half-title page (a page at the very front that has just the title of the book in smaller type)
- Use larger margins – this gives a bit more white space on the page (can actually make the book interior “feel” more open and friendly
- Use larger type size and space between lines
- More space inserted before and after heads and subheads
- Choose specific font/type – certain fonts take up more room on each line. There are condensed and expanded type styles and even regular type fonts can take up more or less space.
- Insert an ornament or decoration between sections or scenes in your story or subject
- Opening chapter pages can start lower on the page; an ornament or image can take up room, and or the chapter title type can be large
- Add a scripture or quote to the beginning of each chapter, which bumps the start of the text
- Design can be set up with large initial cap or first lines with larger type size or indentation
- Pull quotes can be implemented – this can be a good way to stretch out a book’s length. It involves choosing a sentence or two that restate a main point or significant thought within the text. The designer can take those and put them in a box or use some other decorative way of blowing them up and placing them consistently on certain pages throughout.
- Consider using a space between paragraphs instead of the standard indented first line (depending on the type of book). More pages will be used and but separation of thought is still clear.
Note: most books’ chapters start on the right hand page; your typesetter should know this. If not, be sure to include that as a desired method for helping keep page count high. Conversely, if a book has parts and multiple chapters, starting chapters on the left will lower the page count.
4. Paper and Specs
- If the issue happens to be the spine size for the book (printers usually have a minimum width in order to create a perfect bound book), a thicker paper is the first consideration
- Another option might be to consider creating a smaller trim-size book; example: instead of 6 x 9 book, you could change to 5 x7. Of course, this is only helpful if you haven’t had a cover or interior designed yet.
What’s the difference between a graphic designer and CBA book designer?
March 12th, 2010 by Terry DuganThe BelieversPress blog is going to be featuring Q & A sessions with the experts we work with, answering questions that you’ve asked. Have a question? Ask it here and we’ll get you an answer!
You asked:
What’s the difference between graphic designer and CBA book designer?
Terry replied:
A few definitions:
Graphic Design - “the art or profession of using design elements (as typography and images) to convey information or create an effect” –Merriam Webster
Book Design is graphic design applied to the cover of a book, taking into account the ways books are marketed, and the audience that will be attracted to a particular book.
CBA - The Christian Booksellers Association represents a particular category in the book selling industry—evangelical Christian stores. Their highest profile event is ICRS, the International Christian Retailing Show held every Summer. It’s essentially a trade show that brings together the creators of Christian books, music and gifts, and retailers of the same from all around the world. CBA member stores and others have a chance to see and sample (and order) the items that they will sell in the coming seasons.
CBA Book Design would simply be the graphic design of a book with an evangelical Christian audience in view, to be primarily sold in CBA stores. Artistically this has usually meant a softer, more friendly design approach unlike the edgier, more hard-hitting look of titles destined for Amazon or Barnes & Noble. That line has (thankfully) blurred considerably in the last few years to the point that a “CBA cover” is not requested much anymore, and most covers are expected to “cross over.” Still a book designer has to be sensitive to any demographic for which a book is written, and make sure the cover works in that category.
So, a CBA book designer one who understands the CBA store market, and is capable of designing with a look that fits well there.
Press Ready Specifications for BelieversPress
March 1st, 2010 by Andrew MackayDownload the press-ready guidelines for BelieversPress. (PDF File)
Download the PDF/x settings files created for BelieversPress. (Zip File)
A well-designed book cover is important
November 4th, 2009 by Tina JacobsonA well-designed book cover will not only help define your book, but help sell your book.
Are you wondering just how important it is to have a great design on the cover of your book? Now more than ever the front cover of a book needs to be striking and enticing to look at. And it needs to draw the reader in enough to at least pick it up. With the fast-paced lifestyle most consumers lead, the cover of a book needs to grab someone immediately.
You basically have one shot. When someone walks into a Barnes & Noble, for example, they are hit with an endless supply of books. While browsing the shelves of thousands of books, the reader’s eyes are going to stop every now and then on a book because it’s well-designed – because something made them want to stop and look more closely at it. This might be due to color, type, overall design, imagery and/or the arrangement of all these things. it should make the reader want to stop and take notice….that’s part of the intent of design.
The human eye scans color and shapes before it reads words. Chances are your eyes are going to go to something other than type (the title of the book) first. They’re going to notice the juxtaposition of elements, a catchy photograph, an arresting image, or even an unusual color. Then after that, they’ll read the title. You get one shot to do that. Remember, you’re competing with all of the other books in your section. You have to ask yourself, “How can I set my book cover apart from all of the others?” If the potential reader skips right past your book, you’ve lost your opportunity.
Good design has always been important but it is especially important now. A good design should marry all of the components involved in a book to peak the interest of the reader. The design should appeal to the market the book is written for and should not only be visually appealing but also have reasons for making you want to pick it up, even if subtle. Color, typeface, type treatment, images, white space, etc., should work together to create and convey a feeling of what the book is about. We’re talking problems and solutions here. The problem is to entice the reader enough to notice and pick up the book. The solution? A good design. it should take all of the information and put it together to be more than just aesthetically pleasing. The cover should convey a feeling or an emotion of what the book is about.
