View From the Publishing Trenches

Too often, book designers seem determined to force a book into an existing template…whether the template works well with the book’s material, style, or intended audience (or use).

Good book design and typesetting should be easily readable and support the way readers will actually use the book.

Dense text with long paragraphs and sentences likely needs to be set looser than text at the other end of the spectrum. Otherwise, the result can feel intimidating to a potential reader, who may draw a conclusion based on flipping through a few pages.

If the reader is looking for a how-to or self-help, they should be able to tell at a glance that the book will be both easy to follow and easy in which to find specific material.

If the writing is breezy with a conversational tone, the book’s layout should reflect that.

If the reader will be likely to scan through looking for stories, hints, or directions, the layout should make that easy. Maybe with more subheadings and/or some pull quotes.

Supporting graphics, photos, tables, and lists can help to break up the text and make finding material easier.

Finally, the choice of typeface should also be dependent on the overall text density, readability, and writing style. Although some fonts work well in just about any book, many are best suited to particular designs, material, and audience.

If you’re considering how to approach a book design project, I highly suggest reading at least some of the following books:

The Complete Manual of Typography by James Felici

The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst

On Book Design by Richard Hendel

Book Design and Production by Pete Masterson

Bookmaking by Marshall Lee

There are others, of course, but those will help you understand the whys and wherefores, dos and don’ts, and the how-tos of designing books for readers (which, after all, is the whole point).

What are your favorite book design references?