New Nonfiction Review: The Design of Books (2024)
Before I checked out Debbie Berne’s online portfolio upon finishing an enthralling read-through of her book, I had no idea I’ve got at least one book she designed on my bookshelves. (I do: it’s Story Genius.) Berne has been designing books for two decades, and in The Design of Books, unsurprisingly, she reveals all it takes to build and design a book from the ground up.
In this monograph, the author opens with a brief history and description of the key elements of The Physical Book (Chapter One) and proceeds through explanations around Type (Chapter Two), Cover (Chapter Three), a book’s interior (Chapter Four), a dive into the challenges and intricacies of designing illustrated books (Chapter Five), a brief look at how ebooks differ from printed books (Chapter Six), and workflow (Chapter Eight), among other topics. This reader got the sense that, among these, the weakest chapter is most certainly that covering electronic books, though even Berne’s weakest work is going to be something no one ought to pass over lightly; in that chapter, as in the others, authors and publishers will find crucial distinctions—as in that which exists between the reflowable and fixed layout varieties (156). The most jam-packed and useful chapter was that covering the cover (no surprise there, I think).
Having recently self-published a book (Max in the Capital of Spies, March 2024), I dove into this book on design with some trepidation and with a wound-ready heart, hoping not to take anything too personally. Throughout, Berne counsels heeding the advice of the expert designer (for interior and exterior elements), and she warns the self-pubbing writer might fare poorly without hiring such an expert.
But the work isn’t all moralizing about what not to do without professional advice about what we ought to do: I learned a lot (aside: what type should I use for emphasis here?) about books and the design of books.
Given my foray not only into publishing my own book but starting my own press, I’m walking away from The Design of Books with more confidence in my background knowledge and ability to converse with designers about what I want in a way that I expect will be helpful and clear for folks used to having a certain kind of conversation—”This palette feels too quiet, can you make it pop more?” rather than “Boy, I hate that green, use purple instead” (190). And yes, I realized that I had missed the distinction between the half-title page and the title page in my own book’s front matter. When I revise for a second major printing, I’ll be changing this—and quite a lot else, I think—thanks to Berne’s advice. And when I dive into this process for my forthcoming traditionally published book, Jimmy vs. Communism, I know how to have useful conversations with the design team at Gibbs Smith press.
So I didn’t take it personally, and you shouldn’t either. Writers (self-publishing or traditionally published), read this book with care. I have a feeling I’ll be keeping it close at hand as I redesign Max… as well as design for Whisper House Press’s inaugural anthology and future projects. And if you’re a curious book nerd, this book is probably worth your time as well.
Title: The Design of Books: An Explainer for Authors, Editors, Agents, and Other Curious Readers
Author: Debbie Berne
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
Release: Spring 2024
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In this monograph, the author opens with a brief history and description of the key elements of The Physical Book (Chapter One) and proceeds through explanations around Type (Chapter Two), Cover (Chapter Three), a book’s interior (Chapter Four), a dive into the challenges and intricacies of designing illustrated books (Chapter Five), a brief look at how ebooks differ from printed books (Chapter Six), and workflow (Chapter Eight), among other topics. This reader got the sense that, among these, the weakest chapter is most certainly that covering electronic books, though even Berne’s weakest work is going to be something no one ought to pass over lightly; in that chapter, as in the others, authors and publishers will find crucial distinctions—as in that which exists between the reflowable and fixed layout varieties (156). The most jam-packed and useful chapter was that covering the cover (no surprise there, I think).
Having recently self-published a book (Max in the Capital of Spies, March 2024), I dove into this book on design with some trepidation and with a wound-ready heart, hoping not to take anything too personally. Throughout, Berne counsels heeding the advice of the expert designer (for interior and exterior elements), and she warns the self-pubbing writer might fare poorly without hiring such an expert.
But the work isn’t all moralizing about what not to do without professional advice about what we ought to do: I learned a lot (aside: what type should I use for emphasis here?) about books and the design of books.
Given my foray not only into publishing my own book but starting my own press, I’m walking away from The Design of Books with more confidence in my background knowledge and ability to converse with designers about what I want in a way that I expect will be helpful and clear for folks used to having a certain kind of conversation—”This palette feels too quiet, can you make it pop more?” rather than “Boy, I hate that green, use purple instead” (190). And yes, I realized that I had missed the distinction between the half-title page and the title page in my own book’s front matter. When I revise for a second major printing, I’ll be changing this—and quite a lot else, I think—thanks to Berne’s advice. And when I dive into this process for my forthcoming traditionally published book, Jimmy vs. Communism, I know how to have useful conversations with the design team at Gibbs Smith press.
So I didn’t take it personally, and you shouldn’t either. Writers (self-publishing or traditionally published), read this book with care. I have a feeling I’ll be keeping it close at hand as I redesign Max… as well as design for Whisper House Press’s inaugural anthology and future projects. And if you’re a curious book nerd, this book is probably worth your time as well.
Title: The Design of Books: An Explainer for Authors, Editors, Agents, and Other Curious Readers
Author: Debbie Berne
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
Release: Spring 2024
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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