What You Should Know Before Hiring a Book Designer

by Cheryl Rogers

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2011 Cheryl Rogers, Tampa, FL

Smashwords Edition, License NotesThis ebook is free and may be copied, printed and given away for non-commercial uses as long as it distributed in its entirety, without changes.

Preface

Like most writers, you’re probably not thinking too much about how your book will look. You’ve been busy just focusing on what it will say. But if you are planning to self publish, you’ll need a professional book design, inside and out.

It’s likely you’ll want a professional designer, one who will help you capture your reader’s attention. That’s true even for ebooks; the book cover needs to attract interest in a virtual store.

What You Should Know Before Hiring a Book Designer tells you in ten easy steps what you show know before you hire anyone.

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So, that gem you are writing is almost completed. You’re thinking ahead. You want to publish soon and you want to begin work on the book design.

While you are putting the finishing touches on your manuscript, and gathering feedback, you’ll want to begin shopping for a book designer. You’ll want to find someone whose style appeals to you, someone whose skills match your needs. You’ll want someone who is capable of creating a professional looking book cover that attracts your target audience and entices them to buy. You’ll want to hire someone who is capable of capturing the heart of your book, in one image.

Don’t wait for the last minute. You may want to seek referrals from other authors and shop the yellow pages, Craig’s list and your local print shops. You may want to solicit online through social networks like LinkedIn and job sites like Elance.

Before you pick a designer, consider these tips:

* Have a completed manuscript, a manuscript that has been edited, polished and is ready to print. Why is that so important? When you change the text, you can change the book length and page layout, creating extra work for your designer. You can’t expect that extra work to be free. If you are just epublishing, it’s okay to have a designer work on the cover while you finish up the manuscript. But you will need to know where it will be epublished, so you will know how the cover must be sized.

* Become familiar with the designers’ styles. What are their specialties? Do they design book covers? Do they also do custom cover art? Do they design book covers using photographs or clip art? Do they use artistic type effects? See samples of their work. Choose someone whose work suits you and your book.

* Know what size you want the book to be. There are lots of options. Do you want the size that is cheapest to print? Do you want a pocket size book? Any other particular dimensions? Decide before your designer lays out your book, not after he or she has completed the work. If you don’t, you’ll likely have to pay for revisions.

* Your printer may have special requirements -- requirements that could require alterations to your book design later in the game. If you’ve decided on your printer, it’s best to put your designer in direct contact with a print shop representative. There may be restrictions on the number of pages, plus page size, trim and photo editing requirements. You also may need your printer to estimate the book’s spine width, based on your paper type and estimated number of pages. Without this information, the design is likely to need extra tweaking before it is usable. You may wind up paying for extra design time, either from your designer or printer. While you could be an intermediary in the transfer of this information, it’s probably quicker and more accurate to have the designer and printer confer directly.

* Have an understanding about how much the project will cost. Get a flat rate or reach an understanding about what is a reasonable number of hours for your project. Don’t leave it open-ended, and do respect your designer’s time. Know upfront how many revisions are included in your flat rate. If you keep asking for revisions, your price may be revised.

* Know what you want. When you know, you’re more likely to get it. Know your intended audience and the look you want to create. Know what will draw your audience to your book. Do you want a bold look? What color scheme is most effective? Should the book appeal to children, teens, men, women, or both men and women? The more detail you give the designer, the more likely you are to be pleased with the final product. If you don’t know, expect to pay more for your designer’s time as you review cover designs and style – until you figure out what you want.

* Know how your book will most likely be sold. Are you expecting most of your sales to come from speaking engagements or bookstores? If you are expecting most folks to buy your book off a bookstore shelf, the design has to be engaging to browsers in your genre. If you’re not planning to pay for bookstore distribution, and you’ll mostly be selling your book at speaking engagements, you’ve got a captive audience. You’ll sell your book from the podium. All your cover has to do is cinch the sale with its professional appearance. If your book will be epublished, it must entice readers to click on your book cover or link to find out more about the book.

* Know your budget. If you want a top class designer but you cannot afford one, don’t waste everyone’s time. Either raise the money or settle for stock art, fewer revisions, or a budding designer with less experience. If your budget is small, you don’t want to pay for three or four versions of the cover to give yourself the luxury of choosing between them. Pick a designer whose style you like and content yourself with tweaking his or her design, developed based on your vision.

* Tap into your designer’s expertise. You may find your designer also does print brokering or can give you a great referral for a printer. If your designer works regularly with a printer, the job may proceed more smoothly if you use that printer.

* Make sure you have the legal right to use any art or photos you plan to use. If you are

asking your designer to locate stock art or photography, you’ll want to be sure it is properly licensed from the copyright owner. If there are any identifiable people, you may want to have them sign an agreement which acknowledges you have to legal right to use the photo/art on your book cover or inside your book.

About the Author

Cheryl Rogers is a freelance writer, photographer and desktop designer based in Tampa, Florida. A self-published author and print broker, Cheryl offers her services to help fellow authors write, publish and print books.

Cheryl, who holds a B.A. in Journalism and Sociology, worked for 12 years in the newspaper business honing her writing, interviewing and copyediting skills. She then launched a home-based desktop publishing company offering typesetting services to print shops. She also brokered printing jobs for clients who hired her to design and print brochures, stationery and business cards.

Cheryl lives in Tampa, Florida, with her husband Rick and family. Connect with her online though Facebook, Smashwords, or LinkedIn. Visit her Fast Track to Victory blog.

Also available on Smashwords are:

What You Should Know About Self Publishing, a primer for all interested in self publishing. What You Should Know About Self Publishing will help you develop your book idea into a salable book. It includes tips about book research, illustration, printing, and marketing to help you avoid costly mistakes.

Fast Track to Victory, A Christian Guidebook, a 40-lesson devotions book aimed at new and young Christians. Fast Track to Victory teaches the biblical principles that set us free to live a victorious Christian life. You learn how to truly love and forgive others, why it’s important to set aside pride, how to deal with tragedy and death and lots lots more. Fast Track to Victory also will encourage you to spend time regularly with God, walking in his victory.

Making Choices: Life is Like Acorns, a children’s Bible study aimed at 5 to 10 year olds.

Making Choices: Life is Like Acorns is about a baby squirrel named Peepsy. Peepsy’s mama teaches him how to hunt for acorns; Peepsy learns sometimes acorns look good to eat, but they are rotten, or the shells are empty. He learns things are not always what they appear to be. Children learn God judges our hearts – and not by appearances. This book is intended to be read with a parent, grandparent, Sunday school teacher, or similar caregiver.

Just Like Jonah Wail Tales, exaggerated tales of woe that teach preteens and teens there’s price to pay when you disobey. This short story collection features modern day characters that make bad choices, land in whale of trouble, and turn to God – just like Jonah in the Bible. As always, God is faithful to change their circumstances.