The cover for Pax, the bestselling new novel by Sara Pennypacker, grabs me every time I see it. Aimed at children aged about 9+, Pax is a "moving story of the extraordinary friendship between a boy and his fox, and their epic journey to be reunited".
Read moreRecovering the Classics
All too often, classic literature is left with cover artwork that doesn’t reflect anything but “Classic Literature” – a small title on a solid background or pattern, perhaps an old painting. The lucky few recently turned into films may have stills of the main characters. But most covers don’t try to lure in potential buyers. Why bother?
Read moreThe Six Covers of Romances
What better way to spend Valentine’s Day than browsing the covers of romantic novels? There are six basic types of cover that are used on romantic novels, and although designers occasionally break the mould, most stick to tried-and-tested. Readers of romantic novels, it seems, are creatures of habit.
Read moreBook Cover Review: A Song for No Man's Land
I love this cover for the newly-released A Song for No Man's Land.
The first in a series of dark fantasy novellas by Andy Remic is set in the trenches of World War I...
Read moreA monsterous layout and typesetting project – Frankenfont!
When it comes to the layout and typesetting of your book, it is important to get the right font for the style of book, the mood you are trying to create and the medium you are publishing in.
But this isn’t a blog post about choosing the right typeface for your book – it’s to draw your attention to a beautiful project called Frankenfont.
Read moreFeatured Cover: Flowers by Month
The cover design for this gardening book used a simple square grid pattern, with the title banner wrapped around its middle.
Read moreFeatured Cover: War!
Charting the involvement of the United States in wars from World War I to the recent war in Afghanistan, War! examines the causes and effects this has had on America.
Read moreBook Cover Reviews: The Bricks that Built the Houses
Sometimes I like to write about some of my favourite recent book cover designs. Recently the cover for this new book by Kate Tempest, The Bricks that Built the Houses, caught my eye.
Read moreFeatured Cover: Off the Trail: France
For the cover design of this travel book, we selected a single image which embodies the carefree, adventurous ethos of the guide.
Read moreFeatured Cover: Zen Your Life
For this cover, we wanted a simple, basic look to reflect the aim of the book: teaching peacefulness and tranquility to promote a happy lifestyle.
Read morePaper Treasure
Spending the summer months in Colville with his little brother trailing around behind him, is not exactly Charlie Bradford’s idea of a good time… but when someone steals his late grandfather’s shares in The Treasure Creek Gold Mine and then tries to trick the other owners into selling theirs, Charlie is hopping mad…
Read moreDragons of Desert and Dust
Fourteen-year-old Angel Cerillos is stuck living with foster parents at a second-rate desert motel while his mother is in the hospital.
Read moreIntroducing Cover&Layout: Interior book design for self-publishing
You've got your amazing new cover! Now what?
It's time to create the best reading experience with the interior layout. A well-designed layout is an important aspect to keeping your readers interested - who enjoys reading a badly designed book? The best designs are the ones you don't notice.
Read moreIntroducing Cover&Layout: Cover design for ebooks and self-publishing
Cover&Layout, as the name suggests, specializes in cover design and interior layouts for indie authors: offering a full self-publishing design service in one place.
Everyone knows you shouldn't judge a book by a cover, but everyone does.
Read moreIntroducing Cover&Layout: Heather McIntyre
After 8 years freelancing in the publishing industry, working on magazine layout with Bookbrunch and Publishers Weekly for their Book Fair Show Dailies, and the Bookseller Association's Christmas Books catalogues, I am venturing into the world of self-publishing.
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