The design of books : an explainer for authors, editors, agents, and other curious readers / Debbie Berne.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Berne, Debbie, author.

Series:

Chicago guides to writing, editing, and publishing

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Book design.

Book design--Handbooks, manuals, etc.

Publishers and publishing.

Book industries and trade.

Genre:

handbooks.

Instructional and educational works.

Handbooks and manuals.

Physical Description:

246 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.

Other Title:

Explainer for authors, editors, agents, and other curious readers

Place of Publication:

Chicago : The University of Chicago Press, 2024.

Summary:

"Of all the aspects of making a book, design is perhaps the most mysterious. Authors and readers surely realize that covers are designed objects that, like it or not, books are commonly judged by. But a book's interior is also the product of a designer's careful attention to such matters as where the page numbers go or how wide the margins are. Even publishing professionals-editors, agents, marketing staff-often have only the vaguest idea of how designers use type, color, space, and other elements to turn manuscripts into visually distinctive and compelling books. This is the first book that explains what designers do for the benefit of all the "word people" involved in making (and enjoying) books. By demystifying how she and her fellow design professionals approach their tasks, Debbie Berne seeks to make authors and publishing colleagues informed partners in design decisions and to ensure the process is collaborative from start to finish. She considers self-published as well as traditionally published authors in her advice. And along the way, she offers delightful reflections on how each part of a book functions and how they ideally come together as a package for the ultimate benefit of the reader"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction

1. The physical book. Kinds of books ; The parts of a book ; Printer's specifications ; Printing

2. Type. Brief history ; Looking at letters ; Font categories ; The character set ; Choosing type ; Type size ; Styling type

3. The cover. What's on a cover ; The creative brief ; Genre ; Craft ; Process ; The online cover ; The rest of the cover

4. Inside the book. The spread ; Front matter ; Back matter ; The body of the book ; The page ; Setting type ; Interior decorating

5. Illustrated books. Illustrated how? ; Vision and planning ; Designing visual books ; Image quality and production

6. Ebooks. Brief history ; Devices and apps ; Reflowable ebooks ; Fixed-layout ebooks

7. The design process. Traditional publishing ; Self-publishing ; The finished book

Postscript

Appendix. Type etiquette ; Freelance design contract ; Resources

Glossary.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780226822952

0226822958

OCLC:

1391675510