Tag Archives: book design
How to Correctly Format Your Book Interior Using Word: Word Templates for Proper Book Formatting

How to Correctly Format Your Book Interior Using Word: Word Templates for Proper Book Formatting

How to Design a Book Using WordThe good, the bad, and the ugly in book interiors. 

Yes, I’ve seen them all. For years, as a book designer and a blogger at The Book Designer blog, I’ve looked at hundreds of self-published books, and let me tell you, it’s not a pretty picture.

Sure, there are lots of authors who have taken the time to learn the details of how books are put together, and made a good job of their books.

And there are plenty of enterprising authors who have hired a professional designer to create the interior of their book, and of course those look quite fine, no problem there.

No, it’s the other ones, the books put together by well-meaning authors who really want to succeed but, for one reason or another, are unclear on how exactly to go about it. Those are the ones that have big problems.

The Problem with Amateur Book Interiors

What kind of problems? For something that looks as simple as a book, you might wonder where exactly these people go wrong.

Here’s just a taste of the kinds of errors I’ve been seeing in self-published books:

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What Kinds of Projects Won’t Work for Self-Publishers

What Kinds of Projects Won’t Work for Self-Publishers

BookBaby president Brian Felsen talks with Joel Friedlander of The Book Designer about what “the perfect book” looks like in terms of size, layout, design, etc.

Joel believes that there is no one industry-wide standard, but that each individual genre suggests its own standards for design perfection.

Also in this segment, Joel discusses how to set realistic expectations for publishers and authors who may be dreaming too big on a small budget. He lists a few examples of the kinds of projects that simply won’t work for self-publishers.

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Book Designer Joel Friedlander on How eBooks Do Violence to the Concept of a Book

Book Designer Joel Friedlander on How eBooks Do Violence to the Concept of a Book

Book designer Joel Friedlander speaks with BookBaby president Brian Felsen about how eBooks are similar and dissimilar to print books. Joel believes that whenever new technology is introduced, it imitates elements of the older technology being replaced in order to resonate with users (who may otherwise be unsure of the new technology’s utility).

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What Does a Book Designer Do?

What Does a Book Designer Do?

In this video, book designer Joel Friedlander talks with BookBaby president Brian Felsen about what exactly a designer does to help an author or publisher realize their vision. A book designer’s specific involvement in a project can vary depending upon the job, and can include everything from assisting in the finalization of the manuscript (recommending developmental editing, copy editing, or proofreading), coming up with a design strategy and concept, working with vendors, creating a marketing plan, and more.

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Joel Friedlander on Why Print Book Design is NOT the Time for DIY

Joel Friedlander on Why Print Book Design is NOT the Time for DIY


Book designer Joel Friedlander talks with BookBaby president Brian Felsen about why DIY authors should still hire a professional designer when it comes time to print books. Firstly, Microsoft Word is not a professional product in terms of typesetting, layout, etc. So you’re already at a disadvantage if you want to handle everything yourself.

But more importantly, when you “do it yourself,” you have to know what you’re doing– and book design is not a skill you can learn in 45 minutes; it can take years to learn well. You want someone with that kind of expertise on your team when it comes time to release your book; after all, you’ve put too much effort into your book to release it with design mistakes.

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The Most Common Printed Book Design Mistakes Self-Published Authors Make

The Most Common Printed Book Design Mistakes Self-Published Authors Make

Book designer Joel Friedlander talks with BookBaby president Brian Felsen about the most common mistakes self-published authors make when it comes to designing their own books, including incorrect numbering of pages, numbering blank pages, and putting running heads on chapter openers.

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