The design needs to work. Having an attractive cover does nothing unless it also invites the reader to open the book, look inside, and ultimately decide to buy it. Everything about the design has a purpose. Color evokes certain feelings and emotions, as do images. All of these elements need to work together to appeal to the target market. If may seem simple but you wouldn’t use the color red and a photo of a man on a book written to appeal to women and the importance of rest, for example. Good design should not be offensive, it should compel the reader to dig deeper, to look further and to see what the book has to offer.
Your book needs to cut through the clutter. Your book cover needs to look different from the rest. Especially in the spiritual and religious section of books. Think of your book not just as a stand alone book, but as a book that’s in a sea of thousands and thousands. You can’t have tunnel vision and only concentrate on your book because it’s competing with so many others. That’s why the front cover is extremely important.
A good cover can make even a bad book look enticing. But a great cover can make a good book even better. It would be shame for you, as an author, to spend months and years of researching and writing a book, only to have the cover fall short and not sell any books. Don’t find yourself at the end of your project trying to get things done quickly and cheaply, just trying to get your book on the shelves. Take the time, spend the money, and get a great cover design because ultimately, it will help sell your book.
Bethany Press Launches BelieversPress to Give Author’s Faith a Voice
November 2nd, 2009 by Nick CiskeFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Publishing Model for Authors:
Bethany Press Launches BelieversPress to Give Author’s Faith a Voice
Bloomington, MN – Authors face an enormous challenge; a one in thousands chance of getting their manuscript published by major Christian publishers. Until now, the industry has only offered authors royalty and self-publishing models. Rejected authors are often left to fend for themselves. Some talented authors will give up. Others will try to solo-navigate the shifting currents of self/subsidy publishing and find themselves limited by the one-size-fits-all approach of these services.
BelieversPress, a new venture just launched by Bethany Press, offers multiple publishing tracks for authors where they control the process.
1. Royalty Publishing
In collaboration with ECPA, BelieversPress critiques and edits author proposals prior to posting on the ChristianManuscriptSubmissions.com website enabling agents and publishers to sort and filter for high quality submissions. Each of these proposals features a BelieversPress badge.
2. Independent Publishing
At BelieversPress, professional authors who pursue independent publishing can now access
- Coaching and editorial services from Jeff Gerke, (longtime editor for the CBA industry, former editor at NavPress) and Barb Lilland Editorial Services (former senior editor, Bethany House Publishing)
- Cover design from The DesignWorks Group and Dugan Design Group
- Publicity services from B&B Media (clients include Charles Stanley, John C. Maxwell, Chuck Swindoll, Tim LaHaye, Melody Carlson, Bruce Wilkinson)
- Marketing tools from Heinlein Publishing Services (Publishing Professional, 20+ Years: including executive positions with United Methodist Publishing House, Thomas Nelson, and Word Publishing)
- Printing from Bethany Press (producer of almost 30% of the best-selling Christian paperbacks)
- Sales and distribution through STL Distribution (the largest exclusively Christian distributor in North America).
Authors interested in submitting to agents and small publishers can receive mentoring, editorial, and proposal evaluation from D.C. Jacobson (Don Jacobson’s group, former President of Multnomah Publishers) and The Writing Spa (Mary DeMuth) at BelieversPress.
BelieversPress counsels authors that if they cannot sell their books via platforms such as speaking, established ministries, or direct to readers through venues such as blogging, the internet, articles, etc. then they should not self-publish.
Agents and publishers can offer their authors a trustworthy team to help them to publish both their out-of-print books and unpublished manuscripts, further building their readership with the ability to sell directly through the author’s website, the BelieversPress E-store, and to the trade through STL Distribution. Or, they can refer authors needing mentoring and further development to trusted professionals who can help them hone their skill and platform before re-submitting.
BelieversPress authors can:
- Engage an elite team of the best talent in Christian publishing to take their manuscript from good to great!
- Benefit from experienced professionals in marketing, publicity, and sales who help them get their message heard
- Connect with authors who have traveled the path before them
- Take control of your publishing future – there are no packages and no royalty schemes
- Bring unpublished titles and out-of-print books to their readers
- Print with the company that produces 30% of Christian best-sellers
- Make a difference – a portion of their dollars are used to fund ministry
Contact BelieversPress:
6820 West 115th Street • Bloomington, MN 55438
(800) 341-4192 • www.believerspress.com • info@believerspress.com
How to Get The Best (and Your Money’s Worth) Out of Your Cover Designer- Part II
October 14th, 2009 by Terry DuganI’m offering tips from time to time, from a book designer’s perspective, on how to get the creative best out of creatives.
