The American Association of University Presses (AAUP) holds an annual Book which catalogs the best in book design and exhibits it around the country.
I found this useful as it gives an indication of current trends in typeface selection for books and journals.
http://fontfeed.com/archives/top-ten-typefaces-used-by-book-design-winners/
As an independent publisher, Book Guild Publishing has been providing authors with publishing expertise for 25 years. Under both our mainstream and Partnership Publishing programmes, they offer a full editorial, production, publicity, marketing, sales and distribution service, with the benefit of a high level of creative control and involvement for their authors.
A publishing firm with a soft human face
Book Guild Publishing offer be – spoke publishing, which means they only publish ten books per month. Printing is only a small part of the publishing process, and their selection procedures are rigorous. From the thousands of manuscripts they receive each year, they publish only about ten books per month – keeping their standards high, and ensuring that all our authors receive the attention they deserve. Resulting in them creating eye catching commercial designs having more time. They are eye catching and daring, A broken childhood, is a dark cover, but fits with the true story well,using the dolls image I do feel makes the cover.
Although we are justly proud of our Anglo-Saxon traditions of fiction writing, we tend to ignore the parallel universes of non-Anglophone writing. Literature from other cultures often demonstrates a willingness to embrace emotions and passions eschewed by the Anglophone sensibility. It not only offers us alternative visions of the world, but also of ourselves. This cultural exchange strengthens and enriches our own literary tradition.
Melissa Ulfane
Although Pushkin Publishers are small, they appeared above in the press
Pushkin Publishers I feel have a more elegant and prestigious feel, focusing on classical authors. You can see this looking at their book covers.
There is a pattern throughout their covers, a large image, with the type smaller, the image is the main focus.
NAi Publishers, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
NAi Publishers is the specialist in the publication of books about architecture, urban design, spatial planning, visual art, photography and design.
Many of NAi books have won awards. The regularly appear among the nominations & prize winners in the Best Dutch Book Design Awards.
I found an interview with Barbera Van Kooij who is the art publisher for Nai. I feel reading this interview has given me a good insight into publishing.
I think design is what make us a very special publisher, because we work with many designer with whom we have been in contact for a long time. We also collaborate with young designers to give them a sort of chance to make their first book. I can only talk for myself, but I think my colleagues work in a similar way. We think about the book long before it is actually designed. We already have an idea of the format, the size, the number of the pages, etc. We figure out how to sell the content we have, so we ask ourselves: «What does the future buyer want? What does he expect?” At this point we think of the designer who can make the book. The final design it’s always a big surprise: in the beginning we sit down and start talking of how the design will look like and in the end it’s always different.
Barbera Van Kooij
Here is some of NAi’s work
I can see from the designs that NAi are a contemporary organisation. Looking at their work they are not afraid to experiment with both type and image. The cover above proves this, type overlapped and at an angle gives it a up to date modern feel. Their target audience are in the creative field, so keeping up this image would be essential.
“People are the very life blood of a creative company like ours – we have to ensure that we employ and retain the best talent in the business.” – Victoria Barnsley, CEO & Publisher
Harper collins UK, is run by chief executive & publisher Victoria Barnsley, they employ 900 people in London, Glasgow & Cheltenham and publish more than 1200 books a year.
Harper Collins see themselves as a modern, creative content company, boasting to having the best material from the best writers. They have a heritage going back nearly 200 years and have a wide range of categories from fiction to digital maps.
8th march makes a double publication date of two international best sellers Paulo Coelho new edition of the Alchemist, its been re packaged for a new generation.
Supported by a new creative campaign, the new formats will bring Paulo’s writing to a new audience and continue to be a source of inspiration to thousands of people around the world. HarperCollins.co.uk
The design and type of a book has great importance for sales, changing and creating a new personality of a book title can achieve a new audience.
Required skills and attributes for successful employment
Design eye catching covers for books and sometimes graphics for the inside as well. Supply artwork for campaigns and advertising materials such as posters and leaflets. Arrange photo shoots for covers, cast models, carry out picture research, and make sure you have the right to use images. May be responsible for the typography (fonts) and commissioning illustrators and photographers.
Knowledge of design software such as In Design,Quark Express and illustrator.
Good communication skills: you have regular discussions with the editor and freelance staff.
You normally need a graphic design degree. Build a strong portfolio.
Many publishers use freelance designers, illustrators and photographers.
Types of Book Publishing
There are many kinds of book publishing. Most listings differ, but here is a representative sample of publishing types.
1. Trade publishing
(i) Hardcover
(ii) Trade paperback
(iii) Mass-market paperback
(iv) Children’s books
(v) Religious books
2. Textbook publishing
(i) Textbooks in hardcover or paperback
(a) K-12 textbooks
(b) Secondary school textbooks
(c) Higher education: college and university textbooks
(d) Post formal institutional education (adult learning) textbooks
(ii) Ancillary texts, such as teacher or student guides
3. Reference publishing
(i) Encyclopedias
(ii) Directories
(iii) And numerous others
4. Reports, studies, etc. by not-for-profit publishers, government agencies, etc.
2007. Last year Brits bought an estimated 338 million books, at a cost of £2,478m. This was 13% higher by both volume and value than five years ago, according to the Book Marketing Limited’s latest Books and the Consumer survey.
BBC News,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7178598.stm
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