Care and Feeding of Your Designer with Paul Nylander
A good designer guides you and your story from a “finished” manuscript to a beautiful print book. In this discussion, Paul Nylander of Illustrada Design shares his insights into the design process and what you should look for when hiring a freelancer to join your project team. Using examples from his work with small publishers, Paul will talk about how a collaborative approach can lead to distinctive designs delivered on time, on spec, and within budget.
Design doesn’t need to be a mysterious process, especially for authors and publishers new to the game. With a bit of open communication, you can lift the veil and see how design sits at the intersection of engineering, art, and marketing—and how the process can create books that resonate on a personal level with readers.
Pragmatically, a book that provokes thought and curiosity helps solve the challenge all small publishers face: standing out in a crowded market. A distinctive design—and the collaborative process that creates it—can capture the attention of potential readers. It can also enhance the reading experience, making your story, whatever your genre, more memorable and impactful—and more likely to receive positive reviews.
About Paul Nylander
Melding a passion for design, printmaking, and photography with a background in business and science, Paul Nylander brings a unique perspective to the art of building books—creating well-crafted and intriguing products. By collaborating with authors, artists, businesses, and small publishers, he attentively adapts their visions, balancing the broad market needs of cover design with the focused details of typesetting to create books that deeply resonate with their readers.
An advocate for independent publishing, Paul lends his expertise as a board member of the Midwest Independent Publishers Association and the Minnesota Book Publisher Roundtable. His commitment to the community and to promoting the success of independent publishing underscores his passion for the craft of book building and the art of storytelling.
A good designer guides you and your story from a “finished” manuscript to a beautiful print book. In this discussion, Paul Nylander of Illustrada Design shares his insights into the design process and what you should look for when hiring a freelancer to join your project team. Using examples from his work with small publishers, Paul will talk about how a collaborative approach can lead to distinctive designs delivered on time, on spec, and within budget.
Design doesn’t need to be a mysterious process, especially for authors and publishers new to the game. With a bit of open communication, you can lift the veil and see how design sits at the intersection of engineering, art, and marketing—and how the process can create books that resonate on a personal level with readers.
Pragmatically, a book that provokes thought and curiosity helps solve the challenge all small publishers face: standing out in a crowded market. A distinctive design—and the collaborative process that creates it—can capture the attention of potential readers. It can also enhance the reading experience, making your story, whatever your genre, more memorable and impactful—and more likely to receive positive reviews.
About Paul Nylander
Melding a passion for design, printmaking, and photography with a background in business and science, Paul Nylander brings a unique perspective to the art of building books—creating well-crafted and intriguing products. By collaborating with authors, artists, businesses, and small publishers, he attentively adapts their visions, balancing the broad market needs of cover design with the focused details of typesetting to create books that deeply resonate with their readers.
An advocate for independent publishing, Paul lends his expertise as a board member of the Midwest Independent Publishers Association and the Minnesota Book Publisher Roundtable. His commitment to the community and to promoting the success of independent publishing underscores his passion for the craft of book building and the art of storytelling.
