The Design of Books

Book excerpt: "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"--