Book design
As well as having written, designed and produced many memoirs previously, my portfolio also includes fiction and non-fiction books and illustrated children’s books.
An important part of the process is to ensure that your book design is appropriate for the era or subject matter we are writing about. I don’t use templates, so all books are tailored to the client’s individual style preferences.
Old photographs are an important aspect of the books I produce. I can digitise and enhance your favourite images from your family photo album. There is no limit to the number of photographs you can include, and these can be inserted at any stage within the text – not all confined to one central section, as often happens.
Book printing
When it comes to having your books printed, there are a number of size options depending on the ratio of photographs and text you want to include.
These include:
A4 (210mm x 297mm)
A5 (148mm x 210mm)
A6 (105mm x 148mm)
Novel (127mm x 203mm)
US Royal (152mm x 229mm)
Royal (156mm x 234mm)
Standard (132mm x 197mm)
Square (210mm x 210mm)
Most clients choose either uncoated or silk paper for the internal pages, but other specialist (e.g. textured or recycled) papers may also be available.
Book covers
The book cover can be designed to incorporate your favourite personal photograph. With memoirs, an effective technique is to combine an old image of the author and a more recent one, perhaps with one on the back cover and one on the front.
I offer a hands-on editorial service, which means that I will be working on the main body of your book myself, not delegating it to other people.
However, I work closely with a carefully chosen team of colleagues to provide you with additional services. For a particularly effective cover image, I can arrange for your portrait to be painted in oil from a photograph, or for my professional photographer to do a special photo shoot in the style you prefer. Line drawings and other illustrations can also be commissioned, including pictures for children’s books.
The choice of finish for the cover is another important consideration – these include hardback in gloss or uncoated; and paperback in gloss, uncoated or the popular ‘soft-touch’ finish. Other options include a dust-jacket, and ‘faux leather’ and other speciality luxury covers, which can be embossed with your text in a choice of metallic colours.
If you have already written your book yourself, I can deal with all aspects of your book design and production from typing, transcribing, editing, proof-reading, layout, insertion of photographs or illustrations and liaising with the printers.
Whatever you decide, I make every effort to update you regularly to ensure that your book will be designed and produced just the way you want it. Clients often say the end result is better than they had ever imagined.