How to Make a Chapbook in 4 No-Nonsense Steps
Nov 17, 2020 – Understanding Publishing, Book Design
If you're currently in the process of growing your readership as a poet, you're going to need to know how to make a chapbook. These short books can help kickstart your literary reputation, and may well increase your chances of getting a book deal for your debut poetry collection. Sounds good? Re... Read more →
20 Amazing Children's Book Illustrators (and How to Hire Them)
Oct 15, 2020 – Book Design
We all had our favorite children’s book illustrators growing up. From Quentin Blake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory fame to Julia Donaldson of The Gruffalo, the best illustrators not only helped us visualize stories, but also made us fall in love with the sheer possibility of imagination. I... Read more →
Book Layout: 8 Key Tips from Professional Designers
Aug 30, 2020 – Book Design
When authors think about book design, the first thing that pops into their heads is usually the cover. We’ll be the first to admit that cover design is incredibly important — but book layout is arguably just as important! After all, your cover may attract readers’ initial interest, but your inter... Read more →
What is Typography, And How Can You Get It Right?
Jul 08, 2020 – Book Design
Typography is the art of arranging text in a legible and visually pleasing fashion. It’s not to be confused with typesetting, which describes the technical process of getting text onto a page. From the lettering on a road sign to the flourishes on a Coke bottle, we see typography at work everywh... Read more →
6 Tips for Writing the Perfect Cover Design Brief
Apr 01, 2020 – Book Design
A big part of what makes self-publishing so attractive to authors is retaining all creative freedom over their own work. That means it is up to you, and you only, to choose your cover designer and brief them properly. Here's how. Read more →
50+ Cookbook Covers Guaranteed To Make Your Mouth Water
Apr 01, 2020 – Book Design
One of the best sections of any bookstore is, without a doubt, the cookbook aisle. Not only do the contents of these books promise incredible recipes, but their covers provide an intriguing taste of what's inside! Cookbook covers are some of most carefully crafted in publishing — which is why, if... Read more →
How a Cartoonist for Hire Can Get Your Book's Point Across
Jan 17, 2020 – Book Design
Images like cartoons can work wonders on your book, as long as they’re developed the right way. Here's how custom-crafted, eye-catching images can complement your writing — and how to find the perfect cartoonist for hire to draw them. Read more →
The 50 Best Children’s Book Covers of 2019
Dec 13, 2019 – Book Design
2019 was a fantastic year for fiction of all stripes, but perhaps children's fiction most of all. From the continuations of beloved series to brand-new, often timely tales, we were showered in an abundance of amazing stories — and with them, some absolutely beautiful cover art. That's why we wan... Read more →
How to Format a Book (the Free and Easy Way)
Nov 15, 2019 – Book Design
In this step-by-guide to formatting a book, we’re going to give you tips for producing a professional-looking final product, and explain how our very own free book formatter — the Reedsy Book Editor — can make the job simple for you. Read more →
Parts of a Book Explained: Front Matter, Body, and Back Matter
Nov 13, 2019 – Book Design
Even if you've already polished your chapters to perfection, you still need to prepare various other parts of your book before publishing — namely, the front matter and back matter. If you haven’t come across these terms before, don’t be intimidated! They simply refer to the first and last secti... Read more →
Book Cover Maker: Which DIY App Is Best for You?
Sep 06, 2019 – Book Design
We always advise authors get their book covers professionally designed — an excellent cover is a crucial part of publishing success. However, if you’re set on designing your own cover and willing to put in the legwork to learning a new skill, here are some resources you might consider. Read more →
50 Best Writing Websites of 2020
Aug 22, 2019 – Perfecting your Craft, Understanding Publishing, Book Marketing, Book Design
The Internet is full of writing websites and blogs to help people reach their creative goals. If you’ve always dreamt of writing your own book, but don’t know how to get there — or if you’re in the process of writing, but feel unsure about what to do next — then it’s your lucky day! Here we have... Read more →
Roundup of Writing and Publishing Resources
Aug 16, 2019 – Perfecting your Craft, Understanding Publishing, Book Marketing, Book Design
Here at Reedsy, we’re fortunate that we get to work with some of the finest talent in the publishing industry — and these experts have shared their experiences and knowledge with us in the form of interviews and how-to guides. In fact, we’ve published articles on so many topics that it’s hard to ... Read more →
Vellum Review: Read This Guide Before Using It!
