Process

One of the most exciting things is learning how another person perceives their work aesthetically. It's fascinating because we each have such different senses of what is beautiful, and I feel like every time I correctly apprehend someone else's vision, my own capacity for expression grows. As an artist and writer, there is no greater practice than that.

I'm guided by the instinct that a book has its own desires. Hearing them and negotiating them, along with the ideas the author or publisher brings to the table, is my primary goal.

How We Start

I like people. I like to meet people — in person and on video calls — and hear about their projects in their own words. Many of the choices I make in design reflect what I see in people when we meet.

I'll need to know where you are. It's okay to still be in process. I typeset and build covers for all my own manuscripts before they are finished. It helps with revision to see the thing and hold it in your hand. It's motivating. It's okay if you aren't sure where you are — I'm happy to meet with you and help you figure it out.

Timelines are hard to estimate cold. The best approach is to tell me if you have a deadline. Beyond that, I can usually give you a clearer picture after we've spoken.

The Work

Style Sheet & Blueprints

Before layout begins, we establish the typographic foundation: font selection, page geometry — trim size, margins, gutter — and sample pages. These blueprints show chapter openings, subheading treatments, and image-caption handling for your approval before full layout begins. You know what the book will look like before committing to it.

Interior Layout

The manuscript is imported into Adobe InDesign and set with careful attention to typographic refinement: consistent leading, kerning, and word spacing, with the elimination of widows and orphans. Front and back matter, running headers, pagination, and all images and graphics are placed to print specification at 300 DPI.

Cover Design

The scope includes a full-wrap cover — front, spine, and back as a single continuous composition. I begin with a creative brief: genre, audience, themes. I develop 2–3 design directions for your feedback. Spine width is calculated precisely against your page count and paper stock. The cover is designed to carry the felt sense of what is inside.

Review & Delivery

Two proofing cycles ensure layout consistency and pre-press accuracy. Final delivery includes a print-ready PDF with bleed and crop marks. Source files available on request.