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Category: Book Design

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The Chapter Opening Page in Book Design

Elements and design choices to consider when designing a chapter opening page.

The first page of each chapter is one of my favorite things to design. This is one place where the tone of your book and its subject matter can be visually communicated. The design of these pages can range from very simple to more elaborate design choices that spread across two pages.
The Chicago Manual of Style says that each chapter normally starts on a new page, and can sit on a verso (left) or recto (right) page, although the first chapter almost always starts on a recto.
Some elements that you can expect to see on a chapter opening page are:

  • Chapter Number (the word chapter is often omitted)
  • Chapter Title
  • Subtitle (if there is one)
  • Epigraph (if there is one)
  • Drop folios (or no folio)
  • No running heads
    • The design of this page can vary greatly and should reflect your book's subject matter and tone. The right choice for you may be incredibly simple and understated with only the chapter title or number, or it could be more lively and contain graphics and other relevant display items.
    Some possible elements for the chapter opening page design include:

  • Ornamentation or graphics
  • Illustration
  • A font complimentary to the body text and expressive of the feeling of the content
  • A font that echoes the font choice on the cover
  • A drop cap in the first paragraph of text
  • Italics or small caps on the first line of the first paragraph

    • Whichever design style that you choose for your chapter opening page, it is important that it does not distract the reader from their reading flow. Beautifully designed chapter opening pages can be enjoyable to the reader and a refreshing pause before diving into the next section of text.
    Below are a few examples of chapter opening pages that I've recently designed.

    Train Traffic chapter opening page design
    Life is a Fifteen Round Fight chapter opening page design
    When I work with you to design and format your book interior we will spend some time together before the project begins so that I can learn about your book and any style preferences or ideas that you have. Using this information I then go to work making that vision come to life. Depending on the project I will present a couple different options for the interior design that you can choose from so that you can see the possibilities and refine it to reflect what is best for your book.
    Please email to set up a consultation to design your self published book!

    Want more tips like this? Subscribe to my monthly book design newsletter.

    Help for Independent Presses

    Book Design & Production

    Have you written a nonfiction or fiction manuscript? After it has been professionally edited, I can design the interior pages and cover, plus guide you through the maze of book publishing and printing. To get started, contact me to discuss your project and my helpful guide for authors.

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    Paragraph Separators in Book Page Design

    For when you need a pause or a shift in your narrative.

    When you need to indicate a pause, a passage of time, or a scene change within a chapter of your book use a paragraph separator. This is a visual cue to your reader that something has changed. A paragraph separator can be as simple as an extra line space between two paragraphs, a series of three or four asterisks (*) separated by an em or en space, or they can be a little more graphic with the use of an ornament.

    Margaret Turner Taylor's latest book, Traveling Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, is a historical fiction spy thriller set in WWII Germany. When choosing an ornament to use for paragraph separation in this book I chose the ornament below that also seems representative of the style of the subject matter.

    Ornaments are like little Easter eggs hidden within many common fonts. To find them you'll need to view the full set of characters, known as glyphs, contained within the font. If you have a layout program such as Adobe InDesign the ornaments can be found in the glyphs panel. In Microsoft Word they can be found in the Insert > Symbol menu.

    For the ornament used in Margaret's book I used a font that I purchased called Type Embellishments Two. This set, as well as Type Embellishments One, is made up only of ornaments. I love scrolling through them to choose just the right look for the book that I'm working on. Below is a sampling of some of the ornaments found in this typeface as well as some that you will find hidden in common fonts that may already live on your computer.
    Ornament glyphs in font sets
    Samples of ornament glyphs in different font sets.

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    Help for Independent Presses

    Book Design & Production

    Have you written a nonfiction or fiction manuscript? After it has been professionally edited, I can design the interior pages and cover, plus guide you through the maze of book publishing and printing. To get started, contact me to discuss your project and my helpful guide for authors.

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    Finding Creativity in the Pause

    Dear Friend and Reader,
    I truly hope that this finds you and your family healthy and well. During this time of isolation and social distancing that is, understandably, very difficult for many, I have never been more grateful that I work from my home office. For some this time has provided a measure of relief from the daily grind, which can feel very rigid, and has opened up some space to pause, recharge, and put attention on (often creative) things that usually get pushed to the side.

