The first step was to pick a font; this was not an easy task as there are literally millions of fonts out there. Luckily I was restricted to choosing from the hundreds that Ooligan already has the rights to. So I browsed through hundreds of fonts, tried out a couple dozen, printed out eight, then finally sent in five.
Design
Inside Dark Horse Comics, Part II
By Justin M. Knipper
I worked as an editorial intern at Dark Horse Comics in Milwaukie, Oregon, during PSU’s winter term this year, and while I was there, I ended up learning more than I ever anticipated. In my previous post on my time at the Dark Horse offices, I focused on explaining DHDPs and work orders. In this entry, I’ll continue my detailed look into what exactly a comics editor does, and I’ll focus on two more editorial tasks: creating bookmaps and comp lists.
Brief Art Lesson on the Bookstagram
By Sadie Verville @sadieverville
Keeping a consistent brand, no matter how personal the account, is so important. People want to follow accounts that they can trust will post fairly similar art, because they like that art. You wouldn’t commission an artist who gave out a different-styled piece every time someone requested their services; in a similar way, people will not give you that follow if you remain inconsistent and unpredictable.
Beyond the Portrait: Memoir Book Covers
By Sarah Loepp
When one thinks about memoir cover design, the first image that usually comes to mind is a sober portrait of the author, often in shades of black and white or otherwise having the subject posed in a thoughtful, cerebral way. Certainly, this is a representative picture of the memoir standard, and in many cases, the most profitable design route for publishers to pursue. But when might other options work better?
The Business of Bookstagram
By Jessica DeBolt
It’s not just bibliophiles who are making the most of the bookstagram side of Instagram, publishers and other publishing professions have seen the potential of a few great books pictures and are now using them to promote their own brands. But are the Instragrams of publishers as artistic and effective as those of bookstagrammers, or are they doing something different?
Designing Book Covers with Genres in Mind
By Emma Hovley
What happens when the book you’ve written doesn’t neatly fit into one specific genre? For instance, what if instead of a book that falls unquestionably into the mystery thriller category, you’ve written one that beautifully straddles the line between personal memoir and war memoir? While this question can certainly influence any number of factors in the book publishing process, it comes into a particularly important light when a publisher begins to develop the marketing plan for a new book.