Book Design Made Simple from 12 Pines Press has received some great reviews. Take a look:
From Joel Friedlander, “The Book Designer” blogger
Book Design Made Simple fills a huge void in the graphic arts and indie publishing bookshelf. Classic books on book design are fine for design students, but usually have little relation to what we do in today’s digital world.
Previously, we had Pete Masterson’s Book Design and Production, a solid book based on an earlier version of InDesign, but one that was, to be honest, not very well designed.
But what indie authors have wanted—and what they keep asking me for—is step by step instruction in creating industry standard books with today’s tools and for today’s book production requirements.
That’s what Book Design Made Simple delivers, and it does so beautifully.
But this book is much more than that. [To read the entire review, go to The Book Designer blog.]
—Joel Friedlander, TheBookDesigner.com
From Foreword Reviews
Regardless of design background, anyone who wants to design and produce a professional-looking book should find everything they need in Book Design Made Simple.
Fiona Raven & Glenna Collett’s second edition of Book Design Made Simple is a step-by-step, comprehensive guide to designing one’s own book.
Self-publishing spawned a whole cadre of authors anxious to turn manuscripts into completed books. While online sources often offer templates to create books with adequate design elements, there is nothing that duplicates the quality of designing a book that is free of system-imposed constraints. That is the approach taken by Raven and Collett, two experienced and accomplished book designers. In this book, they walk inexperienced book designers—whom they recognize are likely to be self-published authors—through every step of book design, from a blank page to a print-ready book. [Click here to read the full review.]
—Barry Silverstein, Foreword Reviews
From Roger C. Parker, content marketer and blogger
What sets Book Design Made Simple apart is its unique combination of publication design fundamentals and detailed InDesign tutorial. There are lots of general graphic design books, lots of publication design books, and lots of InDesign tutorials and guides. But, until now, there hasn’t been a single volume that perfectly addresses the needs of graphic professionals who want to take full advantage of InDesign’s ability to produce better-looking, easier-to-read books as efficiently as possible. It contains over 400 pages of design tips, InDesign commands, and features. [To read the entire review, go to the Content Marketing Institute’s gift guide page.]
—Roger C. Parker, PublishedAndProfitable.com
From a successful indie publisher
There’s a reason this book earned the top prize as Book of the Year in the IPNE.org 2016 Book Awards. Concise, practical, and must-have resource for those of us who independently publish books.
—Charlotte Pierce, president of the Independent Publishers of New England
From an author who designed his own book
Book Design Made Simple was my main pillar of support when I was designing my own book. It stood head and shoulders above any of the tutorials I found online, and took me every step of the way through the whole process. I recommend Book Design Made Simple to every new book designer, whether they are familiar with InDesign or not. It’s the ultimate resource on creating a book using InDesign.
—Lyle Litzenberger, author of Burke and Widgeon: A Hiker’s Guide, Coquitlam, BC
From a nondesigner who designed a book with excellent results
I recommend Book Design Made Simple. It is an excellent investment.
—Kevin M. Johnson, MD, designer of My Father, in Snow, Madison, CT
From an award-winning book designer
Book Design Made Simple more than follows through on its title’s promise. This well-organized overview breaks down a very complex process with admirable clarity. If more people used this book, the publishing landscape would look a whole lot better.
—Peter Blaiwas, book designer, Newburyport, MA
From a graphic designer
This book presents a two-fold course in book design and production—the practical and the sublime. In a clear use of text and images the function and application of the power of InDesign is presented. Within this context the basics of good design and visual style—from page composition to typography—are offered in a manner that allows the reader to view options. This is not a recipe book, but a flexible process the reader may use to lay out the framework of a book. A perfect addition to the bookshelf of anyone who does multiple page layouts.
—Karen Shea, Karen Shea Design, Beverly, Massachusetts
From a prepress and colour management professional
Whether you are dreaming of publishing your first book or are accomplished at book design, this promises to become the bible on book design. Book Design Made Simple covers so much more than the basics. From setting up the required software to practical advice and visuals of design and typography, how to obtain an ISBN and create a bar code to sending rock-solid press-ready files to the printer, this 500 page volume is truly a ‘must have.’
—Ernst Vegt, Coast Imaging Arts, Comox, BC
From a professional book cover designer
Book Design Made Simple is a golden goose for designers, authors, and anyone who wants to create a book or e-book. The instructions for InDesign are a revelation; Glenna and Fiona publish many coveted secrets for saving time and adding magic to projects. Many of the elegant subtleties of design—the fine points that take a book from boring to bewitching—are explained clearly and simply. Even experienced designers will profit from Glenna’s and Fiona’s wealth of intelligence and knowledge. I found the rule of three to be particularly helpful, not only for book design, but also for other design projects. I highly recommend Book Design Made Simple. It will make beginners look professional and professionals look even better.
—Rafael Perez, book cover designer, Colonus Publishing, Sandy, OR
From a book publisher and distributor
The language and design is so clear and friendly that you feel like the authors are sitting right next to you. Book Design Made Simple is a tool which will improve the quality of files that go to printers and increase reading enjoyment for everyone. It is the go-to resource for anyone intending to design a book.
—Jo Blackmore, Publisher, Granville Island Publishing, Vancouver, BC
From a literary agent and writers’ conference chairman
In my entire career in publishing I have never seen the process of book design revealed in this way. With extraordinary patience, the authors have laid out every step and explained enough of the design and typographic niceties that 99% of users will find every answer they need right here. The self-publishing authors I work with will be very well served to get this book and use it!
—Jan Kardys, Chairman, Unicorn Writers’ Conference, Literary Agent, Unicornforwriters.com
From a writers’ conference founder
For many of our self-publishing writers, Book Design Made Simple will be the right solution at the right time. The simple but thorough instructions are perfect for any non-techie design novice.
—Tracy Sayre, founder of Writers Work Writers’ Conference, New York
From a small press publisher
When I was thinking about founding Colonus Publishing in 2009, I was looking for a book like Fiona’s and Glenna’s Book Design Made Simple. I was terribly fond of Leaving Parma, the first book that Colonus had acquired, and I was thinking about designing it myself. I didn’t know a thing about book design, though; and there weren’t any design books like this one that Fiona and Glenna have written. Believe me, I looked and looked and looked. So not only does Book Design Made Simple fill a need, but after six years of running a small press, I can tell you that the information in Book Design Made Simple is essential to every small press publisher.
—Rich Skalstad, Colonus Publishing, Inc., Spokane, WA