    There has been little to no down time for me as authors are utilizing this rare window of space to focus on writing and getting their books published, but I do recognize the importance of pressing pause on the stream of the routine of life.

    For me this often lets the relentless chirping of thoughts, the rigid boundaries of schedule and emotionally challenging need to "keep it all together" settle and quiet down. It allows a little breath to move and within that I find what feels like authentic creativity. I've rarely been successfully creative when it's been pushed, forced or rushed. In my experience, creativity is a slow moving and evolving creature that only reveals itself when unencumbered by demand, distraction, and preoccupation.

    So, if you are in Missoula and see me out walking the neighborhood on a sunny weekday afternoon, this is probably why. I just needed a pause.

    Want more tips like this? Subscribe to my monthly book design newsletter.

    Help for Independent Presses

    Book Design & Production

    Have you written a nonfiction or fiction manuscript? After it has been professionally edited, I can design the interior pages and cover, plus guide you through the maze of book publishing and printing. To get started, contact me to discuss your project and my helpful guide for authors.

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    Personalize your book

    Make it special! Personalize it.

    Did you know that Ingram Spark allows you to create and send personalized copies of your book. It's easy to do, inexpensive at only $1 per book, and is a great way to add a special touch when you want to.

    Choosing this option adds one additional page with your personalized content and inserts it as the very first page of your book at the time it’s printed. It will only be added to that specific book and not books that are ordered through other retailers. You can add text and even an image! Simply click “Personalize It!” when placing your order.

    Some ideas offered by Ingram Spark include:

    • One-Off Dedications, such as a special inscription for a friend or give-away winner.
    • Letters to Readers - think book club members.
      or
    • Commemorate an Occasion, such as an event where you will be speaking or your books will be available for sale.

    There are many possibilities and ways to get creative!

    Want more tips like this? Subscribe to my monthly book design newsletter.

    Help for Independent Presses

    Book Design & Production

    Have you written a nonfiction or fiction manuscript? After it has been professionally edited, I can design the interior pages and cover, plus guide you through the maze of book publishing and printing. To get started, contact me to discuss your project and my helpful guide for authors.

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    The benefits of having an ISBN number.

    What is an ISBN number and why do you need one?

    ISBNs are the global standard for book identification. ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number, and is a unique 13-digit numeric identifier linked to a book. It identifies the publisher (that is you if you are self-publishing) as well as the specific book title, edition and format.

    Do you need one? There may be instances where you don't need an ISBN number, however there are so many advantages to having one that it is strongly recommended.

    Some of those advantages include:

    • It establishes the publisher of record
    • It improves the likelihood your book will be found and purchased because, by having an ISBN, your book is included in databases that booksellers and libraries use to find books
    • It links to essential information about your book
    • It enables more efficient marketing and distribution of your title
    • It helps you analyze sales

    An ISBN is not necessary if you do not intend to place the book in stores or libraries.

    The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) had a very informative and helpful blog post in their Self-Publishing Advice Center last week that I recommend reading. It explains in-depth about the ISBN number, why you need one - and why you may choose not to have one.

    If you are publishing multiple forms of your book, for example, a hard cover, paperback, and an eBook, each of those will need its own ISBN number. ISBN numbers are available for purchase from Bowker. On their website, they offer several options for purchasing them. If you plan to write multiple books and offer them in multiple formats, my recommendation is to start with the block of 10 because it brings the cost per ISBN number down substantially. ISBNs never expire, so you will have them available for future use as needed.

    If you would like to learn more about book publishing numbers and other self-publishing resources, check out the book design resources page on my website.

    Want more tips like this? Subscribe to my monthly book design newsletter.

    Help for Independent Presses

    Book Design & Production

    Have you written a nonfiction or fiction manuscript? After it has been professionally edited, I can design the interior pages and cover, plus guide you through the maze of book publishing and printing. To get started, contact me to discuss your project and my helpful guide for authors.

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    Hit the Book Cover Design Grand Slam!

    For a Grand Slam Cover Design, start with a Book Cover Design Brief.

