by Joel Friedlander
One of the first and most basic questions you need to answer if you're going to be designing your own book is: what fonts should I use?
Since the beginning of the so-called "desktop publishing" era in the 1980s, which was boosted by computers' new ability to show accurate graphics in "what you see is what you get" displays, millions of computer users have become familiar with fonts.
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Imagine for a moment that you've hopped into an elevator on your way somewhere. You're carrying the proof of your book that just arrived from the printer. A gentleman sharing the elevator notices your book and says, "Hey, that looks interesting. What's it about?"
What's your response? Do you fumble, start in one direction then go in another? Do you find yourself just getting started when the elevator reaches the floor where this fellow has to get off? Have you made the most of this opportunity?
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Anyone who wants to design their own books can spend some very worthwhile time studying books that are old. I mean really old, like going all the way back to the beginning of printed books. Early on, I found these books and the book typography that's used in them very stimulating when thinking about how I wanted the books I was working on to look.
Even though the technology back then was primitive according to today's standards - no electricity; basic, natural materials; and everything done by hand - the books produced by early printers are prized, quite rightly, as outstanding examples of artful book design.
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It's not that difficult to create a workable cover for your self-published book. On the other hand, there seem to be many, many ways to get it wrong.
Recently, I talked to an author who is getting ready to publish a business book. He asked me to take a look at some cover designs and I was happy to oblige.
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Recently, I wrote here about using a “Hub and Outpost” approach to organize the social media marketing you're doing for your title. In that article, I looked at the three reasons I think a blog is by far the best tool to use as a Hub:
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I look at a lot of books, books of all kinds from big publishers, small publishers, micro publishers and self-publishing authors.
One of the biggest problems I see in self-published books is a real misunderstanding of the role of the book cover. Because of this misunderstanding, do-it-yourself cover designers keep falling into the same traps.
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Most authors have gotten the message: you have to be marketing on social media sites if you want to make an impact and, eventually, sell your content.
Social media is indispensable to today's self-published artists, but it's good to remember that social media by itself is only one tactic in your overall marketing strategy. Just using social media is not a strategy in itself; it's a way to implement your basic marketing thrust.
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Sooner or later, as an author who wants to independently publish your own book, you’ll come to the question we all face: should you design your own book?
But what’s really behind this question is another question that will help us answer the first one: when exactly is it okay for an author to design his or her own book, and when might it be best to enlist the help of a professional?
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