Again a disclaimer: None of this is meant to suggest that you have to be extra careful around artist-types and only approach them in certain ways. If you run into a prima donna book designer who seems to be there to serve himself and not you, find a new one. Most of us have learned to be flexible and accommodating to a wide variety of art directors and clients. If you’re new at this, not to worry. You’re absolutely welcomed here on BelieversPress… don’t feel intimidated.
There are some keys to your designer’s psyche and working style, however, that will keep him designing more efficiently and giving you his absolute best. Here are a couple more…
1. Establish clear deadlines for each phase of the cover design project.
Whatever level of design service you choose on Believer’s Press, spelled out there is a list of project stages: Concepts, Revisions, Final Design, Files delivered to printer. It’s a good idea to work backward from that final printer deadline and pin your designer down to a date for each stage. Creatives have sort of a love/hate relationship with deadlines. We hate the pressure and yet thrive on it somehow, and you certainly need to be confident that your project is moving along as it should. Your designer will probably initiate the calendar discussion, but be sure you’re both on the same page.
2. Get objective feedback at the concept stage.
Particularly if your design package provides you with multiple concepts, show them to family and friends but also to people who know nothing about the book project. Some good questions to start with:
- First impression—which one appeals to you more than the others?
- What do you think this book is about?
- Do any of these remind you of anything—good, bad or indifferent?
- Who do you think this book is for—men, women, children, etc.?
From a broad enough objective sampling you will gain invaluable insight that can be passed along to your designer. You know which option you like best, but responses from others just might surprise you! A good designer needs and welcomes this sort of feedback and is eager to respond.
3. Get some “feedback” from your designer.
You might ask him which of the concepts he likes best and what his reasons were for each approach. Let him “sell” his ideas a bit, incorporate the other feedback you’re getting, then make your choice.
Happy publishing!
Previously: How to Get The Best (and Your Money’s Worth) Out of Your Cover Designer- Part I
Some Great Design Blogs
October 9th, 2009 by Torrey SharpPossible dilemma: You need to hire a book cover designer for your project, but have not been trained in graphic design, have never art directed before and/or are generally not too immersed in the field of graphic design, art or culture. So, how do you become informed in some of these areas? Where do you go?
A helpful first step is to simply jump into this arena and check out what’s going on. It may feel overwhelming and this awareness won’t necessarily make the process of working with a designer go smoother, but it will give you some added perspective and appreciation for the range of style and solutions that come to bear on design related problems. This awareness will enable you to ask more questions and enhance the communication with your designer. The better the communication, the better chance your designer will find the right solution for your book. Here are a few blogs our studio frequents to stay on top of what’ happening. Of course, there are countless others. Some of these are specific to book design and some are more general in nature. Enjoy!
- FFFFound
- Design Observer
- FWIS
- The Book Design Review
- FaceOut Books
- By Henry Sene Yee Design
- David Drummond | Covers
- Books Covered
- Notcot
- Jacket Mechanical
- Ace Jet 170
- Grain Edit
- The DieLine
- Cool Hunting
- David Gee Works on Paper
- Core77
- The Font Feed
- Design You Trust
- Arthur Cherry
- Ideas on Ideas
- Publication Design
- Alltop
- Dwell
- The Daily Discussion
- Visual Culture
- Ellen Lupton Design Writing Research
- Putting People First
- Graphicology
- Netdiver
- Good Is
- Designers Who Blog
- Speak Up
Book Covers as Packaging in the New Marketing Environment
October 1st, 2009 by Terry DuganWhen deciding whether a cover design is right for your book, as with any product package you’re first asking a couple of important questions:
- Does it accurately represent the contents?
- Does it engage customers emotionally? Make them want to pick it up, turn it over, flip through it, find out what’s inside?
Good questions, but there are others to ask too. Does it look new? Contemporary? Fresh? As in all categories of design, fashion, automotive, architecture etc., what’s new is appealing, and what looks “new” is defined by a balance between trendiness and originality. So typefaces, color palettes, ways of rendering photos and images will need to fit in with other books currently making an impact, and yet have something fresh and different about them. That’s the task and the joy of a book designer, to find a perfect balance between fashion and originality while faithfully representing the contents of your book.
But there’s another key category, more important now than ever. Marketing. Where will the book be sold? How will it be promoted? Answers to these questions will increasingly drive cover design trends. For example, a traditional measure of a book title treatment in the past was often whether it could be read and would “pop” on a store shelf 10-20 feet away. So titles got huge…”wall-to-wall type” was the publisher’s request, and the blockbuster look was born. Then, in reaction to that—in recognition that out of the screaming throng of titles on a bookstore shelf, sometimes “small and understated” actually stands out from the crowd—a new trend was born, the sophisticated, simple, understated use of type and other elements. We now see that everywhere.
However, as books are sold more and more on the internet, with covers viewed on smaller and smaller screens, I think we’re going to see a design trend back to bigger and bolder titles and graphics. Titles now need to stand out in an Amazon lineup presented at low resolution 1 1/2 inches high! Particularly for self-publishers, if a cover doesn’t work at that size, it’s probably not going to work. Something to think about.
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