    What is a Book Cover Design Brief, and why do you need one?

    A book cover design brief is something that is vital to any design project. It provides, me, your book cover designer, with clear and precise information about your book so that I can effectively do my job and create a book cover that you love!

    Without some direction, your designer has to make assumptions about what they think you will like. Sometimes it works out and you get a cover that is acceptable, but more often than not, without a proper set of expectations and guidelines, it misses the mark and they have to go back to the drawing board and begin again. This can be frustrating to both the author and designer as it inevitably adds more time and cost to the project.

    This scenario can be avoided by taking some time before the design process begins to develop your ideas and vision. A book cover design brief will help you collect, compile, and distill these ideas, thoughts, and research into a format that you can hand to your book cover designer. Think of this as an opportunity for you to deeply explore what you want your book cover to look like and then tell your designer exactly what you want to achieve. A book cover design brief is no place for generalities. Here, you should be as specific as possible and move past the impulse to say things like “I want this design to pop” or “Just make my cover look good.”

    To help you with this process, using resources and suggestions from other designers as well as pulling from my own experience, I've compiled a book cover design brief that you can review and start developing the specific vision and goal for your book cover. When you sign up for my newsletter, you can download it for free!

    Want more tips like this? Subscribe to my monthly book design newsletter.

    Help for Independent Presses

    Book Design & Production

    Have you written a nonfiction or fiction manuscript? After it has been professionally edited, I can design the interior pages and cover, plus guide you through the maze of book publishing and printing. To get started, contact me to discuss your project and my helpful guide for authors.

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    The Change Code Book

    Custom Book Design for

    The Change Code: A Practical Guide to Making a Difference in a Polarized World

    written by Monica Bourgeau
    published by New Phase Publishing

    This book has it all! A custom designed cover, call outs, pull quotes, tables, charts, custom designed graphics, an appendix and bibliography. It was so fun and challenging to design this book.

    Cover Design

    After our initial consultation meeting, learning about the content and purpose of the book, the author sent me her design vision for the cover. The book is about Spiral Dynamics and and she wanted a very natural, beautiful look that incorporated a spiral. I spent some time researching other book covers to get an idea of what already existed in this genre and to help me create a design that fit within that genre, but also stood on its own. Then, after a lengthy search for just the right images, I sourced a couple that were beautiful and helped me to design the cover that you see.

    I use a combination of Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign to complete a cover design.

    book cover design

    Interior Design

    This book has many complex design components that help Monica tell and exhibit her story in a way that makes it easy for readers to learn and enjoy. Some of these design elements include:

    • Quotes
    • Pullouts
    • Sidebars
    • Custom Illustrations
    • Exercises
    • Endnotes
    • Appendix
    • Bibliography

    Except for the custom illustration, I do my design work on book interiors in Adobe InDesign.

    Custom Book Design
    Interior Book Design and Layout
    Interior Book Design and Layout

    eBook Conversion

    This book is also available as an ebook.

     

    Interior Book Design and Layout

    Print on Demand

    The printers of choice are Ingram Spark and Amazon and are available to order on all the major online outlets.

    Visit The Change Code website to order your copy!

     

    Website Graphics

    This project included custom web graphics designed to compliment the design of the book.

     

    Cover and Interior Book Design and Layout

    Help for Independent Presses

    Book Design & Production

    Have you written a nonfiction or fiction manuscript? After it has been professionally edited, I can design the interior pages and cover, plus guide you through the maze of book publishing and printing. To get started, contact me to discuss your project and my helpful guide for authors.

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    What is your resolution?

    With the holiday season upon us and the new year quickly approaching, many people spend time thinking about resolutions that they want to fold into their life.
    When I, your book designer, think about resolutions I am hopeful for only the best! That is to say - at least 300 dpi. What on earth could that mean? Why, image quality of course!

    Book Design Tip: Image Quality

    Proper resolution for printing success.

