Experienced Book Designers

Experienced book designers can give you a lot of information.

There are a lot of things to consider where expert guidance would be of great benefit to you.

With Maremar, you will learn about possible alternatives, as we guide and teach about many processes. With this additional understanding, you will make more intelligent, informed decisions.

Here is where the experienced book designer comes into play. An expert book designer has spent many years studying the different needs and alternative ways to make the book of their client’s dream.

Let’s look at some of the questions you will face.

The first one is your budget.

What budget do you have for producing your book? Do you have one, or will you have to look for grants or sponsors for this phase? A budget will depend on a lot of things. Let us look at some of those.

The second is your editorial.

Writers usually know a lot about their specific topics but aren’t necessarily the best at grammar and composition. Also, there is such a thing as writer fatigue which can cause certain things to be partially understandable but not completely understood.

A specialized editor will read your manuscript with a critical eye. They will search for whatever you want them to. Services from editors come in different flavors, and as with all things in life, the more they have to do, the more it costs. They will point out all the problem situations, so you can correct them before going to print.

The third is your book design

This is indispensable but also very tricky because you should feel comfortable with the designer you selected. This person is the one who is going to translate your manuscript into the book you have dreamed about for years. Aside from the general design of the piece, there are many nuances that good, experienced book designers correct that make your book look professional.

Among the most important questions you will be asked are: What is your target group? What age do they have to be? What degree of literacy should they have? These are very important when considering the typography of a book.

The type-style has to agree with your topic but also has to be readable by your target audience. For instance, the size of the fonts selected is very important. After 40, eyesight starts to decline. If it is a book for children, the font must be big, sans serif, and small amounts per page. Your readers should feel comfortable reading your book. If they don’t, this will affect your bottom line and your prestige.

The fourth is book design printing

We can now choose from traditional printers to electronic e-books or Print on Demand for short runs.

There are several different alternatives for printing your books. Each has advantages and disadvantages. Whichever you choose very much depends on the number of books you want and the purpose of your books, for example, if you want to sell them or are writing for investigative purposes.

Of course, your budget is very important at this phase. Today, you can print from one book to thousands. Remember, we are in the technological era and there is probably a solution for any one of your desires. Experienced book designers will discuss this with you so you can choose the best alternative that suits your book and your budget.

And, finally, all the other budget considerations:

• the size of the book
• the type of paper you want to use
• how many pages it has
• if it is to be black and white or full color
• what type of cover and binding you want
• how many copies you want to print
• will it have photography or illustrations and do you have those available in print quality?

All of these things, little by little, increase your printing budget.

The Book Design budget is a lot more subjective and depends a lot on the difficulty of the design.

With all the technology available today, if your book looks amateurish, your peers will not respect your work and your bottom line will suffer. Give us a call and let us help you figure this whole process out.

Call us at 787.731.8795 or 787.969.7771. We are here to help you.

By Marina Rivón of Maremar Book Design & More
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