A few recent book design offerings from WorkingType Studio. A variety of topics and treatments…
Five New Cover Artworks
The usual range of topics, with typefaces ranging from Alternate Gothic to Molde to Bourton Layered and ITC Avant Garde.
News About Regatta — Local History Book
Peter Stokes has researched and written a very entertaining account of early colonial life on and around the Gippsland Lakes. He brings to life many interesting personalities and the yachting regattas held during the 19th century. The regattas were a major focus of social life in the region for many years, reflecting the importance of fishing and shipping before railways and cars came along. We received the following update from Peter recently:
“REGATTA has been quite well received in the small market of East Gippsland. I have sold/distributed quite a number of the 100 I had printed, and have only a few left; although there are quite a few on shelves around the place. Had great feedback regarding how well it looks as a book (thanks) and the stories. I will need to print some more.”
Regatta is available here.
Covering Many Things - Recent Book Cover Designs
Some recent cover designs with the usual variety of subject matter. Contemporary fiction, psychology, thrillers and family histories. Never a boring moment…
Introducing the Illustrations of Pawel Nowacki
Pawel has illustrated several books with us now, with a range of subject matter. He has adapted well to every request and produces illustrations with personality and energy. Here's an introduction from Pawel:
"My name is Pawel (the Polish cognate of Paul) and I’m a freelance illustrator based in Poznań, Poland. When I was a small boy, my father showed me a ballpen-made portrait — I've been drawing ever since. Being self-taught, I barely ever leave my pencil behind, wanting to be a better artist. Working almost my entire life in IT business has given me an interesting perspective on art, and at the same time equipped me with some skills that are helping me out with my art work. Coming from two such distant worlds is both advantage and a challenge which I take happily, having a great motivation from my family, especially from my beautiful wife Joanna.
I really enjoy black and white drawings. Book illustrations, comics and graphic novels were always something special for me. Being able to actually create book illustrations is like fulfilling my childhood dreams. This is also why I really enjoy working with Luke, for he is a professional, honest and friendly person, giving me the opportunity to do what I really love:)
If you are a book author and want to decorate your book with any kind of illustration I'm more than happy to help you. I always like to research the subject of the illustration to fit it best for authors idea. I usually do hand-drawn, pencil to paper sketches then scan and add some processing work on the computer with use of a graphic tablet. I always like to leave a hand-drawn feeling to the final effect. I can create book illustrations, portraits, caricatures, etc. but I stay open for any kind of drawing / art idea you might have!
You can have a look at some of my previous works on my portfolio archive at pawel-nowacki.tumblr.com/archive and also on my Instagram account: www.instagram.com/nowacki_pawel, (user: nowacki_pawel)"
Book cover — Girl Over the Edge
Girl Over the Edge is an honest account of one woman's experience of mental illness. We wanted the cover to look raw and unfiltered, but not melodramatic. The typeface is Gilroy and the image was sourced from www.unsplash.com
Thriller from the Wimmera — Book Cover
Ray Scott writes hard-bitten thrillers with plenty of action and skulduggery. His latest effort gets going in the sunny Wimmera, with a salesman facing hitmen from his murky past. With a touch of North by Northwest, we depicted a rather worried man against a field of wheat and a merciless blue sky. Typeface used: Tablet Gothic Compressed.
Australian Calendars for 2017 — Cover Design
Craig Lewis' photographs of iconic Australian pubs and huts adorn a long-running series calendars and books. We enjoyed working on the 2017 iterations of his calendars, especially the high country huts. Typefaces used included Trajan Sans, Homestead and Amberly.
Making it Simple — Book Cover
Our client was looking for a cover that appealed to both genders and communicated in a direct, dignified fashion. After much experimentation with a variety of icons and logos, the final draft was characterised by symmetry and white space, with very clean type use. Typefaces used: Latina, National.
Victorian Executioners — Cover Design
The chap pictured is the executioner, not his victim....
Trevor Poultney has put together a comprehensive discussion of all the official executions carried out in Victoria since colonial times. Executioners often worked under false names due to the opprobrium that went with the job. A lovely 19th Century portrait of Melbourne formed a suitable background to the title type and the rather sinister looking image of Walker, a hangman. Available soon.
A Man of the Land — Book Cover
Bob Gillespie has taken five decades of farming experience as the basis of this saga of life on the land. He wanted the cover to show some of the character of the land in the southern Riverina, combined with images of the protagonists. Typefaces used: Amberly and Didot.
Lexie London — Book Cover
Our client already had the artwork they wanted for this children's title, but needed to liven up the type treatment. The nature and proportions of the image precluded the use of the middle two thirds of the page, so we utilised overlapping text and text on a path to fit in the rather long title. Typefaces used from the top of the cover: Another Shabby, Seaside Resort and Tommaso. Published by Brolga Publishing.
If You Build It, They Might Not Come — Promotional Realities Part 2
Guest Post by Jo Ettles
Social media
I love social media and it has worked well for me. There are so many options though, so my best advice is pick one or two social media platforms and then do them really well. I use Facebook and Twitter only.
Facebook – I have a personal Facebook account but I keep this for family and friends and a few colleagues that I have connected with. Off to the side of my personal account, I have a business/ author page which I post on daily. Because I write self- help books, I post quotes and tips, wellness information that I hope will encourage people to take action towards having a better day. To me, it is fantastic a way to instantly connect with people and it also reflects the way I write.
I have used Facebook adds as a way of selling books, and I have had good results. If you are not familiar with marketing using Facebook advertising, the guidelines are strict and you need to be mindful on how to do it well to make it work. It is trial and error and maybe that is another post down the track if anyone wants to know more about that as a way to market their books.
Twitter
You can actually connect your Facebook page to Twitter and when you post on Facebook, it automatically reposts it on Twitter- killing 2 birds with one stone (no pun intended!!!). Twitter is a phenomenal way to connect with the world. I once connected with two amazing coaches in London via Twitter and I sent them a copy of my first book. When they received it, they took a photo of it and then shared the photo and some information about my book with all of their followers. It definitely generated interest in my work and resulted in an increase in sales.
Here is another way to look at Twitter. If you follow someone on Twitter, they automatically receive notification via email that you are following them. It is a perfect way to connect and introduce yourself to all sorts of amazing people who might want to follow you, connect with you and even share your work.
Review copies
When my first book was released, I had a publicist that actually got me a few radio interviews and a couple of good reviews in magazines. For my latest book, I have no publicist. I am my own publicist!
I wrote my own press release and sent a copy of my latest book to a few media publications. So far, I have had a few radio interviews, a great full page write up in a newspaper magazine and it is early days. I have only just started doing this.
I don’t have any real influential media connections so this method is a bit hit and miss for me, but I have nothing to lose. I think if you want to really get your work out there, be fearless. What is the worst thing that can happen? They don’t respond? Take a chance. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Send review copies to journalists in your local paper or any papers and magazines for that matter. There is a great website called Sourcebottle and it is a free online service that connects journalists with sources so if you sign up, you get daily emails of upcoming opportunities to quote or feature in stories. I have found a couple of great opportunities via this website to promote myself and my books.