Apr 30, 2019 – Understanding Publishing, Book Design
From Google Docs to Scrivener to our very own Reedsy Book Editor, there are countless tools out there for writers to create, edit, and ultimately format and export their books to publish. Vellum is another one that you probably recognize, though you might not be completely familiar with its mecha... Read more →
Book Design: Everything You Need to Know
Apr 10, 2019 – Book Design
No matter what your level of publishing experience is, this guide to book design is for you! It dives into cover design, interior design, DIY tips, and more! Read more →
Book Illustration: 25 Beautiful Examples
Apr 08, 2019 – Book Design
We all remember the signature illustrations of our childhood reads: the wild scribbles of Quentin Blake, the gentle watercolors of Beatrix Potter, the simple line drawings of Shel Silverstein, and so on. Indeed, many book illustrations become indelibly linked to the stories they depict. And they’... Read more →
How to Choose the Right Book Cover Dimensions
Oct 30, 2018 – Book Design
When we talk about book cover design, we often talk about the color palette, typography and use of images. What we rarely mention are the dimensions of the cover. After all, it’s usually determined by the book’s trim size. That, or it’s seemingly inconsequential, as most new independent authors r... Read more →
Print-On-Demand vs Offset Printing: Which Wins?
Oct 26, 2018 – Book Design
This is a guest post by Jessica Ruscello, a copywriter at Blurb, Inc. Jessica is also a writer, teacher, and photographer who makes her mark with empty coffee cups, ink spills, and red lipstick. The last ten years—even the last five—have seen game-changing developments in printing technology. Ev... Read more →
The Back of a Book Cover: How to Build One That Actually Works (with Template)
Oct 26, 2018 – Book Design
Picture an intrepid reader in the bookstore. They’re skimming the shelves when their eye is caught by a brilliantly imagined front cover. They pick the book up. Check. The spine is bold and inviting. Check. Then they flip to the back of the book cover — and it’s a boring solid background with no ... Read more →
What Are the Standard Book Sizes in Publishing?
Oct 26, 2018 – Book Design
Glance at the nearest bookshelf. Have you noticed that books come in all shapes and sizes? Contrary to popular belief, this isn’t because publishers are out to obliterate the perfect symmetry of our bookshelves. The truth is that book sizes vary based on each individual book — and publishers dete... Read more →
What is Typesetting? Your Guide to Interior Book Design
Oct 26, 2018 – Book Design
Think that you’re ready to publish your book? Think again. Before you send your book off to the printers, you not only need to make sure that the content of your book is good — it also has to look good on the page. Imagine your gut reaction to a room that’s sloppy and cluttered, for instance. Not... Read more →
Book Cover Design: Your 7-Step Guide to an Unforgettable Cover
Oct 26, 2018 – Understanding Publishing, Book Design
In this definitive post, we look at book cover design: why it's important to work with a professional, what you can do to create the best cover possible, and — if all else fails — how you can make one yourself. Read more →
68 Book Cover Ideas To Inspire Your Next Book
Sep 26, 2018 – Book Design
You know the mantra: “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” But that’s easier to say than do. A book's cover is your not-so-secret weapon when it comes to sales and the reader's very first impression of a book. Or, as famed designer Paul Sahre once put it in an interview with Penguin Random House: “O... Read more →
How to Make a Book: Binding a Hardback in 5 Simple Steps
Apr 09, 2018 – Book Design
Learn how to make hardback copy of your book by hand — something that you can keep on your shelves or share with your friends as a gift. Read more →
EPUB vs mobi: Is Amazon's mobi Format Now Dead?
Nov 17, 2017 – Understanding Publishing, Book Design
Discover the differences between the three most popular book file formats on the planet — and learn which ones are best for you. Read more →
Subscribe to our newsletter!
500,000 debut and bestselling authors have made Reedsy their home to learn more about book publishing, marketing tips and all things reedsy.com.
Reedsy is more than just a blog
Become a member of our community today to gain access to:
reedsymarketplace
Connect with the industry's best editors, designers, marketers and ghostwriters.
Show me other things available to members!
reedsybookeditor
Typeset your manuscript to beautifully formatted PDF and EPUB files in seconds.
reedsylive
Weekly live publishing seminars with a professional from the Reedsy community.
