This is a tremendous day of amazing importance. I have a proof copy and I love it.The front cover is exactly as I had hoped. Actually prettier, because the blue is more vivid that I had dreamed. (I’m untrained enough to think that vividness relies on dreams, still.)
the back is wonderful and except for the top right text looking a little squished compared to the bottom right text, it’s exactly what I wanted. I will unsquish and upload a new version. I plan to give my cover designer a raise.
the inside though is not exactly right.
For my first proof copy I used Garamond typeface. For my second, this one, I used Didot. I wanted a spacier, lighter, stretched font. It seemed to make sense at the time. And Garamond looked kind of short and squat.
Come to find out Didot typeface is known for its thick vs thin contrast. It’s rarely used as a body text because, as one expert said, “it sparkles.” Indeed.
You can see above the difference. I left it a little blurry, come to find out typesetters prefer a type that creates a uniform grey on the page. It’s comforting and readable. Sparkles are not desirable. So I’m going to amend my font choice. Luckily with computers and createspace it’s only a matter of pushing a few buttons (though I do have 92 drop caps to contend with.) Imagine if I was placing type old school? I’d get what I got and I’d like it.
Are you also picking fonts for your self-published book? I love the book designer. He recommends fonts, and I won’t deviate next time. Unless I know what I’m doing. If you’re interested in anything self-publishing, drop me a line. I’m figuring it out bit by bit and love to share.