We’re back with a new post in our “Journey of a Book” series. Our first post talked about the process of submitting a book for publication. In our last post we heard about editing a book from Dennis Cone, JourneyForth supervisor. In our third installment we’ll hear from Craig Oesterling, a graphic designer for BJU Press. He works on all kinds of design projects, but one thing he loves to do is the design work for new JourneyForth books that will be published. Here is what he has to say about designing a book for publication.
What is the first thing you do when you start to design a book?
Usually, I read it! Sometimes I can get a feel for a book by reading a chapter or two or getting a description from the editor. But many books, especially storybooks, have so many important details to account for that I need to read them myself.
Where do you look to for inspiration when designing a book?
Generally, the book itself is my prime source of inspiration. I want to design a cover that feels like the book, to make something that really captures the essence of what’s going on inside. Beyond that, inspiration is everywhere, other people’s designs, the natural world, anything I can see.
What are the different parts of designing a book?
I break it down to the cover and the interior. Often, each part is created by a different person; though sometimes I’ll design the whole book, cover-to-cover. The cover is extremely important for a number of reasons. It really sets the stage and flavor of the book, if done well. I think we’ve all read books that haven’t lived up to their covers! The cover is what makes a person pick up a book off the shelf; it gets you interested. It engages your imagination and stirs up a desire to read the pages inside. That’s not to say that the interior design (usually done by the compositor) is any less important though. The choice of the typeface (fonts), the type size, the space (leading) between the lines, the width of the margins, and other little details can make a book easy or difficult to read. The first page of a chapter can reinforce the feel of a book and tie it in to the cover, usually just by what typeface is chosen.
How long does the book design process take?
Usually it takes a few weeks. Once everything is designed and all the text is set, the book is sent through our editing process. Then it comes back to the designer/compositor to make the changes. A book goes through this process a couple of times before it is sent to the printer.
What kind of tools do you use to design a book?
I usually start with a pencil and paper! I’ll sketch out ideas while I’m reading the manuscript and jot down details. Sometimes I’ll need do a photo shoot to get the images needed to create the cover. Then I’ll work in Photoshop and InDesign on my computer. Occasionally I’ll create elements for a book in Illustrator as well. These are industry standard programs for creating print projects.
How involved is the author of the book in the design process?
The author is not involved much in the design of the book. He has to trust the designer to get it right! I’m happy to say that most authors I’ve designed books for have been very pleased with my work, and I usually exceed their expectations. That’s one of my goals. I want to make their books look better than they imagined.
What is the most interesting part about designing a book?
I really enjoy designing a book when I can create all the elements that go into the design. Sometimes I use stock photos that I purchase from a stock photo library, but I love to shoot my own photos. I really enjoy being able to craft a cover to match what I’ve imagined in my head. It’s exciting to see a final book cover design that just started as a blank page! Also, getting all the little details correct is very important, especially with stories. I try to tell some of the story (plot) on the cover, so the details must be right.
What is the hardest part of designing a book?
Probably the conceptual stage—that’s when I’m going through the book trying to get as many pictures formed in my head as I can. Then I draw quick thumbnail sketches to capture those ideas on paper. I have to approach the plot from different angles. Sometimes the first thing I think of is what will work the best, and other times it’s a sketch that I’ve reworked many times that makes for a unique design.
If someone wanted to design books like you do, what would you tell him to get him started?
To begin with, when you pick up a book that interests you, try evaluating why it interests you. Why did you pick up that particular book? What grabbed your attention about it? When you read the book and the story starts forming pictures in your mind, try to evaluate whether it feels similar to the cover design or not. Do you think the art or the typeface used for the title fits with the flavor of the story? How much did that cover influence the way you visualize the plot? Keep looking at books to see what draws you to them. What kinds of books are your brothers or sisters interested in? Do they like books that don’t really appeal to you? Ask them why they like those books. Part of my job is to keep in mind the reader (that’s you!) when I’m designing. I still enjoy reading “kids” books, and I try to design my books to appeal to you. If you don’t like the cover, then you probably will not read the book.
Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers about designing books for publication?
In order to be a good book designer, I think you need to keep reading. I love designing fiction; that’s also what I love reading! A good cover can tell part of the plot without giving it all away. It grabs your attention and gets you interested. It complements the plot and establishes the overall flavor of the book (Did you know that the word flavor does not apply only to food?). The cover sets up a framework for your imagination to build on as you read the book. Just keep reading!
Designing a book is more about revealing the plot rather than just adding images to a book. According to Craig the design of a book should reflect the essence of a book. Next time we’ll give you a special peak into the printing process of publishing a book. Until next time—like Craig said—“just keep reading!”