    To help ensure beautiful, crisp, printed results, a book containing photos - whether they will be printed in color or black and white, need to have a high resolution. The resolution of an image refers to the number of pixels within the image. More pixels means better detail and higher quality. To achieve this, it's best to start with the original photo.
    If you will be scanning physical prints, you can adjust your scanner settings to scan the image in to your computer at the proper resolution. The minimum for print is 300 dpi., however, especially if the photo has small physical dimensions, I prefer to receive scanned images at a minimum of 600 dpi.
    Digital images from phones or cameras may be successfully used in print as long as the photo was taken with the highest quality settings and it has large physical dimensions.
    Here is an example of what happens when a low resolution image goes to press, as opposed to the same image saved with a high resolution:

    This photo had a low resolution, and very small physical dimensions. It had to be stretched to fit the space. As is evident, there aren't enough pixels to keep the image detailed and sharp.

    This photo had a high resolution and large physical dimensions. The photo will reproduce crisp and clear.
    If you aren't sure your photo and image files are saved in high resolution, ask your designer if she can do an assessment to determine if the images will reproduce well in print. Your designer may also be able to offer suggestions to help you get your images saved in high resolution.
    Note: Saving a blurry photo in high resolution does not magically make it sharp and in focus. Sometimes editing a photo can improve it somewhat, but it's always best to have a photo that was taken in focus.

    Want more tips like this? Subscribe to my monthly book design newsletter.

    Help for Independent Presses

    Book Design & Production

    Have you written a nonfiction or fiction manuscript? After it has been professionally edited, I can design the interior pages and cover, plus guide you through the maze of book publishing and printing. To get started, contact me to discuss your project and my helpful guide for authors.

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    Which Trim Size is Right for Your Book?

    Book Design Tip: Trim Size

    One of the first things to consider when launching into the design of your book is its physical size. Some things to think about include:
    • The length of your manuscript. This will determine the page count of your book. If you choose a smaller trim size, your page count will go up, creating a thicker book and potentially costing more money per book to print.
    • Common trim sizes in your book's genre. Research what size other books in your book's genre commonly are. Visit your bookstore with a ruler or simply visit Amazon or Barnes & Noble's websites and view this information in the book details.
    • Choosing an industry standard size. Picking an industry standard printing size will save you some money and you will have flexibility when choosing printers. Some standard sizes, in inches, are:
      • 5 x 8
      • 5.5 x 8.5
      • 6 x 9
      • 7 x 10
      • 8 x 10
      • and there are many more!

    Do you need help deciding which size would be best for your manuscript? I can help you determine a great size for your book. Send me an email and let's discuss it!

    Want more tips like this? Subscribe to my monthly book design newsletter.

    Help for Independent Presses

    Book Design & Production

    Have you written a nonfiction or fiction manuscript? After it has been professionally edited, I can design the interior pages and cover, plus guide you through the maze of book publishing and printing. To get started, contact me to discuss your project and my helpful guide for authors.

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    book design

    Hot off the press!

    Custom Book Design for

    Keep On Going
    The History of The Bell Tower on 34th

    written by Roger C. Igo
    published by Stellar Communications Houston

    This book design was super fun with color everywhere! Full color, inside and out I was able to play with a larger creative palette. My assignment was to create a book that reflects the captivating history and elegance of The Bell Tower on 34th, a very successful wedding and event venue in Houston, Texas.

    Cover Design

    Using a combination images supplied by the author and some that I sourced, I was able to use my powerful design program, Photoshop, to composite this colorful, bright and exciting cover.

    book cover design

    Interior Design

    The interior design of this book accommodates close to 40 images that help tell this compelling entrepreneurial success story. In addition to images, other custom features include call out sections that highlight interesting parallel events and stories that needed a little emphasis.

    Custom Book Design
    Custom Book Design
    interior page layout

    Print on Demand

    The printer of choice was Ingram Spark and they did a wonderful job. The book was printed with a hard cover and dust jacket. The hardcover is Ingram Spark's new digital cloth with linen textured lamination, essentially a digital image designed to mirror the look and feel of cloth. The glossy finish on the dust jacket really makes the imagery shine! The images and color on the inside really pop against the bright white paper.

     

    Help for Independent Presses

    Book Design & Production

    Have you written a nonfiction or fiction manuscript? After it has been professionally edited, I can design the interior pages and cover, plus guide you through the maze of book publishing and printing. To get started, contact me to discuss your project and my helpful guide for authors.

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