As an artist, I may be a bit biased, but for me, the art is the thing.

Illustrations are more than just pictures attached to words. Ask anyone what they remember about the stories they read (as well as those that were read to them) as children and they will recall the pictures.

They will remember the faces, the colors; they will remember the fantastic elements that make the stories leap out and grab you. People will remember not only the big elements in the pictures, but also the quiet moments. Remember the way the moon shone through the trees as Max and the monsters danced in Where the Wild Things Are? Remember the texture of the cut paper in all those collages in The Hungry Caterpillar?

When you think about your favorite children's book, you don't just think about the passages you loved or the names of the characters, you think about the pictures. I know I always do.

I think you do, too.

Christopher Donovan

Illustrator for

Legwork Team Publishing

Phone: 631 944-6511
Email: Yvonne@legworkteam.com
Website: www.legworkteam.com

Graphic Design Blog

 So you’re ready to write the

GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL

By The Little Worker Bee

 

O

nce upon a time, only a select few were lucky enough to get a chance to tell their story in published words.  Today, with technology available to just about everyone, publishing your story is easier than ever!  However, just because publishing resources are at your fingertips, doesn’t mean you could or should ignore the basics of graphic style and design as they apply to printed pages.  With an understanding of type style, layout and graphic devices, your story will posses a professional polish, regardless of your genre.

 

It is true that now-a days, you can just write your book and move it forward for publication in basic manuscript format.  But why would you want to.  Your final product will be a page-after-page drone that will be static, uneventful and difficult to read.  A book needs to be laid out and designed.  With this in mind, there is a short list of devices that should be considered, then applied.  These devices will make the reading experience less fatiguing, and your story easier to follow.  Finally with a vision, imagination and a degree of embellishment and you can turn you lovely tome into a jewel that may help attract the interest of major publishing houses!

Look for these layout and design devices as well as helpful tips in future blogs.  I will provide an outline, then follow up with simple rules and suggestions that you should consider when you are ready to send your words forward into the world of self publishing!

 

 

www.legworkteam.com

 

Legwork Team Publishing Facebook



Great Tips from Legwork Team Publishing

"I'm a Fabulous Writer. Why Do I Need an Editor?"

This common refrain is heard often in the editing and publishing world. What authors may not know, is that the process of editing is much more than grammar, punctuation, and a spelling check; though those are necessary tasks for any copyeditor or proofreader.

Editing is the single most important component of the writing process. Careful and thoughtful editing can elevate your manuscript from "really good" to "extraordinary." Often authors make the mistake of thinking that their book is finished once they've written a few drafts, and then they've checked it through for simple errors of English language usage.

The real crafting of a manuscript is done in the revision phase. A good developmental editor can help you take your raw material and fine-tune your voice and structure, making sure that your story is clear and coherent. Continuity of thought and the consistency and depth of characters are worked with, so that your readers can follow along easily without having to go back and forth in your manuscript in order to figure out what is happening. In a non-fiction manuscript, an eye to the overall development of the intended message is key to keeping your readers informed and interested.

Though the process is different for fiction and non-fiction books, all manuscripts need to be looked at by an objective expert. "Why?" you may ask. It's because writers (all of us, including myself) get very attached to our writing and we are sometimes unable to see our errors clearly. We also tend to suffer from, what one of my writer friends calls, "the hungadunga," (the term is in actuality an obscure, non-related reference to the Marx Brothers' movie "Animal Crackers") the tendency to skip over key descriptive pieces in our writing because we, the author, already know what we are trying to say, or where we are going, with our work, but a reader may not be able to follow us as easily. The continuity exists in our brain, but not on the page. That's a key place where a developmental editor can help.

No matter what stage of writing you are at, from brainstorming, to organizing and outlining your manuscript, to writing your first draft, to revisions, and onward, it is important to keep in mind the following questions:

1) Why am I, personally, writing this book?
2) Who will read this book?
3) Is this book a standalone or part of a series?
4) Would I benefit from writing with someone else, or enlisting someone else after I finish my draft?
5) What do I hope to accomplish with this book?

The answers to those questions will help greatly in focusing your intentions on a successful book. A book that is written well and is written with clear intention, has unlimited marketability.

Good luck on your writing journey!



Nicole K. Miller
Owner, Beyond the Story
Affiliated Editor / Legwork Team Publishing

Legwork Team Publishing is a leading, cutting-edge custom self- publishing company. We offer a comprehensive, wide variety of book, eBook, and marketing services.

What does it mean to self-publish a book?

Each week Legwork Team Publishing will be giving our readers and bloggers a good insight on what the publishing process is all about. Whether you are writing a sports book, memoir/autobiography, romance novel, fiction, mystery, science fiction, poetry, children's, or any other genre, we can help you with your book publishing goals.

As a Legwork Team Publishing author, you maintain control of your book through editing, proofreading, cover design, layout, print, distribution, marketing, and bookstore visibility; your book your way. Do you know that when you publish with Legwork Team you receive a Bookstore-quality custom-designed book which will be distributed on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and 25,000 retail outlets throughout the World? Legwork Team Publishing can offer you affordable publishing prices, unique marketing services, and a wonderful friendly team who is dedicated to helping you achieve and define your goals.